To co-exist in the
pluralistic and multi cultured society like India where there are people of
different way life, one needs to relate with the other responsibly and
courageously. The leaders of the society
must give a true leadership in the spirit of building the community and not
breaking it. Each culture has its own strength and weakness. Knowing one’s
culture, religion and scripture in its real sense opens itself to see the other
religious texts and practices in a constructive way. Once this is achieved, it
enables the person to get into the other cultures and relish the goodness in
it. The fact that one is doing this, is
already in “Dialogue.”
Starting point
To build any work, one
needs to begin. The foundation laid on the rock, remains strong even though
there is a strong wind and the foundation laid on sand will fall off even to a
mild breeze. Therefore, what would be our foundation? There can be several
foundations to begin an Inter-religious dialogue. It can be one’s experience,
value systems, converging aspects, and diverging aspects. The aspects of faith,
scriptural understanding, God, Ethics can also be strong starters. However,
care should be taken by both the parties not to hurt each other. The dialogue
becomes effective when both the parties can ‘laugh at each other’ when they
make mutual criticism and thus cancel out the ill-feelings.
Learning from each other
Every religion is the
seeker of Truth. Truth is that thing which does not change. In the core of
every believer, there is a thirst for something which is unchanging. Every
religious person is an advocator of this reality. My understanding of God
begins here. In order to get soaked in this reality I engross myself in the Bible
and Magisterium. This search does not end here, when I find it, I proclaim it
to other, “Come and rejoice with me… it was lost and now I found it.” The
second part of my life now becomes the ‘light and guide’ to others, that is ‘I
live what I found and experienced.’
My thirst to ‘become
light and guide’ cannot be complete without knowing the ‘other.’ And now I
engross myself with the cultures of other, scriptures of other. When I see
something converging, I pick it up and keep it on the lamp stand. When there is
something ‘unbecoming,’ I critically evaluate it and if it is really causing
damage to the community, I need to act against it. I think, the people who fought
against the sati, child marriage, caste system, racial etc problems, is from
this perspective. Irrespective of religion, the people of ‘good will’ supported
this noble cause.
The two parties
Who engages in a
healthy discussion? Only a happy person can engage a healthy discussion. ‘Happy
person’ is he, who is having the mind of equanimity, love for the neighbor,
self-less in thought and action and above all a real spiritual person. Such
people only ‘give’ and do not look for ‘gain.’ If a person is looking for something
for oneself, he is ‘unhappy’ person.
Now, the dialogue can
be effective and long lasting between two happy persons, because they would
like to give always. A dialogue between happy and unhappy person will also be
effective but one sided and therefore, not healthy and will not last long. The
third possibility is a dialogue between two unhappy persons and it will be like;
‘the blind leading another blind,’ both fall into the trench. The first
dialogue will be non-violent and accommodative. The second will be partly
non-violent and partly violent and the third, violent.
Why this Kolaveri?
In the olden days,
people had no problem to have people of other faith in one’s neighborhood. But
in the recent years, the trend is changing. Two reasons can be sited here:
‘Marketing’ and ‘Political.’
The rise of
Fundamentalism is mainly because of ‘Marketing’ technique of religion. Each one
wants to sell his/her goods with attractive shares. Here, the concern seems not
the quality of interior happiness nor the Truth seeking, rather quantity of
‘gain.’ In such scenario, can a dialogue take place? Obviously, no.
The second reason can
be the merging of politics with religion. Religion has become the handmaid of
the political leaders. It is the power which handles the religion. A total
separation of religion from politics will yield a better nation.
Challenges
Speaking to a
philosopher’s gathering, Swami
Bodhananda expressed his views where one can learn from the other
cultures. He said, “Semantic religions are clearly focused but are exclusive.
Hindus are not focused but inclusivists. Christians are far ahead in social
service, education and healthcare, whereas the Hindus do not have such
experience.” The point is very clear, if one wants to have a healthy
atmosphere, accept the other and support the other. It is true, that the
Christianity stresses too much on structuralism while the Hinduism has the
nature of flexibility. However, both are needed for an effective co-existence.
One has to learn from the other. If I am a seeker of Truth, will it be possible
for me to accept the other cultures and the revelation there? Will that
revelation affect the revelation which I am already holding on to? Is ‘My
Truth’ the only ‘Truth?’ It is very difficult to answer, but only a dialogue
will enable to arrive at the consensus.
In fact this is a
challenge before us, to make our world, ‘home,’ a home of love. Since we live
in this home, are we not the ‘keepers of this home?’ In order to bring harmony
in this home, we need to fight against the corruption, environmental
degradation, Fundamentalism, poverty, untouchability etc. These can be real
starters to begin our search for an effective and lasting co-existence. In the establishment of this task, we can be
truly called, the “Brothers and Sisters, Children of God, Sons and Daughters of
the earth.’
Fr. Raju Felix Crasta
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