One God, So Many Religions

[Ambarsaria]

Vouthon brother thanks for your post and I am not deserving of any felicitations.

Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa certainly has posed great observations of value to all. I am sure one can pick on certain aspects like characterization of prophets, etc., as stated to be not core to true wisdom. We human beings are social animals in the crudest form and not everything we assign to ourselves or others is truly ours or theirs. There is much that takes place for each based on all their interactions with others. While it need not be explicitly documented it leads to the rejection of sons or daughters of God sent to deliver a message. I am sure this will not be taken well by Christians and Muslims and perhaps others. Our Guru ji made an explicit point to ensure that they were not considered prophets or deliverers of a letter or testament from God. That is quite refreshing at least to me as a Sikh.

Beyond the mechanics of this I do believe the wisdom streams started at various points in human civilization. Did all such origins had focus about the same aspects of human reality as every other one? Most likely not. Hence even though the wisdom streams started to seek soul water to quench incessant thirst within the people of the time, such waters or the thirsts did not necessarily had the same parameters in detail. So such wisdom streams at times were distinct, partially overlapping with others of the times or later; or totally congruent with some others. The important part is that none of these were complete within their selves for all and for all ages. I believe the only universal stream that could be considered a super-set which in principle may encompass all must have the following underlying it from what I can gather,

• Respect of thought
• Enabling of one to acquire more and even different or newer wisdom

Beyond the mystics in Catholicism like Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, the great Carvaksas (never heard of these great people till spnadmin ji flagged it in this thread), wonderful many others including Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji representing many from Sikhism, I believe we need to find and bring forth others. The whole collective perhaps will help us further in pursuit of One and greater understanding of the same. May the goodness of all be available to all free and clear for their own choosing.

A human enabled . Sikhism to much extent fits this approach. But then again I may be partial and also much ignorant of greater other wisdom.

Regards and always great to communicate with you.

 

[Archived_member15]

Regards and always great to communicate with you.

As it is with you brother Ambarsaria ji

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my question, in the illuminating and thoughtful manner in which you always do.

I do agree that the orientation away from the Gurus being seen as prophets or deliverers of a message is specially commendable and refreshing. I would also say that Gautama Buddha did something similar in his time, given that he relied solely upon his own enlightenment experience and observations of reality, rather than on any revelation from above. Like Guru Nanak, the Buddha placed great emphasis upon wisdom.

The uniqueness of Sikhism in this respect is that it is a theistic religion which does not have prophetic deliverers. That is quite unique especially when compared with Abrahamic faiths.

I should add that I fully agree with you that the wisdom we speak of has nothing explicitly to do with prophets. It is a natural wisdom accessible to human searching, rather than a revelation from above like a message to deliver. Prophets or wise men or sages or rishis or sufis, or whatever one calls such men, have discovered wisdom - I believe personally through the Grace of God - and have spread it too others. From this religions have developed over time.

You have given me something good to chew on mentally now :sippingcoffeemunda: