Barbara Brown Taylor 541 words, 17K views, 16 comments
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On Feb 21, 2020Jagdish P Dave wrote :
To me a true religion is a way of serving others of any faith with no expectationof getting any kind of reward from the receiver. It is an expression of unconditional and selfless love. Anybody can be a Good Samaritan, a Good Muslim, a Good Hindu, a Good Buddhist, a Good Jain, a Good Jew, a Good Atheistor a Good Humanist. The world we live in is pluralistic with a wide spectrum of beliefs, ideas, opinions and faiths. Our task is how to relate to people different from us with genuine respect; how to implement the Golden Rule in daily life. We all are children of God- outwardly looking different but the same inwardly. If we live from our open heart and loveothers unconditionally, we all can live in harmony. Harmonious living is a spiritual living, a truly religious living.
Tolerance is different from respect. In tolerance, we consider ourselveshigher or better than others. In respect we view and relate to others as equal. As I was growing up I have had manyexperiences of relating to people of different faiths in different contexts. My father was a Kirtankar- chanting the Songs of Rama and Krishna. My brother accompaniedhim by playing a harmonium and a Muslim gentleman playing tablas-Indian drums. I will never forget how ecstatic and happy we were transcending man -made dividing boundaries. I had similar experiences when as a child I was in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad. Such unforgettable experiences have shaped my outlook and behaviors towards people of different faiths.
I have learned to be mindful and aware of any thought, sense or feeling arising in my mind about superiority of my spiritual or cultural tradition. Such mindful introspection is very helpful to me to work on my own self.
On Feb 21, 2020 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
Tolerance is different from respect. In tolerance, we consider ourselveshigher or better than others. In respect we view and relate to others as equal. As I was growing up I have had manyexperiences of relating to people of different faiths in different contexts. My father was a Kirtankar- chanting the Songs of Rama and Krishna. My brother accompaniedhim by playing a harmonium and a Muslim gentleman playing tablas-Indian drums. I will never forget how ecstatic and happy we were transcending man -made dividing boundaries. I had similar experiences when as a child I was in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad. Such unforgettable experiences have shaped my outlook and behaviors towards people of different faiths.
I have learned to be mindful and aware of any thought, sense or feeling arising in my mind about superiority of my spiritual or cultural tradition. Such mindful introspection is very helpful to me to work on my own self.
Namaste!
JagdishP Dave'