Is it true that all religions have the same commandments?

What do all religions have in common?

Existing religions can be compared to buildings of various architectural styles. The appearance and shape of buildings are different, but any building has a foundation, supporting structures and a roof.

Likewise, many religions, striking in their abundance of rituals, different structure, decoration of temples and variety of rituals, have similar components: “foundation” and “supporting structures” presented in the doctrine.

Any religion has a) a cult and b) a special worldview. A cult, or cultic practice, involves specific actions of a believer (for example, prayer or visiting a temple). Worldview, or worldview, includes ideas about the world around us and people.

Indeed, if you remove from each religion what distinguishes it from others, what remains is the essence, the “core,” which is almost the same for all religions. This essence suggests that the Universe is more complex than it seems at first glance: in addition to the surrounding world, which is familiar to everyone, there is another, invisible world that influences what is happening around. It was this knowledge that came from people who later began to be called prophets , messiahs, avatars, teachers, and served as the reason for the emergence of all world religions.

The “foundation” of most religions is the same—mystical experience. Mystics and prophets of all times and peoples talk about their mystical experiences often using the same words. In them, the Supreme Reality appears as an all-understanding, loving space filled with light and bliss.

It is important to emphasize that the founders of any religion spoke only of what was reality for them, the result of their own experience. They did not have faith in what they were talking about, but direct knowledge of it. Direct knowledge is the result of direct perception. In the same way, a sighted person knows about the existence of the sun because he himself sees it, while a blind person can only believe in its existence from the words of a sighted person. Therefore, in every religion an element of faith is required and, as a result, the various rituals of worship accompanying it. After all, ordinary people, attracted by the miracles and sermons of the saints, themselves have never experienced anything similar to the insights of the saints. Therefore, for them, the only way to touch the Great Truth was faith and worship. Temples were built, prayers and rituals were created - all this strengthened faith and helped worship. As for religious doctrine, here too the main “supporting structures” are often common principles. The structure of the external and internal world of man, the paths leading to God and salvation, have common features. Many religions recognize the path of renunciation of selfish aspirations, the path of love, as the only path to God, and instruct their followers to follow ethical rules similar to the New Testament commandment: “... turn away from evil, cleave to good” (Rom. 12.9).

If we consider the main principles of ethics of the main directions of Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism and other religions, it turns out that they all complement each other in one way or another. For example, the New Testament says that “God is love”; Sanskrit sutras recognize God as “the source of all knowledge and all love”; Taoism about; and the Koran states: “Allah is Gracious, Merciful.” This implies that at the origins of being is Divine Love and you can get closer to God only by developing more and more perfect love in yourself. “Carelessly develop bodhichitta within yourself” (i.e., perfect compassion for all living beings), Buddhist monks urge. “I command you this, that you love one another” (John 15.17), Jesus Christ taught. And for the mystics of Islam, the Almighty “is Love, the Lover and the Beloved.”

Many religions offer detailed explanations on how to develop perfect love. This happens as a person learns to love the entire world around him and see in every person and event a manifestation of the Will and Love of God.

Other prescriptions and rules arising from this main covenant of many religions are also very similar. They include principles similar to the commandments of the New Testament, i.e. the instructions “thou shalt not kill,” “thou shalt not steal,” etc. Thus, in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, the principle “thou shalt not kill” corresponds to ahimsa (non-harm to all living beings neither in thoughts, nor in words, nor in actions), but the principle “do not steal” is asteya (lack of desire to own other people’s things), etc.

Disagreements that ultimately lead to murderous conflicts arise between believers because they argue about their different beliefs (i.e., different fantasies or interpretations of sacred texts), and not about the one Truth itself. It is impossible to argue about it, it can be experienced. The similarity of the basic religious moral precepts leads to the fact that many philosophers, theologians and religious scholars begin to talk about a single world ethics, “cosmic ethics”, to one degree or another represented in the moral code of one or another religious tradition .

Universal Path

TOPICS: Bringing people closer to God - rediscovering spiritual identity through mystical experiences - religion should help people have such experiences - the mystical approach - the only link between religions - the universal path to a higher state of consciousness - the path to unity with God

Question: I have been tormented by one question for a long time. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. God is also one in all his Sons and Daughters. Therefore, what do all the true world religions have in common? The importance of this issue is to deal with the conflicting ideas about God in world religions and the false teachings in Christianity that Jesus is God, the creator of heaven and earth.

Jesus' answer:

I have already touched on some of the topics you mentioned in my answers to the questions “Was Jesus Christ Really the Only Son of God?” and “Is there one true religion.”

What do world religions have in common? This can be expressed in many different ways. For me, the most universal element of all religions is bringing people closer to God. People have forgotten their true identity and their relationship with God. Religion is intended to help them rediscover their identity through inner, intuitive, or mystical ways so that they realize and fully accept who they are. True religion is intended to help people achieve such experiences and thereby achieve direct communication with their God.

It is obvious that many orthodox religions, Christian and non-Christian, deny the ability of people to communicate with God. Thus, the only way that the connection between the world's true religions can be seen is for people to take a mystical or spiritual approach to religion. As long as people are trapped in the relativity of the dualistic mind, they will be more concerned with promoting the so-called uniqueness of their own religion, rather than promoting the universal ingredients behind all religions.

The only real solution to the problems on this planet, including the conflict between religions, is for people to ascend to a higher state of consciousness. I call this state of consciousness the Christ Consciousness, but I have no problem with other religions using other names.

It can also be said that the link between all true religions is the universal path that gradually leads people to achieve a higher state of consciousness whereby they overcome relativity, duality, conflicts and the sense of separateness that arise from the dualistic mind. It can be said that the connection between all religions is that there is a universal path leading to unity with God.

If you wish to see peaceful coexistence among the world's religions, then make an effort to promote the universal path to a higher state of consciousness. Nothing else will bring peace between religious people. Peace cannot be brought through the relativity of the dualistic mind, even if it is presented under the guise of human kindness and tolerance.

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Islam

The youngest and last of the Abrahamic religions. In terms of the number of followers, it ranks second after Christianity (1.5 billion). Religion arose on the Arabian Peninsula at the beginning of the 7th century.

The spread of the doctrine was facilitated by Muhammad, revered in Islam as the most important of the prophets. Islam does not deny the existence of Jesus, Adam, Moses and other biblical characters and claims that they are also prophets to whom teaching was given. However, people distorted the true will of God, so Muhammad was sent as the last of the prophets who could convey religion in its true form.

In Islam there are no saints, no icons or sacred objects. Monotheism is observed here as strictly as possible. Worship is due to Allah alone.

Muslims pray at home or in a mosque. A mosque is not as sacred a place as a Christian church, but prayer in it is considered more effective and approved by God. Before visiting the mosque, it is necessary to perform a ritual of ablution; believers are without shoes in the mosque.

Mosque

Muslims (people who profess Islam) are required to observe 5 pillars of faith:

1. Shahada (belief in monotheism. “There is no God but Allah”).
2. Namaz (daily five times prayer).
3. Uraza (fasting during the holy month of Ramadan).
4. Zakat (tax for the benefit of the poor).
5. Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca, the homeland of the Prophet Muhammad).

Islam is divided into Sunnism and Shiism. Most modern Muslims profess Sunni Islam and only about 5-10% are Shiites.

The main and most revered book in Islam is the Koran.

Buddhism

The founder of Buddhism was an Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama. According to legend, he was brought up without knowing hardship and grief. Parents protected their son from sorrow. Having learned as an adult about the existence of illness, old age and death, the prince went in search of the meaning of life. Being a hermit, Gautama achieved enlightenment, becoming Buddha.

Buddha Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama)

According to some schools of Buddhism, a Buddha is anyone who achieves enlightenment.

Buddhism is a non-theistic religion; it has no god. Buddha does not have divine essence. Despite this, a certain cult of worship exists. There are temples of Buddha and numerous images of him in meditative poses.

During his wanderings, Buddha discovered 4 truths, the belief in which forms the basis of Buddhism:

1. Everything in life is suffering. Suffering refers to any experience or emotion other than indifference.
2. The cause of suffering is desires. People get upset if they can't get what they want, or if circumstances don't turn out the way they would like.
3. You can be free from suffering by freeing yourself from desires.
4. There is an eightfold path to achieving nirvana.

Nirvana is one of the key concepts in Buddhism, meaning complete liberation from earthly emotions and experiences.

Death does not solve the problem of earthly suffering, since Buddhists believe in samsara (rebirth). A person is reborn many times and each of his lives is filled with suffering. Nirvana is capable of breaking the wheel of samsara and a person, having become enlightened, goes to final peace after death.

There are currently approximately 500 million Buddhists in the world.

Christianity

The most widespread religion, with about 2.4 billion adherents. Christianity originated in the 1st century in Palestine, developing around the teachings of Jesus Christ, who declared himself the son of God. Jesus' mission on earth is to sacrifice himself, thereby atonement for all human sins.

The holy book of Christianity - the Bible - is divided into the Old and New Testaments. The Old tells about life before the birth of Christ and closely resonates with Jewish theology. The New Testament contains the revelations of the apostles about the life and crucifixion of God's son, about his teaching.

Basic tenets of Christianity:

• the trinity of God (God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit);
• the sacrament of Baptism, as a prerequisite for accepting Christianity;
• faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ;
• acceptance of original sin (due to disobedience of Adam and Eve, every person is born sinful).

The crucifix is ​​the main symbol of Christianity.
Modern Christianity is divided into several main branches:

• Catholicism;
• Orthodoxy;
• Protestantism;
• Ancient Eastern Orthodox churches;
• Nestorianism.

Christianity postulates love for one's neighbor in a higher, altruistic form. Christian saints, as a rule, set an example of the highest self-sacrifice for the good of people and God.