On Universal Religion

Vivekananda's vision of a universal religion was not the creation of a new creed to replace existing ones, but the recognition that all religions are different paths leading to the same ultimate truth. Proclaimed most memorably at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, this idea rests on the Vedantic insight that the infinite Divine cannot be exhausted by any single form, name, or scripture. He called for each religion to assimilate the spirit of the others while retaining its own individuality, thereby transforming sectarian conflict into a harmony of faiths united by mutual respect and shared aspiration.