The Cosmic Christ Part 3: Sanctuaries as Bridges to Understanding

It is encouraging to know that people of various faiths are meeting quietly and communicating to each other. There are good signs everywhere among educated and broad-minded people of all faiths that religious understanding is on the rise. Filmmakers are exploring the ways different people view and define God and are showing these films to the public at large. These are very good developments and can only do good. As we talk about the concepts that can unite us, more and more people all over the world will see the benefit of understanding each other and, one hopes, we may see a new era of human unity and dignity.

We usually speak of “tolerance” between peoples, but that word has some sort of “putting up with” or “allowing”, a rather negative connotation, which does not impart the meaning of real understanding. Rather than simply tolerating others, we can build an inner position where the heart is engaged and understanding results. Real understanding involves the heart; it is not simply a matter of mental exercises or politically correct behavior. When we assume the position of tolerating, it may be a dual position where on the outside we seem to accept something, but on the inside, we are not accepting. Our true feelings are pushed deep inside only to surface when we find something to threaten us. In our daily life, we may behave in a tolerant fashion until we feel threatened and then all the hidden prejudices come out. Peacefulness and serenity in our life are not built simply by tolerance, but by building true understanding.

Nowhere is this more needed than in the religious field today. People usually find it easier to accept cultural differences, political differences, and artistic differences rather than religious differences. Religious differences bring up the inner fears and extreme emotional reactions that characterize much of the religious hatred that we see today. Religion is usually not a mental process, but is impressed in the emotions and exists beyond the logical mind. It resides in a web inside the whole person — the mind, emotions, and physical body. It also pervades our cultural expressions, the foods we eat, how we relate with each other, how we relate to ourselves. It may govern the laws we live under, the kinds of leadership we have, marriage and family life and so on. In short, religion can permeate every fiber of our life. In addition, if our religious faith is impressed in us with fear and exclusivity, we are more prone to prejudice and anger at anything different from our faith. For these and many other reasons, religion is one of the most difficult areas to address when it comes to having tolerance and understanding.

I would like to suggest one method by which we can build understanding: Try to learn about other religions by visiting as many places of worship as you can. Find out what other human beings do when they want to connect to the Creator.

Go to a sanctuary of any religious denomination that is different from yours. Make sure you visit places of worship that are truly sacred, belonging to other religions and even to different sects of your religion. Go when there is a worship service and engage in the service whole-heartedly. In some religions, this may not be allowed. That is fine; go wherever the place allows it and in fact encourages visitors. If you feel reluctant, go and speak to the Pastor, Rabbi, or religious leader of that particular sanctuary. Tell him or her what you wish to do and if it is allowed. You will most probably be welcomed with open arms. All of us want to tell others about what we believe in and welcome an opportunity to share.

Or, visit a place of worship when it is quiet and simply sit and meditate and pray, reciting the prayers that are particular to that religion, ones you can easily agree with. Or, say your own prayers. Try to understand what the prayers say about the religion, its history, and how it tries to build the lines of communication through the words and music. If you say your own prayers, see if what you say fits into that milieu. Try to see how this particular group tries to contact the Creator and build a communication link with Him (or Her if you prefer).

I have done this often and make it a point to go to places of worship whenever I travel. I want to experience the human striving and human thirst to commune with the Creator. To me this is the core of any religion, the need to connect and develop a path of communication with something greater than oneself. I do not go to judge and make myself superior but rather to understand and appreciate.

My introduction to the many ways of beliefs and worship and understanding began early in my childhood. My father was trained in the Armenian Monastery in Jerusalem and also began his studies of the Ancient Teachings from an early age. We thought of ourselves as universal, believing in the Armenian Orthodox Christianity as well as in the Ageless Wisdom Teachings. We saw no difference between the Orthodox religion and the Ageless Wisdom Teachings. We learned about Buddha and his life story. We learned about Hinduism. Our neighbors were all Muslims and some of the Sufi order. My mother read to us from the Bible, emphasizing the Parables of Christ. She took us to many different churches and showed us the beauty in them. She also read to us parables and stories from many other cultures. In fact, we often did not know where the story originated from; just that it got our attention! We were entertained and taught about values and virtues from the examples of the many sacred traditions of the world.

I went to Catholic school and as a young child I attended Catholic Mass and sang in the Choir in Latin. Christmastime was the best time to visit Catholic churches. They were beautifully decorated and people came from all over to see the Nativity Scenes and various beautiful decorations. We also went to Armenian Church and learned the Armenian Mass. We attended public school where a class on religion was also offered. The Koran’s Sacred Verses were chanted and religious lessons were taught. I still love Sacred Songs and Chants from the Latin and Armenian and Islamic traditions. I feel at home in any church or house of worship.

One of my most memorable experiences was entering the Blue Mosque in Istanbul on a rainy and cold day, taking my shoes off, and sitting in silence in the huge sanctuary, saying prayers silently as others said their own prayers. It was quiet and nearly empty there, but I felt the power of prayers. It did not matter what kind of house of worship I was in, it felt holy and sacred to be there. I had tears in my eyes as I felt the power that the Sanctuary held from the thousands of people praying and worshipping there over all the years of its existence. The walls, carpets, the beautiful stained glass windows held so much beauty in them. I realized that any place that holds good thoughts, connection with the Divinity, and the earnest desire of so many people to connect and bring healing and nurture to the heart, has a palpable and sacred presence in it.

I had a similar experience many years ago when I visited two Monasteries in China. One was near Beijing, a newly opened and restored Buddhist Temple. It was really beautiful and I felt it was a special place as soon as I walked in. The Monks made sure that anyone who entered did so with respect and solemnity; this was not a tourist trap, but a place of worship. The other one was in the very outskirts of Sian in Central China. I traveled there at the break of dawn one rainy and cold day. It took hours and hours of driving in the rain to get to our destination. The bus dropped me off in the middle of a field of mud and indicated when it would return later on the same day. I looked ahead in the distance and saw the Monastery that I was seeking. It was high on a hill and it was still raining heavily. No other structure and no one else were in sight. My umbrella was no longer of any use and my clothes were completely soaked. I walked and walked and finally reached the gates of the Monastery. What a beautiful and serene sight! Everything was quiet and clean. I walked around and into a Sanctuary. I saw a beautiful monk who looked at me briefly and nodded. A few young boys were hanging around the buildings; curious as to what this Western lady was doing walking around in the rain! I stayed there for hours and returned to the mud field to wait for the returning bus. I had a feeling that I had visited a very special place. There was a quiet serenity to the entire buildings and grounds. I went to several other places of worship in China, both Buddhist and Muslim, and had similar experiences.

Last year I visited my friend Der Vaz’s Armenian Church in California. This is one of the most forward looking Armenian Churches I have found. It was a most beautiful experience to sing the entire Mass in Armenian with more than 300 worshipers. I felt as if our voices went straight to Heaven!

When Sanctuaries are used for devotion and worship, they become magnetized by the power of human dedication and become bridges to the Higher Worlds. It is that feeling of sacredness that unites us all. We all know what that means and no words need to be present to unite us; our hearts know the exact feeling. That feeling comes over us because in our hearts we know and recognize the sacredness of reaching to something so grand as the Creator. We can experience the unity of mankind without words, and these are the experiences that make the strongest impact in our attitudes and understanding of others.

So, what does all this have to do with the Cosmic Christ? When our life experiences are varied and take into consideration other cultures and traditions, we do have a better perspective to understand others. For me, it is the Cosmic Christ who is present in every religion. I look for that thread that unites us all. I look for the striving of all human beings to come to grips with the vastness of the Universe. I can appreciate that everyone wants to find meaning and make sense of life. Christ is many things; among them a Cosmic Being Who belongs to all religious and spiritual traditions. He unites us, no matter where we are. Christ, with whatever name we call Him, belongs to all humanity. He is the overshadowing power over the Great Masters of religions and does not belong only to Christians. This kind of dialogue with and about Christ may just open our hearts to greater understanding.

So, whatever Holy Days you are celebrating, may your days be filled with the joy of love, of family and friends, and the joy of the everlasting goodness of the Creator who does afford humanity the presence and Teachings of His messengers and never leaves humanity without guidance. Joyful and Blessed Holy Days to each of you, wherever you may be and whatever faith you may be celebrating.

**What do you think are good ways to build tolerance and understanding of different religions?
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In my next blog, I will post some excerpts from my favorite books on the meaning of Christ.

Gita