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Introduction Raymond Panikkar is well known for his dialogue approach to Christian theology and in this spirit Panikkar seeks to understand Hinduism from within and comes to the conclusion that Christ is already present in Hinduism though he is not known as Christ. At the same time Panikkar is critical of the Christian practice of Christianity for which the relationship towards other religion is appalling. And therefore this paper is an attempt to observe some of Panikkars thought to the Christian relationship to other religion.

1. Panikkar understanding of Religion While talking of religion Panikkar is not interested in all aspects of religion but rather with the intellectual side of religion and he defines religions as, the set of symbols, myths and practices people believe gives ultimate meaning to their lives. I stress the believing factors, for religion is never just an objective set of values. Religion is always personal and necessarily includes the belief of person.1 Panikkar also understands religion in threefold meaning. First religion is a theistic religion which helps in interpreting the relation between God and the creature. Secondly, religion also includes the established and recognized belief-systems of other cultures- set of beliefs, cultural practices, symbols and myths that a particular civilization holds as their spinal cord and which gives ultimate issues of human existence. Thirdly, religion can also go to the further end by expanding into any other belief-system people live by, even if the realm of the sacred has disappeared. 2 For Panikkar religion is also a path to salvation or liberation along with the idea that person is on their way towards perfection. For Panikkar religion is neither good nor bad but is a necessary component and also a human invariant. It is also a way of reaching the well being. 3

2. Panikkar understanding of the Church In Panikkars understanding the relationship of the church towards the religion of the world should be looked from a new perspective different from that of the past. Though it is also necessary that our reflection must be based from the tradition and this tradition must be a dynamic tradition which is responsive to the signs of the times. Based on the text of Matthew 16:18 On this rock I will build my Church, Panikkar states that the church is not a religion. Even Christ did not come to find a new religion but his main intention was to build church for

Gerald James Larson, Contra Pluralism, in The Intercultural Challenge of Raimon Panikkar, edited by Joseph Prabhu (Maryknoll: Orbis Book, 1996),74-75. 2 R.Pannikar, Indic Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism from the Perspective of Interculturation, in Religious Pluralism: An Indian Christian Perspective, edited by, Kuncheria Pathil (Delhi: ISPCK, 1991), 255. 3 Kajsa Ahlstrand, Fundamental Openness: An Enquiry into Raimundo Panikkar s Theological Vision and its Presuppositions (Uppsala, 1993), 183.

the redemption of the whole cosmos. 4 Again Panikkar claims that church constitute the whole sacrament of the world or the mystery existence know as the Kingdom of God. 5 In addition to this Nihal says that for Panikkar, religion has to develop an ecclesial aspect as organism because religion is conscious of the deep unity of the human essence and every religion is to a certain degree Church, which is organic body. It is only in the community and through the community that the individual can develop himself into the totality of his essence. 6

3. Panikkar understanding of Christianity Panikkar defines Christianity as, phenomenologicallly, I understand the word Christian to mean a qualification which explicitly and in good faith claims to be such and as such is recognized by a community.7 Panikkar himself struggled with the question of it means to be Christians with the present day Christian in more or less harmoniously blended complex of Jewish heritage with HellenoRoman-Gothic-Western elements and it is also true that Christianity can neither overlook this aspect nor can Christianity aboslutize this fact.8 Panikkar critiqued Christianity basing on the concept of monopoly of goodness, monopoly of truth and the monopoly of salvation. On monopoly of goodness Panikkar believes that sin is present everywhere and at the same time even the goodness is also present. And even doctrine of universal love and love for our enemies in the Christian teachings are also present in other religion. Therefore Christianity cannot substantiate a claim to the monopoly of goodness exclusively. Along with that Panikkar also feels that Christians should not always talk about the good they have done but should also remember the harm they have done to the humanity because the goodness can only be found in the good God where every creature have a share in it.9 Panikkar also states that Christianity has no monopoly of truth, neither of human truth nor of religious or supernatural truth. He also begins to say that though it is true for the Christians to claim about the disclosure and revelation of God in Christianity it is at the same time wrong to make an exclusive claim about it because God cannot be exhausted in a single religion. Again Panikkar claims that nowhere in Bible can be found that God does not have concern for the others. In fact God might chose a special person for His work but it does not mean the God does reject the others but Gods dealing with every human being is unique in its own

R.Panikkar, The Church and the World Religion , in Religion and Society, vol.14, no.2, 1967, 59. R.Panikkar, Christianity and World Religions , in Christianity (Patiala: Punjab University, 1969), 102. 6 Nihal Abeyasingha, A Theological Evaluation of Non-Christian Rites, (Bangalore: Theological Publication in India, 1979), 151. 7 R.Pannikar, Indic Christian Theology of Religious, 253. 8 Raimundo Panikkar, The Jordan, The Tiber and the Ganges , in The Myth of Christian Uniqueness: Towards a Pluralistic Theology of Religion, edited by John Hick and Paul F.Knitter (Maryknoll: Orbis Book, 1987), 90. 9 Raimundo Panikkar, Christians and So-called Non-Christians , in What Asain Christians are Thinking, edited by Douglas J. Elwood (Philippine: New Day Publishers, 1976), 341-342.
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way and therefore there need not be any comparison for that. And through Gods revelation in Christ speak about the cosmic covenant and his universal love for every humankind.10 Finally while talking about Christianity; Panikkar also believes that Christianity has no monopoly of salvation. He believes that while observing at the dictates of conscious, the light of our reason and the Christian doctrine of Gods universal saving will (1 Tim 2. 4) then the fact lies that salvation is offered to every person who comes into the world. And also salvation cannot be claimed only to salvation of men and also cannot be talked only in terms of ordinary or extra ordinary salvation. 11 Salvation is found in all tradition by maintaining a trend, for example, good Christians are saved, only good Buddhist monk attain nirvana, only saintly Brahmins are not reborn, etc.,12 For him salvation is to be seen as a privilege rather than as a right. It is also not the right of birth but the privilege of rebirth, it not natural but supernatural and finally not by wages but by grace. 13 Again salvation in whichever way it may stands it is a common term for the fulfilment of men and though religion might be different what really matters is the quantity and quality that a particular religion might have. 14 Panikkar goes on by saying that, Christian stripping should be complete. Christina faith must strip itself of the Christian religion as it actually exists and free itself for a fecundation that will affect all religions both ancient and modern.15 Again as viewed from the sociological or scientific point of view, Christianity cannot be considered as the whole of religion as if the rest of the other religion were not religion or were false religion.16He further adds that Christianity is simply a collaboration of conscious with Christ in creating, redeeming and glorifying the world. And every Christians is also called to participate in the redeeming function of Christ. Christianity is a man who has received as a free gift of personal call of Christ to perform along with him, and really in him, the task of redeeming the world.17

4. Christian Relationship to other Religion In Christian relation to other religion, Panikkar is very much concerned of two issues that hinder the Christian relationship towards other religions; de jure and de facto, that is deriving respectively from the nature of thing itself and from its actual situation. The first problem is the universal claim of the Christianity to be a universal religion with a message of salvation for very human beings, whereas on the other hand other religion are also guiding its own

Raimundo Panikkar, Christians and So-called Non-Christians , 342-343. Raimundo Panikkar, Christians and So-called Non-Christians , 343. 12 Raimundo Panikkar, Prolegomena to the Problem of the Universality of the Church , in Unique and Universality: An Introduction to Indian Theology, edited by Chethimattam (Bangalore: Dharmaram Publications, 1972), 156. 13 Raimundo Panikkar, Prolegomena to the Problem of the Universality of the Church , 156. 14 Raimundo Panikkar, Prolegomena to the Problem of the Universality of the Church , 157. 15 Raymond Panikar, The Trinity and World Religions: Icon-Person-Mystery, (Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1970), 3. 16 Raymond Panikar, The Trinity and World Religions: Icon-Person-Mystery, (Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1970),4. 17 Raimundo Panikkar, Christians and So-called Non-Christians ,343-344.
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flocks and also inspires the people of their religion. Secondly, it is establishment of Christian church all over the world which is an influence from the west.18 4.1 Problem of Christianitys Universal Claim He furthers the discussion by elaborating that it wont be entitled for one to say that his religion preaches unity and equality of all religion, relying on his personal experience with the highest unity of God because another person might have experienced personally or witnessed in the history. It is therefore necessary that one need not have the exclusive claim of ones religion and simply condemning the other religion but we should take religions in all their existential complexity. 19 The exclusivism or the otherness should be understood in terms in different categories, Christians: non-Christians, blacks: non-blacks, Brahmins: nonBrahmins, and so on. 20 Panikkar also responds that, Christianity should not claim universality. Christians should let the rivers of the world flow peacefully without pumping Christian waters into them or diverting their beds to the Dead Sea or the Mediterranean.21 And also the relationship with the other religion should be dealt with as an interreligious problem like international affairs among sovereign states. And in this way Christianity can also preserve its identity by differentiation. The problem of the Christianity is not about neglecting tolerance, mutual respect and good neighbourliness but the problem lies in the claim of universality of the Christian traditions. Christians on the other should acknowledge the other tradition each in its own rights. 22 4.2. Trinitarian Model of Relationship In his book Trinity and the Religious Experience of Man, Panikkar interestingly takes up the idea of trinity in relation to the world religion. Panikkar believes that from a Trinitarian point of view the world religion can be seen in the following ways, Buddhism is the religion of the silence of the father, Judaism, Christianity and Islam (as well as Zoroastrianism) are the religions of the revelation of the son and Hinduism is the religion of the unity of the spirit.23 Also in the words of Ewert cousins as cited by Francis, Panikkars trinity can be reflected in three dimensions of spirituality, the silence of the Father can be compared to Buddhism because of the nirvana. The presonalist spirituality of the Son has its roots in Yahwehs revelation to the Jews and Christians in particular. Finally the immanent spirituality of the Spirit has its resonance in the advaitan Hindu doctrine of the non-duality of the self and the Absolute. 24

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R.Panikkar, Christianity and World Religions , in Christianity, 78-79. R.Panikkar, Christianity and World Religions ,79-80. 20 Raimundo Panikkar, Prolegomena to the Problem of the Universality of the Church , 156. 21 Raimundo Panikkar, The Jordan, The Tiber and the Ganges , 91. 22 Raimundo Panikkar, The Jordan, The Tiber and the Ganges , 92. 23 Ewert H. Cousin, Panikkar s Advaitic Trinitarianism , in The Intercultural Challenge of Raimon Panikkar, edited by Joseph Prabhu (Maryknoll: Orbis Book, 1996), 128. 24 Francis X.D sa, SJ, Notion of God , in The Intercultural Challenge of Raimon Panikkar, edited by Joseph Prabhu (Maryknoll: Orbis Book, 1996), 41
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Panikkar also states the Trinity can be the junction where the authentic spiritual dimension of all religions meets. In this Trinity God revels Himself fully to man and of all the man has been able to attain and know of God in His thought and mystical experience. The encounter of all religions takes place in the Trinity which result in an authentic enchantment of all the religion and even cultural elements that are contained in each. It is the Trinity where every religion would find its own place. 25 On the one hand in all his thought Panikkar was trying to bring in an ecumenical horizon in which he liberates the perception of spiritual realities from the limits of mere particular interpretation. And on the other hand Panikkar was not trying to reduce all other religion to Christianity. 26 Panikkar views that the Kairos of the Christians in the present time is unique and different. Although it is necessary to have the principle of continuity in following the traditions, yet, the solution has to be new in one or the other way and not a mere copy of old answers, which will have the principality of renewal and growth. Also religion cannot escape the law of growth which implies both positive and negative metabolism, i.e., assimilating the new elements and at the same time rejecting the old ones. 27

5. Christianity relationship towards Hinduism 5.1. The Point of Encounter between Christianity and Hinduism Christianity while have concern for the other religion should drop the essential claim that the whole mystery of God is revealed in Christianity for the whole world. And unless Christianity gives up its universality and catholicity by co-existing peacefully with other religion, then Christianity would appear to other as a fanatic and exclusive religion trying to destroy other religion which does not fall in their line. Christians should understand the term conversion not in a destructive sense but rather in terms of sublimation, transcendence and realisation. On one hand Christianity should give up its universality and on the other hand Hinduism without its belief in being the adequate and proper religion for Hindus, would no longer be Hinduism. 28 Therefore an authentic encounter can only take place where the two realities truly meet each other. While talking of Christianity and Hinduism, Christianity cannot meet Hinduism if Hindus simply ignores Christianity and vice versa, Hinduism will never be able to meet Christianity if Christians will not recognise and step out to meet Hinduism.29 For Panikkar any encounter requires a common denominator which should not be only a doctrinal level because the more important is the religious problem than a doctrinal issue.30
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Raymond Panikar, The Trinity and World Religions: Icon-Person-Mystery, (Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1970), 42-43. 26 Ewert H. Cousin, Panikkar s Advaitic Trinitarianism , 128-129. 27 R.Panikkar, Christianity and World Religions , 81. 28 Raymond Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism (London: Darton, Longman&Todd, 1964), 2-3. 29 Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, (Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 1982), 35. 30 Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism, 36.

Since Christianity always takes the initiative in encountering Hinduism there it is as such that Christianity needs to clarify its position though Hinduism prefer mutual non-interference solution because of the bitter experience of Christians in the past.31 Christianity and Hinduism meet each other in a reality which partakes of both the Divine and the Human, i.e. in what Christians cannot but call Christ. Christ is their point of encounter.32 And also there are two reasons why such an encounter is necessary, first Hinduism find itself hard to call a religion but it a bundle of religious tradition. Secondly, Hinduism does not have a unifying symbol that Christianity has.33 Thus this encounter between Hinduism and Christianity would also be a mutual encounter of each with Christ. While speaking of Panikkars point of encounter between Christianity and Hinduism, Daniel further elaborates that, the meeting of two religions in the persons of their adherents would not be a merely sociological phenomenon. At a deeper level, it would be an encounter with Christ on both side of encounter... the encounter takes place in persons of deep human honesty who are open intellectually in their search and who are loyal to their own religious faith and tradition. Two faith and traditions meet in such persons, and ac common reality underlines the faith and the traditions, and their encounter.34 Also a real and living encounter cannot be limited to the doctrinal level but it is more than that.35 It is existential and it occurs in human beings, it is the ontic reality intended by both Hinduism and Christianity. It is also the encounter with Christ at the deepest religious level of their traditions and therefore the encounter between God and human through Christ is also the encounter between the two religious traditions of faith.36 5.2. Difference of Encounter in Hinduism and Christianity The rich and exuberant religion of Hinduism believes that it has room even for the Christianity within its own multiform structure. In the past Hinduism have maintained that other religion are inferior to Hinduism because of believing that all religion are on the same path whose final revelation is Siva or Krishna. But this thought has shifted to the understanding that all religions are good in so far as they lead Men to perfection. With this concept Hinduism are willing to accept the Christianity if Christianity gives up its exclusiveness and its claim to be the only true religion. 37 Whereas on the other hand Christianity point to encounter between Hinduism and Christianity would be in God. Since both the religion believes in the Absolute and Ultimate God, this God who is not only omnipresent but everything is in Him, also all action are of Him, in Him, comes from him and goes to Him. And the connection between the Absolute
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Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 37. Ibid., 33 Ibid., 34 Daniel P. Sheridan, Faith in Jesus Christ in the Presence of Hindu Theism, in The Intercultural Challenge of Raimon Panikkar, edited by Joseph Prabhu (Maryknoll: Orbis Book, 1996),149-150.
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Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 38. Daniel P. Sheridan, Faith in Jesus Christ in the Presence of Hindu Theism, 150. 37 Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 46.
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and relative is possible only through Christ.38 This, then, is Christ: that reality from whom everything has come, in whom everything subsists, to whom everything that suffers the wear and tear of time shall return.39 Christ also the only way that man could come to God, Christ is also the bridge between God and Human and taking this stance then Christ is already present in Hinduism. 40 Panikkar justifies the presence of Christ in Hinduism through the argument that, Christ is the universal redeemer. There is no redemption apart from Christ. if there is no redemption then there is no salvation. Therefore any human being that is saved is saved by Christ the only redeemer. And we know by reason and by faith that God provides everybody with the necessary means of salvation. This amounts to the fact that Christ is present in one form or another in every person in his religious way to God.41 Therefore Christian and Hindus meet in the depths of death by accepting the new life which is always there in the heart of a true religion. Hindu and Christian can no longer claim to be possessor of truth but as beings possessed by truth. Christ is the realization point for both the Hindu and Christian that the mission here on earth in not complete either in Hinduism and Christianity. 42 5.3. Christ the meeting Point After evaluating the point of encounter in both the Hinduism and Christianity Panikkar suggest Christ as the meeting point for the encounter. He analyses that neither mere cultural synthesis nor doctrinal parallelism are adequate as meeting points, affirming that both religion meet in Christ and that Christ is there in Hinduism but Hinduism is not yet his bride. 43 Christianity also should not claim over Hinduism through a judicial right because Christ does not belong to Christianity but Christ belongs to the Father only and both Christianity and Hinduism express their belief in two different ways.44 Like said earlier the encounter between the two religions may produce some whirlpool but there should always be a mutual enrichment between the two. And this unity of coming together is not of a simple unity where they would come together for liberal religious constitution but this unity is about the unity based on the truth where the two parties come together praying and struggling together to discover the will of God.45 Further the encounter in Christ does not mean it in apologetic way but rather it is the meeting of God through Christ since both the religion believe in the existence of God working in and through. Taking the Christian stance in believing that there is an inseparable relation between God and Christ and also God acting in and through Christ, it is as such that Hindus wont find hard to accepting this concept of God in terms of Isvara. Therefore there is a possibility of encounter between Hinduism and Christianity through Christ if Christ if Christians can be
Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 48-49 Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 49. 40 Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 49. 41 K.P. Aleaz, Christian Thought Through Advaita Vedanta (Delhi: ISPCK, 1996), 160 42 Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 50. 43 Sunand Sumithra, Christian Theology from an Indian Perspective (Bangalore: Theological Book Trust, 1990), 173 44 Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 54. 45 Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 55.
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taken equivalently to the Hindu concept of Siva or Krishna or Kali. Perhaps again Christianity should avoid qualifying Christ with Jesus because Hindus can only respect without sharing this theohistoriological aspect of Christianity. 46 Finally quoting Panikkar, this religious encounter is in reality much more than a meeting of two friends, it is a communion in being, in the one Being which is much more intimate to both than they are to themselves. It is communion not only in Christ but also of Christ. No condescension, no paternalism or superiority is to be found in the true encounter. Whether ones role is one of teaching or learning matters not at all in unity of love. He who has the higher intensity, the richer knowledge of a certain area of spirituality will spontaneously dispenses what he has; share it with the other, his neighbour.47

6. Criteria for Religious Encounter Panikkar lists out some of the criteria or principles that should govern the meeting of religion, also remembering that the religious encounter must be truly religious one. Inspite of the many principles which Panikkar listed out some of the principles are discussed below: a. A religious encounter must be free from particular and general apologetic. Apologetic in the sense that no religion should prove the truth and value of their religion by taking the ground of religious science. Though it is necessary that every religion need to stand in ones beliefs and conviction at the same time it is necessary to eliminate any apologetic if there has to be an encounter to meet other religion.48 b. Again one should also face the challenge of conversion and it should be totally loyal to truth and open to reality. While entering a religious encounter it is a challenge as well as risk and religious person should be without prejudice and preconceived solutions, a person should trust in the truth, unarmed and ready to be converted. 49

c. Also the historical dimension is a necessary in a religious encounter. Religion is not simply a link with the Absolute but it has a connection with the mankind. In an encounter it is not simply the meeting of two or more person but it comes along with their traditions and the riches of their ancestors. And also this tradition has to be understood in a broader sense by being inclusive, because a particular religion may not be confined to a particular geographical area but there in many parts of the world that might have been influenced by a particular religion.50

Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany,56-57. Raimundo Panikkar, The Unknown Christ of Hinduism: Towards an Ecumenical Christophany, 61. 48 R. Panikkar, The Intrareligious Dialogue, (New York: Paulist Press, 1978), 26. 49 Ibid., 27. 50 Ibid., 28-29.
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d. Finally it is an encounter of faith, hope and love. By faith it means the attitude that transcends the data and dogmatic formulations of different confession and also the attitude that bring an understanding even when there is a misunderstanding in words and concepts. By hope, it means the attitude that overcomes the human obstacles and unconsciousness. It is a hope against all hopes. By love, it means the impulse that force a person to discover something new in other which is lacking in us. This love does not look for victory but it longs for the common recognition of the truth.51 For Panikkar religious dialogue is an authentic dialogue, without superiority, preconceptions, hidden motives or convictions on either sides... dialogue does not primarily mean study, consultation, examination, preaching, proclamation, learning, etc.; it we insist on dialogue we should respect and follow its rules. Dialogue listens and observes, corrects and is corrected; its aims at mutual understanding.52

7. Appraisal and conclusion Panikkar could be counted as one of the leading pioneers who established the foundations of contemporary debate in the theology of religions and increased the significance of interreligious dialogue. And one of the significant impacts on his writings about Hinduism and Christianity had a formative influence on the theological surroundings in which significant new vistas of the second Vatican Council concerning world religions came into existence. 53 Again on the contemporary theological scene, Panikkar could be counted as a leading theologian of the so-called pluralistic school that claims that Christianity has to forsake theological excluvism, acknowledge other religion as salvific and begin a profound dialogue with them. 54 In the words of Aleaz, Panikkar is inclined to say that all the spiritualities of the world religion can be synthesised by our responding to the mystery of trinity as revealed in Jesus Christ.55 Pannikar provides a theological method where Christian can understand the deeper meaning of Christianity in a context. His Trinitarian method of the relationship among different religion gives a new insight how every religion can come and work together. It gives importance not only to the Hinduism for a change but he also urges to Christianity for a radical change in order to have a better relationship with the other religion.

Ibid., 35. Ibid., 50. 53 Jyri Komulainen, An Emerging Cosmotheandric Religion? Raimon Panikkar s Pluralistic Theology of Religion (Helsink: Multiprints, 2003), 7-8. 54 Jyri Komulainen, An Emerging Cosmotheandric Religion, 8. 55 K.P. Aleaz, Christian Thought Through Advaita Vedanta, 157.
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Bibliography

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