Our Christian priests told us, ‘The Kingdom of God is Within you’. They also said, ‘The only way to Heaven is through Christ.’ As a youngster, I quite liked the first statement, a quote from the Bible, because it gave me the choice and put on me the responsibility of finding God. The second statement, though, didn’t go well with my young, rebellious mind, which then and now as well seeks equality, irrespective of which God you follow.
Yes, Jesus Christ did say, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” But I believe, He said it more to include people in His grand plan of redemption, rather than exclude others. God, to my mind, is a Supreme Power of inclusion ― not exclusion.
Over the years, my faith in a Kingdom of God within me and each human being has grown, but my opposition to the assertion, ‘No one comes to the Father except through me’ has also grown―stronger. Surely, Christ is aware of other nations, who are not His followers. And as a Messiah of love and compassion for all creation, He couldn’t be shutting the gates of Heaven to those who don’t follow Him by name.
And on the concept of a Kingdom of God, in recent years I have begun to wonder whether Christ meant Kingdom in the literal sense. A kingdom is ‘A monarchy with a king or queen as head of state.’ So does it follow that deep within me there’s a monarchy ― and considering that almost all monarchs are males ― a king, who is God? Somehow God and monarchy don’t jell spiritually. It is perhaps this concept of God as a Kingdom that has led to so much of violence and bloodshed in the name of religion, more specifically the Christian faith.
In his book, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, Leo Tolstoy affirms that the modern church is a heretical creation: “Nowhere nor in anything, except in the assertion of the Church, can we find that God or Christ founded anything like what churchmen understand by the Church.” A more Christ-like interpretation of The Kingdom of God within all of us is universal love, according to Tolstoy, who came to this conclusion after spending 30 years of study and contemplation on the subject. Non-violence is an integral part of this thinking.
Tolstoy did put the Christian concept of Kingdom of God in proper perspective, interpreting it as the Messiah might have intended it to be. But to my mind, the word Kingdom was used not to convey the idea of a physical or material domain, but rather a spiritual one. After all, God talks to us in the language we understand and the metaphors we comprehend…so that explains the use of the word Kingdom.
As Paramhansa Yogananda says: “God’s kingdom is within you. He is within you. Just behind your perceptions, just behind your thoughts, just behind your feelings, He is. Every grain of food you eat, every breath you take, is God.”
He adds, “The inner peace first experienced by the devotee in meditation is his own soul; the vaster peace he feels by going deeper is God. The devotee who experiences unity with everything has established unity with God in the temple of his infinite perception.”
Therefore, the temple, the church and the masjid that we all keep fighting for these days is within all of us. By fighting for these, we are only fighting with ourselves. Isn’t it?
Oswald Pereira, a senior journalist, has also written eight books, including The Newsroom Mafia, Chaddi Buddies, The Krishna-Christ Connexion and Crime Patrol: The Most Thrilling Stories. Oswald is a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and practises Kriya Yoga.
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Very nice article. Actually misinterpretation by mortal men with limited knowledge has led to division in people.
Like even in Gita, Lord Krishna talks ‘ in me ‘ kind of statements but that fortunately was never got misinterpreted as only through Him as we have many God and Goddesses. But mention of varna by capability got misinterpreted as caste by birth and led to persecution of poor or those who did menial jobs.
Leo Tolstoy’s Three questions … who is most important, what is most important work and what is the right thing to do ….. and their answers prove that he understood everything so correctly.
Rightly said, Nita Ji. Misinterpretation by mortal men with limited knowledge has led to divison in people.
Agree with your views Oswald. Totally.
Thank you, Jyotsna
Beautifully written Oswald. My sentiments and thoughts too! As a child I too questioned this as I wanted my friends to be in heaven with me ?. Today I realize and feel that we create Heaven or Hell right here. Recognize and respect God within yourself and everyone around you and you are in Heaven. Encourage the d emon within you and others and you create hell.
You are right, Malu. By recognizing the God within ourselves and all others around and beyond us, we can create a Heaven here.
A very timely article indeed, but how many are willing to comprehend this perception? Keep writing though Oswald, maybe someday saner counsel would prevail
Akshay, as a writer yourself, you will agree it is our duty to write and not worry about the results, leaving that to God.
Well written…everybody godly person is entitled to heaven
Thank you, Juliet
Oswald ji, you have explored the most loved and yet most debated subject, (by the over zealous religious fundamentalists at least), with a perfect humanistic touch with a concluding remark to explore the unity of the core religious value within oneself, to have this unitive perception is as such is the universal appeal of every spiritual tradition.
No one can really understand the height and depth of a prophet or seer’s first revelation or core religious experience, which as such goes into the laying in due course, the foundation of an institutionalised religion. And it is in the very process of this institutionalisation that it gets disconnected from its original organismic human value and gets degenerated, as it has happened with established religions, into systematic fragmentation.
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” And so said Krishna: “सर्व धर्मान परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं ब्रजः” Leave every belief behind and take refuge in me.
One who understands in depth the essence of this saying can only qualify to have access to a flair of that original insight which is available in its originality only, not by effort but by grace.
I would not hesitate to say, one who succeeds in transcending dichotomy and fragmentation can only have that awesome unitive perception with a speck of grace.
I deeply adore the way you have explored this topic and summed up with an universal appeal to overcome the fight within so that we can contribute to the good work of a metaphysical reconstruction, necessary to build a humanistic religion and universal faith.