Spirituality and Religions

I see a crisis facing the world today.  It is fundamentally one of  identification. People identify themselves with limited characteristics such as gender, race, religion and nationality, forgetting their basic identity as part of the universal spirit. 

These limited identifications lead to conflict.  There are wars happening throughout the world today in the name of religion.
Every individual is much more than the sum of these limited identifications. The highest identification we can make is that we are part of Divinity, and second to that, we are human beings and members of the human family.  In divine creation, the whole of the human race is united.

Along with this proper identification of ourselves, the right vision of who we really are, we need to return to the values that are the essence of all major traditions. These shared values need to be reintroduced in society today.
In returning to the values, we will see that much of the misery that has come into the world in the name of religion can be avoided. This identification of values does not require guilt and fear to be introduced. You will find guilt and fear used for control in the history of all the religious systems in the world, but such discipline is not needed today.  At this time we need only to cultivate love and understanding.

The timeless values are:

• a deep caring for all life.
• a responsible attitude toward the planet
• nonviolence
• compassion and love
• friendliness and cooperation
• generosity and sharing
• integrity, honesty and sincerity
• moderation in one’s activity
• service
• commitment and responsibility
• peace, contentment, enthusiasm

These values are the very foundation of social order, justice and progress.  Human values are social and ethical norms common to all cultures and societies, as well as religions.  They represent a melding of social progress and spirituality 
 

- His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankar