Gurudev Addresses Parliament of World’s Religions in Melbourne
Bangalore: “The purpose of religion is to bring enlightenment to the individual, happiness to the society and move from limited individual identity to universality and eventually communion with the Divine. When at a time, these ideals are far from reality, congregations such as this, where people of all faiths gather together, have a great responsibility to ponder on these pressing issues. It is a necessity for the very survival of our planet,” said His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, delivering his keynote address yesterday at the inaugural session of the 2009 Parliament of World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia.
The 2009 Parliament of World’s Religions which is the largest and diverse multi-faith gathering of religious and spiritual communities in the world, sees representation from nine major religions of the world – Zoroastrians, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Christians, Muslims and Baha’i - with over 6,000 delegates participating. “There is no threat to any tradition, to any culture, if we are all uplifted in human values, in communion with the One, which is in the heart of each and every one of us,” Gurudev added. He also underlined the responsibility of Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) in bringing transformation to the society.
The 5-day gathering which began Dec 3, will honor all of the world’s diverse religious and spiritual traditions through an array of performances, addresses and blessings. It will also discuss means to promote peace, interreligious understanding and co-operation.