UNIVERSALITY OF RELIGIONS

In 1893, Swami Vivekananda addressed the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, Illinois.  The theme of his speech was the universality of religions, which he illustrated with the following two passages from the Shiva mahimna stotram, a Hindu hymn:

"As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take, through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee!"

And "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths that in the end lead to Me."