Engaging with Cross-Scriptural Values for Inter-Community Harmony: Round Table Conference in ‘Delhi’s Parsi Anjuman
By New Age Islam Staff Writer
1 September 2024
"Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds" Are Essential Components Of A Christian Life. By Cultivating A Positive Mindset, Speaking Words Of Love And Encouragement, And Performing Acts Of Service, Christians Can Honour God
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The Delhi-based Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies in collaboration with Parzor Foundation, New Delhi, and The Delhi Parsi Anjuman jointly organised a round table conference on August 31. It brought together some less-known but crucially important religious scholars and social leaders from diverse communities. The conference was held on the theme of ‘Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds—Similar Values in Different Religious Scriptures’ as part of the talk series titled, ‘Engaging with Cross-Scriptures Values’. Vouching to advance literacy and awareness about inter-community social harmony, the conference engaged with the universal values of Sacred Scriptures in a cross-border and comparative way.
Dr M. D. Thomas, Founder and Director of the Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies (IHPS) introduced the topic and the guest speakers at the very outset. He emphasized that the round table was called to meticulously explore the nuances and deep dimensions of the theme in an applied, inclusive, and interactive manner. He added that the conference navigates the pathways of all religions and faiths, aiming to uncover the universal values that strengthen human culture. The ultimate goal of ‘Engaging with Cross-Scriptures Values’ is to promote inclusive thinking and harmonious living among people of all denominations and religious affiliations. The guiding principle of this dialogue is clear: ‘I have a mission to you’, ‘you have a mission to me’, and ‘We have a collective mission towards our country and society’. Therefore, ‘good words’ translated into ‘good deeds’ is ‘our mission’, he said.
Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, Indo-Islamic Scholar and New Age Islam regular columnist was also invited in this round table discussion to speak on the shared values of world religions from an Indian Muslim and Sufi perspective. He chose to dwell on the concept of Messiah and Mahdi in Islamic and other religious scriptures which cements the scriptural commonalities but is prone to being misconstrued. “Apocalyptic theories abound in almost every major religion. The idea that a saviour of mankind will emerge in the end is common to all faith traditions”, he said.
Mr Dehlvi elaborated: “Muslims are on the lookout for the appearance of Imam Mahdi and the re-emergence of Hazrat Isa (Jesus Christ, peace be upon him). Christians believe that Jesus Christ is both divine and the messiah. They are also waiting for the second advent of Christ with the same belief that he will overpower Satan, or the anti-Christ, at the final battle of Armageddon, known as al-Malhama al-Kubra in Islam. Similarly, Jews have been waiting for the promised Mashiach or Moshiach (physically descended from David), the Hebrew word that refers to the Jewish idea of the messiah. The 10th avatar in Hinduism, Kalki, it is believed shall emerge in the end. Derived from the Sanskrit kalka, Kalki connotes “the destroyer of darkness or ignorance or foulness”. Even the Sikh scripture attributed to the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, the Dasam Granth, also contains the prophecies on the advent of Mahdi in the final era. It clearly states that “Mahdi Meer” will be born to defeat Kali, who will become egoistic referring to himself as the “almighty”. Buddhists long for Maitreya Buddha, “a bodhisattva who will appear on Earth when the dharma will be forgotten by most in the world”. Maitreya Buddha is mentioned in the canonical literature of all major schools of Buddhism. Therefore, present-day Buddhists believe that the Maitreya Buddha will appear in the “late-time” or the “dark epoch” when humanity will be removed from wisdom.”
According to Islamic references based on the authentic hadiths, Imam Mahdi and Hazrat Eisa (AS) will defeat Dajjal (the anti-Christ) at the Great Battle known as “al-Mahama al-Kubra” which will be waged to establish world order and restore peace, justice, righteousness, and law. But today’s self-styled ‘Mahdis’ and ‘Messiahs’ and some dubious ‘Kulkis’ are indulged in rapacious ‘religious businesses’. Ungodly men in the name of God are pretending to be the ‘saviour of mankind’ and promised in scriptures. This is the greatest disservice to the spirit of Sacred Scriptures. Dharma acting as a tool in the hands of Adharmis who are ruling the roost today is the greatest sign of end times, he said.
Dehlvi concluded: “The misuse of millenarian theology and apocalyptic prophesies in all religions drawing us far the practical realities. The existing problem with us is that we are unaware of the contemporary age we are living in, let alone the end times. Instead of cherry picking the apocalyptic verses from the scriptures to lure the youth into believing that the end-time is at hand, we must be cognizant of the trying times we are living in. If we are unaware of our own times, how can we wisely plan for the future or even the end? The wise is one who knows the age in which he/she lives, said the Sufi sages”
Dr Anita Benjamin, Founder and President of Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh, peace educationist and International Human Rights activist put up a Christian perspective on the theme. She said: "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds is a universal principle that aligns closely with Christian teachings. It emphasizes the importance of cultivating a positive mindset, expressing kind and uplifting language, and performing acts of service and compassion”. The key takeaways from her talk are as follows:
Purity of Heart: Christians are called to purify their hearts, removing negative thoughts and emotions that can hinder their relationship with God.
Meditation and Prayer: Regular meditations on Scriptures and prayerful contemplation help us to cultivate positive thoughts and align the mind with God's will.
Gratitude and Joy: Expressing gratitude and cultivating joy can counter negative thought patterns and foster a positive outlook on life.
Love and Kindness: The Bible encourages Christians to speak words of love, kindness, and encouragement to others. Christians are warned against gossiping or speaking negatively about others, as it can harm relationships and damage their own spiritual well-being.
Truthful and Honest Communication: Honest and truthful communication is essential for building trust and maintaining healthy relationships.
Love Your Neighbour: Jesus taught that loving one's neighbor as oneself is the greatest commandment. This involves performing acts of service and compassion for others.
Serving the Community: Christians are encouraged to serve their communities through volunteer work, charitable giving and other acts of service.
Sharing the Gospel: The ultimate good deed is sharing the Gospel with others, proclaiming the love and grace of God.
In conclusion, "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds" are essential components of a Christian life. By cultivating a positive mindset, speaking words of love and encouragement, and performing acts of service, Christians can honour God and make a positive impact on the world around them, Dr Benjamin said.
Mr Anish Singh, the founder of international human rights organization Lex Foundation stated: “All religions are meant to spread the shared universal values to make us good human beings but the self-imposed custodians of the ‘organised religions’ or organized religious groups and at times political factions misrepresent and the religious scriptures as means for their vested interests by provoking the sentiments of those who truly believe and practice their faiths”.
He further said: Understanding the actual root cause of religious conflicts happening in our society is the most important requirement today because media and especially social media are not presenting the issue correctly. Therefore, we ourselves must analyze the situation and understand the root causes before reacting to it. “Society has developed along with human psychology as a whole. Therefore, any change in the society can be done through change in psychology of the people which can come through their own understanding by acquiring correct knowledge and facts”, he concluded.
Dr Shernaz Cama, Director of the UNESCO Parzor Project for the Preservation and Promotion of Parsi Zoroastrian Culture and Heritage, winding up the round table, said: “Good Thoughts” are the foundation of faith and “Good Deeds” means: serving God and all the creations. However, she lamented that the preservation of ancient civilization, culture and heritage in an increasingly mono-cultural world is the challenge facing minority religious communities in this millennium. Therefore, the Parzor Foundation aims to create awareness of the age-old co-existence of cultures through research and revival of India's multicultural heritage, she said. Once the State Religion of the ancient world’s greatest conquerors, Zoroastrianism now is almost on the verge of extinction. It is surviving only in small pockets across its original homelands and primarily through refugees who, fleeing religious persecution, found sanctuary in India [in around 936 A.D], she concluded.
(Image caption: Dr Shernaz Cama speaks during the round table)
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It is worth mentioning that Zoroastrianism is known to be one of the world’s oldest religions preached in remote antiquity. Zarathushtra claimed that he received divine revelation by the one true God Ahura Mazda, Lord of Light and Wisdom. Thus, the Parsis/Zoroastrians are a distinct thread in the tapestry of Indian culture, and with their focus on Parsi-Zoroastrian heritage, their organizations and educational institutions like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences are working towards cultural heritage preservation through socio-cultural, scientific research projects, workshops, exhibitions and publications. But while Zoroastrianism had deep ingress in the human consciousness and an influence on mankind, directly and indirectly than any other single faith, it is an irony today that most people belonging to different religions do not know much of Zoroastrianism. The Magi or "the wise men of the East," were the knowledge bearers of Zarathushtra who himself was a mystic and a priest or Zaotar.
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