Akbar and Unity of World Religions
2006-12-31 03:27 AM | Posted by Tejvan Pettinger | Permanent Link | Sri Chinmoy, inspiration, Spirituality
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Akbar
Akbar was a great Moghul Emperor. He succeeded in uniting a large part of India into a great Moghul Emperor. He was a great military strategist, immensely rich and very powerful. However he did not misuse his power. He sought to honour the religious diversity of India. Although a Muslim he took a great interest in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Sri Chinmoy has written many stories about Akbar. This is one of my favourite when Akbar went to visit the Hindu princess Mirabai.
Recently I saw a very good play performed whilst in Turkey about Mirabai and Akbar. It was written by Sumangali Morhall. "Music and Religion" - A rhyming play based on Sri Chinmoy's writings
Sri Chinmoy has eloquently expressed the unity of world religions
"All religions are in essence one, inseparable. Each religion is an unfailing path leading to the eternal Truth and is a proper manifestation of that Truth. Religion does not change, but religions must undergo vicissitudes so far as the outer form, custom, habit, ritual, circumstances and environment are concerned. "United we stand, divided we fall." This oft-quoted maxim can adequately be applied in today's talk. The united strength of all religions knows the supreme secret that no individual religion is to be looked down upon. If the united strength is wanting, then no religion can stand with its head erect. Religion is one. But it expresses itself through many, through the teeming religions."
From : Yoga and the Spiritual Life
This message of religious tolerance and religious unity was brought to the West most powerfully by Swami Vivekananda when he spoke at the World Parliament of religions in the 1897. One of the improvements of the 20th Century is that (many people) are now less dogmatic about the role of religion.
