I am a believer in god, but I have not restricted myself to one

Tanushree Dutta's words, "I am a believer in god, but I have not restricted myself to one religion. I have experienced many religions," resonate with the wisdom of the ages, echoing the teachings of those who have sought truth not in the rigid confines of one tradition, but in the vast, infinite tapestry of all that humanity has believed. The search for the divine, whether through the Vedas, the Bible, or the Quran, is a journey that transcends the barriers of language, culture, and history. What Dutta speaks to is the universal quest for the sacred, one that does not belong to any one faith, but rather to the heart of all who seek to understand the mysteries of existence.

From the earliest of times, great thinkers and mystics have spoken of the universality of the divine. The ancient Greeks believed in the idea of the Logos, a divine principle that connected all things, from the heavens to the earth. Heraclitus, the philosopher, spoke of a unity underlying the diversity of the world, a single force that flowed through all things. Similarly, the Upanishads in India speak of Brahman, the unifying source of all reality, transcending the distinctions between gods and men, between faiths and cultures. In every tradition, there is an understanding that the divine is not confined to one way of worship or belief, but is a universal truth, accessible to all who seek it with a pure heart.

Consider the story of Rumi, the great Persian mystic and poet, who embraced the wisdom of not just Islam, but also the teachings of Christianity, Judaism, and other traditions. Rumi saw the divine in everything—whether in the dance of a dervish or the silence of the desert. He transcended religious boundaries, seeking the truth in every path, understanding that each religion was but a different reflection of the same eternal source. For Rumi, as for Dutta, the experience of many religions was not a rejection of faith, but a deeper understanding of the divinity that transcends all human-made distinctions.

In the story of Buddha, we find a similar path of exploration. Before attaining enlightenment, the Buddha tried many different religious practices—he lived as an ascetic, experimented with extreme fasting, and studied under various teachers. Yet, it was only when he sought the middle way, embracing neither extreme denial nor indulgence, that he found the truth. His path was one of experience—testing the doctrines of many, and transcending them in his search for a universal understanding of suffering and liberation. Buddha’s enlightenment was not born from the confines of one single tradition, but from the universal truths found in the depths of self-exploration and spiritual experience.

Dutta’s belief in the divine, without being bound to any one faith, reflects the ancient understanding that spiritual truth is not the exclusive domain of any single religion, but is a path that can be found in many ways, across many cultures. Just as Jesus, who walked in the land of the Jews, spoke of love, forgiveness, and salvation for all people, regardless of their backgrounds, Dutta’s journey mirrors the understanding that God is not limited to one tradition, but is a force of love and truth that can be approached from many angles. The divine does not reside in the walls of a temple, but in the hearts of those who seek it.

The lesson from Dutta’s words is clear: the search for the divine is not one of dogma or limitation, but of experience and openness. To seek the truth is not to bind oneself to one religion, but to open oneself to the teachings of all, understanding that each path may hold a key to a greater understanding of the mysteries of life. The practical action we can take from this is to explore the sacred teachings of all traditions with an open heart, to learn from them, and to integrate their wisdom into our own lives. Just as the ancients taught us, the journey to the divine is a journey of the heart, and the more we seek, the closer we come to understanding the universal truth that binds us all.

In a world divided by religious conflict and cultural barriers, Dutta’s words remind us that the divine does not favor one faith over another. It is universal, waiting for all to discover it, no matter where they begin their search. The path to understanding the divine is open, not to be confined by the limitations of tradition, but to be explored through the rich diversity of human experience. So let us walk this path with humility, embracing the sacred wisdom of all, knowing that in the search for the divine, we are all one.