Sant Rajinder Singh at the United Nations

[Guest guest]

H.H. SANT RAJINDER SINGH JI MAHARAJ ADDRESSED

THE SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS AT THE

UNITED NATIONS

 

 

H.H. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is in New York City this week to

participate in the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and

Spiritual Leaders.

 

The summit opened at the United Nations on August 28, 2000 with over

a

thousand religious and spiritual leaders from all regions of the world

and all major faith traditions.

 

Speaking in the UN General Assembly Hall, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

said, "May we bury our weapons of war so they can be transformed into

flowers of tranquility and bliss, may we lay down our arms to lift up

our arms to the Creator. May our prayers and meditation transform this

world into a garden of everlasting joy and may each of us spread light

and love bringing peace to the whole world."

 

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj emphasized that unity and peace can be

achieved through meditation: "Inner realization of the divine not only

leads to lasting peace for ourselves, but inspires us to radiate love,

unity, and peace, and be of service to all humanity." The audience in

the huge hall sat in silence as Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave

instructions for meditation and then led them in a brief meditation.

 

Some of the other key speakers at the summit were: the UN Secretary

General Kofi Annan; founder and owner of CNN Dr.Ted Turner; and Ela

Gandhi, grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi.

 

The goal of summit was to identify ways that the worldwide religious

and

spiritual communities can work together as interfaith allies with the

United Nations. The leaders explored how to harness the power of

religious tolerance and spiritual faith to educate their communities

in

paths toward peace.

 

For the first time there was such as gathering of religious and

spiritual leaders from more than 50 countries at the United Nations.

The

summit concluded on August 31.

 

# # # NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE # # #

Use the following URL or read text which follows:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/global/090100un-religion.html

 

September 1, 2000

 

World's Religious Leaders Sign a Pledge for Peace

By GUSTAV NIEBUHR

 

As an international conference of religious leaders ended yesterday in

New York, many participants, representing a wide array of the world's

faiths, pledged to work for world peace.

 

Their commitment came in a statement titled "Commitment to Global

Peace," which was the main document to emerge from their four-day

gathering, the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual

Leaders, an event unusual for its religious diversity and for its having

convened at the United Nations.

 

The document, which briefly acknowledges that war and violence "are

sometimes perpetuated in the name of religion," pledges its signers to

work with the United Nations and "all men and women of good will" toward

peace. It asks its signers to work for freedom of religion, toward

narrowing the wealth gap between rich and poor, and on behalf of

environmental protection.

 

But how any of this will be carried out, or indeed, how a continued

dialogue will be conducted among the Christian, Jewish, Muslim,

Buddhist, Hindu and other leaders who gathered here, remain open

questions.

 

In attending the conference, whose sessions have been held at the

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel since Wednesday, many of the hundreds of religious

leaders who attended said they felt drawn by the event's association

with the United Nations and by its theme of peace. Although not an

official United Nations event, and largely funded through foundations'

donations, the conference was held in collaboration with the office of

the United Nations' secretary general.

 

"I think the evidence is, they voted with the hearts in coming here,"

said Lawrence E. Sullivan, director of the Center for the Study of World

Religions at Harvard University, in an interview on Wednesday afternoon.

But to engage in a continuing discussion with other religious groups

and

to work with international agencies on social issues, he said, the

leaders here would have to "commit senior staff in their organizations"

to those duties.

 

"If the religious people want to bring a new voice, they really have

to

go to school on the issues," said Dr. Sullivan, who has served on an

advisory board for this event. "Some of them have, most have not."

 

Nonetheless, one of the speakers at the gathering, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks,

chief rabbi of Great Britain, said there would be value for many

participants simply in having met and become acquainted with people of

other faiths.

 

And some here said that the meeting, simply in bringing together such

a

diverse group, could ultimately have a wider spiritual effect. Sant

Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, an Indian meditation teacher who heads an

international organization called (in the United States) the Science

of

Spirituality, said the conference was useful in introducing people who

would otherwise have been more aware of their differences than what they

might share in common.

 

"When we sit and talk with them, we realize they are not much

different," he said. The conference, he said, had created "a beautiful

environment. I think if we can take it back to our communities, that

sweetness will filter through."

 

 

Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company

 

_________________

To get your own FREE ZDNet Onebox - FREE voicemail, email, and fax,

all in one place - sign up today at http://www.zdnetonebox.com

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/7/00 4:57:58 AM, santmat writes:

 

<< But how any of this will be carried out, or indeed, how a continued

dialogue will be conducted among the Christian, Jewish, Muslim,

Buddhist, Hindu and other leaders who gathered here, remain open

questions. >>

 

One small way is that we will be having a concert for Peace inside the

Pentagon in a couple of weeks, small, 200 people, some "important" <g>.

 

L*L*L

~ rainbo ~