A SOLUTION FOR THE WORLD OF CONFLICTS

By and © Udayabhanu Panickar


Most of the conflicts the world face now are the creation of forceful and coercive propagation of ideological and religious beliefs and discrimination based on a verity of social evils. If those removed, the conflicts will end and the world will be a lot better. Even though people admit the fact that Shree Narayana Gurudevan worked to remove the social evils of discrimination and persecution, often some people say that He had sanctioned religious conversions. However, this is far from the truth. This seems to be an organized way of justifying their actions by the converters, the converts and the political opportunists. They wrongfully take the shelter of the philosophy Gurudevan propagated for their narrow-minded actions and political manipulations. An honest and truthful enquiry into the actions and study of the teachings of Gurudevan will show the facts in a very different light.

On the subject of religious conversion, opportunists have intentionally misquoted Gurudevan. Some devotees of Gurudevan also make statements on this subject without a comprehensive study of all the words and deeds of Gurudevan. As in any other aspect of His messages and teachings, we must always explore and understand the circumstances of those remarks and actions. Only then, we can explicitly understand the essence of His articulate and well-calculated statements of limited words and actions.

Shree Narayana Gurudevan, unlike many other Spiritual Masters, never imposed his vision upon any one because He was not just a Spiritual Master but also an Enlightened Spiritual Master, an embodiment of the Absolute. Therefore, His Divine appearance and honorable & conclusive words were good enough for anyone to accept His authority and guidance without skepticism. His eyes, words, actions and postures were highly effectual and impressive with its Spiritual Authority and Divineness. No one could ever act against His wishes and words. No one could ever oppose His actions because they were so perfect and timely. The genuineness, truth and sincerity of His words and deeds always overcame any doubt any one may have had about Him and His Divine intentions.

On different occasions, Gurudevan had made clear remarks on religious conversions. At certain occasions, He or His disciples had brought back people who were converted and prevented people from converting.

He never believed that the religious conversions are in any way a threat to the society, but at the same time, He never encouraged any one to convert. He very strongly believed that any such conversion must only be executed, purely based on a person’s belief and only after understanding, what he or she is doing and what was accepting and rejecting. No conversion should be made, for any kind of materialistic or temporary benefits, convenience or as an escape route from discrimination and religious persecution. Gurudevan only advocated conversions based on these principles and understanding of them. This writer is one hundred percent convinced that no conversion from the so-called ‘Hinduism’ can meet the standards He set.

Let us look at some of the actions taken by Gurudevan based on His own convictions and spiritual conclusions.


During HIS time, a family of KaNNoor converted to Christianity for certain benefits, but not out of beliefs. After some time this family desired to come back. However, their old community opposed this. Gurudevan when heard about this intervened and asked the family members and community leaders, to take them back. Gurudevan’s arguments were so convincing it was done happily.

In Neyyattinkara, some families converted to Christianity. This was due to the discrimination and persecution existed at that time. However, after witnessing the progress made due to the work of Gurudevan and his disciples, those families wanted to come back. However, the community was not ready to accept them back. When approached, He very happily asked the community to take them back.

In the village of Vazhappalli, near Changanasherry a limited number of families of a community known as ‘Pichanaattu Kuruppanmar’ lived. They were small in number. This community was in a very difficult situation during Gurudevan’s time. In some respect they were considered lower in the social spectrum. However, at the same, time they were allowed to enter in to the temples and roads, where many other communities like Ezhavar (Ezhavas) not allowed. However, the communities at the higher spectrum of Hindu religion did not socially accept them. This coupled with the limited number of members in their own community, they had difficulty in functioning socially and they faced isolation. This isolation forced the leader of this group, Mr Krishnan Vidyar to make a decision for the whole community to convert to Christianity. This was a conversion of convenience. Mr Mooloor Padmanabha Panicker, a disciple of Gurudevan informed Him of this and requested that the ‘Pichanaattu Kuruppanmar’ accepted into the community and this ‘conversion of convenience’ prevented. Gurudevan happily accepted the proposal of Mooloor and personally accepted them in to the community. This was done at a public meeting in the presence of a large crowed which included leaders of other religious groups also.

Once a European Christian priest visited Gurudevan and asked Him to convert into Christianity. Gurudevan felt this as a joke. The conversation between Him and the priest went on fairly like this.

Gurudevan: What is your age?

The priest: 30 years.

Gurudevan: Then I am a Christian even before your berth and how can you convert me? However, what is it that we should believe specially to be a christian?

The priest: You should believe that Jesus was born to be the Savior of Humanity.

Gurudevan: That means with his birth all of the humanity was saved. Is it not?

The priest: Yes, that is true.

Gurudevan: If that is true, if I convert or not, I am already saved, is it not?

The priest: No. To be saved, you must be baptized. Without baptism, you will not be saved.

Gurudevan: So you are telling me that some people were saved because of the birth of Christ and some did not.

The priest: No. Because of the birth of Christ, all are saved.

Gurudevan: If that is true, everybody has been saved. There is no need for conversion into Christian religion to be saved.

The priest: No, you have to convert, to be-saved.

Gurudevan: if that is the case, not all are saved.

The priest: No that is not true. Because of Christ’s birth, everyone has been saved.

At this stage, Gurudevan realized that there was no need of talking to the priest as he was making conflicting statements. In addition, understanding that he cannot win the argument with Gurudevan, the priest left.

After few days, another group of four priests approached Gurudevan. They also wanted to convert Him. They gave Him a bible and said, You should read and learn this bible.

Gurudevan: I have great desire to read it. However, I do not have any one to teach me. You should come and teach me.

The priest: Definitely we will come. Even if you throw us out, we will come and preach.

Gurudevan: We will never throw you out. Even if you do not join us, we will not throw you out. We will keep you with us. So do not hastiest, to come.

Gandhiji during his visit to Shivagiri, (to meet Gurudevan) asked Him a specific question on religious conversion. The question was ‘Is religious conversion necessary for spiritual salvation? Gurudevan’s reply was specific and to the point. He replied that no conversion needed for spiritual salvation. He also asked Gurudevan if Sanathana dharMam is adequate for this purpose. To this, His reply was also perfectly clear. He stated that our Sanathana dharMam is perfectly adequate.

Shree Narayana Gurudevan, once in a message to SNDP Yogam said; “Renaissance should not be an effort of converting to religion. Our organization should be one that will unite all humans. Religion should permit freedom of belief. Religion should be acceptable to the intellectual mind and it should lead common people to do pure, good and noble deeds (Sanatana dhaRMam) in life. ‘One in Kind, One in Faith, One in God is Human’ is such an opinion.” (Please remember, this dictum, comprehensively and purely is based on the wisdom thoughts contained in the Upanishads, not in bible or Quran – this author’s statement.) “We feel that all the people who believe in this Eternal Truth should join under this organization. The idea of such an organization shall be a noble one. People who think that religious conversion is the only way of eradicating discrimination and religious or caste based persecution can consider this as a religious conversion and at the same time a declaration of independence from the discrimination.”

According to Gurudevan, all religions have the same goal, (At least the people who are considered as the cause of the formation of those religions had that aim) which is to guide people to the Eternal Truth or prepare them to understand “The Absolute Truth”. Once that is done, people will find the God themselves. Religions are only to help them in their quest for God not for conversion. In His opinion, the aims of religions are the good of the people. None of them has any monopoly on it. Common people must learn and follow the path of her or his own religion first. If it found to be inadequate, then look in to another way. However, the choice should come after understanding them, not blindly.

Anyone who understands the spiritual knowledge envisioned by our ancestors, and conveyed to us through and as braHMavidya, the “The Science of The Absolute” they shall never go to a religion, as it is more than enough for realization of "The Absolute". Therefore, there will not be any need for anyone to seek a religion. Gurudevan very clearly had declared this. (I am yet to see a person who converted to another religion after learning what is in our spirituality.)

The guidelines given by the spiritual personalities were according to the need of the place and circumstances existed at that particular period. As the changes occur in time and place some of those principles may need modifications. The interpretations of those teachings may need to be re-evaluated and re-stated. That responsibility is of the spiritual Masters. They should eliminate the anti-social and discriminatory elements got into the system, and incorporated intentionally into them by people with ulterior motives and power mongers for their personal gains and benefits.

In Shree Narayana Gurudevan’s opinion, religion has two aspects, internal and external. If the conversion is for the external aspect, that is not a conversion of religion. That is only a social change and has no spiritual value. As regards to the internal or the spiritual values concerned, it is always changing as the individual’s ability to think and contemplate advances. That change cannot be made, with any external force. It has to come from within the people themselves, and that can only happen as the depth of spiritual knowledge increases. Therefore, there shall be no conversion without proper knowledge. In addition, for people of our ancestry, when get that proper knowledge contained in our Spirituality there will never be a need for seeking a religion. The conversions we see are social changes for convenience and benefits.

The eternal values such as righteousness, compassion, love, goodwill, charity, dedication, truth, equality, freedom, penance and hard work are all equally important and everything is in our braHMavidya. None is inferior or superior to the other. According to the time and place, certain values may get more importance. It does not mean that others to be neglected. Our dharMam values all these qualities. However, the one damaging point is the inequality unjustifiably and unscientifically practiced by manipulating and intentionally or otherwise, misinterpreting the vaRnaashrama dhaRMam referred in the scriptures of bhAratham. Gurudevan worked all His life against it and changed the social structure of the state of Keralam by correctly interpreting the scriptures of our ancestry. People of Sanathana dhaRMam are not the only society with caste-based discrimination. It is everywhere and every society. It is in every country. The name may be different. It may be based on the profession from which the caste system in bhAratham was developed. Alternatively, it may be based on the race, the religion, the nation of origin, the language they speak or the way they dress.

Discrimination and persecution is cruel and unacceptable. It has no justification in a human society. The name under which it is practiced in not important, the practice itself must to identified and eradicated. The illegal and unethical persecution and discriminative treatment based on caste and vaRnaashrama dhaRMam or on any other standards must completely be eradicated from society. If not, our Spirituality our braHMavidya, our Sanatana dharMam cannot survive.

The world is at a very dangerous stage now. As a society, we need Shree Narayana Gurudevan’s vision of a social equality, not ill treatment, discrimination, war, terrorism or conversion. In a way, conversion is terrorism, cultural terrorism. That should be the message of social, political or spiritual leaders should be giving out in public and in private. Labeling and insulting others beliefs as “satanic” will not help. Trying to convert all people into their own belief will only aggravate the situation more. Instead they should try to understand others beliefs, ideologies, culture and learn to respect them, not to enforce their own. Only then, the problems can be solved. Religion or ideology should never be forced on to others, either by inducements, deception, and coercive methods or with the sanction of unjust laws and agreements created in a deceptive way at the national or international levels or by manipulating the UN body.

The problem is worldwide. Understanding the entire picture only can give a vision of remedy. In addition, for sure the remedy will materialize if all can understand and respect each other’s beliefs, customs, needs, programs and problems.

The requirement of the time is not religious or ideological conversion. The need of the time is the proper understanding and restrain from aggressive and coercive methods, be it in the name of education, charity or social activism.

Education, understanding and application of Shree Narayana Gurudevan’s Philosophy, completely based on our braHMavidya, could achieve that. His Philosophy is entirely based on the spirituality of bhAratham.

Once Gurudevan said that the conflicts are not due to religion, but due to the intoxication of the mind with the blind belief in the religion. This is what should be removed. He prescribed the remedy for it also. That prescription is what HIS Spiritual messages immensely radiated and HIS actions exhibited throughout his life. HIS every action, every word HE said and wrote, and even HIS silence contained an enormous amount of influencing radiant Spiritual Wisdom contained in our ancient vedaH and UpaniSHads which we may call the ‘scriptures of bhAratham’. It all conveys the message of braHMavidya, the “Science of The Absolute” and Equality is the mainstay of it. So let us learn it. Let the world learn it. Then the problems will be solved.

Remember Gurudevan very specifically said that our ancestry has no religion and it is not a religion.

Our spiritual heritage, is never a cult or a dogma, nor is it a one-way single path to moksham (salvation). It is not even a religion as such--nor is it just a way of life. It is the complete and comprehensive collection of divine knowledge of the Absolute Truth, which--when learned and practiced--can lead people to the experience of the Absolute and the Ultimate Bliss. It is a continuously evolving and absorbing science- The Science of the Absolute - a flexible body of Divine knowledge centered on the quest of the jeevAtman (soul) for Its' birthright, the divine realization. In addition, it makes provisions for all (souls) in this quest. Yet, it remains immeasurable as it safeguards the very purpose of all life everywhere and in all things. We may call It Sanatana DhaRMam, but never a religion.

Some wise called it the “Science of the Absolute”, the “Science of the Self” or the “Science of the Soul”. It is braHMavidya.