Spiritual Thoughts

by Charles (Prana) Feldman

A personal observation:

All major religions have three sets of values: 1) Love and Service, 2) Prayer and Meditation, and 3) Liberation or Salvation.

Sayings from books that I found to be relevant:

From Sri Ramakrishna: The Great Prophet of Harmony, Chapter: "Sacred Memories of Sri Ramakrishna" by Swami Akhandananda: 

"The landlord was the first to ask: 'Sir, He who is the Purna (full) Brahman (the Absolute) has no want in the universe. He pervades all space and time; how is his incarnation possible?' The Master replied, 'Well, he who is the absolute Brahman is the witness and is immanent everywhere. The Divine Incarnation is an embodiment of his power; the power is incarnate somewhere a quarter, somewhere else a half, and very rarely in full. He in whom the full power is manifest is adored as Purna Brahman, like Krishna. And three quarters of the Divine were manifested in Rama" (p. 96).

From Universal Religion and Swami Vivekananda by Swami Tathagatananda (in Swami Vivekananda's 150 Birth Anniversary Commemorative Souvenir by the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Northern Texas):

"If one religion is true, then other religions are true. Thus Vivekananda stated that 'holiness, purity, and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world and that every religion has produced men and women of the most exalted character" (p. 110).

"Unlike the approach of eclectics, syncretists, and sectarian religious imperialists, Vivekananda's concept of universality does not require the creation of a universal religion, because he posits that a universal element can be found in each traditional religion" (p. 112).