Are all religions true?

Namaste,

There is this popular belief that Hindu religion considers all religions as true. Hindu religion is also said to have the "sarva dharma sama bhAva" - that all religions are equal or the same. 

Some scholars like Sri Rajiv Malhotra oppose this idea. Their point is, if all religions are true then it simply justifies conversion as it does not matter what religion one follows. This is obviously true as every religion is intrinsically different from each other and more so with Hindu religion and culture. 

But still, there is another way of looking at this issue.

All religions are true is another way of saying all religions knowingly or unknowingly, are worshiping the Vedic Hindu God only who alone is absolutely true!. The simple reason is that Vedic Hindu God is everywhere and is identified as the truth of all truths. He is the all pervading and indwelling spirit Self of all that is indubitable and undeniable and is denoted and identified by all name/forms. While this Vedic view is acceptable and essential to reconcile all the many sub-religions within the dhArmic Hindu tradition, it can be extended to include other non-Vedic religions also.

This Hindu view of accepting all religions as true brings out the universal, spiritual and all encompassing nature of Vedic Hindu religion/God and in a way eliminates or absorbs all particular religions/gods into one single Vedic view. All religions are like rivers that ultimately becomes one in the ocean of the Hindu or Vedic God Brahman who is everywhere and limitless. If gods in all the
many Hindu sub-religions are like gold ornaments, Hindu Vedic God/Brahman is verily the Gold itself.

So for a true Hindu, all other particular religions worshiping their particular gods, are indirectly worshiping Hindu God only, who as the absolute unchanging truth, is everywhere. Their view is limited as opposed to the universal Hindu view and so the question of conversion for a Hindu never arises. 

There is no need to convert to limited view and worship Hindu God indirectly. Actually, other religions have no choice but to ultimately un-convert and merge into this infinite universal Hindu view.

God in the Hindu religion is the absolute spirit Self pervading and supporting the entire universe as His body. Obviously God of any particular religion wherever S/He is, cannot be external to OR even different from this all pervading God of Hindus! So to say that all religions are true it also means all religions are pointing to the same Vedic God who alone is the absolute truth. All kinds
of identifications of particular gods must culminate in the identification of this all pervading Hindu God. 

The intrinsic tolerance of many sub-religions in the broad Vedic Hindu religion does not mean it accepts all religions are individually true and leads to the same truth or God. On the other hand it is the recognition of all gods/devatas as integral parts of the Supreme God manifesting as the entire universe that helps to bind and integrate all differences. 

Vedas identify the entire universe of nature as the body of the supreme being or God on whom every "individual being" absolutely depends for existence. This is similar to a baby existing in the womb and depending absolutely on the mother. This obvious truth cannot be denied by believers in any religion
and even non-believers. So Hindu view is universal as opposed to other particular views. Each particular view differs from each other but they always remain a subset of the universal. Ultimately every particular view harmoniously aligns with the universal Hindu view.

The realization of God as the all pervading inner spirit Self of the universe therefore eliminates separate identification of religions in their essence whether they are outside or inside Hindu tradition. All differences are superficial and qualifies the same truth. The Core of all religions is thus Hindu. Any religion or view that does not identify God as the universal Self is bound to have self-contradictions.

All non-vedic religions are actually reflections of Hindu religion which always remains original.

The name Jesus stands for jiva that denotes the self. The cross stands for the body or duality in which the jiva is stuck. This jiva who is stuck or suffering in the body is thus essentially crucified. As God is everywhere, every individual soul or the jiva is the son / amsha of God. When the jiva realizes God or Brahman who is within him and everywhere then he gets resurrected  / liberated.

The name Allah is the mutilated form of the Vedic name Atma which denotes God as the absolute universal Self. There can be peace and harmony only when one realizes God/Allah within oneself only. The obstacle for this is one's own kAma/lust and krodha/anger. One needs to do jihad to eliminate ones own bad qualities. This is the essence of Islam that aligns with Hindu Vedic view. Thus it is possible to show that all major religions are indirectly teaching Hindu religion only which is eternal and original.

This absolute universal Hindu view simply eliminates or consumes all other particular religious views effectively countering the conversion menace!

Q: If God is everywhere, it still does not matter what path or religion one follows as all paths lead to the same God. So why should Hindus oppose conversion? In fact Non-Hindus can even argue that their religion has no social evils like caste based discrimination as in Hinduism.

A: No, Conversion is based on ignorance as the soul is immutable and so can never be converted. Hindus have to oppose conversion as it divides the truth / world as myself and the other. This destroys peace and harmony which can be there only when God is seen in every being and everywhere. There is no non-Hindu religion that identifies God as the all pervading and indwelling soul/Self of all. If they do, then they are not different from the Hindu Vedic view.

Caste system which is typically found in Hindu religions is a natural phenomena. Not everybody is created equal and people of same nature always flock together and so caste is nothing but an extended family.

Vedic name for Caste system is the Varnashrama dharma and is a natural consequence of accepting God as the inner Self who pervades and supports all particular name/forms and the entire universe as His body. As all the different parts of the body like head, hands, thighs and feet have their respective
duties to perform as a service to the indwelling soul, the idea of varna/caste based duties gains credibility. Varnashrama simply integrates the society into a single organic entity similar to the human body promoting mutual co-operation among diverse groups or castes. In societies practicing varnashrama people will be family oriented and value their profession more than money, rendering their

profession as a spiritual service to God. 

On the other hand societies lacking Varnashrama are based on sheer competition, blindly chasing money and material comfort with little or no respect for nurturing professions within the family. 

So there is a need for intelligent people to subscribe to the Hindu view. What is needed is co-operation and not competition among various groups or families in the society and Varnashrama or caste system is an institution that sustains this diversity and values. This is very much natural as it is analogous to
working of the various parts of our own body which always works in unison.

As already mentioned all other religions worshiping their particular gods are indirectly worshiping the Hindu God. So why worship God indirectly? As a Hindu, one can directly worship God as Vishnu who is everywhere and the same God as Shiva who is auspicious. The aspect of Vishnu as truth and Shiva as dharma is inseparable. Intelligent people should not have any qualms in realizing these Vedic truths.

Q: What about many sub-religions and philosophical differences within Hindu view...So the argument against converting to other religions applies to many sub religions within Hindu view also right? But Vaishnavas and Shaivas have been engaging in conversion. 

A: Yes, there are many philosophical differences between various Hindu traditions and that keeps them all different and apparently divergent . But they all identify their supreme God as Brahman and conversion based on one's own preference (from Vaishnava to Shaiva and vice-versa for example) should still be fine, though not necessary, as the path to reach Brahman would always remain 

as Dharma comprising of pravrutti and nivrutti in all the Hindu sub-religions.

The major schools of philosophies within the Vedic tradition like Advaita, Vishishta Advaita and Dvaita and other variations in between can also be reconciled by identifying the entire universe as the body/manifestation of God which is uniquely Vedic and experiential also.

All the different sub-religions and philosophies within Hindu view accept Veda and allied scriptures and so are like different avenues / snana ghattas to the same Ganga of the all pervading God / Brahman. Other non-vedic religions do not identify their particular God with the absolute Brahman and so could not be considered as valid. If they do then they lose their separate identity or existence and come under the umbrella of sanAtana / eternal Vedic Hindu dharma.

Namaste
Suresh