The call to complete renunciation cuts across all dharmas (all paths of righteousness, all religions) and disregards all frontiers. No doubt the call reaches individuals through the particular forms of their own dharma, but it corresponds to a powerful instinct, so deep-rooted in the human heart, nihitam guhayam [hidden in the cave of the heart], that it is anterior to every religious formulation. In the end, it is in the call arising from the depths of the human heart that all the great dharmas really meet each other and discover their innermost truth in that attraction beyond themselves which they all share...
It is therefore perfectly natural that monks of every dharma should recognise each other as brothers across the frontiers of their respective dharmas. This follows from the very transcendence of all signs to which all of them bear witness... despite all differences in observance, language and cultural background, they perceive in each other’s eyes that depth which the One Spirit has opened in their own hearts.

The Sannyasi is called to go beyond all religion, beyond every human institution, beyond every scripture and creed, till he comes to that to which every scripture and ritual signifies but can never name...
Yet when we say that the Sannyasi goes beyond religion this does not mean that he rejects any religion. I have not felt called to reject anything that I have learned of God or of Christ or of the Church. To go beyond the sign is not to reject the sign, but to reach the thing signified.

Meeting between genuine practitioners of different religious traditions is to me very important... Followers of different religions can go together as a group in order to make a pilgrimage to the holy places of different religious traditions. The pilgrims should pray together if possible; if not they can practice silent meditation . This a very effective way to understand the value or the power of other religious traditions.

 

For Thoughts on Spiritual Living

 

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