All paths lead to the same destination.

Many people when they talk about organized religions they include even Hinduism in the list. They neither have the awareness nor do they apply thought before making such comments. Being ancient nowhere in the Sanatana Dharma (ancient way of life) which is termed as Hinduism, it has been stated that there is only one god and you pray only to him, otherwise you would go to hell. The religions which propagate pure monotheism are dangerous to the future of humankind. The very feeling that only my religion is right path and all the others are not; creates innumerable problems and it even commercializes the religion and enables the priestly class to exercise full control over the community.

The feeling that there is only one god and only one path to reach that god triggers a war of proselitization (an intense competition between the organized religions to attract each other’s flock of sheep and they even try to attract the people who have their one unique identity). In their effort to increase their numbers they often come into conflict with each other. Thinking that what their prophets said is gospel and it is their responsibility to spread that gospel is sheer narrow mindedness. Religions should leave spirituality to the conscience of the matured persons. They should not impart religious education to children, who neither have the maturity nor do they need to learn all those metaphysical things at that age. They should be given an opportunity to know about the religions on their own after they grow up and decide which religion they want to practice. They must even have the freedom to remain atheists. Any kind of allurements offered to attract people towards a particular religion would be counterproductive, because by doing that they only manufacture bigots, but not spiritually inclined people.

In the field of Kurukshetra the supreme personality of godhead Lord Sri Krishna told his disciple the warrior Arjuna that he is one and the same, looking differently to people who practice different ways of life; by whichever faith they approach Him, He fulfills their firm faith as He already knows them. By saying this he set himself above the walls which hinder the spiritual progress of humans.

YO YO YAM YAM TANUM BHAKTAH SHRADHHDAYA ARCHTUM-ICHHATI |
TASYA TASYA-ACHALAM SHRADHHAM TAAM-EVA VIDADHAMY-AHAM ||
- From the Gita VII, 21.
- I am one and the same looking differently to people of different concepts about me;
by whichever faith they approach Me, I fulfill their firm faiths as I already know them.

Aakaashaath patitam toyam yathaa gachchhati saagaram
sarvadevanamaskaaraan. keshavam pratigachchhati
Like all the rivers flow into and merge with the one and the same ocean,
devotion shown by the people to any name or form of God does reach the same Divinity
- A Hindu daily prayer.

They say religion is the manifestation of divinity in humans. But the activities of the organized religions made the religion an instrument to play politics and thereby poison the minds of their followers. The priestly class which officiates the activities of these religions always frightens their followers that their religion is under threat and in order to protect their religion they should act according to their edicts, or fatwas. By indulging in such activities they create an unhealthy environment which generates bad blood among the followers of different religions.

So it is high time that the followers of all the religions, especially the organized religions to realize that in whatever way and to whichever god they pray to, they reach the same destination. Because god almighty is all pervading and spread all over this universe. In Sanskrit the word that refers to God is Bhagvan. The literal meaning of Bhagvan is a creature that emerges from the vagina of a woman. So who is god? It is you. There is god in every creature. So every creature is the manifestation of god. So there is a saying which is widely used by spiritually inclined people “aham brahmasmi” which means I’m the god. That is why wise humans say that service to humankind is service to god. But the service should be “nishkama karma” that is without expecting anything in return. If anything is expected in return it not only goes waste but even vitiates the atmosphere in the society.