32. The Universal Worship
Religious Gatheka
by Hazrat Inayat Khan
What is this Universal Worship? Although in its infancy, it is the religion of the day and the faith of to-morrow. But what religion is it? It is the same religion of which Jesus Christ has said: “I have come not to give a new law, I have come to give the old law.” Therefore this new Message, what is it? It is the same old Message that has ever been.
Are the workers of this Message priests? No, they are the soldiers of the army of Peace, the army which is working to bring about peace in the divers religions of this world, which have been disputed and argued, and have kept themselves away from one another, looking upon one another’s religion as something wrong. Then what is our idea in this service? Our idea in this service is learning, we learn something here. We learn by this service that wisdom, wherever and at whatever time it came to the world, was one and the same Truth, the truth which is the only religion; and it is this Truth which will save. Is it not then the religion of Christ without limiting the Master only to a certain period and only to a certain book? To the thoughtful person it is the Message of Christ. But is it not also the Message of Buddha, is it not of Mohammed and Moses, of Abraham and Solomon? Have they come with many truths, or have they come with one truth. If they came with many truths, there must be many gods, and if there are many gods and many truths, then, if we cannot understand one another’s language, beyond it, we cannot understand one another’s heart.
But it is not so; we can understand one another’s heart, even if we cannot understand one another’s language. But what does it teach us? It teaches us that the world of variety, in this world of names and forms, where we see each other separated and divided, individually and collectively, by being different nations and religions, in that Spirit we are one and the same, and in that Spirit we can unite.
Can that be religion, for one moment which can separate the children of God from one another in the name of faith, in the name of religion?
Where lies true happiness? In the understanding of one another, in our unity with one another, in our harmony with one another. Imagine the troubles that humanity has gone through the past few years, - do these troubles seem to end? Not at all. If the troubles seem to end in one form, then in some other form they arise. It seems as a blood poisoning that if one wound is healed at some other place it takes its outlet. And how can the world be purified and rise above this difficulty? Not by political and financial activities. No, the religion is the healing of the world of humanity. And which religion? Not this or that religion. “The’ religion, the only religion, the religion which is the religion of the Hindu, of Moslem, of Christian and of Jew, and of everyone.
For we all, whatever be our caste, creed, race, nation or religion, can only unite in One, and that is that one God, and in Truth. Our only happiness is in this unity which unites us in God and in truth.
Daily reflections on the following points in Religious Gatheka 32
Point One: Nearly 100 years ago Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan gave this message: What is this Universal Worship? Although in its infancy, it is the religion of the day and the faith of to-morrow.
Contemplation: Let us ask ourselves, "How ever more vital is the call for "the religion" of today and the faith of to-morrow in our world and in my life?
Point Two: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: . . . how can the world be purified and rise above this difficulty? Not by political and financial activities. No, the religion is the healing of the world of humanity. And which religion? Not this or that religion. ‘The’ religion, the only religion, the religion which is the religion of the Hindu, of Moslem, of Christian and of Jew, and of everyone.
Contemplation: "... the religion is the healing of the world of humanity."
Point Three: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: Are the workers of this Message priests? No, they are the soldiers of the army of Peace, the army which is working to bring about peace in the diverse religions of this world….
Contemplation: Ask this question, "How do I live as a 'soldier in the army of Peace'?"
Point Four: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: Where lies true happiness? In the understanding of one another, in our unity with one another, in our harmony with one another. Imagine the troubles that humanity has gone through the past few years, - do these troubles seem to end? Not at all.
Contemplation: Do I realize my 'true happiness’ comes in the understanding, harmony, and understanding of others.
Point Five: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: For we all, whatever be our caste, creed, race, nation or religion, can only unite in One, and that is that one God, and in Truth. Our only happiness is in this unity which unites us in God and in truth.
Contemplation: "Our [my] only happiness is in this unity which unites us in God and in truth."
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