n

'i
fuof3 fuC0'5v i/ij Ol'Ov 1\
.... -. - -
"Harmonio'Usl!h ye Brethren, come together by mutual approaoA;
Repudiate duality being imbued with love."
THE RELATIONS
WHICH
Should exi.t between th. Great Religions of the World.
.Being an acidres.
BY
DHARM ANANT SINGH
SENT TO TBG
SIXTH INTERN.HIONAL CONGRESS OF FREE AND
PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANS AND OTHER
RELIGIOUS LIBERALS.
At PARIS (France). 1918.
ON II&HALI' 0'1
lunnERENCE SAINT ATTAR SINGH
1
OF MASTUANA
OlfZ OF IT.
HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS
RErltE&NTJlI; C .Tnx
SIKH COMMUKITY.
PSINTID AT TUE CIVIL &: l\hLll'AHY OUGAN PH!:
LUDHIANA.
{\
'iB'
II THE RELATIONS WHICH SHOULI> EXIS'r BETWEEN
THE GREA'r RELIGIONS OF THE WORLI>,"
Se\' eral years I may allot to the atlaiumellt of knowledge.
whioh shouM Tender me sufficiently able to compose a thesi. on
the specified suqjec.t, eRpecially 38 it has to pass belore the wise.t
of eyes. Yet without milch thougM I unhesita tingly say that
onty such relations should exist between lhe great religions of
the wortd which Hre aule to effed lind estnblibh the .. Divine
har.mony of the U'uivCl:se" Relalions, of course,
metaphYllcaJJy f''01ll tho re.listie. and ub.vlute iJealii;,!, poil1ts
of view, llS roferring to sotne reul quuJity 0 :' esse;lce of tiJings
by which they may bo collnecled wilh olle and hence
as d'esi'gnnling uui\"ersals, or clunactel's of reality, or as
the e8senti .. of reality itself, w hic!: is but a su m o/" ,elutions.
The divine Harmony, however, ihe lllubicai harmony. 'But
since the harmony of muts ic is divine, lllus;e itself 'a
l
60 be
diviue; as DO other ,,"tUI'C. bllt didne participate uf divine
nature . . The pocts ha re .. dcur"teu it tit. food 01 love and havc.
bl.nwd tho soul wuich is nob p058essing it. For it stil1\ulateB
and excit the deWc energies vf the soul, whicl"
1. m.y 8ay, is the onlv cognm,ciLle divine agency :working iu
the phenomenal w.orlJ, and' changes Ulem from their potenlial
exihence into the kinetic form. Thc human soul or the s-onl
cf a!, "1I'lIlal' in OUr religious Sl;stem, contrary to the philosophy
bf DeSCI)rtes who did not 'reeognize the eB.ential of
8ou.ls of an Immortal and
is no partItion lietwcen the quality of tbe psychic acti-
vi ty 01 maD ana that of brute, but the difference Hcs merely in
the d'cJr"e of development. Hence conscionsllcss .. ;.d
fr om aunihil ati on (\ ro m, u'. rxcJush,c
( 2 )
Every particle of eal,tb ultimately loses itself in Ihe Iilho-
.phore, every aqueous drop concil!8ivcly blends in the hydro,-
sphere, and every gaseous moleeule is finally commingled in the
atmQlipbere. Slnce, therefore, an individual soul i8 a part
the cosmio Bani, it i. only reasonable to infer tbat she must "Iso
eventually merge in the Soul of tbe Un;"eree Tbe cause of
ber separation from. tbe Great Spirit is merely
The removal of ignorance i. the approKch of liberation. Thi.,
however is to be barely by soul's own exertions. For
being ouce a denizen of the blissful beaven, this confinement i.
eve. incommodious to her n .. ture. Cooaequently she i8 "I way.
.trying and c.wing to reacb home. But being as it
were enveloped by the delu,ive she has woefully foro .
gotten her o'>:n real self. The desires of the orgaus and' temp-
t.l,ions of the sensibl .. do not let her alone e,en for a moment.
If, bowever, in some lucky illstant sh. gallantly struggles for
lib..rty, averts herseJf from the visible phantom., and
introspects ardently for her august reality, she i. savagely
psrsued by 80me benious wile which beguiles her
from the path of truth.
-Music has the power of bringing peace not only to buman
80uls but the Bouls of.mo.t wild and feroci ous carnivora also it
turns to " state of tranquillity. The lyre of Orphw.. could
ch&rm beasts and make trees and rocks move ..
Tbrough luirmony move the planets etemany, through
harmony a thW8Bnd million are controlled, through har-
mony peBce of the nations is held. and harmony alone i. Ihe
cause of Creation . . And this strictly rnarvsllouB quality, which
i. technically designated by wise . .a. thus, seems, after pro
.found im'eatigation bo not .at variance the notion of love.
On the contrary, they are synonymou" and the same in essentials:
Harmony being con COl'll 'Let ween the many, and love, atLraction
between the mony. The 'latter we are ju.tified to with
( 3
desire "nd the former with tbe objeot of. desire,
Harmony. bowever, I have selectet!, as best that of music,
which, ag.ln, is sacred th,t of philOflophy, aye-, (" Philo.i)phi-
OB men ottadS megi.t'" ,nou.ilces")-, Pleto's Phedo) "philosophy,
ind d, is the sublimest mUBic". This, in turn,
being tbe love of absolute wisdOlU, or, aspiration of tbe soul
after reconciliation with the Soul of sOllls, is .Iso, the way to-
wards tbe achievement of tbe sam .
Religi on i. given lEany and diverse defiuitions It is totally
beyond the realm of reasonable grounds of presumption to
determine and recognize nny precise or intelligible signification
from the complexilies of their multif.rious incongrn.ities with
""owed principles. One is surprised to eee same of tbe th'!Ologi-
ans, even in defining tbis simple ward, turniDg upon question"
rel .. ting to the most .. bstruse abstractions of metaphysics. It is
but a display of learning, Tho term in its tru. UD d
priginal sense i. perfectly free from such
means nothing more than a path of aalvation. Salv.Mon 'is
soul's liberatioD from tho bondRge of sin. \Ybil e sin is a deed
.wl'ought, in consequence of being excited, under the influence
of the stupidity inciting quality of the mind, by a st .. te of coo.-
sciou.ness produced either by an extErnal or by some
cb .. uge in tbe intern .. 1 state of the body, or by memory, merely
to gratify the passions of the sensible orgauization. l'he result
of sin is Ihe sonl's trl,nsinigration. Therefore. tbe bondage li!
the transmigration ana liberation. the emancipation from it.
The Cre .. tor of tbe universe and whate\'er it contains is God
Illone. ,He is the Cause of all, what is good. Previous to the
generation of tbe uuiverse except Him no one else existed Nor
aoy thlng against His will or knowledge can ever exist.
Was put to d ... tb not against' His' , will. Tbat w hicb n<>t
'against tho will of Divinil.y is good. Satan, however, is said;
to exist. 'Of coui'se, he was not, b.fore the existence of tbe
uuiverse. The Omnisciont Father is, t I, e fabricator of Sat .. n too-
( 4 )
It. koew that U,i'. being w"ge war' ftgainpt Hin\
Knowing He still -created !J;18. Out of Himself. As ni
thillg' .. "cept tho. Divine Self exist.d'. ' But the Divillity being
all good, beatitude, noul-ruLh, that, . which ,is' . 1'nrt o('Him;
must also pnrtieipate of ,these attributes, ' ,Sa,ao,<5, Lhere".';ro.
, e6seDtiaUy good.
No:oDe deBiree to eee any tIring 'nn'ppenmg' i,is will
God is lo t of all desirous of th It. - 8:\tao. 4i4' not
his Cre,tor Hi. will, since it wo'uld be
ho':rible to things occut 'eveD Ilgainst tlie witl of ctlh.
In fact. ne'ither 'disobeyed God nor" raised iIDpicn. :;,\1'
in hea.el;". Ii 'c"n not Il<i, G)d is aU light; while ,tiM> Fl\uen
" , . . '. , oJ
:Angel is calle'd ',the Prioce of Darkness. How 'Can there'l!:>e
da.kness iii the Pl'esence of light, Y might be' ,said .th'l\t
he is a,vay G "t. But. ah ! I ask, i. there any being
is away evcn I;'oi'n' the omniprosent deity 1 OlRy
a,rgu'e, tbnt1t.his snprcme Rpitit.of e\'"il Rn'd unrighteous!'
ness. the of ,man and of 'God Pl']O .. to hi" 1,.11
, ' ! .
was good, True. But , I say. how did l, e becume wicl<ed after"
, '
'Yards 1 Is it possible fa .. goodness to bo elllLOged into vice 1
No: Then, who pt'ovol;e1 the' Devil il) fight with the Divinity 1
Can' tlll;re be any otuer cause of it except vice 1 But that WIIS
not existing yet, Else, Vice and God mUft Doth he
-4nd one as g .... at a heing "" U!e other:, Which is absurd, Why
then, the Parent C"eator, brought into existence ,a Croaln .. e
which is the causa of mighty evils to Bi. child"en 1 WiIla!'y
wise father do such n" thing 1 Is God :impoteDt 10 desttoy 1
If it were so, how eoultl man , a.ct righteously. For one must
first , overcome the Devil ere doing good. Hence it 'is in the
.reael! of ,mort!,l. to 'vanquish bim, God must he strong enough
to red lice bim to nothing, Wh;, then, does He riot employ His
,power 1 Has He let him free with some othor design l' Tlu,t
-"bo lOu'st Le good, ' For whatel' er i. done by Him excellent
( 5 )
"II things are [or the sake of the good, and work together rOl'
0"" CllU. 'Ibe Fount of wisdQm i. Dot our fielld as to
cleats 8Om.tlling for oor vantage. Since, oei.tber has
Vevil ,a. p;,rsonal existence.
, What i<l, tben, meant by' evil or vice. and , what .i . badnea&
L.t.caB Dot forget, in demoustrating, tb .. l. that which i. bad, mould
be. .... 8Bchllniveftllllly and But we ii.od tbat
a oertaia doillg is bad to one, and goat! t!) the other. Is it not
straQge I The same thing to be both good aDd bad. White
colour i. white to' everyone, and not white to one and black
t o ';'nother. By cold everyone understand. ths diminution of
heaL: Similarly, good i. good, and bad i. 'bad, alway. and
oniveM!ally. . How must the" batlness" be defined in order to
affirm the statement 1 To act contr..ry to the nature of
heilig. is bad. It i., the improper use of thing... The .effect of
a bad amion is, interferenoe in the illeeS!lJlocy of Harmony.
What is Harmony 1 SQUI'lf ;b.ing ill tUlle with Ihe
-and the spiritual nni.er.... That is, uy ou t n 'ing th, former,
to contemplate on 'be and k.ep the 0"10' in retu.tubr .. nca.
Henee R sinful deed is bad. If on s ing " youllg beautiful
datusel, one on GJd Whl m'ld. her bvely, it is
divine, he i. g,atifying his tlo, ire ohly, which \.
sinful. The 8ame may be applied to IIll 'othOl' caselt,
, .
Let us now endea.vour to discover, if we ca.n, the caUIie of
evil. According to the epistemology, whi ch i. perfect-
.Iy compatible with the Phostirian theory, 'knowledge i. tbe
reminiscence of what i. once learnt. ignorauce. heing
the .Antonym of know lodge, is simply forgetfullnas .
Tho,llgbt, of which the mind is not conscious .during auy
pal'ticular jnterval of time. be it ever 80 infinitesimally abort,
,is said to be forgotten. l'be mind is an apt instr'ument
be cou!\Cious of mrwy thoughts simaltaneously.. But, by deep
r81l
co
(ion, thoughts, of whi<:h .the impressions have once lJ9.'u
(6 ,
made, can be brollght con.oi"u.ness. tt, tben', it I. not pOBa!'\.
bl. for the mind to ,he ,.ynchronously conscious of more
one thought, it mu.t he temporarily ignorant of other thougble.
Wherefore, It i. clear that the cause of evil is ignoranoe. When '
the mi"d is employed in performing Borne einful deed, .it is
con.eioos of its being done, but uoconseioue of tbe feet that it
ie Binfol. For no' person willingly want. to injure his own
Self. To act Sinfully i. injuring the Self. How, tben, is it
to say that anyone injures his Self volunt.rily. ,
The question bere might appropriately be raised that, very often
8 peraon knowingly sins. For instance. somo one knows thRt,
to murder is a sin, anel it .. result the c.pit.l punishment, but
commits it, Th.t is BO, But, see, ",hat we w.ould call him who,
knowing that Sre burnB, may still thrust hi. hBnd In it.
Shall we not call him" mad man, and deranged in mind I
Surely we would 1 Mad,ie .. is nuthing but profound ignorance,
In the snme m:lnner, then, we unuerstanJ this, that, when
perso"! violates the law, ho i. mad, '\.",1 divine Plato is quite
right in alleging t.llat (" Oudeis ekO'n kalros") If DO one is
voluntary bad". For the mimi, as s&id before, being able to be
conscious o[ only one particular at " timo, i. stimulated to act
passionately, h" ving forgotten at the .amo time of its ,beiog
sinful The ct1.use ()f thii itself, however, is
cient practice to remember' tho Diety, 'Accounting, in this way,
for th3 base deeds, says thQ ornament of the Stoics;
.. Let your talk of God he renelved every day, ' raU>'er th&n youI'
food. Think of'God mare thah you brAath., If you
always remember t1,;t wh.te"er yon aro ')oiog in the 60ul' or ia
the body, God stantI. by as 'in'peetor, you will never err in all
your prayers aDd in all 'your deede", '
In 'I:!ible, too, is ' ordained, .. Watch and pray, ' Whereail
from amidst countless other similar ,'e"es the following l ' bring
forward from thu Phostir Vivlos :-
( 7
Remember, God by remembering Him yeu 8'*11
happin ... ,
And era"e from your hoortil trouble "nd .Illiction.
Remember the praises of tlie' One .11 supporting .
.. By remembering God' DIaa ,dotlr not "i,:.in the wotnb
By remembering Ood the to;'tot at death Jimppell' ;'
By remembering God death is reino'ed ;
By remembering God enemies retreat; '
By remembering God 80 """tacles are mot;
By remembering God we. are watchful 'uight and day;
By remembering God we obtain divine II,edita-
ti on aod the essence of wisdom;
Rememberu.nce of God is tl,e real d<>,'ot;"n, peuanoo, .. nd
worship; .
By remembering God the conception ot duality is diApelied ;
By romombericg' o'od we obtain the '8dv8ntages of bathing'
at plaoo9 of pilgrima.ge ;
By remembering God we are honoured at court ;
By rememberiug God we become reconciled to His will ;
"They whom H. bth caused to do' eo remeln:ber Him .:'......
Touch, 0 N anak, reet of BUob .
.. To remember God j. til .. most en"ed of all dut;':'s.
By remembe .. in
r
, God many aft' 8&ved .i
By remembering God thirst i. quenched;
.Ji,y remembering God man knoweth all things ;"
"S; .remembering God mental impurity'''!''mnved;
Name filleth the heart.
God on tb .. tongue of the
"They who reoaemoor god are distiugqi6hed :'.
"'Tbey wbo remember God rule the
"Thoy who remember God live eternally."
.. They who remember God are philnnthropic;
( 8 ' )
I Rm ever dovoted to those who remember God.-
Tile r .. ces of thOfle who remember God look bright ;"""
.. The way. of tb088 who remember God are holy;
They who rememoor God reel extreme joy,;
They remember God dwell near Him,"
.. By: romemb.ring Goil man i. easily absorbed in HII)) ;'"
" 'By remembering Ood the lotus of Dum's heart bloolllcth;
By remembering Gt<l man heareth the unbenten melody;
The happiness i. obtained by rememberillg God
DO end 01' IinliL".
" By rememberint;God His8)liD,tB become ;"
"By 1'.lnembering God men haye obtait. ed supel'lmluml
pl)WlJr, c_::m.tinence end gOIl&rosity
By remembering God oven the low-ly are known ill e , cry
d.irtctio ]
B.y remembering Oed the whoKl 'Hrth. is supported;
Hcmemoof, remember God t1'e canse or CI1l1ses.
For Lho romelUberance of God He cre,t-d the whole world ;
God is remembered thero i. God Himself:
pious, 0 Nanak, whom 6 0u hath mercifully in.tl'ucted,
Have ubt .. ined tb_e boon at remembering Him."
Moa]eDls, 8\SQ, nre eaid to be enjoined by the", Prophet to.
invoke U';. Superemo Being, hefore C<lm'mencing to make any
physiMI or i .. tcllrctual effi,rts,- di\,e.t.d to an auspicious end.
Kris]mn no less Limn tho same recommend. \0 his disciple, say-
ing, "without doubt, 0 mighty-arme,}, the, mind is hard to curb,
and restless; but it ' may be ' curbed hy constnnt practice':- of
l'emembering God. " Thns it is obvious and perfectly certain
that by thA sa;'] means the doubo is completely disrelled fl'o m
ths mind, .nd" tn the. serene Jight of pura bith the ignorance
is destroy. I] like n I'cnt cloud, But thi. relUoval of igno,"uce
and of the millu call \101 be otic. ted except through
t.bo guidance of tl metl i:itor who hlUlself shou! J be} u,1! light, aul
9
what we seek. Such a one we' call GURU in.' Sanskrit.,
"
a" Enlightener of the Soul in English, .and in he
'!"y be. called Phostir ( .. I'hoBter" ). . The need of a ,phostir
.. .,n ab.olute neees.,ity ill the ..... ed of Theoll)Ql:p.hists
(i e. Si:kh., the followers of the ,religion of . Phosti, Nanal<. aDu
his successora, the' nine Fbosti,s). It is . cnsid.red. 9S. them to
be a Bim q.ua "on for thee salY8tion of man., and the imroells
. . yah16 attached $0 it JS exp.ess'ld as ol,lows by tbe P\lQlltir V,
i!iqJ,Self.
"The divine Phostir is my mother, tbe divine Phosti. is my
father, the divine Phosti. i. my lord and supreme' Goo ;
'rhe divine 'PIiostir is my romp.nion !lnd di.'peller of spiritu-
'sl ignopsnce, tb. divine Phostir i's iny relation !lnU my brotlfer;
The divine Phostir is the giver aDO the tea'her of God'.
the divine hath the spell that cannot be counteracted;
The diviae Ph08tiF is peaee, truLh, tbe image of wisdom; the
.!i vine Phostir 'is. a philusopher's stoDe touching w'hicb maD
it1 saved;:
The div'"e Phostir i$ a placa of pi.lgrimnge,. hi. dh'1!le
ledge & Jake of nectar, by . bathing ill th.l11iruitsbJe is
obtained ;.
The divine Phostir is the Crento., the remove. of all
"E'-In,
the diviDe PL'Ostir i. the the impure ;
The divine Phasti. i. from the beginning, sinee the beginning
of .time and in every age the divine Phostiz is the spell of God'.
Dame .by the utterance of which ma.u 'is s""ed. {) God, merci-
fullybrio'g me-fuolbb and, siuner tl, .. t I am-ink the company
of the SO th .. t by clinging to hilll I .may be .aved. .
Nailak boweth the diviDePhostir. 'the ttue . Ph08tir, . the
Supreme Divinity, the Supreme Pow.r". .
. It i. ll!08t impo.tant here to say" few woru. in cOlln.ciion
with the que.tion of the ph.o.tir of the Phostira. For Dot Clily
( 10 )
some of the distinguished and learllP.d European 8cholors h ..
by mistake represented Kahir as the phostir of Phostir Nanak
but Dumberless Indians too-the ever bigott<ld adherAr. and
partisans of the false, eophistic, and mythulogical book. of
ancient Inilia-have m.liciously, merely to gratify their own
vanity, and that of their impious, ungrateful coUeagues, contee-
ted to utmost to stigmatize the majesty of our spotbeo-
Bizad Preceptor, by calling him a disciple of Krisban, Ram, or
some otber myth. This, bowever, is not nearly 80 great a
caluinny a. their vain, ,ostentatious statement in pretending
:sbat the whole of wisdom had been originally deril'-
'!d from the Vedic wilderne,.s. To re,:"ove the.e blunders and
,",crilegious errors from the minds of true and sbow the
contrary, is a ,,?Iemn .. nd sBcred duty of " faithlul Tlleolnor-
'pbist, which, I shall prove without difficulty. the Phostirs'
own words :-
PSOSTIR I.
"',I'he eBBence without ignorance, the all-diflusad, THAT
I AM,-yes, without any heterogeneity;
The Illimitable, beyond Being. the Perfect Divinity, yeo.
Nanak .with That Phostir bath come int:> contact". " A. the
word of the Lord cometh to me. BO I make known, 0 Lalo-".
PsbsTIa IV .
.. I lIlyself know not how t.o talk, h.iag by Him
bave I eaid all".
PSOSTIR X.
"Through Eternity who fashioned the entire univers.,
Be my ... Intation to Him "lone; ,
Through Eternity who fabricated the entire creation,
And created god., m .. le6cent, and beneficent demo.ns ,;
The One incarnate Deity from beginning to end,
Him Illone must ye understand to be my Phostjt" .
.. 0 holy God, by Thy it i. Dot I who lIa,. been
&peaking'; .
( 11
AI! that hath been said h .. been said by Thee" .
... As He spaka to me eo I .peak unto men.
I hea' no enmit.y to anyone" .
.. As God spoke to me I speak,
I pay DO regards to anyone besides".
The phostir of the Pho.tira was God Himself, and a. phostil1l
they took birth iolo the world. They were, therefore, all of
them Born-Phostire, tbough their revelations, except tbe First,
took place loog .fter they were born. The definition of a true
'phoiltir i. thus gi veu by the Fifth: "He w bo hath realized the
'l'rue Being, the Tru. Phostir is his name ".
Now suffer me for a moment to go back bo the original paidt
and see wether it is p088ible to establish aDY rel&tl* ootween
religions of the world, The relations; however, exist
where there' is plurality of the Dumber. Should we then ac-
knowledge the plurlliity of the religion 1 Are we right in doiug
80? I doubt. ElectricIty is the same, DO matter by what
means it is II generated". Water, if pure, is one a.nd the Harne
everywbere-the same R'
2
O. No oue mauufactures it. It i.
already present in perfect form. But there are diftereDt ways
to o!>tain it OJle might get it from the well, another from the
river, or tank and so on. Again, there are uiverse methods to
get it from each of the .. Source.-one may use windlas . au-
other tlerew, another pump, or Siphon etc.
Further still, it i. utilized in .. riOU8 ways. Yet, one ... eo-
tial , universal and D81.Urai U'3e of water is the maintenance of
life. To use it for t!Ji. purp,,"e there is only One way,-tl,e
eame for man and brute, the 88Ule from East to West.,-through
mouth "nd alimentary cansL Rreligiou likewise is only 00"
"" alao decl"re. Nanak, the Teacher BeDt by God:-
" There 'iS bat one road, ooe door. the Phostir i8 ladder
to resch one'. home, Beautiful i. the Deity, 0 Nanak, all
blisFi is in His name: 1)
Hu Himself is its founder ami in our soul.. Tllcre
( t2 )
are, 'nia;ny sources to' H learn from" about it,
manifold uses when learnt. One may aceept Socrates: Jesus, Or
Nanak. It is a.1l the Rame. And one- may nse reiigious
knowledge to. preach to or write books Ilud e'arn
,living, or by lecturing on it seek the world'Bappl . nse, or
,'Simply-to inake uoe oE it as .. favour.ite ,pa.time. 'l'hat is" not
religion but impious sa.crilege Foc " Religion >l
J
Battli the
Pbo3tir, lIcom.h;teth not lna. patched coat, 01' in a. hermit's
'8ta-i", or in asf.es smell1"ed over the body
I( consistetb not in aSTrings worn, or in a sha.ven hea;d, or in
tbe blowing of harng. Abide pure amid the impurities of tm.
wor:]d; thqs shalt thou find the way of religion.
cLnaisteth not in Jrtere
He who looketh on all equally is religiouB;
Religion o(lonsisteth. not in wandering to tcmbs or places of
crem"tion, or sitL';ng Lo,nly) in of contemplation;
Religion -Dot in, wa.ndering in forejgn
or in ,bathing at plllces of, pjlgrimage.
!\bide' pure amid tho impurities of the world; thus shalt
thou find the' way of religion,
On meeting a true Phostir GOQbt is dispelled and the wa.nder-
ings of the mind
necta.r, slow ecstati-c music is heard', and man is
happy 'within himself.
Abide pure amid the impurities of the world ; thUB Bhalt thou
find theway of-religion .
. 0 Nauak, in the midst of life be ill' death; practise BOlCh
religion.
Wh'en thy horn Bound.th without being blown, thou: shalt
obtain the learleas dignity.
Abide 'pure amidthe inipurities of tbe world, thu8sb8lt-thou
"Bild the' way of .<el1'gion "
Religion is but one, 89 water is one. It has 'no name, as
'Water h.,s nO c\:llour, Tho la.tter assumes the colour of the vessel
(18
ir#which.it, is kept, and in exactly the a.me m'anne, is religion
dtnominated Academic, Clrristi.n, or Tlleowor.phic, after. the
..... peCltve name of ita g_tasc;.epouooers,
lr.. etern.1 and univereal llBe i8 also one-to .",ve the human
80ull The way to conceive ita glory strictly tbe same-through
thelipractice of Virtue and Troth, tbroogb tbe deed. of daily: life,
aid througb the. Divine Meditation.
The , kin.hip between the nations of the world ie. recog-
nized in high and emphatic ,terma, by the Phostirs; thue io tbe
'fenth:-
It Ooe man by Shaving his head is accepted 8S an ascetic.
as a hermit or a fl third as a con(.illeut. Some;
are Hindus Bud others MohsUllllcdanH; among the Ia.tter
ar. Rafazis, Imams, aud tbat ull me,n are of
the , same caste.
Creator and tbe BeneScent Me.the 'lllooe, the
' and the Merciful are the same; let IIo' man even suppo
there is a Gifferenca Wor.hip tbe one God' who i. ttw ODe
divine Phostir for BII ; know that His FurDl is oue, and that HIl
is the one light diffuF.ed in nIl.
The temple and themosque are the same : tbe Hindu wOTllhip
Bnd the Mohammedan prayer are the eame; it is through error
they appelLr difterent.
Deities, -demons, angels, 6erar;him, MobummedanFl and
11:.- adopt the customary drese of their different cOUlltries.
'll. men have the S8me eyes, the same ears, tbe same body,
the, ,""e build, a compound oE earth, air, fire, alld water.
AU;\\ snd Jebovab are the eame ; the Porana BDd the. Quran
.. Te thc they are all alike; it istbeone God who all"
.. As frQm ono fire millions of sparks aris.; tbough rising
s.p,rotely, they unite "gain in the tire;
( 140 )
from on. heap of dust several particles of dust 811 the ail
i9l:tj' on filling it again blend with tbe dust;
As in ODe stream mWioD8 of waves Bra produced; the' waves
being made of water all become water;
So from Ood'. form oon-seotieotand ,antient thingura mani-
fested, and springing from Him, sb&1\ all be united in Him again" .
.. The dwellers of the East koow not Thy limit, tbe
Juno who dwell.th on Olympus meditateth on Thee; the Gur-
de.is of Obor siog the praises of Thy oame.
The hermits pJ1lctise contemplation to be united with The.;
how lOuny hold their breatb to ' obtaio Thee, The Arabo of
Arabia worship Thy name, ,
The Frenchmen of France worship Thee, th. Kandharis and
Qureehis know Thee, residents of tbe West recognize Thee as
the object of their love. The Mar"thas, tbe Magadhis heartily
do penance, the natives of Tilon:: fi x Tho. in their hearu,
aod Thee 68 the abode of religion,"
"ln the east in Palan, in Kamrup and KamouB, where'.r
,nlan there Thou presidest,
)i,y:.glory is perfect; written and spoken, incantations can-
not?aff.,Ot Thee, 0 Lord, and Iloue can find the limit of Thy prai.es,"
Religion, thougn ODe in reality, does Got appea.r to be thus
nnder the existing circumstances Tnerefore, some Buch affinity
be brought about whereby we may al\ begin to couceive
the uUlty of religion and erase absolnlely the idea of duality.
Philosophy we hA,'e, in Socratic words, an810gized wiLl! the
highest music; and since tb. former i. defi.ed by the Platoni, ts
as, the and perfection of human life, (it is the puri-
fication, indeed, from the material irratioD8lity, \lie mortal
body, in conaequence of beiug the resumption of ollr proper
felicity, and a re-ascent to the divine likeness, To efloct these
two is the proviDce of virtuc aud truth ; the fonner extermiu&-
( 15 )
titg the . inmoder .. tion of passion., and the'latter introducing
tlj> form to those who Are naturally adopted to ite rl"l"P-
tibn). , It i. indentical w th the de6nition of religion. Hence
tbe litter may be deemed ... the Sublinl",!!- Music.
.Come. th.n. noble friend.. establil!h ' sneb relations 88 a1'''
- . .. .
follnd between the performing musiCians in an
Where. violins. viola violoncellos aod ooot,aba88e., lute. mllUl,-
dolin. harp. banjo. and triangle and rod; all might be heard
sounded' .. like io pitcb. Eacb player trying to harmonize his
iostrument with the other, and be in Perfect unison. In-
strument. individu"lIy would al.o produce music; all. howI>ver.
tOgflther a divine harmony. imitating the eternal "ho;, of the
coleeti .. l hierarcl,y. music of all religious un-
doubtedly is music. ' hut having C;od 3. our Conductur, let ua
learn'" produce a uuive_1 h"rmollY. and invem-'
" Such r1olusic, 88 'tie said,.
Before w&.s never made,
But when of old the of morning sung;
While the Creator great.
Hi. COIl8teliatiou8 .0',
And tbe woll balanc:d world on. bing .. hung,
And o ... t the <lark foundatioD8 .....
And bia the weltering wav"" their OOI\Y "'-I keel"
Ring out, ye Cl'ystel sphere.,
bless our human ea.rs,
'" y., have power to touch our sens .. 61);
Alid lei your 8.1 "or chim.,
in melodioUB lim. ;
And let' too bass of Heaven'. deep orgBn bloW';
And, witb your ni.nefold harmony,
Make up fill! concert to the .ngelic sY"'l'booy_
For, if such holy song,
( 16 )
. Enwrap GIlI' fancy long.
Time will .run back. and fetthU,e.age of gold;
And Bpec>lUed vallity.
Will Bioken Boon and die,
And.le!",ollS Sin will melt f\'Om earLbly mOJlI<;l;
And aell itself will pass away.
4nd laavO' her dolorous maosions to the peering day:'.
(Mitton}.
PROSPERITY.