“I do not regard Jainism or Buddhism as separate from Hinduism. Hinduism believes in the oneness not of merely all human life but in the oneness of all that lives.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 35 (Oct 1927), pp. 166-67; surfaced via S.R. Goel, History of Hindu-Christian Encounters (1996)
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Related traditions can be read as branches of one root rather than rivals staking out territory. Seeing the shared source lowers the urge to draw hard borders, and the unity it points toward extends past people to every living thing.
When to use it
- Two schools of thought finding the large common ground they share instead of fighting over labels.
- A blended family honoring both sides' traditions as one household rather than two camps.
- Neighbors of different faiths cleaning up a shared park together.