                            On the Unity of Man

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  Issued May 15, 1974 , this is the last of Sant Kirpal Singh's 'circular
                         letters' to his initiates.
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MAN, The highest rung of all creation, is basically the same everywhere.
All men are born the same way, receive all the bounties of nature in a
similar manner, have the same inner and outer construction, and are
controlled in the physical body by the same Power, called differently as
"God," "Word," Naam, etc. All men are the same as souls, worship the same
God, and are conscious entities; being of the same essence as God, they are
members of His family, and thus related to each other as brothers and
sisters in Him.

2. All awakened and enlightened Gurus and spiritual teachers who came to
this world at various points of time and in various parts, have invariably
emphasized this Truth in their own language and manner. According to them
all men, despite their distinctive social orders and denominational
religions, form but one class.

3. Guru Nanak, the great teacher and Messiah of peace, said:

     The highest order is to rise into Universal brotherhood;
     Aye, to consider all creation your equal.

4. India's ancient mantra, Vasudeva kutumb bukam, also lays down the same
principle that the whole world is one family. However, it is common
knowledge that despite long and loud preaching by various religious and
social leaders professing the Unity of Man, the world today is torn by
strains and tensions of every kind, and presents a sorrowful spectacle
indeed. More often than not we see individuals at war with one another and
brothers at drawn daggers with their own kith and kin. Similarly, nations
are constantly involved in conflicts and clashes with each other, thus
spoiling the peace and tranquility. It seems that the root cause of this
present-day situation is, that the Gospel of Unity of Man, however well
accepted in theory, has not struck home to humanity at large and is not put
into practice. It is only a form of slogan-mongering done with calculated
motives.

5. It is universally accepted that the highest purpose of this human body
is to achieve union of the soul with the Oversoul or God. It is on this
account that the physical body is said to be the True Temple of God wherein
He Himself resides. All religions spell out the ways and means of meeting
the Oversoul or God; and all the ways and means so suggested, however
different looking, lead to the same destination, so that one need not
change from one religion to another for this purpose. One has only to
steadfastly and genuinely tread upon the lines drawn by the torchbearers
for achieving the goal.

6. It is necessary, however, that greater effort should be made toward the
realization of Unity of Man. We have to realize that every human being is
as much a member of the brotherhood as we are, and is obviously entitled to
the same rights and privileges as are available to us. We must therefore
make sure that while our own children make merry, our neighbor's son does
not go without food; and if we really practice this, much present-day
conflict will be eliminated. Each of us will develop mutual recognition,
respect and understanding for the other, thus wiping out the gross
inequities of life. In this process, as the mutual recognition and
understanding develops, it becomes a vital force generating a reservoir of
fellow feeling which in turn will bring culture and ultimately humilitythe
basic need of the hour.

7. The holding of the World Conference on Unity of Man in February 1974 in
New Delhi was a clarion call to the world. This conference was perhaps the
first of its kind since the time of Ashoka the Great, held at the level of
Man with the noble purpose of fostering universal brotherhood leading to
universal harmony. This message of the Unity of Man must reach every human
heart irrespective of religious and social labels so that it comes home to
every individual, enabling him to actually put it in practice in life and
pass it on to others; in this way, the entire human society could be
reformed. Truly speaking, Unity already exists: as manborn in the same
way, with the same privileges from God; and as soula drop of the Ocean of
All Consciousness called God, Whom we worship by various names; but we have
forgotten this Unity. The lesson has only to be revived.

8. The so-called worldwide campaign for Unity of Man is not intended to
affect the existing social and religious orders in any manner. In fact,
each one has to continue to work for the upliftment of man in its own way
as before. Additionally, however, this campaign has to carry the clarion
call of Unity of Man to as large a mass of humanity through its own vehicle
as it can, so that the message cuts across the barriers of misunderstanding
and mutual distrust and strikes home to every human heart. Further, the
said campaign has to be carried out not by intellectual wrestling, but with
optimum desire and anxiety to put the Unity of Man into practice so that it
becomes real living force. The method of propagation has to be by
self-discipline and self-example rather than by declaration and
proclamations.

9. It would be prudent to clarify that the campaign of Unity of Man has to
be carried out above the level of religions without in any way affecting
any religious or social orders. It has to obtain in practice the blessings
and support of all those who believe in the Gospel of Unity of Man, and
could give it strength by taking this Gospel to every human heart around
them and convincing them of the need of its acceptance in daily life. It
will neither be tagged with Ruhani Satsang nor with any other similar
organization. The enthusiasm of its admirers will be the real force working
behind the campaign.

10. It is therefore earnestly requested that all those who believe in the
Unity of Man and wish to carry its message must work ceaselessly so that it
may reach the lonest corner of the world.

A World Conference on Unity of Man may be arranged in the West as was done
at Delhi in the Eastboth ultimately work as one whole.

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