Mike Ghouse
Community Involvement
PRESIDENT, Foundation for Pluralism
DIRECTOR, Center for Prejudice Reduction - Reducing prejudice thru education
DIRECTOR, DFW International - Bringing Dallas communities together - www.dfwinternational.com
DIRECTOR, United Nations Association - Promoting UNICEF and UN's Charter
DIRECTOR, Pratham - Literacy for every child in India - www.Prathamdfw.org
Media:
Learn The Wisdom Of Religion On KBIS Radio 1150 AM in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, Daily @ 6:00 AMAn article written by Mike Ghouse:
Pluralism in it's simplest form is accepting and respecting every blessed way people have come to worship the divine, including but not limited to the Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Jain, Jewish, Zoroastrian and other established systems of belief. It's the acceptance of God's will, it is the acknowledgement of the God given uniqueness to each one of the 7 billion of us, it is respecting every one of God's creations and honoring all the religions. Respecting everything God has created is indeed the greatest form of praise to the Lord.
Regardless of your religious background, you can appreciate that Man's search for God has laid down many pathways. To learn about other faiths need not mean disloyalty to our own, rather it may be viewed as understanding how the essence of all faiths crystallizes into one single truth. or rather emanates from one single truth, and may help us all understand the reality. It might lead us into meaningful communication and conversation between people. All of us can learn to appreciate the God given uniqueness to each one of us and focus on having a better world around us. It may lead us to see the light and appreciate the beauty of every faith.
The first step to become spiritual should begin with shedding one's ego. Accepting that there is an eternal power that lasts beyond us and that we are immortal amounts to shedding the ego. Then there is nothing superior or inferior, everyone and everything is God's unique creation. By falling the barrier between us and everything God has created, we become part of the larger Good, the God. The larger we get in our vision, the happier and peaceful we become. It is the ultimate thought in all the religions, including the religions I know dearly - Hinduism and Islam; same essence with different rituals - Krishna calls to surrender to him, Allah calls to submit to his will - both the scriptures ask us to shed our ego and become one, one universe, one mankind. This is the stage, when we have freed ourselves from all bondages and shine like the moon on crystal clear mountains or dirty puddles indiscriminately, that is the sign of freedom. It releases us from all the bondages and gives us Mukti, Nijaat, Liberation, Salvation, Nirvana, Moksha...... Enjoy the piece.
Let's us all contribute towards creating peace, prosperity and goodness for all. Let's not worry about others, let us do our part. We are responsible for our freedom. Practice what Abe Lincoln said " with malice towards none" and see the joy that fills our hearts.
A simple thought before we delve into further - when some one talks good about "their" religion, resist the temptation that "yours'" has a better answer - and feel the serene-ness that comes to you. Isn't that freeing oneself from the ego [Mine is better syndrome]?
Welcome to this fascinating journey of exploring and learning about all faiths. World is a better place today because of Religion, without which there will be chaos. The problems of the world have nothing to do with religion, it is the insecure individual's desire to control every one thru the power they poses momentarily. Free yourselves, there is a joy in being free.
