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Part 1: Opening Prayers and Reflections on Dharma Oṁ Śrī Gaṇeśāya Namaḥ. Śuklāṁ bharadharaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaśivarṇaṁ caturbhujam. Prasanna vadanam dhyāyet sarva vighnopaśāntaye. We start any auspicious occasion with a prayer to Gaṇeśajī. In this śloka, it says: to the one who wears a white umbrella on top, who has the color of the moon, who has four hands, who has a very pleasant countenance, let us pray to him. By praying to him, all the obstacles in our life will be eradicated. The next śloka is part of our paramparā. It is by Jagadguru Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya. He created this śloka about the glory of the Guru’s sandals: "Pūjanābhyāṁ Vairāgya Samrājya Pūjanābhyāṁ Namo Namaḥ Śrī Guru Pādukābhyāṁ." The meaning is: the holy sandals of the Guru are so sacred, and they will help us cross this ocean of saṁsāra. They become a safe boat so that we can cross this ocean without getting into any difficulties. These holy sandals of the Guru are capable of giving us vairāgya, or non-attachment. Ādi Śaṅkara calls vairāgya a kingdom. A kingdom has everything; a king has everything and does not need anything else. Vairāgya is also identical. When you have no attachment, you have everything. You do not need anything. It is much more than a king. Let us pray and give our obeisance to the holy sandals of the Guru. I’ll sing one more in the same śloka. The holy sandals of the Sadguru can remove all past accumulated sins, the darkness of all the past karma which has been accumulated for a very long time. They are fully capable of completely extinguishing the three fires that afflict us. These three fires are the ones which, without our control, can come at any time and affect us. These holy sandals of the Guru can extinguish, completely extinguish the fire. Śaṅkara uses another analogy: the sandals of the Guru can dry up the entire ocean of saṃsāra, so that crossing is not a problem at all. That is the essence of the two ślokas. These are from Guru Padukābhiyam by Jagadguru Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, who is part of our lineage. Bode Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī. We also start with a Gaṇeśa chant and then a Gaṇeśa bhajan, which you can all try and follow. Thank you, Muralījī. Very nice. Thank you for the bhajans and the English one particularly. I really appreciated that, and to Mohanji as well. So we have another guest to introduce to you. I’ve already introduced him. Sanjay is going to be playing a little bit on the tablā. You can perhaps introduce a little bit about the tabla itself and the principles of tabla playing. And then Madharamjī will also come and join us. So, everybody, you will know Madharam. He’s a wonderful gift that Swāmījī has given and shared with us in New Zealand. Madharam has come to help us with our āśram, and we welcome him to New Zealand with an open heart. He’s going to help us in Wellington and in Kapiti, and so it’s going to be very, very nice, and we’re looking forward very much to sharing Madharam’s music. He is a great person, and his knowledge of yoga and his ability to lead satsaṅg and guide satsaṅg. So we will hear from him soon, but right now, Sanjay. You can play one sūrya and one bhajan you sing. Will you play one sūrya with the tabla or without? Just adjusting the tampura, which will make a drone, a background, for a little bit of setting to do. I was just cutting the grass about half an hour ago, and now I’m into a different role. So, I would like to play you one beautiful rāga called Yaman. Every rāga has a little bit of story about it. This rāga is, as far as I know—I feel a little bit uncertain to talk about Indian music in front of such good musicians here—but as far as I know, Rāga Yaman expresses a little sweet pain of separation between the lover and the beloved. At the same time, it expresses that joy that this separation cannot really take place, that it is just in the mind, but deep in the heart there is always the oneness and unity. One bhajan. Come to dharmaniyam. You will play the flute? Murali? You are a Murali. Murali means the flute. Dalak? No, because the tabla, if there is tabla, what will the dalak do? If you get the sun, then what will you put on the lamp? So, thank you, Madhav Rāmjī. I can see we’re going to have a lot of fun when we have such wonderful musicians here. Thank you all for that wonderful performance. We’re going to have a wonderful time organizing concerts for them. They’re all coming from Wellington. We have a wonderful collection of musicians. If we wrap them all into one, we’ll probably get a wonderful Swamijī. So, you know, talent like that is very rare. Now, we also have another wonderful, talented person from our yoga family of Yoga and Daily Life. Her name is Karishma, Swamiji. Karishma, beautiful Karishma, has been singing for us and for Swamiji for the last few years. She also dances, but tonight she’s going to sing for us. So, please welcome Karishma. My name is Karishma Tanawala, I’m 16 years old, and I’m from Porirua in Wellington. Today, I’m going to be singing a few songs for you, and just before I sing, I’m going to start off with a few mantras. I would like to say a few words about dharma and spirituality, as Swāmījī last time asked me to write something, a couple of pages on this topic. It is a great and most difficult topic also because the conception of dharma has been mistranslated as religion, as well as mistranslated as ethics. And how ethics is related to spirituality is a problem. And what do we mean by spirituality? A lot of people deny the presence of God or divinity. But I will try to demonstrate that our conception of dharma leads to spirituality, and it is on a par with science. Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā... In the Western sense, first, how ethics is defined: it is a normative science of the conduct of human beings living in societies. This is a quotation from a textbook on ethics: the conduct of human beings living in societies. But our conception of dharma is much, much wider than this. Just to mention, it not only deals with the conduct of human beings in societies, but also with human beings not living in societies, such as those living in caves. Then, it also deals with the conduct of human beings towards animals, such as dogs, cats, and any living being. Then, it deals with the conduct of human beings towards inanimate objects, like mountains, rivers, and nature. You have to appreciate natural beauty. You have to respect nature as well. So, you cannot utter any swear words against nature, or a mountain, or a river. If you remember the conquest of Everest and what Tenzing says with reverence towards the mountain, then it deals with our thoughts which have not been expressed in language, desires not expressed in language. Then it deals with our dream experiences as well, because they are due to dispositions of waking life. Now, the Indian conception of Dharma has gone much further even, and it is so subtle and pervasive that it applies to trees also. Hence, injuries to trees with fruits and flowers are considered a violence, and there is a provision for expiation for this type of violence as well. Expiation is called, in Sanskrit, prāyaścitta. If you cut a tree with fruits and flowers, you have done something wrong. And prāścitta, expiation ceremony, to purify your soul, your mind, so that you do not commit the same type of offence. In this context, I would like to point out that dharma, the practice of which will pave the way for and will lead to mokṣa nirvāṇa, if practiced without any selfishness. So it is a means towards the attainment of the highest goal of life. Now the root meaning of the word dharma is dhṛ and man. That means that which holds. I have quoted here several passages. If you need a copy of it, I will send it to you by email, if you give me your email address. Now, from the root meaning of the word dharma, it follows that which supports. Now the question is, what is it which dharma will support? It supports the world, Dharaṭī Lokan. It supports human society as well as the world. "Jo Lokan Dharvati Ye Na Manava Samadva Dhrita Sa Dharma." It will help those who have fallen, deviated from the path of dharma. It will help those who are about to fall and will fall. So it is all-pervasive, past, present, future, active in the fallen person. It is the foundation of the universe as well as the world, and it leads to something higher, such as peace and bliss. It supports and also nourishes. Not only supports but also nourishes. Dhāraṇā, poṣaṇyo, both. It leads to happiness as well as beatitude. It leads to a higher state or noble state. This is how it is linked with spirituality, I am coming to. And if somebody has done something which is adharmic, then it will lead you to a lower, a degraded state of mind, a state of being. And, last but not least, and most importantly, it is real and true. And I am claiming it is on a par with science, if science tries to reveal the truth. And it is said in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, a very important Upaniṣad, that it is the most excellent law, dharma. It is the khatra, which means the power of power, greater than the great, stronger than the strongest. Therefore, there is nothing higher than dharma. Thenceforth, even a weak person rules a stronger man, a stronger person, with the help of law, as with the help of a king. Thus, law is what is called the truth. And if a person declares what is truth, they say the person declares the law. And if a person declares the law, they say the person declares what is true. Hence, both are the same. So, dharma is equated with a law, and that law reveals the truth of the universe. What holds, what does not hold. What nourishes, what does not nourish. What? Not only me, but the entire human society, entire living beings, the entire world, which includes living as well as non-living. So dharma is equated with truth; it substantiates scientific investigation or scientific truths. Hence, it is not opposed to reason, as scientific truths are discoveries. So, dharma, far from being faith—there is a wrong translation sometimes—that dharma is equated with religion, and religion is equated with faith. It is far from faith, or far from being blind; faith has its roots in reason. It is a rational approach to reality. It reveals the truth, and it is justified by reason. Hence, the laws of dharma are as real as the laws of nature. It is to be noted that these formulations give us general directions for dharmic activities. They are like maxims or rules. Hence, they are to be compared with the categorical imperative of Kant, who is very close to the Indian conception, although far short of it. But the closest is Kant, 18th century, great philosopher. If I have to mention three philosophers from Western civilization, then Plato, Aristotle, and Kant, a German philosopher, a great German. He talks about never using human beings as a means to an end only. He does not talk about other living beings above nature. But the Indian conception of dharma is such that it tells you to never treat anybody merely as a means, but as an end. Never exploit anybody. Respect everybody. So there is a great difference between the particular laws of moral conduct, or codes of dharma, which are to be learned from generation to generation. It is not dogmatic faith, it is scientific. It is said, I am quoting from Manu, "Learn from generation to generation what has been observed or allowed by learned persons who are good and ever free from hatred and inordinate affection, the custom of holy men." Hence, the specific rules of dharma are not fixed for all time to come. The rules are evolutionary in nature and consistent with the theory of adaptation. Hence, there are rules such as violence is adharma. And in the yoga system, 81 types of violence have been mentioned. In the commentary of Vācaspati, the greatest scholar and interpreter, who is known as the impartial interpreter. In his commentary on the Yoga Sūtra, he has mentioned 81 types of violence. So, dharmic activities are to avoid those acts of violence. And out of those violences, three are very basic. One is killing or torturing someone, or ordering to kill or torture someone. Approving of killing or torture, the word "approval"—this is my interpretation now—implies both implicit and explicit approval. Remaining silent, I am claiming, or not opposing violence, is also another type of approval. Therefore, it is violence if you do not oppose the violence. So I am extending, or perhaps this is what? The Yoga Sūtra. When Gandhi did not speak, he silenced them. Yes, that’s right. Against. That’s right. If there is violence committed, then our duty is to oppose it. Not only remain silent, because silence is another form of approval. The yoga system is great. It is accepted by all the systems of Indian philosophy. And I am very much impressed that this is the center. It should be, you know, the entire globe must come under it. It is neutral to all the systems of Indian philosophy. They have accepted. No question about it. So, thanks Swāmījī for pointing that out. Hence, the word "violence" is used in such a way that the cause leading to violence or destruction is also considered violence. Anything which will lead you to violence. If there is any conflict between the rules, such as if speaking the truth would cause injury to a person, then the rule of non-violence would supervene over the rule of speaking the truth. And this is also mentioned in the Rāmāyaṇa, the greatest epitome. Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, very great epics, everything is there. It is said in the Rāmāyaṇa, "Ahiṃsā Paramo Dharma," non-violence is the basic or fundamental or higher dharma. I am translating it. From the above discussion of dharma, it follows that it cannot be equated with religion, as it is not based on blind faith or dogma. Moreover, it is not opposed to science. Again, it cannot be translated as ethics in the Western sense, as it deals with the behavior of human beings, overt or covert, towards all other beings or nature at large. Moreover, it deals with the ethical value of our experiences, including thoughts and dreams. Dharma is universal and all-pervasive, as everyone can participate in dharmic activities. Dharmic activities, such as brotherhood, justice, love, compassion—you know, you can have a host of things—would not only alleviate our suffering but unite us with others. It is unity also. Hence, love practiced unselfishly would lead us to love for all. Love for yourself means love for all. This is due to the fact that dharmic activities reduce our egoistic or hedonistic feelings and pave the way for the realization of higher values in life, which are related to spirituality. So spirituality is nothing but the higher values of life. And I am mentioning the following features of spirituality, which can be realized by dharmic activities. I have mentioned a few here. Dharmic activities will purify our thoughts, will purify our desires, and our mind as a whole. Purification. Citta Śuddhi. In yoga it is called Citta Śuddhi. So, I am translating by using a barrage of terms. This is due to the fact that they are opposed to violence, falsehood, malign intentions, dishonesty, backbiting, etc. So these will be removed from our mind or thoughts. The thought which is free from defilements, in Buddhism called Bimalagyāna, Bimalagyāna, free from all defilements, is also equated with the realization of Mokṣa or Nirvāṇa. That itself, if your thoughts are free from defilement, is called a state of mokṣa or nirvāṇa itself, which you can realize here and now, not tomorrow or next life. And it is also mentioned in Madhavācārya’s, the 14th-century philosopher’s, writing on nirvāṇa. Moreover, they would reduce our egoistic or hedonistic attitudes and thereby pave the way for the dissolution of I-consciousness mentioned in the Bhagavad Gītā, Kṛtārthya Vimāna. This is how we participate in the feelings of other beings, Buddha’s compassion. Your suffering becomes my suffering, both human and non-human. Thirdly, they would help us in realizing certain supramundane experiences, such as nirveda. Part 2: The Path of Dharma and the Call to Environmental Action Following my Gurujī, I translate it as tranquility. A variety of terms can be used: tranquility, a rasa, realization. Nirveda is a rasa. It generates bhakti rasa, or the spirit of dedication, which leads us to the realization of higher values, such as renunciation. Not renunciation of action, but inaction. Further, they would unite us with others, including the living being or nature at large. From the above discussion of dharma, it follows that morality or dharma is related to spirituality, as the practice of certain virtues would lead us to the realization of our spiritual life, which is necessary for harmony and peace at personal and global levels—without postulating any supernatural beings, like God or the divine, which we cannot see. Moreover, it would lead to the preservation of nature at large, which is for the well-being. Okay, we have a satsaṅg going on. Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ. So, my dear ones all around the world and here, this evening was very divine, beautiful. Nādarūpa Parabrahma, the form of the supreme is the sound, the resonance, and therefore there is a Gandharva Veda. And in Gandharva Veda is the sound and the instrumental as well as the vocals. We had many beautiful artists here, including our dear Madhurām, our dear Kṛṣmā, and finally our dear brother, Professor J. Saw. He is at the University of Wellington, and he is a scientist, a philosopher, and teaches philosophy, mostly spiritualities. Wonderful, wonderful, you explained spirituality and dharma very nicely. Yes, it is like this. Many people understand dharma as a religion. And if you talk about some religion, the religion comes in the form of divisions. And in division, they call them sectarians. So it doesn’t matter if the Christian, the Hindu, the Muslim, or anyone; these are the sectors. Sectarian means the different sectors. As you said, Professor, in university you have the sector for the science, sector for the mathematics, and philosophy, and so on. But above all, that’s called the Sanātana Dharma. Dhārayate dharma, yodhāraṁ kiyā jātā—what you accept in life, the principle of non‑violence. Thank you very much, and tomorrow we will continue. Now you have one beautiful video, a few minutes to see, after which we will talk about that. You can put your web camera on that video, okay? Thank you, my dear brothers and sisters around the world. Tomorrow we will speak further about the Dharma and spirituality. God bless you all, and enjoy. Deep Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī, Deveśvara Mahādeva Kī, Mādhav Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān Kī, Sat Kṛṣṇa Tāṇḍava Kī Jai. So you have to put off the lights. Thank you very much. Yes, this light also. Can we put off this light? Make this light off. On the 6th of June, 2012, the International Journal of Science, Nature, published a paper in which 21 scientists, whose expertise spans a multitude of disciplines, suggested our planet’s ecosystems are careening towards an imminent, irreversible collapse. Scientists predict we’re on a much worse collision course with Mother Nature than currently thought. Once that happens, which the authors predict could be reached this century, the planet’s ecosystems, as we know them, could irreversibly collapse in the proverbial blink of an eye. Many individuals and organizations have been trying to change this alarming situation by trying to help people understand the consequences of our current lifestyle on the entire ecosystem of Mother Earth. Thanks to such efforts, today the situation is openly discussed in the media, as well as on a high political level. An international conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was a milestone in efforts to promote human awareness about the urgency of our ecological problems. The 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was called Rio Plus 20. It marked the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, which aimed to raise public consciousness of environmental issues. The experts say, and even politicians are saying, that our planet Earth may be standing at a tipping point. How you do it depends upon how we do it; we may fall to the side of prosperity, or we may fall to disasters. That is why this real prosperity is very important. The conference focused on critical issues needing priority attention, like food security, sustainable agriculture, and water. In a historic move, the UN opened its doors to civil society to participate in the Rio Plus 20 conference. Since the first Earth Summit in 1992, people have realized that sustainable development cannot be achieved by governments alone. It would require the active participation of people from all sectors of society. In this documentary, we will give you a glimpse into the work and effort of His Holiness Paramahaṁsa Sri Swami Maheshwarananda, author of the system Yoga in Daily Life, and two organizations which he established, the Yoga in Daily Life Society and the Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council. These organizations, together with other NGOs, companies, and governments, reinforce their worldwide voluntary commitments toward improving the environment. Swamiji was invited to Rio+20 as a founder and head of two NGOs holding consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council: the Australia Association of Yoga in Daily Life and the Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council. Swamiji’s participation in the conference was part of his ongoing commitment to environmental efforts. He collaborates with other religious and spiritual leaders to infuse ethical and spiritual principles into UN decision-making processes. Swamijī’s goals at Rio+20 stress promoting paths to sustainability that go beyond standard solutions, ones which include a return to harmony with the planet and all of its inhabitants. Swamiji introduced the media to various activities and projects led by Yoga and Daily Life and the Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council, aimed at solving some of the very environmental problems which were highlighted by the UN. The Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative is an example of the successful implementation of a project inspired by previous UN conferences, which gained high interest and recognition from the media and conference participants. This is an ongoing project which provides drinking water for surrounding villages and cities during the drought season. It also supplies water to domestic animals and wildlife. During the six days, Swāmījī provided journalists, editors, and television crews with a few dozen interviews. Interest by the media was huge, and some articles and interviews were already published and broadcast before the conference officially finished. Swamiji, the Yoga and Daily Life, and the Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council representatives met and talked to people with mutual goals. They presented the Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative and other recent environmental projects to other NGOs as well as to government delegations. Yoga and Daily Life members participated in a workshop featuring a speech by Shazoo Kang, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Secretary-General for the Rio+20 Conference. Swamiji attended and met with speakers of a session called "An Ethical Framework for Global Governance," an event organized by Earth Charter International and other groups. The Director General of the Hungarian National Institute for the Environment, Dr. István Teplán, invited Swāmījī to meet the Hungarian President, His Excellency Dr. János Áder at a water cooperation side event. Swamijī was also invited to a side event which raised questions about how the indigenous people and local communities could better manage the land and sea. The session was organized by Australian participants and hosted by the Honourable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia. Swamiji had the opportunity to meet the Minister of Environment of New Zealand, the Honourable Amy Adams, and Mr. Brett Hackett, the Ambassador of Australia to Brazil. As a result of the high level of interest and recognition of the value of his projects, Swāmījī secured an invitation to speak at a daily press briefing and webcast on the topic of critical water and energy issues. This discussion will be on two critical issues that have been left significantly unclear. The two issues are water and energy. The question and the challenge is providing them for the one to two billion people on this planet who do not have sufficient access to them on a daily basis for even minimal survival needs. Providing such elements in a sustainable way, so that there will be enough of them for future generations, for other species, and for the ecosystems upon which we all depend, is a central part of sustainable development and why this summit is taking place. We are headed towards an environmental disaster and unsustainable development. We need sustainable energy for all, and this can be part of the solution. I think we all understand that water is very, very important. Water is not only for drinking, but it is also food. Our next speaker will give a very distinct and, for a change, positive report on how projects can succeed and what successful policy can look like. Swami Maheshwarananda is the author of Yoga in Daily Life, a science-based system of yoga, but more importantly, his organization is engaged in a major rainwater harvesting initiative in a drought-stricken region of India. He’ll give you the specifics in his presentation. Thanks very much. Dear media, dear brothers and sisters, good evening. I am very happy to tell you some of my thoughts and works about water. Coming from Rajasthan, and Rajasthan has very little rain, we began to develop a project called Rainwater Harvesting. And especially, we were inspired by the UN conference in Johannesburg. We are taking this rainwater from the roof, from the roof, and now the government of Rajasthan is also supporting that everyone should collect the water from the roof. We have two kinds of roofs: one is concrete, and one is made of tin. Second, what we are collecting is surface water, which flows during the time of the rain. Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā... Śrī Śrī... So, we made many little dams, and we put in the solar panels and the submersible pump. So, automatically the pump is running and supplying water for the birds and the wildlife. At the same time, we utilize that water to reforest all areas where the trees died because there was no water. So, we have a great success. We supply water to the villages with tankers. The case was that if there is a fire somewhere, they telephone the government office, but the government’s fire tankers are empty. So, from where should they go for firefighting? So we supply the water, and we have our own fire brigades so we can help the neighboring villages. The day before the heads of state were scheduled to convene the plenary session, Swamijī conducted a warmly received meditation, reflecting on how every individual can contribute to helping the planet. Purījī, Purījī... I will begin to give instructions for meditation. My dear, we shall begin. O body, from the fullness that you are as a human, let me be the instrument of your love and serve it. Imagine the whole globe in your head, peace and love in your head. You are the light on the whole globe. Your heartbeat is the heartbeat of Mother Earth. Our breath is the breath of Mother Earth. Yes, you can help. You have love, blessing, and mercy. The meditation was a practical guide on how each individual can help Mother Earth. About 70 participants left deeply touched and inspired to continue the practice. During the peak of official state negotiations, Swāmījī showed another simple and practical example of how to help nature. With the support and participation of UN and Brazilian authorities, Swāmījī planted a peace tree on the conference center grounds. UN and Brazilian government representatives, as well as several NGO leaders, spoke at the gathering. Articles and photos of the ceremony soon appeared in Brazilian media and websites. Be the whole world happy, including all the creators. Many dignitaries, reporters, and onlookers gathered to join Swāmījī in planting a Pau Brasil, the tree after which the country was named. This was part of his tradition of planting peace trees around the world to promote peace and harmony on the planet. This tree will symbolize the lasting commitments made at the historic UN conference. Our question is: there have been many commitments made on sustainability throughout the Rio Plus 20 conference in Brazil, and I would like to hear your kind comments on the commitments that Yoga in Daily Life and the Śrī Madhavānandjī World Peace Council take. Thank you. Thank you for the question. The year 2020, with the millennium goals, now they have changed from the original nine goals to the sustainable development goals for the world. Nearly the whole world is connected here. About 13,000 NGOs and more than 50,000 government delegations from 180 countries. What is very interesting is this, that all people, mostly who came, civilians, civil societies, or what you call the NGOs, they came with such great expectation and love, with a great positive will to do something for our beautiful earth. When you look at them, when you see their posters and flyers, the heart begins to be happy, and the eyes come full of tears, seeing how the people love our planet and would like to do positive work for the whole world. So, all the nations here who would like to have common ground found the common ground as a united nation. Now, it’s like this: no one should depend on the government. That’s my opinion. The government will not do more than just shake your hand and say, "Oh, very good." Mahātmā Gandhījī said, "Be the change you want to see." Therefore, the best would be that individually we get the responsibility, and, like what we call the grassroots project, give the individual people some duties to do something positive. It can be once a week: go through the lake, channels, or streets and clean the plastics and cups away. That’s also very good for the environment. Plant a few trees wherever you can, whether in the forest, in front of your house, or in gardens. Also, try to clean the lakes and assess the situation to see where we can work. To remove the system, what we call now, in Western culture, they call the different cultures, or they call different countries or the race. Racism is like a caste system. There is no caste; we are human. There is only one caste, and that is human. There is only one God, and that is the highest one. There is only one religion, and that is humanity and humans. This duty is to protect all the creatures and to protect the ocean, rivers, lakes, ponds, forests, and the wildlife. It is very sad that wildlife is disappearing. The people should stop hunting, and my concern and my request is this: that the hunting of either birds or other animals should not be acknowledged. In this field, especially in the yoga and daily life system around the world, I have been working for the last 42 years. For 42 years, tirelessly, I have been trying to bring the message of love, understanding, harmony, and protection of the environment and ahiṃsā. At the same time, for the last 25 years, Śrī Svāmī Madhavānand and the World Peace Council have been working on this project. So I think we have a lot of opportunities to do something as long as we are alive. Thank you very much, and God bless you. On behalf of governments, businesses, civil society groups, universities, and others attending Rio+20, the conference registered more than 700 declarations of voluntary commitments aimed at helping the environment. Likewise, Swāmījī and Yoga in Daily Life submitted a voluntary commitment describing their future actions to improve the environmental situation. It is not too late. Start now. Be the change you want to see. The practice of yoga in daily life cultivates awareness of the ethical and spiritual principles of sustainability. To protect the planet’s wildlife, forests, and water requires the awakening of awareness and human consciousness.