Saturday, July 12, 1997

Selfless love crosses religious boundaries

By DAVID BRIGGS AP Religion Writer

"I look upon all creatures equally; none are less dear to me and none more dear." -Bhagavad Gita.

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In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, when Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, he responds with two basic principles: Love God with all your heart, soul and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.

The response would be familiar to his Jewish audiences at the time, since it reflects the basic instructions God gives to Israel through Moses in the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

How widespread the relationship between love of God and love of neighbor actually is became more evident recently when the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion was given to a Hindu leader who created a spiritual movement based on the selfless love of neighbor.

For half a century, Pandurang Shastri Athavale has traveled throughout India, a land with strong caste, class and religious differences, witnessing to his belief that God is present in everyone, and that all people are divine brothers and sisters in the family of God.

The Swadhyayees - as his followers are called - started out in 1954 with 20 people and now number some 200,000. They travel throughout India, openly mixing with people of all classes, encouraging both personal piety and social programs to build housing and feed the poor.

Athavale, 76, founded his self-knowledge movement based on the Bhagavad Gita, or "Song of the Lord." The Sanskrit poem in the form of a dialogue between God and a human prince is one of Hinduism's holiest texts. It speaks of the proper way to reach God and encourages a passionate devotion to God.

But many of the basic teachings of the Bible, the Koran and the Gita are the same, Athavale says. Followers of his movement who are Christian, Muslim or Jewish are encouraged to keep their own faith.

What is important, he said, is that love of God be unconditional.

"Jesus Christ preaches love of God, but that love must be selfless. Then only, that love is God," Athavale said in a recent interview in New York, where the announcement of the Templeton Prize was made.

The prize was established in 1972 by investment manager John M. Templeton to recognize people who advance the world's understanding of religion. The award of 750,000 British pounds, around $1.21 million, is the largest cash prize for achievement in any field. It will be awarded at a ceremony at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

Athavale said the money will be put back into the work of the Swadhyaya movement, which supports housing and agricultural projects throughout the country. The movement has reached an estimated 20 million people without paying any staff workers.

When Athavale or a co-worker enters a village, he is required to bring his own food and provide his own accommodations. Villagers should not see religious people requiring something in return for their love, he said.

"We are trying to develop this selfless love. I don't want anything from any villagers, not even a cup of coffee," he said. "But I want to see what is my brother.

"I love him just because he is my divine brother."