What if a modern religion is made today?

If a modern religion is to evolve today, how would it be? In my opinion, if a modern religion is to evolve today, it would be treated like modern Science, with universality in nature. It would apply to all, irrespective of your culture, beliefs, creed, geographical location or limited set of holy scriptures. It would be one for all. Such a religion would be based on logic, practicality in life and experimentation – not just on beliefs and faith. Such a religion would be more of a way of life that could enhance peace, harmony and happiness in the society rather than creating friction.  

Such a religion would encourage openness and would try to embrace all the philosophies and dogmas related to the spiritual Truth about the Self and the God. Such a religion would allow free flow of thoughts without the boundaries of beliefs and faith.  Such a religion would encourage evolution of new philosophies. Such a religion would encourage discussion and questioning as opposed to just believing. Such a religion would encourage and respect living Saints or the Scientists of inner world who attempt to explore the inner world in search of supreme peace and inner happiness.

Such a religion would provide insight to humans for resolving the problems of day to day life. It would provide means of leading a healthy, happy and peaceful life. Such a religion would add to the quality of life by enhancing physical, mental and spiritual health of the individuals and the society. It would encourage different forms of exercise, music, dance and other forms of activities that enrich our lives.           

Most of the religions followed in the world are divided not because of the prophets, but by the fanatic work of zealot followers. Neither Rishis nor Christ nor Mohammed nor Moses nor Guru Nanak nor Budha intended their revelations to go to a chosen few, but to the whole humanity. Their teachings were not intended to destroy the existing school of thought, but to strengthen the existing beliefs and practices. It would not be appropriate to think that Christ or Moses or Budha could say something different from Lord Krishna or the Rishis since there is only One Truth about One God.

With all being said, in my opinion there is one religion that inherits most of these features. It is the oldest religion of the world -the Sanatan Dharma or Hinduism. Hinduism allows free flow of thoughts. Hinduism is relentless pursuit of Truth – Truth about the self, about the world and about the God. If you explore Hinduism, you would find that it is the summation of many types of thoughts and many religions. It is not just based on the life teachings of one Prophet or Saint, but many Prophets and Saints took birth in the rich culture of Hinduism.  It has rich set of holy scriptures that are based on logic and questioning. Ever since its evolution thousands of years ago, Sanatan Dharma has encouraged and respected living Saints or Rishis who explored the inner world and realized the Self.

On one side, idolatry is a part of Hinduism and still on other side, as per Max Muller, who studied hindu scriptures in depth said, :The religion of Vedas knows no idols.” The Upnishad says,”images are meant only as aids to meditation of the ignorant.” Ancient Hindu mythology is filled with all kinds of stories. On one side, Advaita talks about the supreme formless Infinite God (Par Brahm Parmatma) and still on other side mythology talks about thousands of Gods. It is indeed a religion of unity in diversoity.

One of the Saint described it beautifully that if all the Hindu scriptures and knowledge is destroyed for some reason, then all it takes is one sincere seeker to bring all these supreme scriptures back to life. If there is a sincere seeker, then Master will appear on its own and again the scriptures will come alive based on the spiritual discussion of a sincere seeker and a true Master. Hinduism has embraced wide range of philosophies and thoughts over its thousand of years of evolution. It has highly spiritualistic Advaita and Raja Yoga on one side and highly materialistic, atheistic Charvaka philosophy on other side. Hinduism has given fertile ground for the evolution of new stream of thoughts because of which many religions evolved in the southern Asia where Hinduism is followed, for example Budhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc. 

So, I would say that even if a modern religion is to evolve today, after a few thousand years it would develop to become something similar to the Sanatan Dharma or Hinduism.