It has nothing to do with religions, IT IS SIMPLY THE EGO: WHATSOEVER IS YOURS HAS TO BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD. Whatsoever is others cannot be the best, cannot be allowed to be the best in the world. Your wife is the most beautiful woman, your husband is the most beautiful person, you are the greatest man in the world. You may not say so, but you say it in thousand and one ways.
And whatsoever belongs to you... Adults are just like little children -- they go on fighting that my daddy can lick your daddy, anytime.
A small boy was telling another boy, "My mother is a great orator, she can speak on any subject for hours."
The other said, "That's nothing, my mother is such a great orator she can speak without any subject for hours. Nobody knows what she's talking about."
PEOPLE GO ON BRAGGING ABOUT THEIR THINGS -- about everything -- ABOUT RELIGION TOO.
MULLA NASRUDDIN'S SON asked him, "Pop, if a Mohammedan leaves his religion and becomes a Hindu or a Christian what you would call him?" The Mulla became very angry and he said, "He is a traitor. He should be shot. This is the greatest sin in the world -- to change your religion, to betray your religion. He has betrayed his salt."
And the boy asked, "And Pop, if a Hindu or a Christian becomes a Mohammedan?" Mulla was all smile -- Jimmy Carter smile -- he said, "That is great! That man is wise. That man should be welcomed and respected and honored. He knows what truth is and he is courageous. He is a convert, my son."
NOW THE THING HAS CHANGED. If a Mohammedan becomes a Hindu or a Christian, he is a traitor, if a Hindu or a Christian becomes a Mohammedan he is a convert, and he is a great man and he should be honored and respected. He is wise because he has recognized the real religion. That's how our egos function.
That's why religion -- rather than bringing peace to the world -- has been the cause of bloody wars. MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE NAME OF RELIGION THAN IN ANY OTHER NAME. Not even politicians have been able to surpass the so-called religious people in murder. The greatest murderers have been the churches, the mosques and the temples.
In the future, this ugliness has to be dropped. It should be immediately dropped. A RELIGION IS A PERSONAL CHOICE. If someone does not like the rose flower, you don't kill him, and you don't say that he is ugly. You don't say that he is wrong. You say, "That is his liking. He does not like the rose flower." It is finished. I like the rose flower. But it is a question of liking.
THERE IS NO QUESTION OF TRUTH IN IT. There is no question of arguing about it. And there is no reason to prove why I don't like the rose. If I don't like it, I don't like it. If you like it, you like it. There is no conflict. Religion should be like that. Somebody likes Jesus -- perfectly beautiful! Somebody likes Buddha, somebody likes Krishna -- likings.
RELIGIONS SHOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH BIRTH. It should be a pure liking -- then there will be no conflicts. Then there will be no unnecessary arguing which goes on and on down the centuries. Rather than praying, people have been arguing.
The whole energy that they have put in argument -- if it was put into prayer -- they would have known what God is. Instead, they go on arguing -- GREAT DEBATES CONTINUE AND NOTHING IS EVER PROVED -- because nothing can ever be proved.
IF YOU LIKE JESUS, IT IS JUST LIKE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH A WOMAN. You cannot prove anything. Why? And whatsoever you prove will look foolish to others. If you say, "Look at her nose, how long, how beautiful!" -- people will say, "That looks ugly, it is out of shape, it is too big, the face is not in proportion." If you say, "Look at the eyes, so big, so beautiful" -- somebody will say, "They look frightening, I cannot stay with this woman in the night. Those two big eyes -- I am scared -- and they are too big, and not symmetrical."
THERE IS NO WAY TO PROVE YOUR LIKING. Somebody likes Jesus and somebody likes Buddha. This is falling in love. You need not prove. And, if you prove, you will look like a fool to others. That's how it looks.
HINDUS THINK PEOPLE ARE FOOLISH WHO ARE IN LOVE WITH JESUS. What is there in this man? You ask the Hindus. They have a beautiful theory of Karma. They say you suffer only if you have done wrong in your past lives. Why Jesus was crucified? He must have done great sins. Otherwise, why? Krishna is not crucified, Rama is not crucified -- why Jesus is crucified? He must have been a sinner.
NOW THE WHOLE PERSPECTIVE CHANGES. You ask the Christian that Krishna plays on the flute. That looks so beautiful, and Jesus on the cross looks so sad. And the Christian will say, "What are you talking about? This world is in such a misery. This man, Krishna, must have been of a very stony heart. He is playing on the flute and people are dying and people are in misery and there is death and disease, and this man is playing on his flute. He must have a very, very rock-like heart, no heart! If he had any heart, he would have sacrificed himself for the downtrodden, for the oppressed, for those who are in misery. Look at Jesus, He is the savior! He died for us so that we can be redeemed. This Krishna looks shallow."
BUT ASK THE HINDU WHO FOLLOWS KRISHNA. And he will say, "What are you talking about? There is no misery. All misery is illusion. And if people are suffering, they are suffering for their sins. Nobody else can redeem them. And the only redeemer that can be of any help is one who brings joy into the world. Only joy is the healing force. How can you redeem? Hindus say that if somebody is crying and you sit by his side and you also cry, how can you redeem him? Crying is doubled!
Somebody is ill and you fall ill in sympathy and lie down by his side, how are you helping? TO HELP, YOU HAVE TO BE HEALTHY -- YOU NEED NOT FALL ILL. Krishna is healthy, Krishna is joy. The world is so of misery, that's why he brings his flute. Crosses -- everybody is carrying already. What is there in carrying a cross? Everybody is carrying. A flute is needed!"
Now these are the ways. AND EVERYBODY CAN GO ON ARGUING FOR AND AGAINST. To me, religion is a love affair -- it has nothing to do with intellect, it has nothing to do with reason. It is falling in love. With whomsoever you have fallen in love, that is your way. Go through it, that is your door. Love is the door. It is irrelevant with whom you have fallen in love. LOVE REDEEMS -- neither Jesus nor Krishna -- LOVE REDEEMS. Fall in love. Love is the only redeeming force. Love is the savior. But your egos...