The following teaching of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa has been taken from the book: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Abhedananda.
Sri Ramakrishna: When there is true devotion and love, one can reach God by any of the sectarian religions. The Vaishnavas, the worshippers of Krishna, will attain God in the same way as the Saktas, the worshippers of the Divine Mother, or the followers of Vedanta. Those who belong to the Brahmo-Samaj, the Mohammedans (Muslims) and Christians, will also realize God through their respective religions.
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If you follow any of these paths with intense devotion, you will reach Him. If there be any mistake in the path chosen, He will correct the mistake in the long run. The man who wishes to see Jagannath may go towards the South instead of towards the North, but someone will sooner or later direct him in the right way and he will surely visit Jagannath in the end.
The one thing necessary for realization is whole-hearted and whole-souled devotion to God. Vaishnavas, Mohammedans, Christians and Hindus are all longing for the same God; but they do not know that He who Krishna is also Shiva, Divine Mother, Christ and Allah. God is one, but He has many names. The Substance is one, but is worshipped under different names according to the time, place and nationality of His worshippers. All the different Scriptures of the world speak of the same God.
He who is described in the Vedas as Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss or Brahman, is also described in the Tantras as Shiva, in the Puranas as Krishna, in the Koran as Allah, and in the Bible as Christ. Yet the various sects quarrel with one another.
The worshippers of Krishna, for instance, say that nothing can be achieved without worshipping Krishna; those who are devoted to the Divine Mother think that the worship of the Divine Mother is the only way to salvation; similarly, the Christians say that no one can reach heaven except through Christ; He is the only way and Christianity is the only religion, all other religions are false.
This is narrow-mindedness. “My religion is true while that of others is false,” this kind of belief is not right. It is not our business to correct the errors of other religions. He who has created the world will correct them in time. Our duty is in some way or other to realize Him.
God can be reached through many paths; each of these sectarian religions points out a path which ultimately leads to Divinity. Yes, all religions are paths, but the paths are not God. I have seen all sects and all paths.
I do not care for them any more. People belonging to these sects quarrel so much! After trying all religions, I have realized that God is the Whole and I am His part; that He is the Lord and I am His servant; again I realize. He is I; I am He.
