Interfaith The Divine Essence
Across millennia, human civilizations have crafted religions that, despite their geographic and cultural divides, converge on a profound insight: a divine essence resides within each person, guiding them toward truth, ethics, and transcendence. From Islam’s fitra to Hinduism’s Namaste, Judaism’s b’tzelem Elohim, Christianity’s divine spark, Buddhism’s Buddha-nature, and the sacred concepts of ancient Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Norse traditions, these beliefs affirm a universal spark that unites humanity. This essay explores these similarities, arguing that each religion offers valuable insights into the human spirit. By respecting and learning from one another, trusting our innate fitra to discern truth, and striving for enlightenment, we can pursue a shared transcendence—whether called heaven, Jannah, Nirvana, moksha, or the heroic afterlife of Valhalla—while addressing ethical imperatives like the struggle for justice in Palestine.
Religions worldwide, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern India, recognize an
inherent divine essence in humanity, a sacred truth that fosters ethical living
and spiritual purpose. In Islam, fitra—the primordial disposition to know
Allah and pursue goodness (Qur’an 30:30)—imbues every soul with an innate sense
of divine truth, guiding them to justice and stewardship through the Five
Pillars. Hinduism’s Namaste (“I bow to the divine in you”) reflects the
belief that the Atman (soul) is a spark of Brahman, the universal divine
(Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7), promoting reverence and ahimsa (non-violence).
Judaism’s b’tzelem Elohim (Genesis 1:26-27, “in the image of God”) endows
humans with divine dignity, urging compassion and justice (Mishnah Sanhedrin
4:5). Christianity’s divine spark, the inner light of God (John 1:9), calls
for love and salvation, embodied in the Book of Life’s elect (Revelation 13:8).
Buddhism’s Buddha-nature (Lotus Sutra) affirms every being’s potential
for enlightenment, achieved through the Five Precepts and compassion.
Ancient religions echo this spark. In Sumerian and Akkadian traditions, humans were created with divine breath by gods like Enlil, tasked with serving the cosmic order (me). Babylonian beliefs saw humanity as divinely crafted (Enuma Elish), bearing sacred duties. Egyptian theology held that the ka (life force) linked humans to the gods, guiding them toward ma’at (truth, balance). Greek philosophy, intertwined with mythology, posited a divine soul (Phaedo), aspiring to eternal truth. Roman religion, with its concept of numen (divine presence), saw humans as connected to the gods’ will. Norse mythology, while less explicit, implied a sacred valor in warriors chosen for Valhalla, reflecting a divine purpose in heroic struggle.
These concepts, spanning the Levant—a crucible of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and earlier Canaanite faiths—to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Scandinavia, emerged with minimal early contact, yet converge on a shared truth: a divine essence within, guiding humanity to ethics and transcendence. This suggests a universal intuition, perhaps a divine gift or innate human insight, as if truth were a single source, fragmented across traditions, each offering a unique perspective on the sacred.
The divine essence fuels each religion’s vision of transcendence, a journey
beyond suffering toward an ultimate state. Islam’s Jannah promises divine
reward (Qur’an 56:15-38), earned through fitra-guided deeds. Hinduism’s
moksha liberates the Atman from samsara, uniting it with Brahman.
Buddhism’s Nirvana extinguishes desire, achieving awakening through
enlightenment. Christianity’s heaven offers eternal communion with God
(Revelation 21), while Judaism’s Olam Ha-Ba affirms divine justice.
Ancient traditions mirror this: Egypt’s Field of Reeds granted eternal
harmony for those upholding ma’at; Greek Elysian Fields rewarded the
virtuous; Roman underworld offered peace to the pious; Norse Valhalla
provided heroic glory, with daily combat cycles suggesting a dynamic afterlife.
These afterlives—linear (Islam, Christianity, Judaism) or cyclical (Hinduism, Buddhism), sensory (Jannah, Valhalla) or abstract (Nirvana, moksha)—share a quintessence: liberation through ethical and spiritual striving. A warrior fighting for Palestine’s liberation embodies this across traditions: fitra’s justice, Namaste’s dharma, b’tzelem Elohim’s dignity, Buddha-nature’s compassion, or Valhalla’s valor. The convergence of these visions, despite cultural divides, reflects a universal human aspiration to transcend mortality, unified by the divine spark’s ethical call, countering Western society’s death taboos and materialist neglect.
The divine essence inspires a shared ethical framework, urging humanity to act with justice, compassion, and dignity. Fitra drives Muslims to stewardship (khalifa) and charity (zakat), as seen in the call to aid the oppressed (Qur’an 4:75). Namaste fosters ahimsa and communal harmony, recognizing divinity in all. B’tzelem Elohim demands respect for human worth, saving one life as saving humanity (Qur’an 5:32, Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5). The Christian divine spark inspires love (Matthew 22:39), while Buddha-nature promotes non-violence and bodhisattva compassion. Ancient traditions align: Sumerian and Babylonian me required societal order; Egyptian ma’at upheld truth; Greek arete (virtue) and Roman pietas emphasized duty; Norse honor guided warriors to just causes.
This ethical unity stands in stark contrast to modern Western materialism, where wealth overshadows morality and death is avoided. The Palestine struggle illustrates this call: a warrior, driven by fitra, Namaste, or b’tzelem Elohim, fights for justice, reflecting the divine essence’s demand for action. The Gaza crisis, as discussed, underscores this—khalifa and fitra reject inaction, urging recognition of divine dignity in suffering people, challenging geopolitical passivity and Western indifference. Each tradition’s ethics, rooted in its spark, contributes to a collective imperative to uphold justice and compassion, proving their truth through action.
Each religion offers unique insights, fragmented facets of a universal truth.
Islam’s fitra teaches submission to divine truth; Hinduism’s Namaste,
reverence for all; Judaism’s b’tzelem Elohim, inherent dignity;
Christianity’s divine spark, transformative love; Buddhism’s Buddha-nature,
compassionate awakening. Ancient traditions add depth: Sumerian devotion to
cosmic order, Egyptian balance, Greek pursuit of truth, Roman duty, Norse
heroic purpose. By respecting these insights, we avoid exclusivity, recognizing
each tradition’s contribution to understanding the divine within.
Trusting our fitra—our innate sense of truth—guides us to discern these
shared wisdoms, as Qur’an 30:30 urges following Allah’s primordial nature.
Fitra resonates with Namaste’s Atman, b’tzelem Elohim’s image, and
Buddha-nature’s potential, a universal compass for truth. This trust fosters
mutual respect, where Muslims honor Hindu reverence, Christians value Jewish
dignity, Buddhists embrace Norse valor, and all learn from Egyptian ma’at.
In a divided world, fitra’s spark unites us, urging ethical action over
materialist neglect, as seen in Palestine’s call for justice.
The divine essence propels us toward enlightenment—a realization of truth leading to transcendence. Islam’s Jannah requires fitra-guided deeds; Hinduism’s moksha, Atman’s union with Brahman; Buddhism’s Nirvana, awakening through the Eightfold Path; Christianity’s heaven, faith in the divine spark; Judaism’s Olam Ha-Ba, righteous living. Ancient afterlives—Egypt’s Field of Reeds, Greek Elysium, Norse Valhalla—reflect similar strivings for eternal purpose. Each path converges on the spark’s fulfillment, normalizing death as transition, unlike Western avoidance.
Striving for enlightenment unifies these journeys, as each tradition’s ethics guide us to transcendence. A warrior for Palestine, whether in one life or cycling through dream-like existences, embodies this—fitra’s justice, Namaste’s divinity, Buddha-nature’s vow—fighting for a just cause. Gaza’s suffering tests this striving: the divine spark in every soul demands action, uniting religions in a shared quest for transcendence through compassion and justice.
The divine essence—fitra, Namaste, b’tzelem Elohim, divine spark, Buddha-nature, and ancient sacred truths—reveals a universal spark uniting religions in a shared vision of truth, ethics, and transcendence. Each tradition offers insights, fragmented yet complementary, guiding us to respect one another’s wisdom. By trusting our fitra to discern truth and striving for enlightenment, we pursue a collective transcendence—heaven, Jannah, Nirvana, moksha, or Valhalla—while addressing ethical imperatives like Palestine’s liberation. In a world of materialist division, this unity offers hope, honoring the divine in all and proving our truth through justice, compassion, and the eternal spark within.