Simple living and higher thinking ought to govern our life in this world. Peace is the aspiration of all generations of humanity, regardless of culture, religion or political persuasion. Peace is the common desire of all. Thus give help, understanding and forgiveness whilst fulfilling all of life’s tasks and duties. Treat others as you wish to be treated and awaken universal love. Tolerance, love and respect are the universal powers that will unite all of humanity. We have only two days, yesterday and today. No body has ever seen tomorrow. With hindsight we must learn from our mistakes of yesterday and with that knowledge, act appropriately today.

We stand at a time in the world’s history when humankind must reaffirm its commitment to a global culture of peace. As peoples of different nations, cultures and religions, we should be more than just a witness to global events. Rather we should be an active, driving force to create a more peaceful, just and sustainable world - a world where global ethics prevail without national, religious or ideological borders.

In the words of the United Nations Charter we must “reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small...to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and unite our strength to maintain international peace…”

Today, it is not only the scourge of war that impacts the lives of millions of innocent beings. There are other tremendous and potentially disastrous crises confronting our community of life on Earth – most significantly environmental degradation and climate change. Therefore we do not have the luxury of time to discuss the fate of the Earth. Right now there is an urgent call for global cooperation to address these and many other issues such as the deepening water crisis, poverty, international security and crimes against humanity.

An effective response to the many global challenges we face today cannot be handled by any one government, organisation or corporation alone. We as a single human race must unite and work together as individuals, communities and nations.

The path to western development has produced many helpful technological and material advances, but it has also separated us as humans from our spiritual essence –our oneness with this living, cosmic Universe. Spirituality is the essence of what it means to be a human, since as humans we are just one particle of that divine, cosmic consciousness. Our inner Self, is God itself and it is our birthright and purpose of human life to claim our divine inheritance. Humankind must reawaken its spiritual values.

Mental pollution is in fact the worst kind of pollution existent today

Spiritual values and wisdom are based upon the principles of love, compassion, tolerance, kindness, humility and purity - purity of thought, word and deed. Mental pollution is in fact the worst kind of pollution existent today. Selfish thoughts and actions deepen the duality between ‘mine’ and ‘yours’ therefore if we want peace in the world, we must first have peace within and recognise the unity we have with one and all.

War, famine and environmental disaster arise due to human behaviour alone. Many natural disasters are in fact not ‘natural’ but are the consequence of man’s actions on Earth. We ought to remember that we are members of a larger community of life on this planet and for that reason, our moral and spiritual responsibility must extend to non-human beings also. Development and progress should not be about increasing monetary wealth for individuals or nations, but be based upon the peaceful, sustainable and ecological provision for all peoples, creatures and the environment.

The Vedic culture of  Sanatan Dharma is the oldest spiritual tradition on earth, which like others, teaches the transformative power of forgiveness, harmony, cooperation and unity for peace. It deepens our awareness and awakens our inner understanding of divine governance. To practice Sanatan Dharma means to open our heart to all, without exception – to give help, tolerance, understanding and respect to all nations, cultures and religions.

Simple living and higher thinking ought to govern our life in this world

To accomplish the task we have ahead of us to create world peace, we have only two days, yesterday and today. No body has ever seen tomorrow. With hindsight we must learn from our mistakes of yesterday and with that knowledge, act appropriately today.

Simple living and higher thinking ought to govern our life in this world. Peace is the aspiration of all generations of humanity, regardless of culture, religion or political persuasion. Peace is the common desire of all. Thus give help, understanding and forgiveness whilst fulfilling all of life’s tasks and duties. Treat others as you wish to be treated and awaken universal love. Tolerance, love and respect are the universal powers that will unite all of humanity.

The author of this article His Holiness Swamiji reguarlly visits Australia. You may also view his spiritual lectures and live webcasts on line for free at http://swamiji.tv/

The pain that an animal feels is the same as what a human feels and the process of death is also the same...
World peace, protection of the environment and protection of animals is what all humans should be working for today. We have many examples to motivate us in the right direction. Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Mother earth has everything for our need, but not enough for our greed.” 

Greed is like an out of control fire – it will burn everything. Greed is the reason that animals suffer, because humans want to eat their flesh or to use their skin.  Animals throughout the world suffer, they are tortured in such horrible ways. In Canada for example, humans kill seals with sticks, beating to death millions of newborn babies ! 

The one who is greedy, is blind and unfortunately due to that blindness, the greedy one is capable of doing very bad deeds. Greed is a huge problem we face in today’s world. How cruel it is to cut the neck of a living creature! The pain that an animal feels is the same as what a human feels and the process of death is also the same. When a cow or pig is brought to the slaughter-house they don’t die once, they die a thousand times because the situation is so bad and the pain so unbearable. Unfortunately, animals cannot speak, they don’t know our language and there is no one to hear them.

Who is responsible? Even if the consumers of meat do not actually kill the animal themselves, they are responsible for its death. It is said that the person who sells the meat creates more sin than the slaughterer and the person who eats the meat creates even more. Humans must come to this realization and return to a more natural way of life.

Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) who received the Peace Nobel Prize on behalf of this Commission, said in his acceptance speech: “To solve the problem of climate change and to have enough food, there is only one way: become vegetarian.”

“To be vegetarian means to lead a noble way of life”   - Mahatma Gandhi

All is not lost, for God gave humans intellect and therefore we have the ability to make informed decisions about what to eat and what not. GandhiJi also said: “To be vegetarian means to lead a noble way of life”. Today, more and more people throughout the world have raised their consciousness to live as vegetarians. The yoga perspective that supports vegetarianism is the precept: Ahimsa Paramo Dharma “non-violence is the highest duty”. Don’t cause pain to anyone.

For the sake of the life of this planet and for our children, we need to return to a more natural lifestyle. Dear brothers and sisters, to live a spiritual life does not mean to meditate only, it means to live a noble way of life through proper actions! 

The author of this article His Holiness Swamiji reguarlly visits Australia. You may also view his spiritual lectures and live webcasts on line for free at http://swamiji.tv/

Look upon your environment with the light of peace means to bring to the world a loving attitude, kindness, trust and understanding.

To attain a state of peace and harmony, you must first convert the negative energy that expresses itself as desire, annoyance, quarrelsomeness, bitterness and resentment into a constructive and creative mental attitude. Peace is like a candle in your hands. To look upon your environment with the light of peace means to bring to the world a loving attitude, kindness, trust and understanding. Anger and jealousy make the heart closed. In reality, the entire universe is within your heart. We should open our hearts and allow everyone to feel the love and warmth within.

The following experiment is very illuminating. Try to think a friendly thought and a hostile thought at the same time, or to have a loving feeling and a hostile feeling simultaneously. You will realise that it is impossible, like trying to unite day and night. Light and darkness cannot exist together. When the sun rises, darkness vanishes instantly.

Noble and good thoughts illuminate your entire being and at the same time purify the Svadhishthana chakra. Prayer, Mantra (spiritual meditation technique) and nurturing the good within you will gradually lighten your dark side. You should fill your meditations with love, devotion, understanding and warmth for yourself and for others, becoming like a sun that shines for all — for plants, animals and humans alike.

The author of this article His Holiness Swamiji reguarlly visits Australia. You may also view his spiritual lectures and live webcasts on line for free at swamiji.tv

The beauty of interfaith dialogue is the opportunity presented to highlight the unifying factors between religions. It is accepted that there are differences in beliefs, practices and philosophy of the various religions of the world, but if the basic tenets and interpretations of these faiths are presented in an honest and open way, an understanding of the reasons for any misunderstandings can be looked at, opened to dialogue and, hopefully, removed.

It is therefore important that the beliefs and practices of each religion are presented without any hint that the presenters are trying to convert the listeners to their way of thinking. Rather that these beliefs are presented with a true respect and honouring of all beliefs and teachings.The goal is to promote an understanding of one’s own faith and encourage the desire for further dialogue between participants and their audience.

If it is thought that interfaith dialogue doesn’t really accomplish anything, then what would be the point of discussion in relation to any field of study? It is generally accepted that discussion is a very useful tool in every discipline. There are very few individuals who have the ability to take every aspect of a particular topic into account and give a well-balanced and broad viewpoint. Therefore in all disciplines it is generally accepted that many heads are better than one if a subject is to be approached with a breadth of vision and interpretation, eg the brainstorming technique that is so popular in the commercial world.

Why then would it be any different when it comes to dialogue between faiths?

When we open faiths to discussion it promotes thought amongst all those involved in the presentations. Critical evaluation of current thinking and presentation is stimulated amongst those who are honestly seeking change. This is healthy and can lead to a much greater level of honesty and acceptance not only amongst the heads of religions, but also to the followers of that religion.

If one of the goals is to remove dissention and disconnection between the faiths where better to start than with the heads of religions, or those representing these faiths? If the barriers and disagreements that have developed over the centuries between religions can be lowered, or even better, removed, there is a hope of peace and love growing between all peoples. Throughout history religion has very often been a divisive factor on our planet and in today’s world the tensions amongst faiths have grown even more intense and divisive.

Wouldn’t it be lovely it the divisions that have been created could be removed and true understanding and acceptance of all faiths be established?

Dialogue between the world leaders of religion can support and promote the removal of these barriers, so therefore isn’t dialogue a valid way of doing this? And wouldn’t interfaith dialogue be one of the most constructive and valid ways of making this a reality?

Isn’t the ultimate goal for people to look beyond the surface differences and to discover the humanity that forms the basis of these various religions; it is the ordinary human being who is affected by differences and misunderstandings, not an unnamed demographic.

Author:  Swami Meera, Yoga in Daily Life Sydney, Australia

A wise person forgives and forgets. It is said that the anger of the wise one is like striking water with a stick – the ripples caused by the stick quickly dissipate, but the anger of the unwise is like scratching a stone – the scratch may last a long time, maybe forever. Therefore, your anger should be on the surface only, not in the heart, otherwise it will be a problem to forgive and to forget.

The best technique for overcoming an emotional situation is to think “it WAS” but now it has gone. Why should I worry about this? Why should I be angry? Why should I suffer? Time has passed. In India there is a saying, “when a dog bites you, you cannot bite it back”. There is only one thing to do… in future, be careful of the dog. So with your heart practice forgiveness. Use your knowledge and your wisdom. Forget it.

Spiritual values and wisdom are based upon the principles of love, compassion, tolerance, kindness, humility and purity - purity of thought, word and deed. Mental pollution is the worst kind of pollution existing today. Selfish thoughts and actions deepen the duality between ‘mine’ and ‘yours’ therefore if we want peace in the world, we must first have peace within and recognise that everybody wants peace in their life.

Wars and environmental disasters arise due to human behaviour alone. Many natural disasters are in fact not ‘natural’ but are the consequence of man’s actions on Earth. We ought to remember that we are members of a larger community of life on this planet and for that reason, our moral and spiritual responsibility must extend to non-human beings also. Development and progress should not be about increasing monetary wealth for individuals or nations, but be based upon the peaceful, sustainable and ecological provision for all peoples, creatures and the environment.

The Vedic culture of Sanatan Dharma is the oldest spiritual tradition on earth, which like others, teaches the transformative power of forgiveness, harmony, cooperation and unity for peace. It deepens our awareness and awakens our inner understanding of divine governance. To practice Sanatan Dharma means to open our heart to all, without exception – to give help, tolerance, understanding and respect to all nations, cultures and religions.

To create world peace, we have only two days - yesterday and today. Nobody has ever seen tomorrow. With hindsight we must learn from our mistakes of yesterday and with that knowledge act appropriately today.

Simple living and higher thinking is what should govern our life in this world. Peace is the aspiration of all generations of humanity, regardless of culture, religion or political persuasion. Peace is the common desire of all. Therefore give others your understanding and forgiveness. Treat others as you wish to be treated and awaken universal love.

Tolerance, love and respect are the universal powers that will unite all of humanity.

....in a very quiet moment, H.H. Swamiji said to the group sitting before him... "the reason there is lack of peace in the world is because people have lost their inner peace, because they have lost the feeling of human to human, lost the feeling towards nature and the environment and they have forgotten God. The only way, to regain the inner peace, is to think of God, have love for God..."

September 2008

The following world peace prayers are for all living beings. 

Salutations to the Cosmic Self, Lord of our hearts, omniscient and omnipresent, in thy divine presence I offer my prayer for peace and well-being of humankind and all living beings. 

ASATO MA SAD GAMAYA 
TAMASO MA JYOTIR GAMAYA 
MRITYOR MA AMRITAM GAMAYA 
SARVESHAM SVASTIR BHAVATU 
SARVESHAM SHANTIR BHAVATU 
SARVESHAM MANGALAM BHAVATU 
SARVESHAM PURNAM BHAVATU 
LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU 
OM TRYAMBAKAM YAJA MAHE 
SUGANDHIM PUSHTIVARDHANAM 
URVA RUKAMIVA BANDHANAN 
MRITYOR MUKSHIYA MA AMRITAT     

Lead us from unreality to reality. 
Lead us from darkness to light. 
Lead us from death to immortality. 
May everyone be healthy. 
May everyone live in peace. 
May the wishes of everyone be fulfilled. 
May everyone attain perfection. 
May there be happiness and prosperity everywhere. 
My adoration to the three-eyed God Shiva 
who is omnipresent. 
May He bless us and nature with health. 
May His blessings free us and lead us to immortality. 

OM DHYAUH SHANTIR 
ANTARIKSHAM SHANTIH 
PRITHVÍ SHANTIR 
APAH SHANTIR 
OSHADHAYAH SHANTIH 
VANASPATAYAH SHANTIR 
VISHVE DEVAH SHANTIH 
BRAMAH SHANTIH 
SARVAM SHANTIH 
SHANTIR EVA SHANTIH 
SA MA SHANTIR-EDHI     

OM Peace be in the universe, 
Peace be in the atmosphere, 
Peace be on earth, 
Peace be in the waters, 
Peace be in the herbs, 
Peace be in the vegetation, 
Peace be in the elements, 
Peace of the Supreme, 
Peace be everywhere, 
Peace, only peace, 
Peace be in my mind and heart. 

SUBHAM KAROTI KALYANAM 
AROGYAM DHAN SAMPADAH 
SATRU BUDDHIR VINASAYA 
DIPA JYOTIR NAMO'STU TE

Lord, grant us bliss and liberation. 
Bless us with good health, wealth and harmony. 
Save us from negative influences and bad thoughts. My adoration to Thee, divine Light.

SARVE BHAVANTU SUKHINAH 
SARVE SANTU NIRAMAYAH 
SARVE BHADRANI PASHYANTU 
MA KASCID DUHKHABHAG BHAVET

Merciful Lord, bless all with happiness, 
free all from misery, and bestow Thy divine blessing that all may realize eternal Bliss.

NAHAM KARTA PRABHU DIP KARTA MAHAPRABHU DIP KARTA HÍ KEVALAM 
OM SHANTIH SHANTIH SHANTIH    

I am not the doer, Mahaprabhuji is the doer. 
Mahaprabhuji is the only doer. 
OM Peace, Peace, Peace.

Listen to Swamiji sing and explain these mantras here.