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Unity of Faiths

The Sathya Sai International Organisation honours all religions as paths to the Divine
The Sathya Sai International Organisation honours all religions as paths to the Divine

Unity of Faiths

Unity of Faiths forms the foundation and the goal of all activities conducted by the Sathya Sai International Organisation. Sathya Sai Baba teaches:-

Let the different faiths exist,
let them flourish, and
let the glory of God be sung
in all the languages
and a variety of tunes.
That should be the ideal.

Respect the differences between the faiths
and recognise them as valid
as long as they do not extinguish
the flame of unity.

Human Values such as Truth, Love, Peace, Right Conduct and Non-Violence are timeless and can be found in the teachings and sacred writings of every major religion known and practised by humankind. Selfless service is the foundation and the royal road to union with the Divine.

Human Values in Sacred Scriptures

Islam:

Islam

Feed the Hungry and visit the sick and free a captive if he be unjustly confined. Assist any person oppressed whether Muslim or Non-Muslim. Charity is a duty unto every Muslim. He who hath not the means thereto, let him do a good act or abstain from an evil one. That is his charity. Every good deed is charity and to extend consideration towards Neighbours and send them presents are charitable acts. A man cannot be Muslim till his heart and tongue are so.

Prophet Muhammed says:-

You will not enter paradise until you have faith; and you will not complete your faith till you love one another”. “The best Muslim house is that in which an orphan has benefited and the worst Muslim house is that in which an orphan
has been ill treated. ”

The Holy Qu’ran says:-

and those who believe and do good works: such are rightful owners of the Garden. They will abide therein.”

Buddhism

Buddhism

Lord Buddha has taught:

Goodwill to all beings is True Religion, Cherish in your hearts boundless goodwill to all that lives. He who recognises the existence of suffering, its cause, its remedy and its cessation, has fathomed the Four Noble Truths. He will walk in the right path.

Whatsoever is originated will be dissolved again. All worry about the self is vain, the ego is like a mirage and all the tribulations that touch it will pass away. They will vanish like a nightmare and when the sleeper awakens, – He who has awakened, is free from fear, He has become Buddha. Happy is He who overcomes all selfishness.

Lord Buddha also taught:

“Tolerance, patience and understanding are the highest virtues every man should develop. We are the results of what we were and we will be the results of what we are.”

The Dhammapada says:-

The doer of good delights here and hereafter; he delights in both the worlds. The thought “Good I have done” delights him. And he delights even more when he has gone to the realm of bliss“.

Christianity

Christianity

Jesus told his disciples, “There are many rooms in my Father’s house. If there were not, I would not have told you.”

A young man asked Jesus, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life’? Jesus replied, “Honour your mother and father, and love your neighbour as yourself. If would be complete, go, sell your goods and donate it to the needy, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, Come, follow me.”

Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God: “Then the king shall say unto them, on this right hand, Come, ye, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for your form the foundation of the world, For I was hungry, and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, naked and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. Then the righteous will say to him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee drink? When did we see thee naked and clothe thee, when did we see thee sick or in prison? And the Lord sayeth to them, For as often as you have done to the least of my brethren, you have done this unto Me. “

Sikhism

Sikhism

“Let no man be proud because of his caste. God created all men – all men are moulded of the same clay.” The ‘Great Potter’ has merely varied all the shapes of them. There is no greater penance than patience, no greater happiness than contentment, no greater evil than greed, no greater virtue than mercy, and no greater potent weapon than forgiveness.

Guru Nanak says:-

Those people who love and sow in their hearts the seed of his Name, are liberated from death and birth again and again, and get salvation forever without pain. Such people whose mouths and tongues make many others clean and pure. True is the Lord, true is his Holy word: His Love has been described as Infinite.”

“Without practising virtue, devotion is not possible. Or the things to be renounced, the most to be recommended are lust, hatred and avarice. Hear thus! Meditating on Hari’s Name (God’s name) – do Charity to all.”

Judaism

Judaism

Every man should devote much time to meditation between his Creator and himself. He should judge himself and determine whether his actions are correct, and whether they are appropriate before the Lord who has granted him life, and Who is gracious to him every moment. If he finds he has acted properly, he should fear no one – no officials, no robbers, no beasts. When he learns this, he will have attained first: perfection in the study of Torah and its meekness; and second, perfect worship wherein all material considerations are forgotten; worship which asks for no personal benefits, and which prompts one to forget his very existence.

If the poor asks of you and you have nothing in your hand to give him, soothe him with words. It is forbidden to rebuke a poor man or to raise one’s voice again him in a shout, for his heart is shattered and crushed, for it is written, “A broken and contrite heart, Lord, you will not despise”. And it is written, “I dwell in the high and holy place and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Zoastrianism (Parsee)

Zoroastrinism

1. Now I will proclaim to those who will hear the things that the understanding of man should remember, for hymns unto Ahura and the prayers to Good Thought; also the felicity that with the heavenly lights, which through Right shall be beheld by him who wisely thinks.

Help me so to live my God, that when death extinguishes my life, I may yet live upon the earth in my good thoughts, and good words and good deeds, when my soul dwells with thee in heaven.

Life is kind to us, life is cruel to us, life sits light, and life sits heavy upon us, life is sunshine and life is darkness, life is joy and life is sorrow, life blooms and blossoms, life withers and fades. Life upon earth, O Lord, is a blend of contradictions.

Life and suffering are inseparable, and the world is a rough place to live.

Let me be up and let me work actively and strenuously while yet I may and let me die in harness when it pleases thee to call me back to heaven, Ahura Mazda.

I am at peace with the world, but not at peace with my conscience, for a fierce struggle goes in on the depths of my soul. The fire of sincere penance will cleanse my heart of its impurity. Let my penitence sweep away sin from my heart even as a powerful wind seeps over the plan and carries away everything with it. Let my sin be absolved for I will amend my way and sin no more.

All religions come from one and the only God, who makes himself known by many a name. From the same source, like the tributaries of a river, they flow. All religions make man equally good upon earth and with equal safety do they
conduct his soul to heaven. One alone is truth and all religions teach this truth, for religion itself is truth.

Hinduism

Hinduism

Swami Vivekananda, who took the torch of Hinduism to the Western World has said:-

“Truth, purity and unselfishness – where ever these are present, there is no power below or above the sun to crush the possessor thereof. Equipped with these, one individual is able to face the whole of the universe in opposition.”

“Where should you go to seek for God? Are not all the poor, the miserable, the weak – Gods? Why not worship them first? … Let these people be your God – think of them, work for them pray for them incessantly – the Lord will show you the way. Purity, patience and perseverance are the three essential to success – and above all, Love.”

“Hindus accept every region, praying in the the mosque of the Muslim, worshipping before the fire of Zoroastrians, kneeling before the Cross of Christians, knowing that all the religions, from the lowest fetishm to the highest absolutions, means so many attempts of the human soul to grasp and realise the infinite, each determined by the conditions of it birth ad association, and each of them marking a stage of progress. Be thou holy and above all, sincere and do not for a moment give up your trust in the Lord, and you will see the Light. Whatever others think or do, lower not your standard of purity, morality and love for God. Truth alone triumphs – not untruth… In this world always take the position of the giver. Give everything and look for no return. Give love, Give help, Give service. Give any little things you can, but keep out barter. ”

Baha’i Faith

Hinduism

Baha’u’llah says:

“Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbour, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.”

Spiritual Activities

In the Sai Baba Centre or group, spiritual activities – such as singing of devotional songs, study circle, meditation, books in libraries and talks given – all these activities acknowledge, celebrate and sing of the many names and forms of God.

Education Activities

Education must remove hatred
between the pilgrims on
the various roads to God.
There is only one God,
one Goal, one Law,
one Truth,
one Religion and one Reason.

Sai Spiritual Education is Education in Human Values. Respect for religions is taught in all Sai Spiritual Education classes.

Religions are many, but God is one;
Jewels are many, but Gold is one;
Appearances are many, but Reality is One.
(Sathya Sai Baba)

Service Activities

Selfless service to others is the fastest path to inner spiritual transformation. Sathya Sai Baba guides one and all to realise the Brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God by your selfless service.

Selfless service is the key to discovering the inherent divinity within every man, every woman, every child. Selfless service is given regardless of caste, creed, colour and religion. The Sathya Sai International Organisation encourages service to the poor, irrespective of their place, their temple, their church.

Do not give room for differences
based on language, religion, caste or nationality.
Develop the feeling that all are children of God.
You may worship God in any form of your choice,
but always bear in mind that God is one.
Cultivate love and promote unity and harmony among all.

Unity of Faiths Meetings

From time to time, the Sathya Sai International Organisation in Australia conducts public meetings and invites guest speakers from all the local temples, synagogues, churches and other places of worship. Sathya Sai Baba himself actively urges all persons to foster peace, harmony and love between the different faiths.

If there is Righteousness in the Heart
There is Beauty in Character
When there is Beauty in Character
There is Harmony in the Home
When there is Harmony in the Home
There is Order in the Nation
When there is Order in the Nation
There is Peace in the World