Inner and outer religion

The word 'religion' is derived from the Latin word 'Ligare' and with its derivative ligamant, which means to bind.
'Re' denotes 'again', so it denotes to bind back the soul to God, which is a common heritage of mankind.

Sant Kirpal Singh

 
Inner and outer religion
 
There is a subjective and an objective religion – the outer religion and the inner religion. The inner religion differs a lot from the outer religion, because the outer religion is set on various outer rituals and rites, different dogmas, caste, colour and creed, and that is man-made.

Whatever is man-made that separates man from man. All Masters, however, spoke with one opinion.

All competent Masters respect the (existing) religion, because God’s children live therein, and they tell us to follow the inner religion. That is the real teaching, that is universal. So our faith, our true religion is much more within than outside.

The inner religion is one and the same for everyone, and that teaches us love, that reminds us of the brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God.

Harbhajan Singh

 

Every religion has of necessity a threefold aspect:

- first, the traditional, comprising myths and legends for the lay brethren;

- second, the philosophical treatises based on reason to satisfy the hunger of the intellectuals concerned more with the why and wherefore of things than anything else, with great stress on theory of the subject and emphasis on ethical development which is so very necessary for spiritual growth;
 
- and third, the esoteric part, the central core in every religion, meant for the chosen few, the genuine seekers after truth. This last part deals with the mystic personal experiences of the founders of all religions and other advanced souls. It is this part, called mysticism, the core of all religions, that has to be sifted and enshrined in the heart for practice and experience.      
Sant Kirpal Singh

 

The fundamental truths are common

The fundamental truths are common in all religions and point the same way. Religious truths whether social, ethical or spirituell, have a common ideal and a common objective: Man should lead an ethical life, serve mankind, be of help to all others in this earthly sojourn, and should know himself and then develop God-knowledge and God-consciousness, leading ultimately to God-head.   Sant Kirpal Singh

 

Those who see their religion is one

True religion is the first-hand experience of oneself,

with his own self and with God.

That is the only true religion you have before  you.

Sant Kirpal Singh

 

 

 

"Jesus Christ was essentially a man of the East, and his teachings are imbued with oriental mysticism.

His contribution to the religious thought of the world may be seen in the emphasis he laid on the need for universal love, and the Kingdom of God within man; the two cardinal principles known to the ancients long before, but forgotten and ignored in practice."

 

 

"The basic principles of all religions are the same. I am teaching you no "ism," mind that. Remain in your own faiths. But, there you have taken the first step-the elementary step. It is meant for the preparation of the ground. Now you have to take the other step which is referred to in your scriptures, but which we have forgotten. This is no new faith, no new religion – nor am I going to advocate any religion whatsoever. There are already so many faiths existing. Do you follow me? This gathering here is a purely spiritual gathering, a common ground for all to sit together, irrespective of whether they belong to one religion or the other. As a man we are one; as a soul we are one; and also the one whom we worship God– is also the same. There is no ism here, no ritual, no rites, no special form of prayers."

A talk given by Sant Kirpal Singh in at Cowan Heights Ranch, Tustin (CA), December 18, 1963

Talk available as mp3 at audio.sant-kirpal-singh.org

 

Dr. Schneider: This is Dr. Richard Schneider speaking from Kirpal Sagar in the Punjab, India, and with me is my today's guest Dr. Harbhajan Singh, chairman of Unity
of Man. It is wonderful that you are able to take time out of your schedule to be with us in broadcasting for Radio For Peace International which of course goes around the world.
Let's get right to the point, what is the Unity of Man?

Dr. Harbhajan Singh: Actually the unity already exists in man, but we have forgotten. All human beings are one, we are of the same essence as that of our Father. He is the ocean of all consciousness and we are a drop of this consciousness. We all have come from one and the same source and have to go back to the same source. Our cause is one and the same. We are differentiated in the world by various ways, and those ways are self-created, created by man himself, not by God, since God made man and man made religions.

 

One moment it comes, next moment it goes, that is not love;
What permeates the entire being like an inexhaustible stream alone can be called love.
Kabir, I tried many alchemic recipes but found not one like the Lord’s love;
If even one drop enters the body, your entire being turns into gold.

 

Lots of things are told about the religions. But there is a subjective and an objective religion – the inner religion and the outer religion. The inner religion differs a lot from the outer religion, because the outer religion is set on various outer rituals and rites, different dogmas, caste, colour and creed, and that is man-made. Whatever is man-made that separates man from man.

All Masters, however, spoke with one opinion. So far a competent Master has never created a religion. Religion was rather created by the so called followers of the faith. After the physical departure of those competent Masters they dared to create a religion. All competent Masters respect the religion, because God’s children live therein, and they tell us to follow the inner religion. That is the real teaching- that is universal.

All the religions agree that life, light and love are the three phases of the supreme source of all that exists.

These essential attributes of the divinity that is one, though designated differently by the prophets and peoples of the world, are also wrought in the very pattern of every sentient being. It is in this vast ocean of love, light and life that we live, have our very being and move about and yet, strange as it may seem, like the proverbial fish in water, we do not know this truth and much less practice it in our daily life.

 

A talk given by Sant Kirpal Singh at Fountain Street Baptist Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 29, 1963

Talk available as mp3 at audio.sant-kirpal-singh.org

 

From a careful and unbiased study of the sacred books of the world we find that there is one Reality, which is our goal. That Reality is termed God and by various other names. God made man and man made worldly religions. Such religions were made for the uplift of man. We have to make the best use of them so that ultimately we may know ourselves and then know God.

Religion has two aspects: One is the social side, or the outward side. The other aspect is the inner religion, the spiritual side. We have to start with outer forms of religions. Man issocial; he must remain in some society.

The crying need of the time is to set up one universal religion for the entire mankind, which should be a compendium of all that is good in every religion. But is it possible? Owing to differences in temperaments and modes of thinking, it is well-nigh impossible to lay down rules of worship acceptable to all, and to direct their varying thought-currents into one channel. With all this diversity, there is yet one thing which is common in all humanity.It is the divine link with which the entire creation came into being, and is being sustained.

By Sant Kirpal Singh, from the book "Spirituality – what it is", chapter 9

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