All of us have heard the famous phrase “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” during our school days through the simple story of an old farmer who, on his deathbed, taught the importance of unity to his disunited sons through a bundle of sticks. That story still holds an important place in our society and has even gained popularity because discord, disunity, strife, and warfare have assumed unprecedented proportions in the modern world. Today, one of the most arduous challenges that faces humanity is to establish harmony among people of different religions.

If we walk down history lane, we would find that one of the important reasons why the need for religious harmony originated is that the most violent wars and conflicts in human history were based on religious intolerance and hatred. It might be a shocking statement, but it’s the harsh reality that religions, which are supposed to make people more peaceful and loving, have today become the biggest cause of discord and bloodshed in the world. Even though there are some common values and tenets in all faiths, there are far too many misconceptions and conflicting beliefs that have continually fanned mistrust and hostility among the masses. Hence, instead of empowering spiritual values, religions perpetuated dogmas, disciplines, and barriers that segregate people on many lines.

It is said that where there are two opinions, there cannot be a single unifying belief. There can be better understanding, tolerance, and acceptance of each faith, but there cannot be unity unless there is a single or common belief. So, what’s the best way to reach a common solution acceptable to all faiths? According to divine knowledge imparted by the Supreme Almighty, everything in the eternal cycle of the human world drama goes through a change, which means that everything degrades from a perfect state to an imperfect, fragmented state. As of today, we are witnessing the most degraded stage of all aspects of human existence, and religions are no exception to this process of change. Hence, we can envisage a unified faith only in terms of the spirituality inherent in all faiths.

It’s a proven fact that universal spiritual and moral values form the essence of religious teachings and the common goal of every seeker. But the question is: when will humans realise these values and embody this spirituality? When will religion or dharma find its true expression in human beings? Probably nobody would be able to answer these questions, for it is only the Almighty who has all the answers that are acceptable to all. Mahatma Gandhi dreamt of “Ram-Rajya” for India, but today nobody has the answer as to when and who would bring the gift of the Golden Age for humanity. Undoubtedly, it is none but ONE who can create such a perfect world based on true dharma, when everyone will be an embodiment of goodness, purity, and divinity. It is said that God is Truth, and true religion embodies that truth. Hence, when humans embrace that truth in their hearts, there will be a unified world.

(Writer is a spiritual educator & popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal & UK. Till Date 8500+ Published Columns have been written by Him)