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Sat Sandesh March 1974, Volume Seven Number three ===================================================================== This issue is devoted entirely to talks selected from
the proceedings of the WORLD
CONFERENCE ON UNITY OF MAN Held in Delhi,
India, February 3-6, 1974, under the sponsorship of SANT KIRPAL
SINGH JI THE INAUGURAL SESSION
THE WORLD PEACE CONFERENCE
THE OPEN SESSION
THE CONCLUDING SESSION
SPOTLIGHT ON THE PANELS This special insert includes talk by Yogi Bhajan, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, Rev.G.J. Christo, Kaka Sahib Kalelkar, Dr. Sean Sieglen, Frederick Aye, Dr. Karan Singh, Russel Perkins and Archbishop Angelo Fernandes ===================================================================== THE INAUGURAL
SESSION February 3,
1974 A Call for
Dialogue The Inaugural
Address by Dr. G. S.
Pathak Vice-President
of India I THANK
Kirpal Singh ji, sponsor of the Inter-religious World Conference on
Unity of Man, organized by Manav Kendra, for his invitation to inaugurate this
Conference. I congratulate the Sponsor on his enterprise in securing the
collaboration of several religious and social organizations in conducting this
Conference. I am sure his endeavors
will be fruitful and achieve the worthy objective of bringing about the spirit
of oneness among the followers of different religious faiths and promoting
universal well-being. Man has made
many conquests over nature and has acquired knowledge undreamt of, say, 25
years age, which he can turn to his benefit or to his own destruction. Crass materialism
has grown out of the unprecedented advance of science and technology. Distance has been annihilated and people
living in remote regions have virtually become neighbors. Yet they have not learned to live like
brothers. Conflicts persist both on the
national and international planes. Nations are afflicted internally by evils
like parochialism, casteism, stateism, inequalities, intolerance, ignorance,
etc. In the international sphere armed
conflicts and wars still occur. Their causes, for example, racism, arrogance of
power, chauvinistic nationalism and political greed-bedevil the affairs of
mankind. However it is being realized—to use UNESCO’s language—that “since wars
being in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace
must be constructed.” But no fruitful
effort has been made on an appreciably large scale to change the minds of men
and to erect and fortify the inner defenses of life. Not are determined and sustained steps being taken to give a
clear and definite direction to human thinking and action so that science and
technology may be used only for the welfare of humanity and an end may be put
to the frightening possibilities of their evil uses. Colossal amounts are spent on armaments every year which could be
utilized to remove poverty, illness and ignorance of the less fortunate peoples
of the world. No doubt Man represents a great advance in evolution. Yet it is
manifest that in this evolutionary process he has still greater heights to
scale. Something vital is missing in human affairs. There is a cul desac—a
blind alley. Unless the thinking
processes are drastically altered, there is no may out. We must have a
proper understanding of Man and his place in the scheme of Nature. By Nature I mean here not only the physical
universe but also the inner world, “the Kingdom of Heaver.” For this it is
necessary that there should be a dialogue between different religions in order
to re-discover the meaning of Man, and to restate it in the idiom of
universality. In this connection I
recall to my mind the observation of Professor Parrinder: “The religions of the world face a
completely new situation today. Never
before this century have they been in such close contact as they are now. The ‘One World’ in which we live, with its
close communications, makes nonsense of religious isolation.” It must be
admitted that the unity of man must transcend all physical boundaries and
override all man-made barriers. The
realization of the unity of man will impart an element of spirituality in human
affairs. This truth is beautifully
expressed in the Svetasvatara Upanishad (6:20) which Swami Rangathananda
translates as follows: “Man may try (through his technical advances) to roll up
the sky itself as if it were a piece of leather; but with all that, he will
never succeed in achieving peace and the end of his sorrows without realizing
the luminous Divine within him.” I am happy to note UNESCO’s emphasis on the
“influence of spiritual values on political structure and techniques.” In this connection, organizations like Manav
Kendra and Conferences like the present can play a vital role. I share your hope that this conference will
be a memorable event and the rallying point of fraternity of man, spiritual
awakening and moral regeneration. The element of
“spirituality” of which I have spoken depends upon the correct understanding of
the evolution of Man in the environment of Nature (in the Wider sense as
explained by me above) and the discovering of the true relationship of Man with
God or Super Consciousness. This effort
has been the constant concern of Man since he attained civilization. Religion
is a relationship, personal and intimate, of man with his Maker. It is a part of one’s being, and an integral
part of one’s emotions and feelings.
There is a diversity of races and nations in the world, and a diversity
of religions, but the object of all religious quest has been essentially the
same through the ages. All religions
seek to know the supreme truth which pervades creation. In spite of the diversity of approaches there
is an underlying unity in the concept of the Supreme Reality. All religions seek to lead man to a common
goal. They appear to differ from one
another because they were originally preached at different times and in
differing environments. A conference
like the present one will doubtless promote an understanding and appreciation
of the essential unity of all religions and help us to perceive and comprehend
the fact that all of them utter the same truth, though in their own idiom. While it is
natural that each individual should cherish a special feeling of reverence for
his own religion, it is necessary that every endeavor should be made to
appreciate the true meaning and depth of other faiths. This is possible only through a dialogue
with one who has personal experience of the particular religious faith which
one is trying to understand. It has
been said that a religion seen from within is very different than seen from
outside. It is recognized that we must experience
that feeling that has thrilled the followers of another faith if we wish to
understand it. The Hindu regards every
religion as true if its adherents sincerely and honestly follow it. Shankara had a comprehensive appreciation of
different expressions of the One Truth, even though he spoke of six orthodox
systems of religion. Dr. Radha Krishnan
quotes Ibn-al-Arabi thus: “My heart has become capable of every form; it is a
pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks, a temple of idols, and
the pilgrims of Kaaba and the book of the Koran. I follow the religion of love, whichever way his cows and camels
take.” Paramhansa Ramaskrishna, who had a simple and firm faith in the oneness
of God, himself passed through spiritual experiences peculiar to different
religions. Whether it is
Christianity or Hinduism, Islam or Buddhism Jainism or Sikhism, or any other
religion, the goal is the same though the paths toward the same ultimate
Truth. In the words of the Vedantic
dictum: Ekam sat vipra
bahuda vadanti—“He is One without a second, but sages comprehend Him
differently and cal Him by different names.” Vendantic philosophy illustrates
the truth thus: “As different streams having their sources in different places
all mingle their waters in the sea, so O Lord! Do the different paths which men
through their different tendencies take, various though they appear . . . all
lead to Thee.” The Sufi Rumi said, “The lamps are different but the light is
the same.” Mahatma Gandhi realized the universality of religion and invoked God
by the various names by which different religions call Him. Yoynbee rightly held that “the missions of
the higher religions are not competitive; they are complementary. We can believe in our own religion without
having to feel that it is the sole repository of truth . . .” The principal
religions of the world reveal a large degree of unity in certain of their
tenets. Toynbee observes that all the
religions agree that out universe is mysterious, as the phenomena that we see
must be only a fragment of a universe of which the rest remains obscure, that
there is a presence in the universe that is spiritually greater than man; that
knowledge is but a means to action leading to the goal of human endeavors; that
man’s goal is to seek communion with the presence behind the phenomena with a
view to realizing harmony with it. . . .It is not necessary to multiply
quotations from the scriptures to demonstrate that all the great religions have
spoken in terms of One God. But if
there is one God and one Fatherhood, all human beings must be brothers and
members of the same human family. In
the Sanskrit language this is expressed as Vasudheiva Kutumbakam. Thus, the unity of man is obvious. A close
observation and study of the phenomenal universe around us will lead us to the
realization that the One God is manifested everywhere and that His law rules
everything. There is unity in the laws
of Nature. It is known that the release
of immense energy in the sun is the result of the fission of the hydrogen
atom. The fission of the hydrogen atom
in the laboratory results in the same spectacular release of energy. It is evident that the manifestation of the
Divine law is the same in the macrocosm as in the microcosm. . . . If the process
of the erosion of moral and ethical values continues unabated, world peace is
in jeopardy, might will become right, and only the aggressive, wealthy and
strong will be able to survive on earth.
It is necessary that religion should temper the pace of materialism and
technological advance and make it possible for the good and gentle, the meek
and poor also to survive and lead their own lives in peace, quiet and
safety. All religions proclaim the
brotherhood of man, Islam emphasizes it and so does Christianity. The message of Sikhism is contained in the
words, “We are sons of the same one Father; Thou art my great Lord.” Jainism,
Buddhism and Hinduism lay the same emphasis.
Nonviolence, toleration and respect for other faiths are the necessary
corollaries. Only by a synthesis of the
values held aloft by our great religions can we safeguard the security and
happiness of the people and ensure peace and good will on earth. In the words
of Dr. Radhakrishnan, “It is the aid of religion to life us from our momentary
meaningless provincialism to the significance and status of the eternal, to
transform the chaos and confusion of life to that pure and immortal essence
which is its ideal possibility. If the
human mind so changes itself as to be perpetually in the glory of the divine
light, if the human emotions transform themselves into the measure and movement
of the divine bliss, if human action partakes of the creativity of the divine
life, if the human life shares the purity of the divine essence, if only we can
support this higher life, the long labor of the cosmic process will receive its
crowning justification and the evolution of centuries unfold its profound
significance.” I have now
much pleasure in inaugurating the world Conference on Unity of Man and wishing
your deliberations all Man and wishing your deliberations all success. JAI
HIND. The Remodeling
of our Destiny Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji President,
World Conference of Unity of Man A Mystic bond
of brotherhood makes all men one. THOMAS CARLYLE DEAR BROTHERS
AND SISTERS : I am happy to greet you
al, who have gathered hare from all over the world. In this momentous session we have to explore and find out ways
and means to cement and strengthen the solidarity of mankind. Nations, like individuals, are swayed by
passions, prides and prejudices which create chasms in the real social order
which are very often difficult to span.
We are living in an age of decadence, when moral and spiritual values
are at their lowest ebb. With all these drawbacks and the numerous divisive
tendencies, there is still a ray of hope of regeneration and
reorientation. This very hope has
brought us together. I thank you
all for the loving response to the call for remodeling of our destiny to secure
a lasting peace. It is said
that “East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet.” That may have been true at one time or
another, or for the author of the dictum, Rudyard Kipling; but certainly it
carries no weight with men of God in the present scientific age, when distance
and space are fast losing their significance, and efforts are being made to
establish interplanetary contacts. The various
countries of the world are just like chambers in the House of God, housing
different nations. Distinguished from one another by geographic, climatic and
historical conditions, facial contours and complexions, languages and dialects,
diet and apparel and modes of worship, all people conditioned by these
divergent factors forms the great organic whole called humanity. With al these
seeming difference and distinctions of color, creed, and caste, and these
diversities in his modes of living and thinking, man essentially and basically
remains man in outer appearance and inner make-up. Unity already exists in the
human form, since each one is born the same way with the same outer and inner
construction, and each one has a soul which is of the same essence as that of
God. We are drops of the Ocean of All
Consciousness, Whom we worship as the same God, calling Him by different names.
Holy men say that the human body is the true temple of God, and that He resides
in the temple made by Him in the womb of the mother, and not in temples made by
human hands, and that the human form provides us with a golden opportunity to
realize Him. Man has three
aspects: physical body, intellect, and a conscious entity. He has progressed physically, intellectually
and mechanically; but despite this, he is unhappy and has not developed
spiritually. He has developed his head and not his heart, and his scientific
knowledge is misdirected to fiendish malevolence. It has created a spiritual vacuum. We stand in
the middle of a two-fold crisis: a state cult of militarism, euphemistically
called “patriotism” on one hand, and an apathy to spiritual development through
knowledge of the True Self on the other.
In the absence of any positive
thinking on both these levels we are morally regressing, and in this said predicament we cannot have lasting peace.
Guru Nanak therefore prayed, “O God, the world is aflame and has passed beyond
our care. Save it by the means You
consider best.” The problem
before us is how to bring about a change in man’s heart and effect his inner
conversion so that he can see truly and clearly and learn to discriminate
between truth and untruth. Since this
lies beyond the scope of body and intellect, it can only come about through an
inward illumination of divine wisdom in the sanctuary of the soul. This is the
individual aspect of the matter. We
also have to forge abiding bonds of
kinship among the nations of the world so that they will treat each other with
genuine courtesy based on inward love and friendliness, and seek the welfare of
all members of the human family, transcending their political ideologies which
create rivalries and international tensions. During my last
foreign tour I was asked on television in the United States, “How can peace be
cemented?” I told them, “Peace can be cemented only when men rise above ‘isms’
and Presidents and Kings rise above countries.” To remain in
any “ism” is a blessing, if we keep in mind the ideal for which we have joined
it and rise into universalism; but if we stick obdurately to the ‘ism,” the
result is again narrow-mindedness and selfishness. Similarly, if Kings nourish their gardens well and keep them
blooming in all respects, they should let al other countries bloom the same way
and further the cause of human
happiness; otherwise there will be conflicts and wars. It has been our endeavor of late to find a
common forum and meeting ground where such momentous issues could be discussed
dispassionately—by separating the non-essentials from essentials and
eliminating difference, in order to find unity in diverse thinking and bring
abiding peace on earth: complete
concord and amity in all spheres of our life. In order to
understand this worldwide movement in which we are participating today, it is
necessary to review its background.
Religious contacts between East and West were established as far back as
1893, when the patriot-saint
Vivekananda went out with the message of the Upanishads and Gita and
represented India at the Chicago Parliament of Religions. His life and living showed a practical way
to demonstrate the essential unity of all religions, to proclaim the message of
which he founded a chain of missions in the name of his Master, Paramhansa
Ramakrishna. Ten years later, in 1903,
another young savant, Swami Ram Tirath, presented the philosophy of Vendanta to
the West in such a lucid manner that he was hailed as a “Living Christ.” Thus the way
was paved for the nest great step, the spread of spirituality or mysticism—the
bedrock of every religion. In its pure
essence, this implies the awakening of man to a consciousness at once
supra-sensible and supra-mental—an immediate revelation. All mystics, Eastern and Western, have
believed in the possibility of direct communion with the spirit and Power of
God through love and contemplation, without the aid of reason and logic. It puts man on the road to inwardness (not
to be confused with escapism), with an active living morality as the essential
prerequisite. This is the religion of
spirit, or the science of the soul, and through it an individual finds his proper
relation to the universe by establishing contact with God through His
expression, the power called Naam,
Shabd, Kalma or word, which is the
Maker, permeating and controlling all creation. The relationship with this power is achieved by developing
reverence for life at all levels of existence without distinguishing between
high and humble—including man, bird, beast, and the lower species. The non-human forms are the younger members
of the family of God. This idea of
the sanctity of life is a living religion of love in the innermost part of our
being. True theism cannot be reasoned
out intellectually or felt on the level of emotions; it proceeds from true
knowledge, which is an action of the soul in perfect harmony beyond the senses. This is what is called “spirituality”—the
contact of the soul with the Over-soul—and it is achieved by rising above body
consciousness through practical self-analysis, a demonstration of which can be
given by an adept in the process. We
call it Para Vidya (the Knowledge of the Beyond) because it lies beyond
our sensory perceptions. This science
of the soul is not something new; it is the most ancient teaching of all. The way back to God is of God’s own make and
stands on its own, without the necessity of scriptural support to uphold its
authenticity. But unmistakable
reference in the scriptures of all religions from the earliest times to the
present day to bear witness to the Un-manifest Reality in its primordial form
of Light and Sound. In the present
age, saints like Kabir and Guru Nanak revived the ancient teachings of the
sages of the past. In more recent times
the torch was kept alive by their successors until the spiritual mantle came to
hallow the personality of Baba Sawan Singh Ji, who during his long ministry of
45 years (1903-1948) gave it the widest distribution possible. In 1911 he began
the work of revealing the Gospel of Love, Light and Life to the Western world
as well. Ruhani Satgang
was founded in 1948 and dedicated to the task of imparting purely spiritual
instruction, shorn of all ritual and ceremony and free from embellishment and
symbol, to all classes of humanity.
Followers of different faiths, beliefs, and creeds meet as Sawan
Ashram—which became its permanent center in 1951—and address large masses of
people coming from different walks of life, who are eager to learn and
understand the elemental truth which form the quintessence of all sacred
scriptures. The discourses converge on
the common theme of establishing direct tough with Reality, and attempts are
made to reproduce and correlate, in simple understandable language, the sayings
of sages and seer of all times.
Presently this is being spread in 209 centers all over the world, which
have helped considerably to remove to some extent artificial barriers of race,
language, and religion, and brought many kinds of human beings to worship the
Nameless Being with so many names. By the grace
of God, a new field unexpectedly opened up in 1957 when Muni Sushil Kumar Ji
sponsored a conference of World Religions with the idea of forming a World
Fellowship of Religions. As a result of
further deliberations there did come into being a Fellowship including most of
the faiths of the world, and I was elected its President. Three World Tours were undertaken and four
World Religions Conference were organized in India, Besides regional conference
in other countries. The purpose was to
disseminate the idea of universal fellowship among people professing different
faiths and beliefs, and it brought about broader and better understanding and a
sense of mutual trust and confidence at the top level among the representatives
of the various religions. But while the
religious leaders were coming closer, a danger was developing among the
followers. Instead of making religion a
cementing force, they made it an instrument to serve their vested interests and
began to form communal groupings bearing the labels associated with their walls
of hatred and distrust. One wonders how
a person professing religion, which is a link between man and God, can run the
risk of forgetting that he is a man born with the same privileges from God as
those he hates, and that he is a conscious entity which is a drop of the Ocean
of All Consciousness. To combat this
danger of religious chauvinism, it was thought necessary to start the work of
regeneration from the roots. Man-making
must take precedence. This can only be
done by inculcating in people generally the humanistic ideas of unselfish love
and selfless service, with special emphasis on man service, land service and animal
service (animals being our younger brothers and sisters in the family of God.
This idea took concrete shape in 1969 with the decision to set up Man-Making
Centers or Manav Kendras here in India and abroad. In India a Man
Center has been started at Dehra Dun at the foot of the Shivalik Range of the
Himalayas. It has set up a hospital, a
home for indigent elderly people, and a school for the children of poor
families in the area. A provision for
farming and cattle-raising on modern scientific lines is a part of the
project. Eventually we hope to see a
university, fully equipped with the original scriptural texts of the religions
of the world, so that comparative studies of the truths contained therein may
be undertaken; and a language school to overcome linguistic difficulties. This
convention aims to unite all mankind on the common ground of service to fellow
human beings and faith in Divine Power, and to accomplish that, it urges the
religious and ethical leadership of the world to shed apathy and aloofness and
assume a more prominent role in human affairs.
Such conference in the past have been organized at the level of
religions, and consequently have not been able to achieve integration in the
required measure. A significant feature
of this conference is that it is being organized at the level of man, as
envisioned by saints and prophets like Socrates, Buddha, Mohammed, Christ,
Kabir, and Nanak, so that it may lead to true integration. The challenging task before the religious
and spiritual leaders is to bring about a radical change in the ethical,
educational and economic status of humanity.
Economic uplift is essential, because “a hungry man is an angry man” and
to talk of God to him is a mockery. I am confident
that each one of us fully realizes the significance of this cosmopolitan
meeting and will extend his whole-hearted support toward the fulfillment of its
objectives; developing human understanding and heralding the unity of
mankind. Let us pledge ourselves to
this task, transcending all narrow allegiances and commitments, and stand
united and resolute until its ultimate fulfillment. THE WORLD
PEACE CONFERENCE February 4,
1974 The Scientific
Unity of Man Sri Jagjivan
Ram Defense
Minister of India FRIENDS, I would
like to say a few words for delegates from other countries. What I have said is that we have been
considering the essential unity of all religions, that the basic principles of
all religions are the same or similar.
The basic tenets of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism,
are more or less the same, and from that point of view we can say that there is
essential unity of all mankind. But
what I emphasized was the scientific unity of man. When the
universe was created, man was created as an entity which has remained unchanged.
Though there are many genera and species in the plant and animal worlds,
man is just one species. There are
races among man—the Negro, the white man, etc.—yet they are all of the same
species—the species of Man (Homo sapients). The Brahmin and the
scavenger continue to be of the same species.
Different colors, languages, food habits, dress habits, and religions
have not changes this basic fact—that man is one species. I would go a
step further and say that man has got all the attributes of God—since God
created man in His own image. Potentially, those attributes are there; but
as long as man is controlled by Satan the difference between him and the
Almighty continue. The moment he gives
up Satan he begins to attain the attributes of God; he can become omniscient,
omnipresent, omnipotent—this is not an imaginary idea; some men have attained
this. This is what is meant by God
created man in His own image. He
will continue unchanged through the
ages. So there is
unity of man, logically; because one of the scientific definitions of “species”
is that there is attraction between male and female of the same species. There is no attraction between male and
female of different species. And if
there is an unnatural attraction, well, no progeny will be produced. Progeny can be produced only by male and
female of the same species. So here is
scientific proof that the Negro and the white man belong to the same caste; the
Brahmin and the Harijan to the same caste; the Hindu and the Muslim to the same
caste. And I regard it as an insult to
that great Power Who created this universe to regard man as belonging to
different castes. So there is
essential unity of man from the religious point of view and from the scientific
point of view. According to all
religions, all men should be treated as belonging to the same family. Then where is the necessity of destroying
each other? No person will destroy the members of his own family, unless he has
been afflicted by madness. So all those
who are indulging in act of extermination of large numbers of people are no
doubt afflicted by madness. And those
people who have nothing of their own—or you might say they have the whole world
as their own (holy men)—they can bring the madmen to their senses. It is just by
ignoring these basic and fundamental principles that there is so much imbalance
in the different countries of the world.
The developed countries have so much they cant’s use all they produce;
they are living in luxury, in some cases have reached the limit of luxury; and
there are multitudes of people who cannot get the bare necessities of
life. We let this imbalance cause
bitterness and conflict and ultimately, if permitted to develop, the
destruction of mankind. Again, the
words of these wise men could create a sense of uprightness among the developed
nations, the affluent societies, to take measures so as to reduce the imbalance
between the countries. In the same
way within the various countries are differences of development among section
of society. Some sections are rich and
affluent; other, though they work hard to produce the wealth of the country,
are deprived of the fruits of their labor and do not get the bare minimum of life. That also has to be eliminated. If it is not, it will constitute a danger to
all that is good in human society. So disparities
and imbalances will have to be eliminated, and for that a revolution is
necessary; not a political revolution, but a revolution in the mind of man—so
that he can evolve as a real man. That
revolution can be successfully created by these people [referring to the
various spiritual leaders and holy men on the stage] who have nothing to
lose and nothing to gain—nothing to lose, that is, except the misery of
mankind; nothing to gain but the bliss of mankind. It is therefore very heartening that we have gathered together
here under the auspices of these wise men who have been trying to arouse the
conscience of man so that he can see the good and separate himself from the
evil. Fortunately, the different
societies of the world have come to realize that misery anywhere in the world
constitutes a potential danger to prosperity everywhere in the world. As I said in
the beginning, I came here to say a few words, not as Defense Minister of
India, but as a student of truth. I
successfully fought was with Pakistan; but even at that time when I was on the
verge of repairing the aggression of Pakistan, there was always a conflict
within myself. War, it is said, is
dehumanizing; was is brutalizing; mind loses all its good attributes during
wartime, but I asked my soldiers and officers even during was to maintain
certain laws of humanity. I told them,
“If you go to the other country, you treat every female of the country as your
mother or sister”—and they did; I am proud of my soldiers. But then I thought that some missile by my
soldiers or the soldiers of Pakistan might hit some innocent mother who is
unconcerned with the war, who might not know why this was has been launched; or
suddenly a child is hit by a missile and is dead—can there be a more inhuman
act than this? Can there be a greater
sin than this? But the enlightened people of many nations are indulging in this
sin in order to establish the supremacy of one nation over another. Cannot
these people be brought to their senses? Can we not stop these actions of
madness? And it can be done by these people (the holy men). Let there be a
slogan among all the citizens of the various nations; let the slogan be that
there is no greater crime than war. And
I am saying this as the Defense Minister of India. I possess all these weapons of destruction and I have to, because
I have to safeguard the borders of India.
But there is always a conflict within myself. I will always try to ward off wars as long as I can. The effect of
war today is not localized; with the development of science and technology,
with science having overcome the limitations of time and distance to a great
extent, it is all pervasive. We have
seen that the war between Israel and the Arab countries—a war in one corner of
the world—has affected all the citizens in all the countries of the world. The debacle of petroleum and its products
has affected citizens of India in every city; it has affected people in Washington
and New York, in Moscow and Peking, in all the countries of Europe. So when we know that the effect of war today
affects all the citizens of all the countries of the world—isn’t that enough
for all of the sensible persons of the world to put their heads together to
devise methods by which war can be eliminated and rules out of sensible human
society? And I think,
if all the thinkers and leaders of religion of the world make it an article of
faith that there is no greater crime than war, then perhaps man will dream of a
better world, a happier world, and he will regard another man as his own image
and treat him as a member of his own family.
The disparities, inequalities, imbalances, from which human society is
suffering today stand in the way of the full development of man—he has not been
allowed to attain his full stature because of them. The oppressors suffer more than the oppressed, the exploiters
suffer more than the exploited, and the sooner this revolution comes to us the
sooner there will be development of the whole man. Then we will appreciate that our neighbors have the same feelings
that we have, and what oppresses him oppresses us as well. If this revolution comes—and it can come by
the teaching of these people—I have no doubt that the world will become better
and happier. Well, friends,
I am happy to be in the company of so many emancipated souls. What you see here is a galaxy of
emancipated persons, and according to
Hindu tradition, a few minutes in the company of emancipated persons provides
one with bliss. So I am happy to be
here. With these
words, I declare this august assembly open. SPOTLIGHT ON THE PANELS On the
afternoon of February 4, the Conference split up into four Panel Conference or seminars,
in which different aspects of the idea of the unity of man were examined in
depth. The four panels were as follows: 1. UNITY
OF MAN—ONE WORLD 2. CURRENT
WORLD PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE UNITY OF MAN 3. WORLD
HARMONY 4. THE
ESSENTIAL UNITY OF RELIGIONS The talks that
follow are, hopefully, a cross section of the vast amount of material that the
panels produced; many excellent talks were necessarily left out, due to space
limitations. Some of them may find
their way into future issues of Sat Sandesh. FROM PANEL NO.
1 One world—The Dignity of Man Yogi Bhajan The Path of Oneness Sant Kirpal Singh Ji FROM PANEL
NO.2 The Purpose of Education Rev. G. J. Christo True Love Frederick
Aye FROM PANEL
NO.3 Love as Fearlessness Kaka
Sahib Kalelkar Universal Harmony Dr.
Sean Sieglen FROM PANEL
NO.4 The Poison and the Nectar Dr.Karan
Singh Foundations of Religious Unity Russell Perkins Toward the Unity of Conscience Archbishop Angelo Fernandes One World –
The Dignity of Man Yogi Bhajan
inaugurates the first panel MR. PRESIDENT
and friends: It is a privilege today to speak on a very important subject, the
Unity of Man. Surprisingly enough, man wants
to practice unity, and he knows where unity lies; but rituals have overcome
reality to the extent that man is not able to practice unity. The mightiest
countries like the United States and the USSR are following the gunboat policy
less today because the voice of the people is against it. Today there is more talk about the common
development of the world, more talk about peace, and more talk about
development of the undeveloped countries.
There is more emphasis on peace and recognition that you have to use the
methods by which self can be realized, the technology through which self can be
developed—the method of acquiring consciousness. People are seeking truth today, and want to understand each
other. The world has
become very small and we can reach any part of the world in no time. There are no geographical boundaries between
countries. For the last five years I
have been working in Europe and the United States, and I feel that the time has
now come when man is beginning to realize that it is only in unity that we can
live on this planet. The rich
countries have suffered the embargo on oil, but they have not attacked the Arab
countries; they talk of starting negotiations with them. Now it is for the spiritual leaders to show
the way to the people of the world.
India is a land of saints, and they agree that the Creator has created
us and in every individual we can see the Creator. Therefore I say that man wants unity and peace, but the rituals
have bifurcated him to the extent that he cannot achieve it. When all our
minds are sick, we seek truth; and this is the right moment to meet heart to
heart. There is the greatest need for
love at this time. I am hopeful that we
shall have a meaningful discussion today in this panel conference, and with
these words I am grateful to be called to inaugurate it, and I am hopeful that
you will give a very positive and concrete exposition of the subject and offer
solutions to the hatred may be wiped out from the face of the world, and there
is dignity of man; and man can develop himself in the spirit of love and
peace. Thank you very much. The Path of
Oneness Remarks by
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji DEAR BROTHERS
AND SISTERS: I have to say a few words
on inner concentration and connected thoughts.
To achieve eternal unity one must be able to get self-consciousness and
try to recognize that great Power Who is controlling the world. You all know man’s body is one and we
believe that it consists of five elements and that there is a Power behind it
Who is controlling all this system; so we must try to understand this truth and
have the reflection of the Divine which is in man. Of course, you
all know that to get any fruit some labor is required, and to be self-conscious
we must struggle until we get it. We
have before us many examples of our ancient leaders like Guru Gobind Singh Ji,
and most of us are following their path; some of us have achieved something in
this line. It is very
difficult for narrow-minded people to adopt this path and to meet each
other. We must exercise in the right
direction. The present urge for unity
is a call for self-consciousness, and we must be eager to achieve it and share
our good efforts to achieve it. I
stress that we must go ahead on the path of oneness of man which is the real
path of God, and whatever differences come in our way must be removed in a
coordinated manner. If you have faith in Him you can change your fate, as well
as others’ fates. My best wishes are
there and I hope you will come to this conclusion. Thank you. The Purpose of
Education The Rev. G. J.
Christo, President of the Northern regions, Seventh-day Adventist Church of
India, exposes the emptiness of present-day education and suggests alternatives MR. CHAIRMAN
and delegates: Only one who has an ostrich-like out-look on today’s law and
other situation will deny that something has gone wrong somewhere, and that the
picture of society and civilization in this generation is grim. Those born today will inherit as their
legacy an era in which crime has soared as on wings. If we study statistics on all types of crimes we find the figures
are higher than ever and going higher. Is there
something wrong with our present educational system, or our home environment,
or perhaps in our social and political order? I would like to submit that the
predicament we find ourselves in today is a result of neglecting one of the
most important factors of life. Much
stress has been placed on the mental an physical development of our generation. To a lesser degree, scope has been provided
for certain social developments; but little has been done about the spiritual
or moral health of the individual.
This, I contend, results in the moral decadence, which is destroying the
foundation of everything we hold precious and dear. Mankind has been able to conquer outer space, but has failed to
find the meaning of his inner space.
When man began to understand the intricacies of the universe, he
considered himself to be the arbiter of his own destiny. The industrial revolution uprooted man from
his ancient traditions and propelled him into an atheistic mechanical
world. Men orbiting in outer space
justified their belief that there was no God out there, and a once-Christian
theologian decided that if there ever was a God, He should now be considered
dead, as mankind really had no need of Him any more. Some believe that God is a creation of the “haves” to lull the
masses into submission. Education
includes more than the formal three “R’s” taught in the classroom. True education includes the whole being and
covers the entire span of life given to an individual. I submit that the education offered to our
children and youth today is too narrow.
True education teaches the best use not only of one but all our
acquirements. Thus it covers the whole
circle of obligation—to ourselves, to the world, and to God. “Character
building is the most important work entrusted to human beings; and never before
was its diligent study so important as now.
Never was any previous generation called to meet issues so momentous;
never before were young men and young women confronted by perils so great as
confront them today. “At such a
time as this, what is the trend of the education given? To what motive is
appeal mot often made? To self-seeking.
Much of the education given is a perversion of the name. In true education the selfish ambitions, the
greed for power, the disregard for the rights and needs of humanity, that are
the curse of our world, find a counter influence. God’s plan of life has a place for every human being, Each is to
improve his talents to the utmost; and faithfulness in doing this, be the gifts
few or many, entitles one to honor.” (E. G. White) The home is
the foundation of all growth and it must also be the place for spiritual growth. Psychologists tell us that a child’s
learning process begins at birth. It is
therefore imperative for a child to have adequate moral and spiritual
influences during babyhood. With so
many broken homes, and working mothers, and fathers anxious to work more than
one shift a day to keep up with the Joneses, the child’s training is often
relegated to an occasional growl from papa. In our secular
society the safeguarding of the spiritual development has been left to the
parents and to the religious organization to which the parents subscribe. The schools supported by public funds
concentrate mainly on mental and physical development. Man is a four dimensional personality—physical,
mental, social, and spiritual—and inasmuch as true education includes the development
of all these faculties, schools also share a responsibility in providing
opportunities for all these faculties to develop. Oscar Handlin, professor of history at Harvard, recently
concluded, “that colleges are actually
killing education. In the 1970’s we
sentence more of our youth to more years in school than ever before in history,
so that never before have Americans been so poorly educated as now.” This
perhaps could also be said of education in India. It would be
well for us to consider the aims of education: 1. Foremost
is the formation of character. The
object of education should be to restore in man the likeness of his creator—bringing him back to
that perfection in which he was created. All true knowledge will tend to make
the being perfect. A sound character is
real in the sense that it deals with substance and not show. 2. Secondly
is the development of the intelligence.
A good moral education is not meant merely to take away our “simian”
characteristics or the tiger within us, but to strengthen minds weakened by
self-indulgence and lack of control.
The mind is to be activated and placed in contact with an
all-intelligent Creator. 3. Equipment
to earn one’s living. True education is
not primarily to help equip one with the ability to earn a living; that is
necessary, but too narrow. True
education is more than a preparation for the life that now is; it has to do
with the whole period of existence possible to man. This includes eternity. More
and more educators recognize that our present system of education has neglected
the important aspect of manual labor.
Jerry L. Pettis, a U. S. Congressman who recently visited China, made
this comment: “I
was keenly interested in the philosophy that prevails in China on this
subject. All students are required to
spend two years on a farm. After a
student finished the equivalent of the American high school, he is assigned to
a farm, or ‘commune.’ At the end of the two-year period, the other members of
the commune decide whether he is ‘college material’ and whether he should
obtain further education. In such a
vast country, it is impossible to provide advance education for everyone;
therefore, a student must, in the opinion of his peers, have a reasonable
chance of success plus the motivation to succeed, or he will not be given the
opportunity. . . As the peasants and youth work side by side, helpful
philosophies are communicated, and the young maintain a solid contact with
reality.” 4. Finally
the advancement of knowledge must result in the pursuit of truth. This should be the end of all
education. Truth is acquiring a
knowledge of God and finding out His plans for our lives. True Love Frederick Aye
of Ghana Spoke briefly and to the point MY SUBJECT
will be true love, and I will be very brief. All human beings are told that God
is love and, if they have been created by God, they are the creatures of love
and they must love their fellow beings.
But we find in actual practice that from the day we are born we imbibe
religious hatred, fanaticism, etc. We
are taught that our religion is the best, and also that if we achieve
materially, it will be in our best interest.
So it become the duty of those people, young or old, who have got some
spiritual enlightenment to teach what true love is and how we should love each
other. We should first set examples
ourselves by good deeds rather than by preaching to others. We should have the feeling and desire to
share everything that we possess. That
will be the guarantee for unity of mankind. Thank you. Love as
Fearlessness Kaka Sahib
Kalelkar, one of the closest associates of Mahatma Gandhi, shares his thoughts. OUR GREATEST
STRENGTH must be love, which is fearless—non—violent love. It is time the world was viewed as a great
family; I think it is ripe for the establishment of a familyhood of all
religions, all cultures, and all races.
If it doesn’t come about, a world war may well happen; and with the
present development of science it could be an unprecedented disaster. Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji is doing this work—that of making all religions and races one—and as a
humble servant of Mahatma Gandhi, I congratulate him for organizing this
conference. Now we have to establish
that family hood—through love, complete fearlessness. If we want to establish peace, we have to work for others. Sant Ji wants us to give thought to these
things, and to do service for the whole world.
We are in a country where people of all races and religions are gathered
together. We must love each other. All our energy should be saved for actual
work. We invite
Muslims, not as Hindus, but as members of one human family. We should have hope
for our towns and villages. In the
villages, people do not understand economics; but they understand religion and
they understand culture—that has been the tradition of our country. We must now have a great organization and go
to the villages and tell the people the central part of their religion is to
love others. We must ourselves stop
hating others and start loving; mere speaking won’t do. Under Sant Ji’s initiative and guidance, we
should have small groups all over the world; we should, as members of the same
family, build a new culture, a new civilization. Science is
very useful, because scientists worship truth.
We want to make science more spiritual, and only saints can do it. So I express
my gratitude to Sant Ji for organizing this international conference. I belonged to Mahatma Gandhi’s group; I was
Vice-Chancellor of the university started by him, and worked under him for 50
years. Sant Maharaj is doing the same
work which Gandhi Ji asked us to do—establish harmony and unity of man,
Religions are different, but we are all bound together by love. My definition of “love” means
fearlessness—you don’t threaten anybody and you don’t fear anybody. Universal
Harmony Dr. Sean
Sieglen of the Manav Kendra of Maine Discusses in depth the problems involved. MR. CHAIRMAN,
Ladies and Gentle men: When addressing ourselves
to the question of “universal harmony,” we must determine first what manner or
style of harmony we are seeking in the world.
Certainly mankind is agreed that harmony is wanted, is in fact
desperately needed. It is commonplace
by now to assert that unless international relations are made harmonious,
mankind will destroy itself in various technological and political wars. Also becoming equally imminent is man’s lack
of harmony with the very Earth that sustains his physical life. Disharmony in this area of ecology threatens
to cripple civilization, even wipe out large segments of the population within
a century—some authorities say within decades.
However, it is not my intention to elaborate upon these problems, since
we are all familiar with the alarming dangers involved in these conditions; I
will rather pose the questions: 1) What
kind of harmony can man feasibly pursue for himself? And 2) How
might man best obtain his goal? One form that
many persons have selected as the kind of harmonious relation they wish to
carry on with other persons—or other nations, or other religions, or with
Mother Nature—could be described as the “laissez-faire treatment of a ghetto.”
In common words, “he and I will get on amiably if he stays out of my way, or if
we have no contact whatsoever.” Hence there arose in the United States a
popular attitude that two subjects not to be discussed were religion and
politics. Racial tension also has grown
because of such disguised bigotry, and I call it this name because underlying
such isolationist viewpoints are the convictions that I am separate from him
and I am correct. But of course this conference by its very
existence submits the contrary, and can state that individual men are not
separate; so to isolate one’s person, one’s religion, or one’s nation from the
rest is at best an equivocal position to take. A better
pursuit of harmonious relations perhaps would view harmony as an acceptance
through understanding of his neighbor’s way, or an acceptance because of
respect for that other nations, or religion; in general, respect for one’s
fellow man. If such an integrated style
of harmony is preferable to the isolationist style of harmony that has been
most rife in our various countries’ histories—that is to say, if strong nationalism
and chauvinism on any scale from racial to religious, from vocational to
personal, are undesirable—then to what or to whom are we to turn for us to get
a clearer understanding of just what sort of harmony I am indicating? First comes to
mind the United Nations; but we all know that though certain valuable results
have been attained, that organization isn’t able to produce the sort of
far-reaching harmony (or brotherly love) for which we are seeking in this
panel. Then we are
reminded of the many religious ecumenical conclaves which succeeded World War
II. In the West, Catholics, Protestants
and Jews met to dissolve difference; in the East, Buddhist, Jain, Moslem, Sikh,
and Hindu sat together to emphasize their oneness. Everyone here is well aware of the achievements made on these
lines by the World Fellowship of Religions, presided over for so long by the
sponsor of this conference, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj. Here some definite success was reached in
having disparate groups who would not convene on one platform before, come
together to speak of unity and harmony.
Yet at this level of religions or institutions, full unity has not been
realized because each group again sought for the unity of its own body, rather
than for the integration of all groups to become united under God. The harmony we
seek here, then, must be sought at the level of man—not nations, not religions,
not institutions. This brotherly love
is of a nature that embrace each individual and emphasizes similarities instead
of dissimilarities. Harmony of this
kind presupposes one God, one mankind.
Every individual is only separate temporarily—that is, until he realizes
that he isn’t really separate at all.
He then won’t choose isolationism or chauvinism or any ism, for that
matter, since all isms tend to divide rather than bring together. So we can define “harmony” as the congenial
interaction of entities or groups of entities who all feel that they are
portions of the same God, drops of the same Ocean of All Consciousness. This joyful interaction or brotherly love
comes up because each person knows that though their bodies may be several,
their souls contain the same essence; and that essence is greater than any
prejudice or separation. With this
definition and ideal of harmony before us, let’s approach the next question of
how to obtain so difficult a goal, especially at a time in history when there
exists a large percentage of mankind who accept only material values, ignoring
or rejecting values of a spiritual nature. How is it possible to live so
harmoniously that anger, jealousies, hatreds, injuries and wars diminish and
cease altogether? Such a society
and world living in that type of concord must be viewed as a utopian
ideal. Practical utopias haven’t fared
well in history. The celebrated Brook
Farm of the nineteenth century, in which Emerson and Hawthorne participated,
typically represents the main problem—dissension. The participants wrangled about leadership, duties, etc., and
though equality was sought, none was found.
Some of the best utopias comprise people whose lives are so simple that
they have little cognizance that their community is ideal. One illustration is the Hunzas, north of here
in the Himalayas. Their valley is a
veritable Shangri La, and the reason seems to be that they do not stress
material achievements. They have no
high, no low. Though they respect the
wisdom of age, all are equal in their group.
They have a simple diet, exemplary morals, and a clean disciplined
environment. At present I
help to coordinate a autopian attempt in the State of Maine in the U. S.
A. It is a Man Center—the Manav Kendra
of Maine—instituted for God -service, man-service, and land-service, parallel
to the two centers, which exist here in India at Dehra Dun and Baroda. This
center seeks to establish a unique situation where an undetermined number of
men and women live harmoniously without anger or dishonesty. They live chaste lives, and try to serve and
love everyone with whom they come in contact.
In simpler words, they try to do good, be good, and be one, not only
with human beings, but also with animals and land—ecology and land service
being of price importance. Manav Kendra
attempts to become a complete community in self-sufficiency so that it may show
the surrounding society how harmonious living may be achieved. But again the question: How is this goal to be obtained? The answer is
the heart of this presentation: Universal harmony on the scale of which we’ve
spoken is only to be achieved when personal harmony is first realized. At the level of man each person must admit
harmonious ideals and practice into his own life, so that he radiates peace and
contentment in all his activities and with all his associations. Three billion
people need to overcome their emotions to the extent that they are in control
of their faculties and senses. When a man’s mind is under his own control,
driving the horses of desire that pull the chariot of the body, and the rider
never lets any of these (body, mind, emotions) run wild, he may be said to have
inner harmony. That man who
keeps his mind like a tame elephant will be at ease in all situations and with
all persons. He will not get angry even
with those that abuse him, nor will he be flattered by praise. Needless to say, that man will radiate
harmony and infect all those around him with his joy. A man like that can affect and improve thousands, so that they
too may reach that level. We have seen
illustrations of this kind of man in the lives of the saints. Buddha evinced such
great compassion that millions of people for thousands of years have tried to
emulate him. (I am not speaking of Buddhism as such, but of the effect of the
radiation of a great saint.) Jesus preached eloquently of love and has stirred
men for two thousand years—whether or not they all comprehended his
message. Many many followed his
radiation and rose to great heights of peace and understanding: Augustine,
Thomas Aquinas, John of the Cross, Theresa of Avila, Jacob Boehme, to name a
few. That radiation does not die with
the body of the man. Guru Nanak
produced a string of Masters who affected countless numbers deeply in their
spiritual natures, just as the Prophet led to great Sufis like Hafiz, Rumi, and
Mansur. And of course we can name
Mahatma Gandhi to demonstrate further the development possible in men of God,
men whose live carry on the impulse that might have been first sent out
thousands of years ago by someone who took the time to rein his desires and
sought to promote harmony for mankind by first attaining it in himself. What can the
three billion persons do? What can we here do to achieve that harmony?
Certainly no more religions are needed.
We have quite enough religions, for all three billion have been reached
by those faiths as they seek to gain more adherents and converts. One step would be to delve more deeply into
the existing religions to find what universal truths lie there; another would
be to sit quietly and meditate in the closet of one’s body until the silence
becomes vocal. Great peace derives from
this practice; but someone who has achieved the mastery of it is required, by
the very nature of the difficulties involved, to teach us how to go within and
still our minds. Some sort of
quiet reliance upon God is definitely needed; but very few men are at all
conversant with God, even if they have tried.
Most don’t try, of course. They seek Him instead in outer ways, but they
only get further entangled and drawn out.
It becomes apparent that a strong quieting factor is needed. This paper has
arrived at three preliminary conclusions: 1) That
universal harmony must commence with personal inner harmony; 2) That
many great saints have not only achieved such a state, but have also radiated
this calm to their followers; and 3) That
in the present we must find someone who has the practical capacity to give us
the peace and harmony that he has attained. If men like
this are alive today and are not all hidden away in the jungles or the
Himalayas, but are accessible and can be met, then persons like us can find
them and sit at their feet. The effect is like a cobalt bomb, if you will
excuse the analogy; for the initial explosion of coming into contact with
radiant men of this kind will set off a chain reaction that will continue
indefinitely, because each one who receives the beautiful radiation of that
love will affect dozens, maybe hundreds. If for example 100,000 persons at this
conference were to discover a person or persons who could imbue them with love
and harmony, the chain reaction would not take long to reach three
billion. And we must remember that the
word “impossible” is found in the dictionary of fools. The Poison and
the Nectar Dr.Karan
Singh, Minister of Health & Family Planning, Republic of India, inaugurates
the fourth panel AFTER hundreds
of thousands of years of evolution on this planet, the human race has finally
reached a decisive crossroads in its destiny.
On the one hand, science and technology has given man power, if he uses
it wisely, to eliminate poverty and suffering and ignorance and disaster from
the face of the earth; on the other hand, the same science and technology, if
misused, will end up by eliminating not only the human race itself, but all
other life on this planet also. Many races previously have gone into oblivion;
but it was only they who went. They
left the rest of the earth behind. But
if man ever goes, he may well take with him all life on earth. He will leave nothing but a planet so
polluted and spoiled as to be totally uninhabitable. I think this is symbolic of the difference between the human race
and other creatures who have inhabited this planet. The special
capacity of man lies in his ability to transcend himself. All other creatures are bound within the
confines of their own evolution; but man is the first of his kind—a very
special creation on this planet. He has
the capacity to rise above himself and come in contact with what may be called
“spirit” or may be called “God.” Whatever name we call it, we have to be very
careful with words, particularly when speaking about religions. Certain words have certain meanings for a
particulars religion and when used by other religions, can be misunderstood. The basic
point I want to make is that the old is dying and the new is coming. There is no doubt about it. Old customs, old formalities, old ways of
expressing one’s thought, even old ways of behavior, have totally collapsed,
that is, died; and the new is struggling to be born. With the arising of this situation, we find ourselves in a very
precarious position. Now what is
the role that the great religions of the world are to play? They have played a marvelous role in human
history, resulting in great creativity and inspiring millions. On the other hand, it must also be
recognized that in the name of these very religions terrible atrocities and
cruelties have been committed by man upon man.
There has been much exploitation in the name of religion, and many
questions can be put as to whether religion in any way can help mankind to
overcome these present difficulties of this nuclear age. I think this is question to which we must
address ourselves, and the theme of this particular panel is extremely
important in this context—“Th Essential Unity of Religions.” Quite frankly, the
time has gone when religions fought with each other for the allegiance of
mankind. I think that is a thing of the
past. The position now is, whether religion as such is to have meaning, or
whether religion as it is has to disappear from the face of the earth. It is a question of trying to discover what
“essential unity” means. There are lots
of rituals and different interpretations, and each religion has its own
capacity to arouse response from its followers. But it seems to me that the essential unity of all religion seeks
to bring about in its followers a direct relationship between human and
Something that is superhuman or divine.
In other words, it is the capacity of man to transcend himself into the
divine that lies at the root of religion—what is called mysticism. Every religion
has stressed this point –the essentially indefinable relationship between man
and the divine. To my mind, it is this
fact—that it is essentially indefinable, it cannot be put into words—that is
important. I am reminded of a story
about a Zen Master and his disciple: the disciple was reporting to the Master,
and the Master realized that the disciple had had the experience before he
could say the words. So the Master went and banged the gong. The disciple said, “But Master, I have not
said a word.” The difficulty arises when we try to put into words that which is
essential; when we attempt an intellectual formation of an experience that is
beyond words. Because words are unable
to pin-point this indefinable, mystical relationship or experience which lies,
as I see it, at the root of all religions, whether it is Christianity or the
Sikh Gurus or the great Hindu mystics of the Vedas and Upanishads; there is
something that they are all talking about and it is the same thing. They may say it in different ways and in
different language, but nevertheless it is the same. I am not
saying that rituals and spiritual descriptions are not important; they have
their place. What would philosophers do
without them? But the real essence lies in this indefinable experience. Another thing
is that this experience is not incompatible with activity in the world. This is very important because there is a
tendency in some disciplines to, once this experience is attained, try and
withdraw from active involvement in life.
But this is the basic point made in the Gita: “At the same time
involvement and yet detachment”—it is the comprehending of both, the way of
Krishna and the way of Buddha. Both
have got to be comprehended, but they must be put into a single experience if a
person is to make any sense whatever of the human predicament. So today there
is a need for churning the ocean of consciousness, as in the ancient myth. But remember that before the nectar comes
the poison. If you recall the myth of
the churning of the ocean, you will remember that the nectar came after
dreadful poison in the great mouth of Shiva.
That day immortality came to man.
So today the ocean of consciousness is being churned. The poison has now
got to be integrated within human consciousness if we are to break through into
a new level of consciousness, a new awareness of the tremendous potentiality of
man. Therefore it seems to me that what
a conference of this type should address itself to is the task of refocusing
the attention of the human race upon this indefinable quality of transcendence
and, at the same time, commitment. If
you are able to do this, I think you will be able meet the tremendous
challenges that face us. Thank you. Foundations of
Religious Unity Russell
Perkins, the Editor of Sat Sandesh, discusses concepts common to all religions DEAR
FRIENDS: Some of the most pleasurable
moments of my life have been spent studying the scriptures and traditions of
all religions. Though I am a Christian
by birth and bringing up and I love the Bible dearly, I have also love studying
the lives and teachings of Milarepa, Ramakrishna, St. Francis of Assisi, Guru
Nanak, Kabir, and many others too. And
there are certain things that do run through all of their teachings, even
though there are outer differences; if it weren’t so, I don’t think it would be
possible to read the writing and lives of all of them and get the same degree
of inspiration. There is one
thing that is found in every religion and is basic to the religious way of
looking at the universe; and that is, coming to grip with the fact of
death. Everyone dies; and yet life as
it is set up in the world is predicated on the assumption that we will never
die. People work, take on connections,
and treat each other as though they were going to live forever. And if we look into our own actions and ways
of life we will find that this is so. Jesus told a
story about a farmer whose harvest was in, and he was content within himself
and very happy; and God came to him and said, “Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee.” So suddenly all that he had done became irrelevant;
it just didn’t matter any more. If we
go into the lives of these great saints and prophets, we find that what they
did and said was relevant to the fact of death. After all, the only thing that happens to everyone without
exception is death; it seems that any way of looking at life, or any school of
thought, that doesn’t take death into consideration is silly. So that’s one
thing that we find in every religion.
The other thing is this.
Everybody knows that when Jesus was asked what the two great
commandments were, he said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart and soul and mind; and the second is like into it, Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.” But what a lot of people don’t know is that Jesus didn’t
invent those commandments; they are found in the law of Moses, who gave them
out 1500 years before Christ. So when
Christ gave out those commandments as the essence of his own teaching he was
showing in a very beautiful way the continuity of God’s revelation. A little later
Peter and James and John witnessed Jesus’ transfigured, he wasn’t alone—Moses
and Elijah were with him. You see? Two great saints who had come before. And so, even though Jesus was manifesting
the greatness of God working through his at that point, he was also showing
that he was not doing anything new; that those who had come before were with
him. In the same
way, when the Koran was revealed through the Prophet Mohammed, explicit
references were made many times to Moses, Jesus, Abraham, and many others who
came before him. And when Guru Arjan
compiled the Adi Granth, the scriptures of the Sikhs, he not only included the
teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors, he also collected the writings of
Sheikh Bikhan, who were Muslims, as well as those of Ravidas, Ramananda,
Namdev, etc., who were Hindus. And if
he had known any Christian saints, he would have included them too. Closer to our
own time is the life of Ramakrishna, who demonstrated very dramatically the
essential unity of religions by becoming, actually becoming, both a Christian
and a Muslim at different times, as well as being a Hindu. And everyone knows Mahatma Gandhi in his
prayer meetings used to have read out the teachings of all traditions. The point is
that each of these great men has demonstrated graphically that he was not doing
anything new, that the people who came before him are those from whom he
derived what he had. So all religions
must be respected; as the great Buddhist Emperor, Ashoka, said, “He who reveres
his own sect and despises the sects of
others has failed to grasp the basic truth of religion.” How much trouble, even
in the world today, is due to just this: the inability to grasp that God
reveals Himself to different people in different ways. The way we think He comes is not necessarily
the only way or the best way; it may be the best way for us. As Frederick the Great said, “In my state
each man is free to be saved after his won fashion.” The content of
this continuing revelations, as we have noted, is the necessity of loving God
and loving man. This is a conference
devoted to the idea of the unity of man, and I think that this unity is
oneness—not a collecting together, but
a looking deeply and seeing that we are one.
In the parade yesterday we were all shouting, “All mankind is one.” And
this is the point: the commandments, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,”
can be lived up to when we see that our neighbor is ourself. When we hurt others we are hurting ourself;
when we serve others we are serving ourself.
The Sermon on the Mount can be understood only when this is grasped, and
the great Christian saints have understood this. I have gone into the lives of St.Francis, St.Anthony,
St. Theresa, St. Ignatius, and
they did understand this; but so can we understand it. And it’s not
even a matter of understanding in any abstract way. Our neighbor is not all humanity spread out enmase; our neighbor
is whoever we meet each day. If we are married and have a family, our neighbor
is, to start with, our family; and who do we take for granted more? Whether we
are married or not, our neighbor is anyone we meet at the moment we meet him,
even if we don’t like him. Liking has
nothing to do with it. We love him for
his essence, for what he is. The point
of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that the Samaritans were despised by
the Jews of that day; they were what we would call a minority group. So loving God
and our neighbor is something for each minute of the day; not just once a week
on Sundays, or Fridays or Saturdays, or whenever we go to the temple. It is
something to be done once each second, I would say.
Because it’s important that we never lose sight of the fact that we must
respect and love each man’s way of being- his essential “is-ness”; as it is
said, “There is a divine purpose behind the life of everyone who comes into the
world; no one has been created for nothing. We have something to learn from everyone.
This is the mystery of humility.” Thank you. Toward the
unity of Conscience Dr. Angelo
Fernandes, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Delhi, outlines the steps IF YOU take
the religious experience of man down the centuries, the different aspects of
facets that figure in all of them constitute doctrines, myths, historical
events, ethical teachings, rituals, social institutions, and religious
experience of various kinds…. If you have rituals without personal impact, that
is disastrous, But it is ritualism that unfortunately seems to be unduly
prominent in the world today; and that is not good enough. Spirituality is not
some of this some of that; it should be all, it should be a wholeness. A truly
spiritual person is not just one who is given to spiritual exercises or who has
opted out of society for prayer or contemplation, or one who pursues the path
of austerity, or is solely committed to ethical or moral enterprises or social
work and social service. Here too there
must be a harmony, for the person is concerned at three levels—physiological,
super-natural; all these come into play.
Since we are here in a spiritual conference, we can say that holiness is
this wholeness of life, and it must be seen and put into effect with regard to
all aspects of religion described above—we can’t pick and choose. Man must grow; we are here, and our only
business is to help each other to grow.
I am saying these things in the hope, under God, that they may help us
to grow. Man must grow simultaneously
in his mastery over himself, the closeness of his relationship with God our
Father, and in love and service to his neighbor. A spiritual person is a whole person; such a person enjoys and
grows in fellowship with God and man in a positive, active, dynamic,
ever-in-creasing way. This is more than just not doing wrong, or any sin, or
any harm against one’s neighbor—that’s negative—and that’s why this world is in
a sorry mess: there are far too many people today, so-called good people, who
sit on the fence and watch the world go by; they want other people to pull the
chestnuts out of the fire. And they say
to themselves, and perhaps to the world, “I mind my own business”—as if we were
not all concerned about each other. A
correct attitude seems to be to call for an open, expansive, “love in joyful
service” attitude, which is at once the recipe for happiness and the best
contribution to society. What is
fellowship? It can stem from religion understood in this broad perspective, and
from man understood in his quest for wholeness of life. True fellowship should derive from the
wholeness of approach taken in both these ways. The world is very rich; it is we who have been very poor in our
attitudes to the existing riches; we who have been limited in our grasp,
appreciation, and understanding of the problems facing us. The second
part of this approach is collaboration between all living faiths—all together
working to bring about these possibilities: the possibility of wholeness life
for each individual—as a whole man, and as man on his way to God—for all men
everywhere. We should be committed to
such an approach of fellowship; only then could we say we are really spiritual
people, otherwise we are not. The second
point is to focus all this on man. If
you want to apply this, notice that down the centuries there has been a common
belief in all religions that there was a golden age when men lived in peace and
innocence; and then something happened that disrupted this blissful existence
and ever since man has lived in misery and turmoil. The fact is that greed,
selfishness and stupidity continue to plague the dealings of men with each
other at all levels of life. And religion today, if it is to be relevant to the
young people groping and questing for meaning—if what we are all here talking
about is to be relevant, then this multi-dimensional experience of God must
relate to God’s children everywhere. We
can’t limit it to a purely individualistic approach; we cannot just be
concerned about ourselves. We can’t
pretend to be having a loving experience of God Who is the Father of all, and
ignore any single person who goes by the name of man. And now I want
to ask you to pause a while and ask yourselves: What are we doing to each other in the world of today? No man
is an island. In an interdependent
world, it is a common good of all men that must be part of the quest—if we are
wedded to any religion whatsoever.
Material progress today has outstripped the mind, and threatens to do so
even more. It is time the spirit caught
up with the race, to give the much-needed soul to society and the world and
this whole entire enterprise in which we are engaged. Such a goal, which must always have this in mind—wholeness of
life, for each and all –is a consummation devoutly to be wished. There are many
obstacles to be met with, and they must be faced. But when the world is burning and rotting to pieces, how can we
who profess a religion and an experience of God—how can we sit on the sidelines
and watch? Isn’t it for all to enter
the fray?—in whatever way they can, to contribute their insights, their vision,
their dynamism, their motivation, whatever they have, in the service of God’s
children as a religious experience? Stemming from the personal
intercommunion which they have with God Himself? Religion—our
experience of God and our dealings with each other—has to be situated in the
reality of today’s world. We cannot
afford to bypass the legitimate hopes and aspirations and strivings of the
working class, for instance; their aspirations to equality and to responsible
participation in the economic and cultural fields and in political
activity. You may wonder how I am
deliberately straying into these fields. Man and his life are intertwined with
all these activities; and if we want wholeness of life for each man, and all
men, and wholeness of life in our approach to God, then we have to touch all
these. But: with a breath of the
spirit. In India, the
U.S., and Europe today we have secular states – naturally so--- where no
premium is put on any religion and all are free to worship in their own way and
follow their own paths. In India, our constitution guarantees your freedom to
practice, preach and propagate, within the limits of law and order, your own
religious convictions and faiths. The United Nations is also a secular
organization. But isn’t it sad that in this whole process of the modern,
secular world, which is trying to create some sort of cooperation and
brotherhood, striving after peace in a variety of ways--- isn’t is sad that
religious motivation is not in the picture? Isn’t it sad and isn’t it almost
futile for people to think that this development in its true sense--- wholeness
of life for each and all --- can be had without bringing in the insights, the
values, the vision, the strength, the force, which comes from religion in one
way or another? The harnessing, therefore, of religious motivation for the
process of development, brotherhood and peace, is one of our big challenges in
the world today: not just that we personally relate well with God, ourselves,
and each other, but that we reach out in ever-widening circles to bring people
of all faiths together in this fashion. What is the
quality of life today? Who has this wholeness? Three-fourths of humanity can’t
have it because they lack the simple preconditions for human existence. And
those who have too much, they cannot be said to have wholeness of life; they
have to be cut down to size in order to have wholeness of life. Why can’t our
relations one with another in the world of today be so organized, be so
inspired, that all can grow in this fashion? That’s God’s plan. When two
people get married in a church, there are two places where the couple kneels
down; but notice--- they are not facing each other. Though they are going to take
each other for man and wife and live with each other for the rest of their
days, the two kneelers are facing the altar, God, and the future. In that I see
a method of approach: that we can work together and learn to appreciate and
understand each other and go from tolerance, which is only a beginning, to
respect and reverence for each other--- to fellowship in the full sense. And
it’s through living and working that this happens; not just by talking about
it. So as a practical measure, I would like to suggest that this is the kind of
thing that could be done everywhere. T think the task is the creation of unity of conscience. Nations are made up
of human beings, and the real task is to build brotherhood, harmony, concord,
peace, into their minds. The independent
investigation of Truth will lead to this: the acceptance of the oneness of
humanity; the conviction that all men are brothers and that they must work
together--- for the full human rights name of man. Universal brotherhood and
peace is of great importance, but to achieve this we need a unity of
conscience, which means the abandonment of all prejudices which divide men into
hostile sects, groups, etc. And a unity of conscience must be created and
deepened around the basic convictions shared by all living faiths. Where will the
force come from to bring this about? From a deeper interiority which will make
each of us full harmonized human beings. Signs ourselves, and symbols of that
wholeness of life which we want for others, and the dynamic, corporate quest
for which is what I call Peace --- Shalom. The distinctively human part
of us--- our freedom in the spirit--- must be given full play; only so will we
be able to transcend our limitations and become Peace ourselves. If
experiencing God in this fashion, the mystic element of religion referred to
just now--- if experiencing God in the intimacy of the heart (in true Bhakt )---
if this became the experience of men everywhere, then they would live in
harmony with themselves and with those around them, and bridges of
understanding and brotherhood would be built at the grass roots level. And
therein lies man’s greatest hope for brotherhood and peace in the world. The Search for
Harmony Pir Vilayat
Inayat Khan President,
International Order of Sufis THE REVERED
Sant Kirpal Singh Maharaj Ji, the revered Fuji Guru, Your Holinesses,
Excellencies, and Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have not come here simply to demonstrate a wish for peace but we have
also come in order to find a way of overcoming all the obstacle to peace. There are people even today who are living
in terror in a condition of oppression terrified by those who have power over
them. There are people who are ruling the
lives of people and there is tremendous conflict in the lives of people—even in
families between husbands and wives or father and children—or in all realms of
life. Where ever you look there are
conflicts. There are conflicts within
the mind of a person too. What are the
obstacles? How can we remove them? We
must understand that everyone is pressing forward; there are conflicts between
the interests of human beings. Just
like in a crowd, everyone tries to push the other to get forward. Now there has to try to be come kind of
composition between the wills of people.
And it takes a higher consciousness to accept another person as good as
oneself. It is a matter of respect for
the dignity of the human person. We
have to find a way of composing the different forces that are conflicting in
the world. War is not the only scourge that is to be found deeply rooted in the
hearts of men. This can only be done by
accepting this law which has been promoted by the religious people of all
different denominations and which may be expressed in that Hindu word vairagya,
detachment. I think that we have to
learn how to be in the world and yet not of the world. We have to learn how to apply the rules
of the Sanyasin, but in life. We are now living in a time when these greater
values are beginning to break through with tremendous force. This is the meaning of the birth of the new
age that we are attending now. A
conference like this wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago. It is the expression of the desires of those
selves of humanity as a whole that want to compose together, want to find a way
of harmony, want to find a way of understanding. This can only be done by extending tolerance to the
intolerant. It is easy to tolerate the
tolerant but the great challenge is to be able to tolerate the intolerant, and
even with those who oppose you, find a way—a way of dignity—in which you can
assert your right and at the same time respect their right. There is a way of doing it, and in the
course of the panels we are going to study the different draft resolutions
whereby we hope to be able to implement the desire of this steaming mass of
humanity which is a small fraction representing perhaps the whole of
humanity…Thank you To Heal the
Mind Acharya Sri Tulsi Ji Jain Leader;
Sponsor, Anuvart Movement SANT KIRPAL
SINGH JI, distinguished people assembled here, and friends: I am really glad to
be here on this platform where we talk of peace. We must take note that we are discussing the problem of peace on
a platform of religions; we must find out whether religion has got the power to
establish peace in the world. If
religion is devoid of two important principles—sacrifice and self-control
–it will not be able to deliver the goods.
Because we find that even though people cry out that they are religious,
they are religious only as far as their individual circumstances permit. But in society we do not find the essence of
religions. People talk about these things
when they speak on platforms, but even then they are interested only in their
selfish gains. I feel the
mass mind is sick nowadays. It is on account of this sickness of man’s mind
that the whole thing is going in the reverse direction: Where man is
individual, he must become social, and where man is social he must become
individual. That is the difficulty
now. Therefore the necessity today is
that the religious Gurus must come
forward and correct the mind. This
sickness cannot be remedied by ordinary doctors and hospitals; it can be remedied
by the Gurus assembled here. I have
been to a medical college and addressed a hall filled with doctors, and I told
them, “My dear friends, I have come here as a doctor before you.” All of them
were wondering how this man with a bandage on his mouth could be a doctor! But
I told them that doctors are of two kinds:
those who treat the body and those who treat the mind. And today it is very essential to treat the
mind. It is very essential. I have come
here with a mission, Anuvart, which aims at cleaning and purifying the
mind. Before telling you about Anuvart,
I would like to share a few words with you.
The religious heads of today must come forward and set an example of
sacrifice; it is the only thing that will impress anybody today. Religious
heads may or may not be distinguished by the bandages on their mouths or any other
forms of external dress, but they must be distinguished by their
sacrifice. Lord Mahavira Declared long
ago that a head of a religious order must leave two things: one is the sense of
“I”—the ego—and the other is the feeling that everything is mine—the feeling of
selfishness. It is only this kind of
religious leader who can bring world peace today; and I would like to tell you
exactly what “peace means. There are two
important points: the first is love,
and the second is detachment. If we
would develop these two aspects, then the oceans between man and man would
disappear. The selfishness of man is
due to the love that is in him completely drying up. When we become detached
from things, we will be able to establish world peace because we will not be
able to see the difference between man and man. But in our selfishness we sometimes go to extremes, as with the
man who began to cut down the trees in his garden. His neighbor asked him why, and he said, “They are my tress, but
the shade was falling on your house; why should my tress give shade to you?
That is why I am cutting these trees.” This is the climax of selfishness; but
this is what is happening today in this world.
So we must try to develop a sense of love and a sense of
non-attachment—non-possessions—in order to bring about this peace and this
unity. Ruhani Satsang
and the Anuvart movement are working together for the establishment of
this order and I’m sure our experience and our trial will certainly bear fruit.
Anuvart simply means that the power which is in the minds of human
beings must be developed in such a way that we realize the other aspect of
life. Lord Mahavira declared that it is
not possible for everyone to become a sanyasin; if religion is to be useful and
bear fruit for all people it must be as simple as possible, so that it can be
adopted by the whole world. Anuvart
means through small works, we develop ourselves. Anuvart says, don’t consider anyone to be inferior; rise above
color, creed, race, religion, country, and work for all human kind. If you really want to transform mankind into
good people, you must be really a man; your habits of eating, drinking, and
behavior must be good. That is what
Anuvart emphasizes at the outset. When I was
speaking with Sant Ji the other day, he told me that only after people leave
meat eating, smoking, and other things, are they given initiation. So I told him that he was doing my own
work. Without any effort on my part I
am getting ready-made Anuvarts here in Sawan Ashram! Our religious
books have declared that a man may conquer ten lakhs of people, yet may not be
able to conquer himself; but he who conquers his ownself, he is the
conqueror. That is what Mahavira said,
and I am repeating it to you now. The
man who has conquered thousands, he is not the conqueror; that man is the
conqueror who has conquered himself. I will tell
you a small story from Rajasthan and control my speech here. A friend was living in a jungle in the garb
of a sadhu. You will be amazed when I
way that even some sadhus and sanyasins smoke.
Some smoke this thing, some another, and they say, “This gives me
peace!” If people think they get peace from intoxicating drugs, I think they
are deceiving themselves. So this sadhu
put fire in his pipe and was smoking.
He thought, “I am going to the village to beg my food; if my fire goes
out I won’t be able to get more.” So he hid the fire in his hut and went to the
villages. Unfortunately his hut was
made of dry grass, and it caught on fire; and the fire spread to other houses
nearby and came close to the village.
People ran helter skelter getting water, and after quenching the fire
they asked what had happened. At this
time the sadhu was retuning, and he was asked, how is it that so much fire has
been created here? Immediately he said.
“Oh my dear friends, I has only a small fire here; I am not responsible for
this big fire!” They asked him where he kept that small fire, and he said, “I
kept it under the haystack!” I want to impress by this story that even the small
mistake that we make is causing great and terrible results elsewhere;
therefore, we must be able to keep ourselves under control. I congratulate
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji for all his endeavors to establish world peace. Let us pray that it shall be established. And let us also take a Sankalpa, that
is, a dedicated vow that we will not do anything to obstruct world peace. With
that Sankalpa I conclude here. THE OPEN
SESSION February 5,
1974 Toward the New
Age: The Challenge
and the Opportunity Mrs. Indira
Gandhi Prime Minister
of India SINCE WE have
many friends from outside the country, I would like to say just a few words in
English. It was a very good idea of
Sant Ji to call this conference of all religions. As I said in Hindi just now, one
of the books that had a profound influence on me when I was quite small was
called The essential Unity of All Religions, I saw from it how in
fundamental thought, in the encouragement of an atmosphere of love, of harmony,
of cooperation, of helping others, all religions had a deep message to
give. We in India have for many years
tried to practice these ideas, but being human beings we are full of failings
and we do not always live up to our ideals.
We were also taught that, just as the rain falls in many parts of the
earth and ultimately most of it finds its way to the ocean, in the same way,
whatever path we find of worship, If we do it in the right way, if we do it
with sincerity, ultimately it leads to truth and to a greater understanding of
the world and of ourselves, and gives us in inner strength with which to met
the challenges of life. There has
always been materialism and evil in the world, but along with that, there have
also always been forces which have tried to combat them, which have tried to
forge a path of peace and harmony.
Today perhaps we need this more than ever before, not because man is
worse, but because he has more power to do bad things. And we see that this power, which could have
gone such a long way in relieving the sufferings of the many people who have
been deprived, underprivileged and oppressed through the ages, is used for
warlike efforts, for threats, and for creating disharmony rather than
cooperation. So conferences
like this, with different trends of thought and philosophies coming together,
may find a way which can inspire people today to give of their greater
knowledge, their greater capacity, their greater power to forge a new path for
mankind. Many people have written that
1973 was the end of an age. We do not
know what the new age will be like, but it will be different. In what way it will be different lies in the
hands of all of us, especially the young people—because it is they who will
make this new age. It depends on them
whether they want to follow the path of peace and develop the capacity to
create harmony, to create better understanding out of the ancient truths. A remarkable thing about these truths is,
that although they are ancient, you will find that they apply to modern life—in
the context of what is happening today, they are relevant; they give the
answers we need. But unfortunately the
world doesn’t seem to have time to think, to study these things, to find out
their deeper meaning; time to let them act and to take real strength from them. Whatever this
new age will be, it will be an age of man—of the common man—and therefore
whatever thoughts, whatever worship, whatever direction can strengthen man—and
by strength I do not mean the strength of weapons, but the real strength which
lies within each one of us will enable us to use this power wisely and make the
world a better world, and make us better human beings. So the
challenge which faces humanity today is greater perhaps than any challenge it
has faced before. But along with the challenge is the opportunity. Never have we had such an opportunity for
molding a new way of life, because with better communications, as was said just
now, distance is not a barrier. The
seas, which we thought divided one continent from another, are like bridges
which join the continents together. The
mass media also fives the opportunity of bringing different thoughts to
different parts, of creating a better understanding between peoples, and only
out of understanding can grow friendship.
Out of friendship can grow cooperation, and out of cooperation can come
peace for the individual, for the group, for the nation, and we hope for the
world as a whole, so that we can go towards what many people have dreamed—the
concept of one world. In our philosophy
it has often been said in many different words that all of the human family is
one, but before it was just a very distant ideal; people regarded the human
family perhaps as only those people who lived around them, because they
couldn’t see any farther, they were not in touch with others. But today we have the opportunity of being
in touch with people no matter how far away they live – not only through words,
but through bridges of understanding, of thoughts, of concepts – and we should
use this opportunity for strengthening the forces of peace and understanding. We are talking
here of harmony, of peace, of the oneness of man; but I am very sad that in my
own country there is a great deal of disharmony. There are forces of violence—forces which want to exploit the difficulties
between people. Sometimes we quarrel
over religion, sometimes over caste, or language, or we quarrel over some small
dispute between one state and another; and the net result is not the spirit of
peace and harmony, but the spirit of disharmony and the spirit of
discontent. We are facing very great
difficulties, but the question is, how do we combat them? How do we get the
strength to meet them and to find a way out? It cannot be through disharmony. We are
naturally very sad when people die through these violence’s, whether it is
because of those who themselves do violence or those who try to prevent them;
and our full sympathy is with the families of the bereaved, with those who have
suffered in other ways. But when we look back after some time we find that
these kinds of eruptions do not achieve what we want. They achieve only
disharmony and encourage what is not good in man (because each of us has the good and the bad). It is up to us
which part we encourage, we allow to come out. And this TI think is the message
this Conference can give to India, which needs it just as much as the rest of
the world. So all of you
here--- some have traveled long distances, but the distance we have to travel
in the spirit is much longer than any distance which you can cover by ship or
by plane or by train, and if we can go
in the girth direction, lift up our spirits for right action, then I think all
of us together can contribute to the making of a better world. I think that
this Conference has served a very valuable part; all these steps are not big
steps, they are small steps; but any journey however long is completed by the
steps one takes toward the goal. So I think that Sant Ji and all those who have
cooperated with him in this great venture are to be congratulated and we seek
their blessings in our work; and to all of you who have come I give my good
wishes. Thank you. Response to
Mrs. Gandhi Reno H.
Sirrine WORTHY PRIME
MINISTER, Master Kirpal Singh, all of you religious leaders: It has been my privilege
to be chosen to thank the Prime Minister for attending, and to thank all of you
for attending; especially the religious leaders of India who have made this
Conference possible. The Prime Minister
mentioned that this was the age of the common man, and I am sure that this
includes all of us without exception. Most of us
came to India because India is the mother country of individual religious
accomplishment. I came here because I
wan to walk without feet, I want to fly without wings, I want to see without
eyes, and I want to hear without ears. If I am able to accomplish any one of
these four things, I will have developed spiritually as an individual. And this is our job: to individually develop
ourselves so that we become workers for world peace, for religious unity; so
that we can relate to each other man to man and understand each other. This great challenge is even greater than
the physical challenges that we see around us day by day. I again want
to thank every one for attending, and all of the holy men for making this
possible. I wondered yesterday if all
of us were to just mediate for a second, and these men were to lift us up, what
a tremendous surge of spiritual energy that would give to all of us. So as I walk back to my seat, would you, instead
of applauding, thank God for the privilege of being a human being, and thank
God for the privilege of being here in this wonderful country, where we have an
opportunity to really get to know ourselves and our Creator. THE CONCLUDING
SESSION February 6,
1974 The Sources of
Tension Sr Swaran
Singh Minister of
External Affairs Republic of
India I HAVE SO FAR,
dear friends, tried to explain that the Unity of Man is a theme about which
there cannot be any difference of opinion.
But in spite of that, the very fact that a conference of this nature had
to be organized does point to the harsh reality that the type of unity which is
the objective before this gathering does not prevail today. Whereas at the religious level one could say
that the tensions between man and man which somehow gripped humanity during the
centuries prior to the twentieth century have by and large subsided—there may
be occasional outbursts, but on the whole, religion does not appear today to be
the divisive force between man and man—still there are other forces which are
the source of tension, and unless these are conquered and overcome, the
objective which is before this gathering under the auspices of His Holiness
Sant Kirpal Singh cannot be realized. What are those
matters? The basic thing is that as long as exploitation by any individual or
group of individuals of other individuals or groups of individuals exists,
there cannot be any real unity between man and man. This exploitation can take many forms, but basically if an
individual is deprived of that to which he is entitles—whether it is his wage
for the work he actually performs, or whether it is his right to the
utilization of the advantages of science and technology, or of natural
resources—and these are exploited by others to the detriment of those to whom
they belong, this exploitation will continue to be a source of tension. There is one
other very serious source of tension between man and man, and this is what
could be described as domination of certain racial groups over other racial
groups. So long as this continues, and
people are divided on the basis of the color of their skin, the real unity
between man and man cannot be there. So we have
therefore to conquer these aspects and recapture the spirit which will unite
us. Today, when science and technology
is so developed that we can produce enough food, enough clothing, enough good
to go around and serve the entire universe, there is no excuse for the continuance
of affluent classes which have goods and services far more than their
legitimate requirements, while on the other hand there are millions and
millions of people who are still suffering under grinding poverty. This difference between the affluent society
and the poor sections of the community in different parts of the world is
another divisive force, and the spiritual leaders, most of whom are present
here, should give this matter their earnest thought. I would like
to end by saying that to achieve Unity of Man, it is necessary that these big
differences must cease. Poverty is
indivisible; so is affluence. Freedom
is indivisible: if there is any part of
the world which remains under subjugation, there cannot be unity of man. And I would plea that apart from the
spiritual field, where it is very necessary to stress the unity of man, it is
also necessary that in these fields the exploitation should end. The continuance of racism, the continuance
of the division between the affluent and the poor, the continuance of the
exploitation of economic resources, as well as intellectual exploitation by
pretending that any group or people can be superior to others—these are the
factors which should receive earnest attention, and I hope that this gathering
will carry the message that this exploitative state of affairs should end so
that the real spirit of unity—for which the Torch Bearer is this great General
(Sant Kirpal Singh) who in spite of his years is trying to kindle the flame and
spread it all the world over—should, with his prayer and his persuasion, bear
fruit. With these
words I am very happy to participate in this gathering. Thank you very much. Summing Up A Resume of
Conference Activities A. J.
Srivastava Mr.
Srivastava, an electronics engineer, retired civil servant, and patron of the
arts, served as a secretary of the Conference and was one of its principal
architects. REVERED SANT
KIRPAL SINGH JI, Honorable Sri Swaran Singh Ji, Venerable Messengers of Faith,
Delegates to the Conference, Ladies and Gentlemen: I have been requested by the
President of the Conference to give you a short resume of the work that has
been done at the Conference. Before
doing so, I should like to thank you for coming here this evening to attend
this concluding session, notwithstanding your other pre-occupations. Your attendance in such large numbers is
indicative of the awareness aroused in the ordinary man of the problems
standing in the way of world peace and unity today. It suggests that he is determined to do something about it, and
lends hope of ultimate success. ATTENDANCE. Over 400 delegates from all parts of the
world, covering all six continents, and 2,000 from all over India have
participated in the deliberations.
Attendance at the public sessions averaged 50,000. ESSAY
CONTEST. With a view to arousing
consciousness among the youth of the world, essays on Unity of Man were invited
in English, French, Hindi, and Urdu, either in prose or poetry. About 300 essays were received. The standard attained was high, and many
papers were thought provoking. The
results of the contest are: FIRST PRIZE:
Sri J. J. Karam, New Delhi, for his
essay written in English prose. The
writer has attempted to analyze the various problems from different
angles. SECOND
PRIZE: Dr. Johd Haywood Lovelace, San
Jose, U. S. A., for an excellent poem in English which is very moving. THIRD PRIZE:
Kumari Saroj Kumari, Delhi, for her very comprehensive and thought-provoking
essay in Hindi prose. Two consolation
prizes have also been awarded, one for the best essay in Urdu prose and the
other for another good essay in English prose. PROCESSION:
More than 100,000 people of different ages marched in a processions, led by the
Deputy Mayor of Delhi, from Gandhi Grounds via Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Darya
Ganj abd Asaf Ali Road to the Ramlila Grounds to mark the opening of the
Conference. The enthusiasm and
discipline of these soldiers of peace and unity was commendable; it was
unbelievable that the very idea of Unity of Man could evoke such an
enthusiastic and tremendous response from the man on the street. Such conferences, organized at the level of
man, in other parts of the world would also surely help awaken public opinion
to the need for ONE WORLD consciousness. PANEL
CONFERENCES: They highlighted not only
the feasibility but also the desirability of different religions working
together to promote Unity of Man.
Deliberations were held at some length on various problems besetting
this unity, shedding light on the ills of the age. What has emerged from those discussions, in which numerous
learned speakers presented their views and suggested solutions, has been
incorporated in the four Resolutions which I shall read presently. Before I
conclude I would like to pay tribute to Sant Kirpal Singh Ji who saw the need
of the time and conceived the idea of convening the Conference. I should also
like to place on record the tremendous work done by the large number of
devotees who have for a few weeks been working almost round the clock at great
personal inconvenience in conditions which were far from ideals. They certainly deserve to be congratulated
for the measure of success which this Conference has achieved; it would not
have been possible were it not for the hard work and cooperation which they
gave so unstintingly. Mr. Srivastava
then read the Resolutions, formulated by the Subjects Committee, in response to
recommendations from the panel conferences, as follows: The
Resolutions RESOLUTION
NO.1 The World
Conference on Unity of Man noted with gratification the tremendous response of
the common man in all parts of the world to the call for unity. Recognizing
the demand for peace and unity, the
Conference concluded that today there is dire and urgent need to promote in
thought, word, and deed the eternal values of love, non-violence, truth,
tolerance, and selfless service of humanity in the heart of men. The Conference
looks for guidance to holy men to help free mankind from fear and ignorance and
transform modern man into a whole man who is at peace with himself and with
those around him. The Conference
concluded that all religions are in essence one, and that their main purpose is
to lead mankind on the path of love an selfless service. RESOLUTION
NO.2 Whereas the
World Conference on Unity of Man convened by Sant Kirpal Singh Maharaj Ji in
February 1974, composed of representative religious and political leaders of
India and abroad, demonstrated the overwhelming public appeal for world unity, the need was felt to devise practical means
of implementing this wish, which the Conference believes is one felt throughout
the masses of mankind in our time. IT WAS
RESOLVED: 1. That
the World Conference on Unity of Man should awaken public opinion to the need
for One World Consciousness. 2. That
the World Conference on Unity of Man Expressed the wish to apply to the United
Nations and UNESCO for accreditation as an official agency at a future stage. 3. That
the World Conference on Unity of Man should establish connections with all
organizations having kindred aims throughout the world for the purpose of
achieving a better coordination of activities. 4. That
the World Conference on Unity of Man should delegate regional and national
representative in various countries to organize similar meetings with a view to
shedding light upon the common denominator between all faiths. 5. That
such representatives as afore-said should request elected representative to appeal
in their respective legislatures for the promotion of an unbiased study of
comparative religion in school and adult education. 6. That
the World Conference on Unity of Man should invite religious leaders and
teachers of mediation to compare their methods and encourage mass encounters
including the disciples of several leaders. RESOLUTION
NO.3 The world
Conference on Unity of Man resolved that UNESCO be addressed to encourage among
world youth fuller understanding of the common ethical roots of all faiths
through organized, nation-wide study of each other’s religions, and to
appreciate their contributions to the prevailing moral basis of mankind; and
secondly to encourage the same through the audio-visual systems of mass media
available commonly to people. RESOLUTION
NO.4 The World
Conference on Unity of Man records its firm conviction that mankind as part of
the universe is essentially one, and that the well-being or ill-being of one
individual affects all humanity. The Conference
records its conviction that spiritual awakening with love as its basis is the
foundation of the Unity of Man. The
President’s Concluding Remarks Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji After
beginning his remarks in Hindi, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji then spoke in English as
follows: SO, DEAR BROTHER
AND SISTER Who have come from abroad, I submit that in these four days we have
been very productive; all of us have laid our heads together and come to some
conclusions. After all, what are these
conflicts and schisms going on in each country? The fact is that unity already exists—we have forgotten it. What is that unity? The right understanding that all men are
born in the same way with the same privileges from God and the same
construction outside and inside. As man
we are all one—no high, no low. We were
first man; then the tongue became Christian or Hindu or Mohammedan or this or
that thing by wearing all those labels.
But that is not all; further, we are one at the level of that conscious
entity which is administering this factory of the human body. So we are conscious beings and God is all
conscious. Some Power is
controlling us in the body, which works as long as we are in it; we live in
this world only for a certain time, until that Power which is controlling us
leaves. That Power is God into
expression, and is called Word, Naam, Shabd, Kalma. So that God
Power Whom we have to find, and he who has to do the finding, both live in the
temple of the human body. But out
attention, which is the outward expression of our soul, is identified with the
world outside so much so that we have forgotten ourselves. So we have to just know ourselves, by with
drawing our attention from all outside and from the body below. When we know ourselves, we are able to know
the Overself Who is controlling us in
the human body. So
please—there is no need of changing your religions or social bodies, but it is
most necessary that you follow the teachings of those religions, that is
all. And those are? God resides in every heart. All is holy where devotion Kneels. And, He resides in every heart whether the
labels are this way or that way. So for this
purpose we come to some Resolutions. I
hope all these were repeated to you, read by my brother or friend. I take it
that they appeal to you. If so, I think
each one of you can raise some finger in assent. Raise your hand up if your all agree. (Every hand went up from
the assembled delegates.) It is for your good and the good of all humanity. So I thank you
for your coming from far off and taking so much trouble. You have taken time from your busy hours,
also spent so much money. Those who
have come from India, we are thankful; but those who have come from abroad and
spent thousands of dollars, they deserve more thankfulness. So I convey my thanks to each one of you,
whether you have gathered here from here or from abroad. Today is the last day of these
sessions. I hope you will carry this
very thing practically in your lives.
God bless you all. |