Thursday, February 19, 2009

Universal religion

"…if there is ever to be universal religion, it must be one which will be infinite, like the God it will preach, and whose sun will shine upon the followers of Krishna and of Christ, on saints and sinners alike; which will not be Brahmanic or Buddhistic, Christian or Mohammedan, but the sum total of all these, and still have infinite space for development; which in its catholicity will embrace in its infinite arms, and find a place for every human being, from the lowest grovelling savage, not far removed from the brute, to the highest man, towering by virtues of his head and heart almost above humanity, making society stand in awe of him and doubt his human nature. It will be a religion which will have no place for persecution or intolerance in its polity, which will recognize divinity in every man and woman, and whose whole scope, whose whole force, will be centred in aiding humanity to realize its own true, divine nature."

-- Swami Vivekananda, World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, 1893

2 comments:

8&20 said...

two of my favorite writers in a day, nik. what a present :).

David said...

I wish Swami Vivekananda was alive now—I would offer him this proposal:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/849

David