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A CALL TO WORLD'S
SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP
THE HISTORIC 'CHICAGO ADDRESS'
(Message prepared for the UN Millennium World Peace Summit
of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, New York, U.S.A., August-28-31,
2000)
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Pre-requisite for World Peace
The fundamental pre-requisite for World Peace, nay, a permanent
solution for all human problems is the transformation of man
himself. Without attending to this prime-requisite first,
no lasting peace and harmony in the world is ever possible.
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A
Laudable First Step
It is indeed heartening that the august World Body has realized
the gravity of the present-day world situation and taken the
right step and timely initiative to seek guidance from the Religious
and Spiritual Leaders of the world to work for the much needed
World Peace and Harmony. While striving to work out the UN Millennium
World Peace Summit Agenda which aims at conflict transformation,
elimination of poverty, environmental protection, and forgiveness
and reconciliation, one should not forget the crying need of
the hour, namely, the 'human transformation' as a prelude to
all other transformations, aiming at perfect World Peace. Truly
'human transformation' is the stepping stone for the perfect
execution of the World Peace Summit Agenda. |
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Problems Defy Solution
The fact is that in a world that is in constant pursuit of
material pleasures, people tend to become hedonistic, and
lose the true perspective of life. And the path that the world
has until now traversed in pursuit of technological mastery
has imperiled peace and environment and failed to provide
prosperity and equality for all people of the world. Hosts
of problems are cropping up, bringing in its trail a lot of
tension, anxiety, worries and frustration. Beset with psychological,
social, economic, ethnic, political and environmental problems,
which defy solution, the people of today's world are ill at
ease. Can anybody help and rescue those who are constantly
being buffeted by these and the other problems? Can they themselves
solve their problems by dint of their self-effort? Or can
their governments or social organizations find a permanent
solution for today's human crisis? The answer is emphatically
negative. At best they can find some temporary remedies which
can act as just palliatives. In any case, it is certain that
none of them can create in all people of the world a total
awareness for higher and enduring values, the inculcation
of which alone can regenerate human life and reform the character.
No amount of state authority can bring an essential change
in human nature. Neither science nor politics can give man
perfect peace and happiness. The ills of life cannot be cured
by political, social or other mechanical remedies, which human
beings are constantly attempting and which have always failed.
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Spirituality
Offers an Abiding Solution
Spirituality, the central theme of all religions shorn of doctrines
and dogmas, can alone provide an abiding solution for all human
problems. Spirituality is in fact the core of man and the substance
of the entire creation. Spirituality must be discovered, realized,
manifested and lived in day-to-day life. According to Swami
Vivekananda, the power of religion thus broadened and purified
must penetrate every part of human life and activity making
human life sublime and abundantly fruitful. Then and then alone
religions will have served their true purpose of ushering in
peace and harmony in the world. |
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Spiritual
Awareness Generates Real Peace
The world will change when the human beings, which constitute
it, change from within. The "inner man" is to be set
right first and the externals will take care of themselves.
So the solution of problems is not by external means, though
these also have to be used, but essentially by an inner change,
a complete transformation of man's consciousness. Unless the
man's psyche changes, the society cannot be deeply and permanently
changed. The various social, political, economic and environmental
problems of today's world are only the outward symptoms of an
inner psychological malaise. So it is the spiritual awareness
alone that generates the real peace and happiness, and love
and unity of the world. |
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Need
of the Hour -- A Change Within
The need of the hour is therefore 'self-culture', 'self-transformation',
a change within. This is the panacea for all the maladies of
today's world. Although modern technology and science have placed
enormous power at the disposal of man, he cannot use this power
for peace and prosperity of the human race, until his own mind
is cultured. Excess of knowledge and power, without holiness,
can easily make human beings devils, warns Swami Vivekananda.
We must progress materially and spiritually side by side. Material
prosperity should not be at the expense of spiritual advancement.
They must go hand-in-hand. Then only we can have an integral
evolution. Then and then alone we can expect to have a socially
more useful, individually peaceful and spiritually enlightened
life. |
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A
Food for Thought for All Concerned
As we enter the New Millennium, here is a food for thought for
all concerned - particularly the leaders of the countries of
the world: |
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world problems rest basically on the individual's moral and
spiritual life. If these be lacking nothing can save human situations:
no political or economic system, no social order, no world-organization,
no advancement of scientific knowledge and technology, no development
of arts, no rapidity of transportation and communication, no
high standard of living, no defense measure, no subtle ideologies,
no metaphysical concepts can establish peace and security in
the world. Even education without a sound outlook on life cannot
help us in this respect." |
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The
Supreme End of Human Life
"To realize the Divinity within is the supreme end of human
life. From any situation in life a person can proceed towards
this goal following one's own line of development according
to his or her psychophysical constitution. One expression of
life does not contradict another as long as it is in conformity
with the highest ideal. All other ideals of life should be subordinate
to this supreme one. Religion or rather Spirituality promises
to lead to it directly. All human values - all that are necessary
and desirable - art, literature, science, philosophy, ethics,
politics, economics, can contribute to the attainment of the
highest good, the Divine perfection, provided they are subordinate
to the supreme end of life." |
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The
Only Way for Lasting Peace
So, under the pretext of the so-called secularism, let not the
world leaders deprive the younger generation in particular,
of moral and spiritual values in life. Let them at least make
a sincere and serious attempt to inculcate in the youth these
values through the educational institutions. And let everyone
in general make a humble attempt towards that end. This is the
only way for lasting peace and security in the world. |
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An
Appeal to the Spiritual Leaders
My sincere appeal therefore to all of you - the revered Religious
and Spiritual leaders of the world - assembled here under the
auspices of the august World Body, namely, the United Nations
Organization, is that you should kindly consider making an earnest
attempt to deliberate on the why and how of inculcation of moral
and spiritual values in the younger generation all over the
world, so that the United Nations Organization may try to follow
it up by exploring the ways and means of implementing the same
in the educational institutions of its member countries. |
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