Truth and Religion – Part 1

Truth has nothing in the least to do with religion. It stands far,
far beyond religion’s limited and barren dictates and doctrines.
 Truth lies in simply giving up Maya, especially kam, krodh, and
kanchan— lust, anger, and wealth. Anybody can aspire for and
attain to it. Caste distinctions and prejudices have no place there.

The Muhammadans maintain that Realization can be obtained only within the Muhammadan religion, and towards this end they bring forth silly arguments concerning the shariat and Sunnah (literally means custom). How ridiculous! Their great prophet Muhammad gave to the people and propagated to the world the divine doctrine of the cutting of mind, Maya, and sanskaras. That is, Muhammad enjoined them to keep the mind in check—which is forever wandering in worldly Maya—to hold it aloof, safe and away from Maya’s clutches, and to destroy their sanskaras as much as possible. Failing to grasp the deep meaning of this divine doctrine given to them by their Prophet, certain fine philosophical heads invented and preached the “cutting of the skin” (instead of the cutting of the mind), and the people blindly accepted and followed this teaching as if it had been given to them by their own Prophet; and now they lay particular stress and emphasis upon it. What an absurd reversal this is of the real and original doctrine which Muhammad had given to them!

Then again, the Parsis generally say that the essence of “religion” all comes down to the meaning of the kasti (the sacred thread), which they wrap around their waists and “strike off’ (as it is called) as many times a day as possible.* And then they go on to deride non-believers in Zoroastrianism as darvands! See how they have reduced the ideals of their great religion to showy display and fancy ceremonial gestures! In giving his order in connection with the kasti, their great Prophet intended that they should “strike off’ the dust accumulating every moment on their body and mind in the form of sanskaras. What the gesture signifies, in other words, is the striking off and destruction of sanskaras. But the high priests, the dasturs and other scholars have misread and misrepresented this beautiful doctrine of their Prophet. They misguided the people into believing that putting on the sadra and kasti and striking off the thread a given number of times daily would cut off and free them from the sins they had committed, whatever these were, and would reveal to them the way to salvation. Simple nonsense!

– “Meher Baba’s Tiffin lectures”, p87
26-June-1926; Meherabad

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