Acharya Tulsi
With the impact of the outer environment on the mind, its restlessness increases. A warding mind is a closed mind; it has no desire to look out. That moment is rare. When there is a knocking at the door of the soul. To listen to that knocking, to be fully conscious of it, is to accept the invitation of religion. Faith in the power of religion and conduct in accordance with it comes not on the bidding of another; it is the result of innate tradition or some particular event. The outcome of religion is the pilgrimage from darkness to light. Light resides in the soul of man. Hence the eager expectation on the door of the soul!
Religion has a lasting significance. It is nameless, and without form. Ordinary people are unable to recognize the nameless and the formless elements. That is why, the formless is invested with a form, and the nameless given a name. Attempts have been made to fit religion into the framework of definitions, some of which are reproduced below:
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Religion is the nature of the soul.
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Religion is the means of self-realization.
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Religion is the means of self-purification.
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The worship of right vision, knowledge and character is religion.
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The observation of vows such as none—violence, truth, non- stealing, etc., is religion.
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The practice of toleration, non-greed, simplicity and sensitivity is religion.
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Introversion is religion.
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Religion is the door which opens to transcendental consciousness.
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Self—meditation is religion.
Religion is none—communal, none—traditional. However, the followers of an illustrious preceptor form themselves into a sect; a tradition is born. The great interpreters of religion never talk of a sect or community. Neither Buddha nor Mahavir ever talked of it. No great man really wants to create a sect, but a sect is automatically formed round them.
In my opinion, neither religion nor the formation of a sect is bad in itself. Evil comes with the induction of defilements and incongruities. When religion, dominated by self-interest, becomes the centre of communalism, hatred and strife, it loses its purity and one sect is ranged against another. It is, therefore, proper to keep religion and community apart and not to confuse one with the other.
Religion is the soul; the commune, the body. If religion is taken as the body, the community is its armour. Religion is theart of living, the sects are the means of developing and propagating the art. Religion is the kernel, the sects form the shell; religion is education, the sects the classrooms. From this point—of—view, both religion and sects have their utility.
As long as religion is recognised as religion, and a sect is recognised as a sect, there is no problem. The problem arises when religion is confused with a sect and vice-versa. When religious fanatics identify their own sect with true religion and proclaim it as being superior to other sects then there is exploitation in the name of religion, there are communal riots, destruction of life and property and a war-psychosis. There is only one way of removing the blot on the name of religion caused by communal incidents, and that is to understand the difference between religion and a sect and to always place religion above the sect.
