Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886), a great proponent of religious harmony, taught humanity what religion is, and how to use it to foster love rather than bickering and wars. He said:
- Ultimate Reality is infinite and beyond language. Therefore, refer to Ultimate Reality with whatever name (e.g., Krishna, God, Allah, Kali, etc.) you wish, and let other people use whatever name they wish.
- This infinite Ultimate Reality is the true goal of human life, and indeed, all life. We are not here to achieve money, fame, power, etc. We are here to realize the Ultimate which is Love.
- Different religions exist as different paths to the Ultimate Reality. No single path is better than the others. Each path is different, but leads to the Ultimate Reality when practiced with sincerity.
- Focus and go deeply into one path. Rather than sampling “a little here” and “a little there,” choose the faith you were born into or select one that appeals to you, then REALLY learn what the faith teaches and practices. DO the practices with faith for an extended period of time. This doesn’t mean you can never change religions, but cautions about dabbling in religions.
- Respect other people and their chosen path. Genuinely enjoy one another. Enrich and encourage one other in spiritual life since we are all headed toward the same goal on our various paths.
Holistic Yoga & Spiritual Guidance 