UNITY OF RELIGIONS

 UNITY OF RELIGIONS 

PAPER READ BY GURUDEV R PAULASEER LAWRIE MUTHUKRISHNA IN THE  WORLD CONFERENCE OF RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY & CULTURE  

AT MADURAI IN 1977 IN THE PRESENCE OF  

JAGATGURU SRI JAYENDRA SARASWATHI SWAMIGAL,  

THE SANKARACHARYA OF KANCHI KAMAKOTI PITAM 

He that hateth his brother is in death. 

He that hateth his brother is a murderer 

He that hateth his brother is in darkness, 

And that darkness has blinded his eyes  

And he does not know where he goes”. 

I have been a Christian Preacher for many years preaching to multitudes all over the world.  I have visited many sects, denominations of Christianity and I became famous. In my trips I  found most of the Indians when they got converted to Christianity join some western  denomination, got large sums of money and live comfortably in India even losing their  identity as Indians. To my surprise in my world trips many famous Christian sects offered  me large sums of money which I refused; and for this cause, in the U.S.A., I was beaten and  thrown out of Christian Churches. My first experience changed my thinking. I was in New  York in 1960. I had no money and I heard Christian singing and went into the Church.  Suddenly a white man came shouting “YOU BLACK BASTARD, GET OUT; There is no  room for blacks”. I was beaten and thrown out. It was night and the second day I landed in  New York and was shivering in cold. I sat on a bench and I saw another man came and sat  next to me. I started scolding White people and decided that when I go back to India I will  beat every White man I see. Then suddenly the man next to me said “I was not a white man,  when I was in the world”. I immediately knew he was Jesus, and He seemed to walk fast  and I chased Him calling Jesus, and he seemed to walk fast and I chased him calling Jesus,  Jesus; but he smiled and disappeared saying again, “I was not a White man when I was in  the world”. This made me worry why my people should hate this unique black man Jesus  who was also an “ASIA JOTHI” (Light of Asia). I preached the next day “I am happy that I  am a black man as my master Jesus is not a White Man”. Then in the Methodist Church a  woman shouted, I do not want Jesus if he was not a White Man. I came back to India as a  ‘pauper’ without any money but great was my peace and joy to remain a free man in God. I  preached as a ferociously fanatic Champion of Christianity to millions at Madras City alone,  and making over thousands of converts to churches was almost a child play for me, in 1962- 67. In July 21st, 1969, a great crisis happened in my life. I was called to address the  “KANUGA CONFERENCE” in U.S.A. as a Main Speaker and to pray for the sick. In one  meeting in a cottage people saw me disappear and saw Jesus in my place. That night there  was a voice of God that I should rush to Chicago before Moon Landing Day (First time) and  that He would in the Life Tabernacle in Chicago fill me with His Special Power to expound  scriptures in God’s thinking and after obeying the Voices and getting the special powers I  returned to India, my life being in danger. 

While meditating in the midnight God showed me that hatred made our eye blind. Being for  so long a fanatic Christian ready to do anything to convert a soul, I suddenly found myself  with divine love. So I arranged a meeting of Muslims and hundreds of Muslims came to our  Ashram. Then I started loving every Hindu I met. Then God showed me the true  interpretation of the Bible. The Western people straight-away condemned Hindus as  “Heathens”. I started preaching back stating that they are not, but have more love than a  Christian and their religion is very tolerant to others as I see them in India. This made the Western Christians very angry and they paid (even today) large sums to publish in foreign  papers everything adverse about me, and paid Indians to tell so many bad things against  me. 

Then many foreigners came to the Ashram to study under me for more than five years. Every  night God taught me like a teacher divine truths. Then I studied Koran, Bhagavad Gita,  Swami Vivekananda, and innumerable religious books and the first thing I found was there  are so many misinterpretations in the Holy books of different religions. First of all, all books  say that “No one Has seen God at any time”. This shook me. Then why the Christians make  a big fuss as if they are the only people who have seen God when their own books say it is  impossible. Secondly, while the Christians call the Hindus as having many gods, they  themselves cannot comprehend as one God but make Three Gods as Father, Son and Holy  Spirit, but the Bible clearly teaches that man was created in his own image, male and female  He made them. This measures of the Hindu concept is correct as they say God is  malefemale (Siva & Shakthi). Then there is the person called “THE WORD” or “LOGOS”.  You know it is very hard for a Christian to pronounce the name of another God. Then the  name “Narayana” came to my thinking. Jesus said ‘No one can kill me and I can give my life  and take it again and this commandment I got from my Father’. Of course I can now boldly  say that if I meet a Hindu he will never ask me if I am a Christian or a Muslim. He will spread  his welcoming hand to me and will love me as his own without bothering about my  conversion while a Christian will first ask me to what denomination I belong, and if I do not  give a wise answer I will be hated immediately and could have no more fellowship. Then  God showed me that love and faith and dependence on God for everything is needed for  present day Christians which I found among Hindus in abundance. 

Then my heart-break came when I found Muslims and Christians were diametrically  opposite. This divine love does not mean that I left all of Jesus Christ. How can I leave Jesus  Christ from whom I got my life? I only project the super-abundant love that the God of all  creations bestowed upon me. If all the Holy books are from the One Great God there cannot  be contradictions. So I cried and meditated hours together in my Ashram asking God to give  me the love for Muslim. Also I found that Christianity does not seem to much cultivate the  habit of meditation which is a terrific vital force spiritually. In midnight hour in an audible  voice I got the interpretations not only for Bible, for other religious books also. This made  me happy once I taught the westerners also my view point which they gladly accepted. Then  I found that when God in anger scattered the Jews he said would scatter them throughout  the world, among people who worship ‘idols’. Then I found the pattern of the Hindu temples  was exactly like the Jewish “TABERNACLE” (one entrance in the east), Holy of Holies  (Moolasthanam), then Holy Place and then the Outer. Here we see the meeting place of  both Jews who killed animals for sacrifice and putting the ashes of these animals which was  slain smeared on them, while those who worship the cow and will not allow the COW TO  BE SACRIFICED OR KILLED. They have to reach a common formula to exist together. Now  the problem comes about the Muslims. They agree Jews have the ‘Nabi’ but cannot imagine  him to be killed, but they go to the extent of saying that Jesus died in Kashmir and was  buried in Kashmir. Churches say Jesus was put on the cross and killed and rose again the  third day. Christians may say so many things but we cannot believe all what they say. I see  a Hindu living the Bible way, but a Christian having a lot to talk about the Bible and never  practicing it. 

For instance “turn your left cheek if you are beaten on the right cheek”. When I was in Hyde  Park, London, a Negro was beaten by a white man and he was bleeding and he turned his  cheeks over and over I got so wild I jumped to the rescue of this coloured brother when  many white men came to beat me and I managed with my strength; then I said, “Why are  you beating like this, you who brought the Gospel to India?”, then they shouted Bible is for you fellows and not for us; But to enslave you we did it. Then I found out that the Westerners  would rather start a war in the name of religion and kill multitudes preaching ‘Turn the other  cheek’. But my defence is in Christ or in God and no one could strike in my cheek because  of the divine power within me but one will have to show his other cheek once he is striken if  no divine power is with him. I remember in a meeting a man came running to attack me and  a strange light struck him and he fell down and fled for his life. 

Here comes, the most naughty point, ‘Can there be any unity with Muslims and Christians  and Hindus?’ Fundamentally, I believe, Yes, through the Holy books, and Bible. 

I can boldly say Jesus Christ never came to Kashmir as there were many Jesus at that time  and we can say many things to spite a religion but if we approach in love, everything will  become clear. A man may row a boat with terrible strain and reach the shore, while a man  may sit in the boat, turn the engine and reach the shore without strain but in comfort. What  is the use of fighting over the mode of reaching when both groups can reach the shore? A  man may marry a wife and in union with her they become one body and flesh, with the union  of ‘Blood’. But that man’s own brother need not require his blood to become part of the same  family. So if the bride of Christ needs blood for union, the sons of God have blood already  and no need for it. 

Now Christians say Jesus was killed and resurrected; Muslims say Jesus did not; both are  partly correct. We have published many books on these revelations clearly. 

Jesus himself say that he could give his life and take it back without death. Also after the  death, no disciples also who saw him could recognize him. Mark also says he appeared in  another form. Here comes the problem of sacrifice and ashes to which other religions do not  agree. There is a clear case where Isaac was asked to be sacrificed. God did not allow that,  but took the form of a lamb, which was sacrificed in its place. So actually Isaac tells ‘dead  and resurrected’ not in the present day Christian sense, but as a substitute. That is why  another form appeared and others could not recognize Jesus after resurrection. Also any  sacrifice has to be burnt to ashes. So Jesus said ‘You will see me no more’. So we believe  that the “Narayana” or ‘OM’ of Hinduism is the same as “The Logos or Word” of Christianity. 

If Jesus says he cannot be killed, how can he die in Kashmir? The question is Jesus, The  Narayana finds the fulfillment as the Avatar at Kaliyuga -- End time. I do not want to give  any deep doctrines to confuse you. I see God moving in all religions. The Christians do not  accept Avatar but Bible has instance of Avatars. So what is the use of fighting? I knew I  need love and faith but I cannot carter the experience I got through Jesus Christ, and instead  of conversion I will show Jesus Christ in my life. I love you all deeply and sincerely those  who love the One true God or Adhi Paramatma who created you and me. I will not want you  to give up your experiences and faith but let us love and build up a better kingdom for our  God. Let the Christians hate me, but I will not give up this love which God has graciously  bestowed on me. So also the question of Karma I believe that you have to cross the sea of  rebirth, but on the other hand instead of my efforts I can rely on the strength of one who has  already crossed to take me over without my effort. If you ask a Christian who Jesus is, he  will say, he is the Sacrificial lamb for the sinners. If that is so a sacrifice is burnt to ashes it  never rises again. It has to die for some one to live. I feel deep in my heart that the Christians  in general have misunderstood the Atonement. A close study of the New Testament will  clearly show this. And the new exposition upsets the teachings from the root and so makes  them very angry, but we sent out books in love and it brought a new thinking all over the  world. A Christian should decide whether he regards Jesus as sacrifice or just a magician.  They will hesitate to say the latter, but if he is a sacrifice then it surely should mean that the  sacrifice dies in the place of some one and that one goes away with the life and holiness of  the dead one. That makes the Word or Son of God go without death which Jesus claims himself. So cross has a meaning. Mahatma Gandhi died for ‘Love’ and Non-violence.  Suppose we do quite contrary to his teaching but have the revolver or having a revolver and  so on, it means that you own yourself to be a murderer. In the same way obeying and  following fully the teaching of the Lord Jesus means more to me than keeping the cross and  yet being without love or away from what He taught. I will meditate on Him than on the  instrument which killed him. I also see in Bhagavad Gita that when Arjuna was hesitant to  fight against his own brothers Lord Krishna Who appeared normal to others shows his  Viswaroopa which description is the same of Jesus in the Book of Revelation. Christian may  feel zealous about Jesus only but God’s avatars are understood by revelation only. 

Many people in Tamil Nadu by their recent teaching of hatred do not give the proper place  to Poet Bharathiar, but his description about KANNAN is marvellous and he gives a clear  description of Krishna touching his life when sick and his heart was full of joy. About the  Song ‘ADUVOMAE PALLI PADUVOMAE’ I see the grades of freedom after the British left  and he also describes the period where he will serve the ‘PARIBOORNAN’ only and no one  else. He is not merely a poet through thought but a prophet too. 

Also the National Anthem of India, unlike other countries’ Anthems, it gives victory to the  one who controls Bharath -- the Spiritual head of the world, but refrains from mentioning any  description. Once in my travel I saw the beautiful countries of the West and asked a question  why I was born in India when I was a fanatic Christian and I wanted to settle in one of the  Western countries. But after reading the great books in India I find India has a great heritage  and God has revealed so many secrets of the future to this ‘PUNNIYABHOOMI’ and closed  the eyes of many countries. 

I submit this with all serious thought for your deep consideration without prejudice.

-- Lord Shri Lahari Krishna