Ask one person to join you from each religion and sect in the world and you will have amassed thousands. Add one more person for each individual belief in the world, and you will have amassed millions more. Poor are the sheep that follow blindly. Rich are those that continue to seek.
Don't try to fit in with a group. Feel the fit. Don't let anyone tell you your truth. Guidance is necessary and purposeful, but your truth must be felt from the heart, not only justified with the mind, and definitely not imposed upon you by organizations, family, and friends. Your relationship with God is personal and universal. It has nothing to do with anyone else, yet at the same time has everything to do with everyone else.
Since you may have been conditioned to follow a particular faith and are not familiar with what other people believe or if you are on a spiritual search yourself, it may be helpful to compare some of the world's religions and get a better understanding of them. You may see a few similarities along the way. I have yet to find an organized religion that accurately represents what has been presented to me as the truth. I have seen some components of it in some religions, but on the whole they miss the mark.
From my observations, there is much beauty in many of the writings and scriptures of the world's religions. In fact, all the religions have poetic and profound scripture. I have included some selections that I found to be particularly moving and enlightening as you will see on the following pages.
In general, religious scripture is a reflection of what we are capable of in human form. It is also a method of instruction, and in many cases, as in the Judaic based scripture of Christianity and Islam, there are direct mandates for conduct and behavior. The eastern religions focus more on guidance and living an honest life in search of enlightenment. These are some of the world's most ancient religions dating as far back as 6000 BC and have so many writings that it would literally take a lifetime to read it all.
The following piece I discovered in research which I found to be extremely interesting. Read through carefully and consider this question: Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone who practiced these faiths would actually live them?
The Golden Rule
(Compiled by Temple of Understanding)
Baha'i: "Blessed is he who prefereth his brother before himself."
Baha' 'U' 'llah Tablets, 71
Buddhism: "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."
Udana-Varga 5:18
Christianity: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you."
Matthew 7:12
Confucianism: "Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you."
Analects 15:23
Hinduism: "This is the sum of duty: do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you."
Mahabbarata 5:1517
Islam: "No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desire for himself."
Sunnah
Jainism: "In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as
we regard our own self."
Lord Mahavira, 24th Tirthankara
Judaism: "What is hateful to you; do not to your fellow man. This is the law: all the rest is commentary."
Talmud, Shabbat 31a
Native American: "Respect for all life is the foundation."
The Great Law of Peace
Sikhism: "Don't create enmity with anyone as God is within everyone."
Guru Arjan Devji 259
Guru Granth Sahib
Zoroastrianism: "That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is
not good for its own self."
Dadistan 'i-Dinik, 94:5
Human beings are really left at the mercy of who has the strongest words or in what area of the globe that they were raised therefore predetermining their type of conditioning into a particular religion. Unfortunately each group believes they are right and all the others are wrong or misguided. Everyone wants the other person to be just the same as they are, after all they are right, right? If you don't believe the way they do, you have committed an offence against them and their god so you are not worthy until you agree with them. Nobody here is at fault. We are all a product of our surroundings. In order to break this cycle we must all practice tolerance, love and respect for all the inhabitants of this planet no matter what their beliefs or religious afiliations.
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