Article in Daily News - Wednesday, 9 July 2003

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http://www.dailynews.lk/2003/07/09/new12.html

 

Daily News

Wednesday, 9 July 2003

 

Religion contributes to nation building and creating caring society -

PM

 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the Venerable members

of the Sangha, members of the Hindu, Islamic and Christian clergy at

the Inter Religious Symposium held on Monday at the BMICH said:

 

"It gives me great pleasure to be here with you all when discussing

the value of religion, the role of religion and how it contributes

to building a nation and creating a caring society. That is in a

sense what all governments hope to do and very few succeed.

 

It cannot be done by legislation. It cannot be done by

administrative action. There is another aspect that we sometimes

forget. That is the spiritual aspect. The Sri Sathya Sai Seva

Organisation in Sri Lanka has thought to focus on this important

aspect. As a service organisation they had done lots of work here

and I need not repeat them. When they came and invited me and my

wife to attend this occasion, we thought that this is the least that

we could do. I myself had the opportunity of meeting the Bhagavan

and having Dharshan. If I am to describe that in few words I would

say that each of those occasions had been a source of strength and

of guidance to me. In return, I thought I should come here today to

say a few words to all of you who are assembled here.

 

I wouldn't go into details as to the topic as it is best left to be

described by you all. In the few meetings I had with the Bhagavan, I

have found his strength and also the ability to distil the essence

of each religion and preach to us on what is common and what is

good. Some may think that is very easy task to do. But for me and

for many others it is one of most difficult tasks in the world. This

is what Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has been able to and spread a

message not only in India, not only in surrounding areas but

throughout the world. We have to recognise the contribution the

Bhagavan has made toward the spiritual progress of the 20th and the

21st century. The religions that we discuss today were all preached

in a period of about two-and-a-half millenniums. That is 2,500

years. In the history of mankind which can be traced back to over a

hundred thousand or more this is a very, very short period. Most of

the religions we practise or adhere today were preached within this

period. It doesn't mean that there were no beliefs and worships

earlier. But, certainly there had been and from time immemorial

people have worshipped various elements and various beings.

 

The first time there has been reference to one single God was about

3,000 years ago when one Egyptian decided to change the nature of

all worships in some areas of Egypt and by himself decreed that

there shall be only one God to be worshipped. But that practice did

not last very long after his death. Fourteen centuries before the

birth of Christ, as we now turn our calendars, for Moses leading his

tribe, back to the promised land and hence become the beginning of

Judaism. In that period or little earlier was the start of the Hindu

religion which as you know was preached and practiced over a long

period of time. Six or seven hundred years before the birth of

Christ was another burst of religious and spiritual activity. This

happened in Persia and then India where Mahaveer, Gauthama the Budha

and many others preached their doctrines. I think in that short

period there was more spiritual development than in any other period

in the human history. The Indian Sub-continent was the centre of all

that spiritual activity. From hence we had Jesus Christ preaching in

Palestine, and then the words of the Holy Prophet, the basis of

Islam. Religions we know were preached, practiced and organized in

the religious bodies with their clergy within this Period.

 

That is the age of spiritual development. When look back at this

period, some would look at each of these doctrines and religions as

standing by itself. But some would see a connection. When that

doctrine was preached and discussed and from that came further

discussions and from that evolved other religions. Sometimes in

answering some of the questions which the latter religious preachers

thought had not been properly addressed by the earlier religions. If

you look at from religion to religion you could see the issues being

raised and different answers. And this is commonality of all

religions.

 

What the Bhagavan has done in my view is to identify the universal

principles on which all religions are built. That is what is most

important to us. After the age of spiritual progress we have

progressed in another field, materialism. There also the world

progressed. We made scientific discoveries, we created empires, we

developed trade, works of art unheard of earlier, dance, music and

here is a 21st century world.

 

All this would not have been possible if not for the material

progress that has been made after 600 A.D. That is nearly for

fourteen centuries. When we look at the progress, we look at the

wealth, we look at the knowledge, the scientific development. What

is lacking is the spiritual values to utilize this wealth, this

knowledge and this power. It is like any instrument which can be

used for the good or for the bad. It is finally what we are, it

determines what society will be. It is that gap that has to be

filled. When we departed from the basic tenants of founders of our

religion we even use religion to fight each other. Religion had

become a basis of hatred, not of love.

 

What is happening now is the re-discovery of those spiritual values,

of the human values that are essential for society. That for me is

the contribution the Bhagavan has made today to the world. Look at

what was said, look at the essence of it and it reminds us how much

more it is needed in today's world than when it was preached. There

was no gunpowder found, there were no guns, there were no atomic

bombs, there were no rockets, there were no telephones, all that was

not there. Today's world would require religions more than the time

in which the great religious leaders lived and preached.

 

What you all are discussing today, within the auspices of this

regional secretariat is how to utilise that knowledge here. At the

end of these discussions you would have better understanding of each

other and of the common human values. That is essential for building

a national and creating a caring society. I am not an expert on

these matters. But I thought I should highlight the contribution the

Bhagavan had made to the 20th and 21st centuries and in fostering

these ideas so we can ensure that we create a caring society and a

nation that is united with human values", the Prime Minister said in

conclusion.