Page 7 - Dawn of Reality an Exposition of REALITY AT DAWN of Sri Ramchandraji Maharaj

Religion
The quest of mankind, ever since its birth has been to worship God, to unravel the mysteries behind the outward appearances and to grasp the fundamental truth. This is the genesis of religion. The worshipper has before his eyes the eternal bliss of the paradise or some similar view, which he aims at as his final approach. There have thus arisen religions in the world with their prescribed forms and rituals, based upon the personal practical experiences of their great founders. But after the lapse of thousands of years, when the entire surroundings have changed and life has undergone a radical transformation, the same old forms and principles are being adhered to. The outer form alone now remains intact while the inner spirit is lost. The result is that the vehicle of religion has become hackneyed and it will not be wrong to say that the present-day religion has become only a relic of the past or the bones of the dead. We have really buried true religion in the grave. Only, we clap hands in the name of religion and do nothing else. The real spirit is lost and only formalities remain in its place. Outward forms and rituals are only things that remain open to view, which are followed with extreme orthodoxy and tenacity without even the least touch of reality. Our faith in reality has thus diminished to the point of extinction. It is rather twisted into forms and rituals alone. Gradually it degenerates into bigotry or prejudice, which has unfortunately become the permanent feature of the present-day religion. Our blind faith in formalities keeps us in the dark regarding the reality and unconsciously we develop within us a feeling of hatred against those who believe in other forms and rituals. There are consequently jealousies and quarrels among the followers of different religions.
India has achieved political freedom but self-independence or the freedom of soul is still wanting. The main obstacle is the want of capacity for a broader vision and freethinking. The whole atmosphere is surcharged with prejudice and rivalry. The entire structure of society and culture rests on the same foundation. Sectional jealousies are the main cause of the downfall of our civilisation. There are, at present, no less than 3000 castes in India, each forming a distinct unit. These castes were originally the different guilds of workers and artisans organised in order to solve the question of division of labour. But today each guild tries to cut itself off from the rest of the community forming a separate independent unit, harbouring feelings of hatred and jealousies towards the other. The whole society is thus proceeding towards disintegration. The time is now at hand when this evil shall soon cease to exist. Nature is at work to put an end to this evil. The scythe of the time is unsparing. Let this serve as a warning to the ardent supporters and