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the cause of quarrels or battles or so-called holy crusades; these are caused by the lack of religion in the so-called followers of religion. And this will continue to be the state of affairs so long as religion is predetermined at birth, and has nothing to do with the life lived. The trouble is that without having to be religious, people inherit a ready-made religion. History of mankind would not have been so gory if religion were not familial or heriditary by birth. Those for whom religion is not a living experience create chasms between the various faiths. No faith is ever harmed by irreligious people outside its folds so much, as by people within it. The harm comes from the inner group that is irreligious. The ignorant believe that the danger to faith is from outside the group, whereas, in reality, the risk is always from within. People mistakenly try to safeguard their religion from outside assault, completely disregarding the risk from within. It is my observation that there are no enemies of any faith outside that faith; faiths are destroyed by the foes within the fold. These inside groups do not consider religion a way to self-realisation, but as an association or alliance, which can be given a distinct social or political colour. And, unfortunately, if they succeed in creating a distinct association, religion fails; yes, sad but true it is, that if they succeed, religion fails. And the reason of this failure is simple; it is that religion is not an association.
All associations are in opposition to somebody or some-thing; the life-force of all groupism is hatred of other groups; without opposition and acrimony, groups can neither exist nor function. Religion implies self-realisation; religion is the science whereby one's life can be bettered. Religion, in reality, has nothing to do with any group or society; it is concerned only with the individual. Therefore, the various religions -- better to call them faiths as we have done so far -- are in opposition to one another, only when viewed as separate groups; but the same faiths, if they are understood to be the diverse ways of self-realisation, are found to he paths converging towards the same Truth.
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