"God has made different religions to suit different aspirations, times, and countries. All doctrines are only so many paths; but a path is by no means God Himself. Indeed, one can reach God if one follows any of the paths with wholehearted devotion. One may eat a cake with icing either straight or sidewise. It will taste sweet either way. As one can ascend to the top of a house by means of a ladder or a bamboo or a staircase or a rope, so diverse are the ways to approach God, and every religion in the world shows one of these ways.

"Bow down and worship where others kneel, for where so many have adored, the kind Lord must manifest himself, for he is all mercy.

"People partition off their lands by means of boundaries, but no one can partition off the all-embracing sky overhead. The indivisible sky surrounds all and includes all. So it is ignorant people who say, 'My religion is the only one, my religion is the best.' When a heart is illuminated by true knowledge, it knows that above all these wars of sects and sectarians presides the one indivisible, eternal, all- knowing bliss.

"There was a man who worshiped Shiva, but hated all other deities. One day Shiva appeared to him and said, 'I shall never be pleased with you as long as you hate other gods.' The man, though, was stubborn. After a few Shiva again appeared to him and repeated, 'I shall never be pleased with you while you hate.' The man kept silent.

"Several more days elapsed, after which Shiva made a third appearance. This time one side of his body was Shiva and the other Vishnu. Half pleased and half displeased, the man shifted his offering to the side representing Shiva. Shiva gave up, saying, 'This man's bigotry is incorrigible.'"

Ramakrishna

19th century saint