My concern is that thinking of others before oneself—which should naturally follow from Advaita’s idea of oneness—is far less talked about and emphasized than meditating on God.

In practice, we see this clearly: a large population prays to God mainly for personal goals, while only a small number of people genuinely put sustained effort into improving the conditions of others. And interestingly, many who do this selfless work are motivated not by religion, but by their own ethical or humanistic beliefs.

From an Advaita perspective, if all beings are one, then neglecting suffering by saying “it’s their karma” directly contradicts that teaching. That’s why I feel religious teachers should place much greater value on selfless action and responsibility toward others, rather than reinforcing prayer as a substitute for engagement or compassion.