Vishwaguruji has spent more than 40 years giving public talks and seminars across the world directed towards world peace and protecting the environment. His message is rather simple but, taken to heart, quite liberating and profound. In many forums he has said that, “World peace is possible only when all religious and political leaders of this globe practice tolerance, recognition and respect for all other cultures, traditions, languages, races, nationalities and religions. Their prime duty is to guide humanity towards forgiveness and brotherhood, and teach that we are all children of one God. There is only one religion to which we all belong on this earth, and that is, humanity.”

Vishwaguruji explains that the essence of all living creatures is God. A simple analogy to explain this simple concept is that if we fill a bunch of cups with water, each one of them will reflect the moon – except that there is only one moon. The moon here is analogous to God, and the reflections that we see in the cups are living creatures – all reflections of the same God. Because of duality, we have not yet realized that our very essence is one and the same. Through the ages, all saints and sages have the same realization that all living creatures are the creation of one God. Once we recognize our true essence and see ourselves in all beings, then how can we be angry with, fight against, injure, or slight? Thus, the yogi knows that whatever you do to others, you do to yourself. Thus, Vishwaguruji concludes that, “If you love all, then you love yourself. Individual love breeds a desire for possessions and personal fulfillment and, as a result, brings attachment, while Universal love brings freedom. Universal love then becomes a state of permanent happiness – all suffering disappears once this love awakens in a person. If humans, as the most advanced creatures in this planet, awaken this love within themselves, then world peace is not just a possibility but becomes a reality.”

SRI SWAMI MADHAVANANA WORLD PEACE COUNCIL

The Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council was founded by Vishwaguruji in commemoration of his beloved master, His Holiness Dharmsamrat Paramhans Sri Swami Madhavanandaji. The Council is established as a non-government, humanitarian and charitable society that pursues the betterment of humanity's welfare. The Council is an instrument to advance unity and peace by disseminating the messages of Mahatma Gandhiji “Be the Change You Want to See” and Sri Swami Madhavanandaji “One in All, All in One”. Its main objective is to promote and support the realization of the UN Millennium Development Goals and Values of the Earth Charter Initiative.

One of the Council’s central aims is to support international forums for dialogue between individuals, nations, cultures and religions on the topics of peace, ethics, spirituality, education, health, youth and environmental sustainability. The Council’s feature event is the “World Peace Summit.” The Summit is an annual event to raise global awareness, as well as spiritual, social and political resolve to secure lasting world peace and to demonstrate tolerance, respect and understanding by acknowledging ‘unity in diversity.’ There have been World Peace Summits in Vienna, Austria (2002), Sydney, Australia (2003), Brno, Czech Republic (2004), Zagreb, Croatia (2005), Ljubljana, Slovenia (2006), Bratislava, Slovakia (2007), Wellington, New Zealand (2008) and Szombathely, Hungary (2009).

Visit the Website of Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council