One is the community of all peoples, one their origin, for God made the whole human race to live over the face of the earth. One also is their final goal, God…,” says Nostra Aetate (NA).
Christians all over the world are observing 50th anniversary of the release of a document of the historic Second Vatican Council on October 28, 1965. Nostra Aetate — in Latin, “Our Times” — outlines the stand of the Catholic Church with regard to its relationship with other religions.
In the context of what happened in Paris recently or the terrible war in West Asia on religious grounds, it is indeed relevant to emphasise “our common origin and our final goal — God”. NA acknowledges that various religions expect answers to unsolved human riddles such as, “What is man? What is the meaning, the aim of our life? What is moral good, what is sin? Whence suffering and what purpose does it serve? …What are death, judgment and retribution after death?” and, “Whence do we come, and where are we going?”
If you have been to the “Light and Sound” at the Red Fort in Delhi, you’ll recall hearing Aurangzeb, after having ruled for 50 years and before his death, ask this very question.
Speaking in glowing terms about the contribution of Hinduism, NA says, “Religions, however, that are bound up with an advanced culture have struggled to answer the same questions by means of more refined concepts and a more developed language.
“Thus, in Hinduism, men contemplate the divine mystery and express it through an inexhaustible abundance of myths and through searching philosophical inquiry…”
Referring to Buddhism, it says, “(it) realises the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men… may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain… supreme illumination”.
(Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of Parliament of Religion, can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com)
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