"The end of Religion is the beginning of Spirituality;
The end of Spirituality is the beginning of Reality;
The end of Reality is the Real Bliss.
Beyond this lies That; the Destination."
Om Tat Sat"

- Babuji Maharaji

In the evolution of the humanity, the adherence to the precepts of a Spiritual Personality and beliefs, rituals and Systems propagated by him, collectively by groups of people is the genesis of the religion. The quest of mankind to unravel the mysteries of life and grasp the Reality behind the apparent, the search for the meaning and aims of individual souls and above all to comprehend one's role in the world have all contributed to the origin and beginning of religion as such. In the initial periods, such adoption of ideals was generally based on individual convictions. In ancient civilisations of India, China and Egypt, individual and smaller group or family preferences to follow a specified course of Godly or Spiritual activity and faith always prevailed, while concurrently ensuring scrupulous compliance to the dictates of the king or the feudal Chieftain, as the case may be. As long as we lived in tune with Nature, man had always been in line with the Creative Processes of the Evolution and the Divine. In India - known as the Karma Bhumi - even in Vedic times, we had no ideation of any religion as a concise phenomenon in the real sense. Religious and theological persecutions of individuals or groups based on their family or sectional obeisance to a particular God or Goddess or Element of Nature, through feudal or social forces and compulsions were almost rare and unheard of. Even today, Hinduism cannot be said to be a single - Founder based religion. It is a way of life and a system of harmonious living; where everyone could generally follow their own course of personal modes of spiritual life. In fact, Divine, Godly or what we may call now - religious activity were always individual oriented functions rather than a compulsive collective activity. Even when the ruler of the Land followed a particular type and way of belief - system, the ruled and even the common folk were more or less at liberty to continue with their own paths of faith. And every group or sub-group always functioned within the broad parameters of Sanatana Dharma - which was the subtle undercurrent throughout the length and breadth of the Indian Sub-Continent. Despite some aberrations here and there, the general living was in consonance with the Principles of Nature. The spiritual history of the Land says that the Saints of India have ever prayed to God to give all the miseries of the world to them, so that the humanity may be free from them. Such was the glory and grandeur of our Way of Life; and this; when some parts of the world were reeling under barbaric and uncivilised rule of Jungle Law.

Over the Ages, man has started his own creation parallel to that of the Almighty and created a web of vice, competition, rivalry, jealousy, hatred and selfishness around him. Lobha and Moha, two of the vile qualities of our own creation have become central to our existence. Kama and Krodha, the God given characteristics have assumed Asuric proportions leading to promiscuousness, independence of selfish living and uncontrolled display of sensuousness in our dealings. The cultural, social and human cohesion in the society based on mutual respect and dependence have become almost extinct leading to individual degradation and consequent world of imbalances and distortions. The emergence of great religions during the last 2000 years or so had further led to divisiveness of the human society itself which has come to be based on fundamentalism and collective coercive practices. The very basis of such religions propounded by their God-Heads and Founder-Fathers were all laudable and essentially aimed at the amelioration and transformation of the individual beings so that they can play their part in Divine Lila and God's material manifestation in accordance with the accepted precepts of the Nature, restoring human and social balances. Subsequent developments, however, led to the formation of religions as an organised Activity controlled by vested interests leaving the Creative Principles and Sayings of Wisdom almost to the Founders themselves! Fundamentalism, proselytisation and forcible conversions to a specific religion have become the order of the day; and violence and persecutions, the pivotals of these religions. Human values and ethos have disappeared from their practices. Even amongst the same religionists, those with specific racial, colour and other traits have only come to be treated as equals and others with lower and second-rate status. Religion for these has become synonymous with the feudal political systems and an instrument of Governance deriving power and authority. The role of religion as means for human development, social progress and individual growth with spirituality at its centre of focus has been totally abandoned by these vicious elements, who took control by deliberate and well orchestrated manipulation, over a period of time. The result is individual degeneration, degradation of social values, defilement of cultural ethos and above all creation of social disharmony and tensions reducing the human living and life to animal and baser levels. Under the garb of modernity and in the name of sophistication, we have thoroughly succumbed ourselves to prejudice, rivalry, hatred, ego, self-centred and unbridled materialistic pursuits.

In India, known to be spiritual centre of this part of the galaxy itself, we had a highly evolved culture based on Divine traits of tolerance, co-existence and good neighbourliness. These very qualities have become our undoing under the distorted and totally misunderstood and deliberately flawed interpretations of the Veda and Upanishad Teachings. The dynastic rule of the kings with their supposedly Divine Linkages, the vested interests of the Brahminism, the local and economic interests of landed and trade classes and power-mongers of the society have made us slaves to the marauding forces that invaded and ruled India for so many centuries. Our thoroughly debased values were dexterously exploited by these alien rulers to lord over us. The unity of the Bharata Varsha as a Nation was completely forgotten and the integrating force of our Santana Dharma was deliberately torched by our own people. We are only to be blamed for all our ills. The caste system has come to afflict our society and eroded the core and vitals of our social harmony and cultural balance. What came at one point of time, only as a measure for the division of labour and work in the society, the caste system - due to deliberate distortions - has come to be perpetuated as a denomination and permanent bifurcation of our life systems - all in the name of non-existent but all permeating Hindu religion. Even Sanatana Dharma is being misquoted to support this repugnant, ridiculous, inhuman and paradoxical Varnashrama division as a Dharma. Our great and erudite men of Shastras are reluctant, even at this perilous hour, to come out with socio-religious counter strategies to root out this greatest and obnoxious evil of our society. There is complete social upheaval in our country and Hindu religion as a Way of Life is in complete disarray and has long ceased as a unifying force of the Nation. It has now become a disintegrating force. As a social group we are totally disintegrated. As a cultural system, we are fully disintegrated. As people, we are thoroughly disintegrated lot. To restore our Nation to its original glory and righteousness, it is the boundan duty of every human being of this great land.

The reasons for such phenomenal disruption of and distortions in our natural and simple way of life are not far to seek. Spirituality has ceased to be the pivot around which the entire life and living systems are woven. Solid materialism has usurped the position of spiritualism in our daily social life. Pranahuti or Yogic Transmission which was the sustaining Divine energy to keep common men and women on the Path of Reality, Harmony and Fraternity has long become forgotten in its own Motherland. Individual ego, selfishness and narrow parochial proclivities have come to dominate all the facets of our lives. God has been identified as a convenient Instrument to further these evils and Asuric means of life. When the bulk of the populace who led normal Grihastha life are alienated from the path of Dharma, Nature, Divinity or whatever we may call it, what more can we expect except degeneration in values, corruption and other known anti-social and non-spiritual propensities; all in the name of development, progress and even God Himself? Despite belonging to one of the oldest and great, in fact, only civilisation on the Earth based on Reality itself; we have started looking towards the West and all other directions only to ape their promiscuous, discordant and lex talionis ways and means of materialism breaking in the bargain, the very solid and sound foundation on which we had so assiduously built our society based on individual dignity, honour, compassion, sharing and sacrifice. Now that the decay that has set in has reached its zenith, we need to take serious cognizance of the total scenario and stiffen the sinews to take drastic and even surgical measures to cleanse our individual and collective living and turn the tide to restore natural balance lest we are over taken by the Scythe of Time which is anyway unsparing.

In this march of Time, religions tried to bind God or Divinity to a particular form and a specified Name; of their faith and belief. As an object of worship, the Saguna Concept of the Almighty dominated all religious rituals as well as teachings. Its role as an integrating and unifying force and as a link between humanity and Divinity has totally become extinct. We forgot that God is not to be found within the fold of a particular religion or sect. He cannot be contained within certain forms and Karma Kanda. He cannot be traced within the pages of Holy Books. This reductio ad absurdum and containment of Infinite in the finite, Eternal in the temporal, Unbounded in the bounded and Formless and Nameless into a restricted form and name have all been reflecting our endeavours to comprehend the Divinity in a constricted and totally inadequate blinkered understanding. And in the name of such religion and their Founder-Heads and Gods, we fought long wars of destruction, annihilated people who were pursuing their own channels of approach to the Divine and eventually degenerated to the levels of animals persecuting human being of all hues and colours with destruction and decimation. The facet of material manifestation as the other Expression of the Divinity has willfully and unceremoniously been disregarded. Spirituality and materiality, though known to be two sides of the Divine Magnificence, our activities were confined mostly to solid material aspects completely ignoring the sine qua non of spirituality for the fullness of life itself. We also have become oblivious of the fact that the entire creation is only to express Divinity, instead we have been constantly endeavouring to display our own creation totally hiding Divinity and His Expression. Pujya Sri Ramchandraji Maharaj of Shahjahanpur (U.P.) (our Babuji Maharaj) always used to emphasise that "We have hidden the Divine in our hearts and are exhibiting ourselves. Hide yourself and express Divinity; His creation will automatically work beautifully".

The Original status of all religious philosophies as a basis for exclusive individual growth not only in the material but spiritual planes as well should be restored. The organised nature of religious activities and functions need to be re-oriented towards human and importantly individual development. Its role should be limited to the preliminary stage for preparing the man for his march in the Path of Freedom - both Adibhautika and Adhyatmika. While the earlier collectivisation of the religious beliefs leading to the coercive proselytisation is despicable enough, the recent politicisation of religions and castes by forming political parties and divisions reflect the most dangerous erosive trends that can inflict incalculable damage to the very fabric of our society and lead to fratricidal internecine conflicts that will have unpredictable impact and consequences on our existence as a Nation itself. We, therefore, need to devise ways and means to limit the role of all religions in such a manner lest we are overtaken by fundamentalists and dogmatic elements undermining our National independence and social integrity. The part of every man and women as individuals should only be the basis as well as the sheet anchor for any religion. The policies of antagonistic conversions and forcible spread of religions and their beliefs must cease forthwith. As national or regional doctrinaire approaches may lead to religious conflagrations, a global and universal consensus would go a long way in this direction. Economic incentives and political and other measures should not be used in the name of propagation of one's Systems and Faiths. It is most unfortunate that even service rendered to needy people is being sought to depict the superiority of one religion over the other and is being used as a means for conversions and switch over in their beliefs.

Babuji Maharaj has propounded a major shift in this regard. It is now understood that the Ultimate spiritual goal of every human being is beyond the farthest parameters of all religions. The mechanical forms of idol worship and recitations of Holy Scriptures and Praises of the Lord would not lead to the Reality and in fact such gross activities would only lead to more internal grossness, opacity and solidity. The Saguna (Determinate Absolute) and Nirguna (Indeterminate Absolute) Brahma concepts in terms of Sakar and Nirakar reflections are really misleading. These theories tend to limit the Limitless; so long as we remain confined to the bounds of a religion, the God of Religion remains in our view and we remain entangled within one or the other viewpoint. Really God is beyond both these two general conceptions. He is what He is. It is we who conceive him as Nirguna or Nirakar and make Him Saguna or Sakar. The highest spiritual attainment is only possible when we go beyond both these limited concepts. In fact, spirituality begins when religion ends. Babuji Maharaj categorically says "The End of religion is the beginning of the spirituality; the end of spirituality is the beginning of Reality and the end of Reality is the Real Bliss. When that too is gone, we have reached the Destination". The summom bonum of humanity lies in two things. One is to recognise the basic role of the religion as a stepping stone for individual shaping as a good and real human being to enable him to fit into the society as a part of the Whole. It should not be allowed, any more, either for aggressive propagation or as a tool for political and economic power. Secondly, but more importantly, all religious activities must be focussed towards the spiritual growth of every individual based on the premises of moderation, service, sacrifice and fraternity. The age of absolute materialism has come to an end. The efforts of the mankind to maintain a civilisation based on materiality has failed to sustain itself. It is time now for spirituality to govern the way of life of all human beings in the world. It is the right time to prepare ourselves accordingly before it becomes too late. The signs of desperation are already on the horizon. The time for CHANGE has come. If we do not cooperate, the "Divine Will" will prevail. Either we willingly yield to the spiritual path and be participants in the saga or restoring World Harmony and Balance or be subjected to the onslaught of TIME in all its furious dimensions. The option is with us; but TIME no more will be with us.

The caste system which has perpetuated itself in the Indian society as an expression of Hindu religion is more detrimental and derogatory to human dignity. What has originated as a means to the division of work and labour in the collective living of people has come to permeate all the social spheres eroding the core elan vital of our cultural integrity leading to permanent divisions of people. The castes have almost assumed "religion" proportions with each trying to maintain and capitalise on these artificial identities. These sections of population harbour feelings of hatred and jealousies towards each other. The whole society is moving towards total disintegration and eventual exploitation by extra-territorial elements. Rev. Babuji Maharaj says that the Time is now at hand when this evil shall soon cease to exist. Nature is at work to put an end to this obnoxious and dangerous bane of social practice. As a Nation, we have failed to stem this rot, leave alone Reversing the trend. A collective response from all segments like the people, the Government, the Religious Heads and the social organisations is the call and requirement of the day. Radical, nay; surgical, countermeasures should be taken to obliterate this social evil. Passive and half-hearted measures during the last century specially after the Independence have not made even the slightest dent on this burning problem. One of the major routes of caste-integration may be through the "Institution of Marriage". The first step is to prohibit intra-caste marriages followed by well-calculated measures for marriages and other social ties between specified castes - separate for boys and girls. There will be widespread opposition for such far-reaching measures. We have to precede it with "Fatwa" type religious dictates, well-orchestrated public relation campaigns and other exercises to enlist people's voluntary cooperation. Even some resistance - ruthlessly tackled - may well be the nominal price we should be prepared to pay for ensuring the social integrity and internal cohesion of the country rather than total disharmony and imbalances. The co-option of the Religious Heads, political and social leadership, the Government Apparatus and all other elements should be capable of achieving the desired results before we are overtaken by events and Time; "The scythe of Time is unsparing", Rev.. Babuji Maharaj said in this regard. We need to look much beyond the free-education and reservation policies to ensure a caste-less society. For the over-all spiritual development of the society in general and the individual in particular, an environment of distinction and division of human beings based on their caste identities is not only detrimental but acts as a fundamental and conceptual impediment for progress and growth. We have to get rid of this. How to accelerate such integration within shortest possible time frame is what all of us have to endeavour to articulate. It is our Dharma; such a track of understanding and assimilation of all sections of the society into an integrated Whole would only lead us on to the Path of Spirituality treaded by our great ancestors. The rejuvenation of our community living in accordance with the precepts of the Nature and Divine Origin is basic to human living as well as World Balance. We must find ways and means to achieve this elementary social objective, before we really undertake meaningful journey towards our spiritual goal.

Rev. Babuji Maharaj said the Real Goal of all religions is spirituality. It should lead us or help in the process of leading one, to the Spiritual Experience of oneself; religion, in one way, is just a means to the Ultimate End. While we fully understand that it is neither possible nor even desirable to have a single religion in the World; we can always base the Ultimate role of all religions on human dignity and spirituality - in puris naturalibus. This only can promote understanding, tolerance, balance and harmony between groups and individuals. As a first step we may have to take a conscious decision to make a sincere beginning. "OUT are the days of religious division and IN are the days of human integration". We must now put an end to religious propagandas. As we look at the world today, we are struck by the levels of poverty, illiteracy and hunger. Human misery can only be solved by human reason, howsoever, fumbling it may be; This we can, when religions are based on reason. Sharing for the sake of Dharma and Service for the sake of humanity - plain and simple - both at International and National levels should become the pillars of our religions and social tenets. But first, the individual orientation should be transformed to reflect these traits; then only will we able to collectively achieve higher and broad-based human objectives. Modern attempts to synthesis religion and spirituality in terms of humanism and secularism are too rational and limited in their scope to be of lasting nature in the society. That spirituality in essence is natural and rational extension - logical one too- of all religions will have to be taken cognisance of. The old system of real spirituality will have to be reopened and re-activated, to raise the level of consciousness of all our beings. Rev. Babuji Maharaj has shown the contours of a new vista of human unity. The new spiritual era has started with the advent of the Raja Yoga of Sri Ram Chandra. The possibilities of human consciousness capable of expanding to the hitherto unknown frontiers of the Divine and all religious Gods to the Central Core of Existence or the Centre have been re-discovered for us. The awareness of this limitless State upto which one's consciousness can grow is the only answer to the conflicting and confrontationist attitudes of men to unify themselves. Then only we all can be relevant and be active participants in the Divine Lila and Material Manifestation restoring the original harmony, balance and order. There is everything in the world for the legitimate needs of all of us but all this cannot satisfy the greed of a single human being. That such awareness is possible not only in theory but something that can be achieved by every one in one's own life time itself through Raja Yoga is the clarion call of Rev. Babuji. It is this process of Divinisation of men and women, only, that can be the logical extension of all religions is what our Master has proved himself and beckons us to share His Experiments with Spirituality and Ultimate Reality. He assures us with unfailing certainty of His constant and continuous support until we attain the "Goal of Life" during one's present "Janma" and be useful "Participative reflections of the Divine Expression". If a religion serves this true purpose and objectives of human growth and happiness, then only it can be called real religion. Then only will it have fulfilled its destined role and served the cause of humanity. Let us draw inspiration from the Founder-Fathers and God-Heads of all religions and comprehend the essence of their Sayings and Teachings in correct perspective which only mirror equality of all beings; The Oneness of the Ultimate and human harmony in Balanced Existence. Rev. Babuji Maharaj has offered to us a "Way of Spiritual Living" that strikes natural Balance with our material life. Sri Ram Chandra Raja Yoga endeavours to raise the consciousness of all of us to levels of real human being. All this without any distinction of religion, caste, race or sex; Come! Brothers and Sisters, let us all be active participants in the saga of individual transformation of the inner being to its real nature and help the Cosmic and Divine Missions of restoring poise and equilibrium in the Nature. The nectar of real life is for Him and Him alone who brings himself upto the standards required for the Godly purpose.

Rev. Babuji's System of Raja Yoga is called so simply because it is dependent on the "Thought Force" which is common between humanity and Divinity. As a matter of fact, Yoga or Union can be effected between these two only because of this parallel nature that is shared by them. Raja Yoga is not called so because it is something that is practiced by the Kings of yonder years nor is it king amongst the Yogas (which, however, it is) but is such that uses the kingly thing in man i.e. thought force to get back to the Source from which it has taken its origin Viz; Divinity Itself. This Masterly Thing in man is what makes existence possible and even meaningful which is the essential nature of all beings. It is Prana or Pranasya Prana. However, it is not all thought that is entitled to be Pranasya Prana but the thought emanating from the consciousness of a man whose Chitta or Antahkarana comprising Buddhi, Manas and Ahankar is not burdened with the veils of Mal (grossness), Vikshep (Fickleness) and Avarana (Coverings). That such a possibility exists is, what was known from the Vedic Periods, but the simplicity with which our Inner Being can be brought back to its Original State was not Revealed earlier. This system makes it possible for humanity to develop that quality of fraternity which has been eluding for ages despite several Avatars, Messiahs and Prophets by categorically emphasising that it is intrinsic trait of human beings due to the common cosmic parentage. This parentage has been distorted and mythicised by several systems of philosophies and religions. The essence of every religion reflects in the Truth that all human beings have this quality of Original Source in the form of thought organically embedded in us. That makes us children of the same Divine Source and thus we are real spiritual brothers and sisters. Yet, in the name of religion, we have persecuted each other in such a way that puts bestial and Asuric ways to absolute shame. Let us understand the real purpose of True Religion and turn our attention to spirituality, to Raja Yoga which is the only means both for self-transformation and even Realisation and for balanced existence reflecting happiness in real sense. Reality dawns upon him alone who goes back along with the Nature making himself subtler and subtler.

People of any caste or creed, followers of any religion, whatsoever, who have a craving and thirst for Reality can carry out their sadhana under the System of Raja Yoga of Sri Ram Chandra. The practices transcend the boundaries of religion or race. This is the only Path towards the Ultimate, the Truth, and the Reality. There is no other way, Swami Vivekananda averred. These practices do not impinge on one's religion and other social practices required to maintain the cohesion in the society. The religion is used as a stepping-stone towards real spirituality. Rev. Lalaji Maharaj believed in the religious books of all the Dharma and respected all the saints. His motto is to follow the same Dharma in which one is born. (Sva Dharme Nidhanam Shreyah, Para Dharmo Bhayavahaha - Gita). Let us not be a party to create further commotion and turmoil in an already bigoted and expansionist religious base in the world. Let everybody use the quintessence of their respective Dharmas to be a better and real human being - who can devotedly and sincerely practise the precepts of fraternity in its original perspective. That is the aim of any religion. O Master! Open our lives into that Ocean of Bliss where everyone treats each other as brothers and sisters, where there is no room for greed, rivalry and antagonism; where there is plenty, harmony and Peace for everyone of His subjects. Amen.