The public were to be the guests of the Ashram for the day and the Brahmacharis were busy preparing a dinner of rice, vegetables, and buttermilk for the numerous persons that were expected. The palm-leaf lecture-hall was being decorated with festoons of young green coconut leaves.
The Guru walked round, interesting himself in the arrangements, and afterwards sat down on the floor of the veranda talking to young and old who surrounded him, eagerly anxious to imbibe his words. “It is precipitate thought “, he went on, “that makes a man try to proclaim his own opinion as the best. No one opinion, however loudly proclaimed; can justly represent the Whole. It is like the story of the blind men who went to examine the elephant seem. It is only waste of breath to argue vociferously to establish any one religion. It is impossible in the nature of things that only one opinion should prevail. Without realising this simple fact, men divide: themselves into rival camps and fight for the mere words that divide them, forgetting the most primary of human interests. Speeches should not be made with a spirit of rivalry or hate. All speech is for knowing and letting others know. A man’s religion is a matter of his personal conviction, which is bound to be at varying stages of natural evolution in different people. Each man, therefore, may be supposed to belong to a different religion, and no two people belong to the same religion. On the other hand, all the religions of the world agree in spirit, the most essential part of religion. All religions represent Truth or Duty. The Goal is common. Why should man fight for his faith? It is an unwise act—one should not be swayed by the conflict of opinions, but should remain tranquil, knowing the Unity in all human effort, which is Happiness. Men differ in dress. Some people like to wear a beard; others are, clean-shaven. Serious people do not quarrel over these things!. Again, languages differ, but it requires no proof to see that humanity is one in spite of such differences. Why then should man differ and cultivate hatred? It is in vain — men have still to learn that fighting only destroys. If man only understood this simple truth, he would not fight." Thus continued the Guru, talking gently, and wafting home to the simple folk that stood round him the eternal principles of human conduct which burned in his heart though his talk lacked oratorical perfection, for it was broken now and then by lapses into silence.
- From 'The Way of the Guru' by Dr.P. Natarajan
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