Religions: Paths to the Same Shore

REGLIONS OF THE WORLD


Lately, I found myself in the midst of thoughts too intricate to articulate, emotions too layered to simplify. Have you ever pondered over something seemingly simple, only to realize that its complexity lies beyond initial comprehension? For me, that "something" has been Religion.

In my younger years, I viewed religion as nothing more than humanity’s creative interpretation of a higher power—a tapestry of myths and tales, vibrant but devoid of logic or purpose. It felt like a global anthology of stories, each with a unique flavor, yet all belonging to the same genre: mythology.

I found them entertaining, sometimes profound, but ultimately, I dismissed them as relics of an imaginative past. But as I matured, so did my perspective.

Being raised in Hindu household, I was surrounded by an abundance of myths and epics, each one intricately woven with gods, goddesses, and cosmic events. These stories weren’t uniform; they varied across regions and communities, offering countless interpretations.

At first, this multiplicity seemed chaotic, but over time, I began to sense something deeper—a subtle current of wisdom beneath the waves of narrative diversity.

What intrigued me most was their origins. These stories weren’t attributed to known authors or poets; they seemed to emerge from the collective consciousness of ancient civilizations. Some of them date back thousands of years, far beyond the realm of recorded history.

What could motivate people, millennia ago, to create narratives so rich, so profound, and so enduring, with no apparent personal gain?

This realization propelled me into a journey—a quest to explore the spiritual depths these tales concealed. I turned to the scriptures, epics, and philosophies of various religions. I watched debates, listened to podcasts, and read extensively, peeling back layers of tradition and symbolism. What I discovered left me awestruck.

Beneath the surface of rituals and myths lay timeless lessons: kindness, humility, the renunciation of greed and power, and above all, the pursuit of love and unity.

PURSUIT OF TRUTH

Every religion, at its core, seems to echo the same message. Yet, ironically, the world is disturbed by conflict, injustice, and suffering, all in the name of religion. Terrorism, communal violence, and ideological clashes have turned faith into a battlefield. Innocent lives are lost to a war that seeks to impose one interpretation of God over another.

Why?

The Quran aptly says, "It is not the eyes that are blind; it is the hearts that are blind."

People have twisted the very teachings meant to unite us into tools of division. They claim to defend God, as if the divine, a being infinite and omnipotent needs mortals for protection.

Such arrogance blinds them to the universal truth that God cannot be confined by human constructs, nor does divinity require validation through violence.

DIFFERENT PATHS SAME SHORE

In my opinion, the idea of God is vast, infinite, and universal. It transcends language, culture, and history. This vastness naturally leads to countless interpretations, each shaped by the perspectives and experiences of a community.

These interpretations—religions—are like boats. Imagine God as the shore we all seek to reach. Some of us row in one boat, some in another, while others swim unaided (like Deists). The destination is the same; only the paths differ.

No one can say with certainty whose boat will make it to the shore, or which one might sink along the way.

But what we must understand is this: every boat deserves respect. Every journey is valid, as long as it does not harm others.

Religion, then, is not a myth in the dismissive sense of the word. It is a symbol—a language of the soul—attempting to bridge the gap between the finite and the infinite.

The myths, the rituals, the doctrines—they are not the end but the means to an end. They remind us of a truth we too often forget; divinity is not found in the stories we tell, but in the love and respect we show to one another.

So, let us embrace the multiplicity of paths, recognizing that diversity in belief is not a threat but a testament to the infinite nature of the divine.

Let us tread lightly, with hearts open and hands extended, for the journey is long, and the waters are deep.

By: Robrayl (AJ)

Writer's note:

God is one, and we are all seekers, navigating vast ocean of existence in search of the same shore in different boats.