Religion

It doesn’t matter what religion we talk about. It doesn’t matterit doesn’t matter! It always comes back down to the same kind of process. Eventually what happens is that a group of people find it very, very important to convert everybody to their particular belief system. They find it very important that everybody follows their religion because they believe so much that theirs is the right one.

For many of them it’s not that they are dishonest or are trying to create trouble. A lot of them have studied some segment of wisdom and then they believe that this is the only truth that exists. Then it becomes a situation where, for everybody’s benefit, they want everyone else to hear about this, to learn about this, to follow it. This is when the trouble starts.

This struggle has started how many times in our history? Thousands of times! Eventually a group of people becomes so adamant about how correct they are that they end up killing and destroying others that don’t believe the same way. When these forces get too pushy, then the other people start rebelling. Then all these arguments and fights take place. But when we look at all these religions they are essentially the same.

The essential elements of any religion,

are not different in any way

from the basic, basic teachings

of any other religion that exists.

But we have beings that are in different facets of their lives and in certain facets some particular thing strikes them as more appropriate than something else. In that particular facet of their lives, maybe more specific structure is required. When structure is required, then we have to pick something among all these different paths that somehow feels good and seems to resonate with our life at that time.

Many times structure is very, very important

and is necessary in certain facets of life.

When we come to satsang, we are in place where all the facets have to be combinedand where no one facet is of any importance by itself. For me that is the most beautiful place that exists. But that place can also become a difficult place for many people. It’s not an appropriate place for them.

And one can not be in a place where it is not appropriate.

So for meand only for me because I can’t speak for anybody elseit’s very, very, very difficult for me now to be in only one facet. To give an example, we have a beautiful diamond cut in fifty-five facets. Why would I want to look at it only through one side? Furthermore, I can’t look at it only through one side.

But there was a time in my life when I was looking only at one little side of things because I was trying to find something. And I’d say, “Well, let me study this. And what about that? And what about this book? What about that religion?” There were many times in my life where I was very comfortable in one of those particular places and I didn’t want to be in another place.

That’s why we have the saying

that there are many rays

and all the rays lead to the sun.

But when we have arrived at the sun, what happens to the rays? When we’re in the sun, the rays are gone.

We and the rays

are one and the same as the sun.

We are one with our Beloved.