Would having only one religion increase brotherhood and end violence?

Osho, wouldn’t it be good if there were only one religion on the earth? Wouldn’t that increase brotherhood and bring an end to violence, hostility and disputes?

Everyone their own paths, and from all paths together is formed that highway on which the feet of the age are advancing! Do not stop the advancing steps— life’s ocean is boundless. Life’s truth is not confined to one person. Do not stop the advancing steps— life’s ocean is unfathomable, life’s truth is not confined to one vision! Let multicolored flowers bloom here, with multicolored flowers is adorned that platter which worships life, which is great! Life’s truth is not confined to one color! Let everyone sing their own song of creation, freely! From all songs together is formed that great raga which bows to life, which is vast! Life’s truth is not confined to one song! Never confine life’s truth—to one song or to one Gita! Not to one color, one way, one style. It is the violent tendency in man that wants others to walk exactly as he…

Beloved Osho, there are so many religions in the world which cause so many divisions amongst people, although all religions have good things in them. Why can't there be a religion which has the good things of all religions, which is accepted universally and which breaks down all divisions, thus causing a world fraternity? Kindly show the way.

Yes, Ashoka Agrawal, the religions have good things in them, that is true, but those good things also have bad sides. And a truly religious person will not bother about choosing; he will start living according to his consciousness. He will not follow Jesus, Buddha or Mahavira or Mohammed. To follow is to be political. Only the blind follow, the superstitious people follow, gullible people follow. The people who are intelligent try to understand Buddha, Mahavira, Krishna, but it is just an effort to understand the message, what these people were doing, what they were living. Finally, you have to discover your own inner light. That's what I call meditation: the moment you have discovered your own inner insight, you follow it. Then you are religious -- neither Hindu nor Mohammedan nor Christian. A religious quality, a fragrance will surround you. You will be more loving, more compassionate. And these…

Why can't there be only one religion in the world?

Because people are mad. Because people are fast asleep. There can be one religion one day, maybe, we can hope for it -- but that one religion will not be like Christianity where all have become Christians, no; that one religion will not be like Hinduism, where all have become converted Hindus; that one religion will not be like Judaism, no. When I say one religion I mean there will be no religion like Christianity, Hinduism, Mohammedanism, Jainism, Buddhism. There will be a kind of diffused religiousness. That can be and that should be. But remember it, mind it -- by one religion I don't mean one religion, one organization, I mean a diffused religiousness... a religiousness without any label to it, without any particular church and particular dogma and particular Bible to it, just a kind of religiousness, a kind of meditativeness, a kind of prayerfulness. Only that is…

A friend has asked: Osho, can a true religion be born out of a synthesis of all religions? If Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Sikhs, and all religions were to come together and a synthesis found among them, would that not be the true religion?

It is those divided into religions who have obstructed the birth of religion. Atheists have not prevented religion from developing in the world. Atheists have done nothing so far. You should know: atheists have no organization, no church or temple, no scripture, no flag. They have never gathered and done anything. There is not even a single charge against atheists that they have set fires, burned houses, killed people, burned people. Atheists have not harmed religion. The harm has been done by those “religious” who are Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Christians. Why? By creating these divisions they have prevented the advent of that religion which can never be divided. Do you think there can be many kinds of truth? Do you think there can be many truths about the soul? Many truths about God? Do you think Hindus have one mathematics and Muslims another? There was a time—here in India—when Jains…

Osho, what is religion, and why are there so many religions in the world? Is it not possible to have just one religion for the whole humanity?

No, even to support that idea is dangerous because that simply means, destroy others. But who are we? If somebody wants to remain a Hindu or a Mohammedan or a Christian, then it is his choice. It is nobody else's business. Religion is a private concern, a personal concern. You like a certain flower, and I don't like it, but that does not men that we are enemies. No, there is no need of one religion. But there can be one religiousness. People can belong to different kinds of religions but still they can carry the same quality of religiousness. Then there is no problem about whether they go to the church or to the synagogue or to the temple, or nowhere. They may not go anywhere their own house is a temple. It is possible -- not only possible, it should be made actual -- that there could be…