Question: When differences in religious creeds can create such intolerance in the world, what is the proper attitude towards other people's faiths?

Sri Chinmoy: No religion teaches us to hate mankind. It is we human beings who choose to hate one another. But the spiritual Masters of the highest order, who are the founding fathers of the various religions, teach us only to love. I am a Hindu. My ancestors, the Vedic seers, taught us to love everybody. The Saviour Christ also offered the message of love. If we go deep inside each religion, we will find there the message of love. That is why I feel all religions should be appreciated and admired.

Religion is like a house. What purpose does it serve for me to tell you that my house is more beautiful than your house? If you are happy with your house and I am happy with my house, then why should we quarrel? I quarrel with you only because I am not satisfied with what I have. If I am really satisfied, if there is happiness, peace and bliss inside me, will I go and knock at your door in the middle of the night to tell you to come out and be illumined? Let me be illumined first. Once I become the sun, then only will I offer my light and illumination to you and to others. At that time I will not quarrel with you; just by being near you, I will spread illumination and light, and your heart will spontaneously receive it. It is only when I have limited light, or when I am in darkness, that I am disturbed by the darkness in others. Once my inner being is flooded with light, I will not fight with anybody.