What is Religion?
July 2019
Religion is Common Sense
The Vedanta Kesari
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eligion is a common-sense, every human being. At best when we want to everyday thing.1 Religion is not hear of spiritual things our standard is the mumbo-jumbo. It is not magic. It is senses; or a man hears things about philosophy, not mysterious. It is not doctrine or dogma. It and God, and transcendental things, and after is not based on tradition. It is based on hearing about them for days, he asks: After all, common-sense. If religion does not permeate how much money will they bring, how much the everyday life of its follower, it is not sense-enjoyment will they bring? For his religion; it is something else! This is the view of enjoyment is only in the senses, quite Swami Vivekananda. naturally.’3 He elaborates this idea variously as ‘None can teach another. You have to follows: realize truth and work it out for yourself ‘Cleanse the mind, this is all of according to your own nature…All must religion.’2 Just look at the beauty of Every science has struggle to be individuals – strong, this idea. Can religion be made any standing on your own feet, thinking its own method simpler? We believe that religion is your own thoughts, realizing your of learning, cumbersome, with its heavy load own Self. No use swallowing and religion is to of beliefs, rituals, ceremonies and doctrines others pass on – standing be learnt the observances. But, none of those up together like soldiers in jail, same way. actually constitute religion. Even if sitting down together, all eating the we engage in all those so-called same food, all nodding their heads at the prescribed activities, and do not cleanse our same time. Variation is the sign of life. minds therefrom, it is not religion, whatever Sameness is the sign of death.’4 else it be! Therefore Swamiji says: ‘The secret of ‘The one objection raised here is this, that religion lies not in theories but in practice. To love for ceremonials, dressing at certain times, be good and to do good – that is the whole of eating in a certain way, and shows and religion. “Not he that crieth ‘Lord’, ‘Lord’, but he mummeries of religion like these are only that doeth the will of the Father.”’5 Religion is external religion, because you are satisfied with not lip-service, but a perception. From that the senses and do not want to go beyond them. perception arises a conviction, which becomes This is a tremendous difficulty with us, with action. Mind you, merely running around in rut
