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Part 1: Yoga and the Path to Nonviolence and World Peace Thank you. Good morning, Your Excellencies, distinguished speakers, and audience. I have the pleasure of welcoming you here to the conference, “Yoga and the Path to Nonviolence and World Peace,” organized by the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council. I am the general secretary of this association, and it is our first event here in the UN building. Regularly, every year on this special day of non-violence and Gandhijī’s birthday, we hold some observance, some event, but now this day is a special day for all of us. I thank the founder of the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council, Viśvagurujī Maheśvarānanda, and especially also his revered master, Śrī Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Madhavānandajī, who inspired us to create this World Peace Council and to work for peace, for understanding, for tolerance and forgiveness in the whole world. This is the aim of this session as well. You know, even minor activities can have a very big impact, and if such a gathering, such a meeting, coming together, and we all think on peace, on understanding, on forgiveness, on brotherhood, then it shall have an impact also outside of this room, outside of this building, radiating to the whole world. In this sense, I hope, and I’m sure, this meeting will be a successful meeting, and I’m very happy to hand over now to our moderator, the director of the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council, Mr. Gregor Kroos, who will guide you through this program. Thank you. Thank you very much, Dr. Renate Lavička. Most respected excellencies, most respected dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps, respected international delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is my immense privilege to welcome you all to the international conference in the name of the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council. To initiate this international event now, the very respected artist Bhakti Devī is going to perform a special mantra on her own, and it would be kindly appreciated if we do not support her during that performance. But during her performance, the respected speakers will receive special symbolic flowers and are kindly invited to follow Viśvagurujī Maheśvarānanda, the conference initiator, to symbolically deliver these flowers to the vase. We are not allowed to perform the otherwise traditional peace candle lighting, and therefore we would like to symbolically inaugurate the successful beginning of our conference. Thank you. Thank you, Bhakti Devī, and thank you all respected international speakers and our guests. Now I’m asking Dr. Nesirke, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Vienna, to address the audience. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the United Nations Information Service here in Vienna, I’m really pleased to welcome you to the United Nations and to the Vienna International Center for the first time, it seems. So welcome, good morning. Today we commemorate the International Day of Non-Violence. The International Day of Non-Violence is marked every 2nd of October. It’s the birthday of Mahātmā Gandhi, who was, of course, the leader of the Indian Independence Movement and a pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. According to the General Assembly resolution which established the day eight years ago, it is an occasion to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding, and non-violence. Yoga, the topic you chose to discuss on this year’s International Day of Non-Violence, not only improves individual health but also promotes peaceful relations. Yoga is rightly regarded as an excellent contribution to creating a non-violent environment. This is also why earlier this year the General Assembly proclaimed the 21st of June as the International Day of Yoga. Let me quote the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, my old boss, who has discovered the benefits of yoga himself. He said, yoga offers a simple, accessible, and inclusive means to promote physical and spiritual health and well-being. It promotes respect for one’s fellow human beings and for the planet we share. And yoga does not discriminate. All people can practice regardless of their relative strength, age, or ability. Indeed, yoga can contribute meaningfully to our efforts to implement the newly adopted sustainable development goals. This is especially important, given that goal number three of those 17 sustainable development goals refers to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. And this is a point the Secretary-General makes in his message to mark this year’s International Day of Non-Violence. I think we have copies of that message available for you. He said that the day has special importance this year as we mark the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, and he urges all of us to renew our commitment to non-violence and a life of dignity for all. And so it’s in that spirit that I now wish you really fruitful discussions and an interesting conference. Once again, it’s really wonderful to have you here with us at the United Nations and to welcome you here. Thank you very much indeed, and namaste. Thank you very much, Dr. Nisirky, Director, United Nations Information Service Vienna, for your remarks and, of course, for your warm hospitality. And now I’m asking Dr. Esther Lukas, member of the Presidium, United Nations Association of Hungary, to address the audience. Thank you. Praṇām Viśvagurujī, Dr. Nessir Kī, Dr. Nagendra Jī, ladies and gentlemen, Hindu Dharma Samrāṭ, Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Mādhavānanda Purī Jī, Holy Gurujī, a self-realized saint and the Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara of the Purī Order of the Daśanāmī Sampradāya, Pañcānāmī Mahānirvāṇī Akhāṛā, founded and established by Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, belongs to the spiritual master lineage of Śrī Om Lakṣmī Purījī, Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā. He attained God’s realization through pure devotion and service to his master. His Holiness, Viśvaguru Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Maheśvarānanda Purījī, Viśvagurujī, as we affectionately call him, the spiritual successor of Holy Gurujī, established the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council to commemorate and pay homage to his master. The 2nd of October, the International Day of Nonviolence, is the UN’s tribute to Mahātmā Gandhījī, the leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of nonviolence, who was born on this day 146 years ago. Intriguingly, Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon launched the UN at 70 celebrations. On the previous day, the Secretary-General paid a visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat to reflect on the legacy of the Mahatma and record his words. Gandhījī once said, India would be morally bound to help the United Nations. The Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council and Yoga in Daily Life, two humanitarian philanthropic NGOs in consultative status with the UN ECOSOC, overseen by Viśvagurujī, have taken up Gandhījī’s call and have been committed to fulfilling the MDGs and supporting the UN’s post-2015 development agenda. This is to briefly assess the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council’s and Yoga in Daily Life’s major UN-related activities. In 2002, to contribute to the achievement of universal primary education on the premises of the Om Āśram, Jadan, Rajasthan, a primary school was established to enroll the underprivileged children of rural India. Jadan School now delivers education from preschool levels to bachelor’s degrees for over 1,500 students. The Gyanputra scheme of the Jadan School provides free transportation, textbooks, uniforms, and free meals to the most deprived children to help them emerge from extreme poverty. To bridge the digital divide and to contribute to the knowledge society, Jadan School is equipped with 21st-century information technology. To promote gender equality and the empowerment of women, educational services are offered free of charge to all girl students. The Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda Hospital, a further initiative on the grounds of their own āśram and Jadan school, offers a joint community health and educational care program for women. In line with the UN’s new 2030 development agenda, voluntary health mentors are trained at the hospital to protect and empower children, disabled, and older persons, the most vulnerable people in society. To improve maternal health, ensure healthy lives, and promote well-being for all at all ages, the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda Hospital operates with numerous departments, including a 24-hour ambulance service helping people with serious, life-threatening conditions, and providing treatment for tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis, and other waterborne and communicable diseases. Under the framework of ensuring environmental sustainability, the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council launched its Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, 2002. The program that was further introduced at Rio+20 and the Budapest Water Summit ensures water for drinking and agricultural purposes to Rajasthan’s poor rural communities in a state that spans 10% of India’s geographical area but which has only 1% of the country’s water resources. The water gained through the Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative is additionally taken advantage of by the program’s fire and rescue services. Climate change is directly affected by the carbon released into the atmosphere due to deforestation and forest degradation. The joint forestation and tree planting program of the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council and Yoga in Daily Life, which led to the planting of well over 15 million trees, was initiated by Viśvagurujī as an integral part of the voluntary commitment titled Awareness in Action. Peace conferences, tree plantings, cleanups, and vegetarianism were pledged at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio, 2012. The Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council is further engaged to join the Partnership for the SDGs, a program launched at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York last week. To protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and halt biodiversity loss, a seed bank initiative has been recently established. The project primarily focuses on the protection of native heritage seeds and medicinal herbs. Again, in line with the 15th Global Goal, a campaign titled “Save the Birds” has been launched to draw public awareness to how unsustainable agricultural production patterns, like the excessive use of pesticides, are affecting them. Equally unsustainable consumption models, such as natural habitat destruction for sport activities, endanger the lives of uncountable bird, bee, and butterfly species. The moral impetus for animal protection derives from the principle of non-violence. The Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council and Yoga in Daily Life International Fellowship run and fund the so-called Goshala Sanctuaries, which shelter and provide veterinary care for abandoned cows, horses, and goats in three districts of Rajasthan, India. On the 9th of September this year, at the General Assembly’s High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon appealed to the members of the global community by asking people to open their hearts and not to turn their eyes away from suffering. In the form of eight peace summits and innumerable peace forums, peace prayers, and inter-religious initiations, the Śrī Svāmī World Peace Council has promoted the culture of peace ever since its conception. World peace is possible when all religious and political leaders practice tolerance, recognition, and respect for all religions, cultures, traditions, races, languages, and nations. Our prime duty is to awaken the consciousness of forgiveness, brotherhood, and oneness, that we are all children of one God. There is one religion to which we all belong: humanity, Viśvagurujī says. 2015 is the year of assessment at the United Nations. On the 70th anniversary of its formation, the most comprehensive international organization evaluates achievements and outlines roadmaps for our common future. Viśvaguru Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Maheśvarānanda was incarnated in the year of the UN’s founding. He has been in service to his Sadguru, His Holiness Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Mādhavānanda, and the whole of mankind for 50 years. On behalf of all members of the World Peace Council bearing the name of Holy Gurujī, we would like to take this opportunity to remember Viśvagurujī’s birthday, express to him our infinite gratitude and affection, and wish him a long life in perfect health. Thank you. Thank you very much, Dr. Esther Lukas, member of the Presidium, United Nations Association of Hungary. And now, I would like to ask Dr. Manfred Steponat, President of the International Śrī Dīp Mādhavānanda Āśrama Fellowship, to address the audience. Thank you. On behalf of the International Fellowship of Yoga in Daily Life, I warmly welcome you to this peace conference. Peace, a condition mankind has been longing to reach for thousands of years. Unfortunately, in many places around the world, peace has not always been a part of history, neither in the past nor in the present. In these days, many refugees remind us of this fact. The reasons for this are as complex and diverse as human nature itself. Outer life circumstances are merely a reflection of the inner world of human beings, and vice versa. Therefore, it is necessary to attain a peaceful condition which harmonizes physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. Our children should be given the opportunity to grow in a peaceful world. We should serve every living being, lead a vegetarian life, and protect our mother nature. The royal path to achieve all of this is yoga. Nowadays, everybody has the possibility to read about yoga, to practice yoga, to serve, and to pray with devotion, so one can form his inner and outer world. Especially through Yoga in Daily Life and with the guidance and wisdom of a self-realized master, such as His Holiness Viśvaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Maheśvarānanda, we have the opportunity to gain true knowledge and individual benefits. Providing additional support are all bhajans, satsaṅgs, seminars, and especially the webcasts from Viśvagurujī. This gift to mankind should be called to everybody’s mind. My gratitude for all of this goes to Viśvagurujī and his spiritual ancestors, our Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā. Hindu Dharma Samrāṭ Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda, Viśvagurujī’s master, was a great example to all of us who have known him personally. His selfless serving, all the satsaṅgs and bhajans he has given to us, testify to his deep knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council was founded in the year 2002 together with Holy Gurujī and with Viśvagurujī, and it has continued every year onward. I wish success to everybody in their efforts to bring peace to our world. And I hope that this year’s peace conference will again be an inspiration for many people on this planet. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Dr. Manfred Steponat, President, International Śrī Dīp Mādhavānanda Āśram Fellowship. Allow me now just to read the message from Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the World Peace Council Conference. I’m honored to send a message of support to all participants of the conference, “Yoga, Path to Nonviolence and World Peace,” held on October 2nd, 2015, in Vienna, Austria. Yoga is a path to peace, which proposes a holistic and healthy lifestyle by revealing the union between body and mind, with nature and the world. This year, we celebrated for the first time the International Day of Yoga, a proposal by His Excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was co-sponsored by an overwhelming number of member states in the United Nations General Assembly. I believe that it is symbolic and important that this celebration is held in the year when states reach the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals and shape a new global sustainable development agenda. These are turbulent times, when societies are transforming, conflicts are on the rise, and the planet faces increasing pressure. Yoga embodies a humanist vision for the world, a vision that bears the imprint of the great leader Mahatma Gandhi in its commitment to the principles of compassion, conviviality, solidarity, reconciliation, and peace. Born in India, yoga now belongs to all humanity, representing today a truly transformative force accessible to every woman and man, aspiring to contribute to more peaceful, inclusive, and harmonious societies on the basis of a shared conviction that peace begins from within. Part 2: A Culture of Peace: Reflections on Yoga, Non-Violence, and Mutual Understanding This idea echoes the UNESCO Constitution, whose opening line states that since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed. More than 6,000 years ago, yoga is a remarkable example of intercultural dialogue, taken forward within the framework of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures that UNESCO is currently leading across the world. In this spirit, I wish to congratulate the World Peace Council for its work to share the power of yoga all around the world through the teachings of Śrī Svāmī Madhavānandajī on tolerance, peace, non-violence, and the protection of nature. I wish you a very fruitful conference. Irina Bokova. And now I would like to invite Dr. Reynolder, Chairman of the NGO Committee on Peace at the United Nations Vienna, to address the audience. Thank you. Thank you. Your Excellencies, dignitaries, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. I am speaking here as the present chairperson of the NGO Committee on Peace, and this reminds me of a very interesting fact I discovered when I joined this committee more than 20 years ago. I learned that there were already committees on disarmament at the UN in New York and at the UN in Geneva, but in Vienna, the decision was intentionally to call this committee the Committee on Peace, as peace is much more than mere disarmament. But let me talk about my personal experience. In the 1970s and 80s, I worked as a doctor and a researcher in developing countries, first in Congo, Africa, and later in Latin America. My interest as a physician was fair access to health for everybody. But health is not only a question of medical infrastructure. We have already heard about yoga and health. But health is also much more a question of living conditions. And during my work, I learned how land grabbing and deforestation are not only violating the living conditions and therefore the health of indigenous people in Latin America, but are also contributing to climate change and therefore to environmental destruction. And the interest behind this ongoing process is the business with soybeans and meat production, aiming at higher and cheaper meat consumption in industrial countries, as well as the production of agrofuel from sugarcane. For the sake of more and cheaper meat consumption in rich countries, not only the life and landscape of the most sustainably living indigenous people, but also the ecology and climate are degraded. Do we consumers really want to be a part of this unfair and destructive world order? Violence even occurs without the use of arms, through structures and conditions of production and trade in many parts of the world. Just think of the textile industry. Later in the 1990s, however, I learned that all the enormous amount of deforestation of rainforest makes only about 20% of anthropogenic climate change. Purījī Prakāś, Purījī Prakāś… A culture of non-violence is much more than mere disarmament. Although disarmament is extremely important and needed, we have learned that ten thousand nuclear weapons, capable of destroying the whole planet, have not made our globe safer. Small arms produced in wealthy regions are killing several hundred thousand people each year in poor regions of the world. At first view, it may seem that having an arm for defense makes us feel safer. However, we know from statistical data that a high density of weapons in a population correlates with high rates of injuries and fatalities. And there is a growing gap between the rich and the poor on our globe. We know from the research of Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett that unequal societies suffer more crimes and more violence, and have worse health conditions, even if they have more money. I suppose we will hear more about Mahatma Gandhi, or Christianity, or Buddhism, or other religion-motivated non-violence, and about today, and about the necessary permanent process of training in non-violence. But let me close by quoting the observation of David Steindl-Rast, an 88-year-old Benedictine monk experienced in the dialogue of Eastern and Western philosophies. He says there is one thing we all have together, independent of our religion and orientation: we all want to be happy. And he found that it is not happiness that makes us thankful; it is rather our thankfulness, our ability to be thankful, an attitude that makes us happy. We have to cultivate it. The awareness that we receive so many gifts in our lives, and that every moment gives us a chance to be thankful, and the interesting observation of Steindl-Rast: gratefulness takes away fear, which is a main creator of violence. Really, thankful people are not violent. So I thank you for your attention at this conference, and I hope that the spirit of this conference will contribute to the creation of a culture of non-violence. Thank you very much, Dr. Reynolder, Chairman, NGO Committee on Peace at the United Nations Vienna. And now I’m asking Professor Vacek, Director of the Institute of South and Central Asia, former Dean of the Philosophical Faculty at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, to address the audience. Your Holiness, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor for me to speak here today, and while hearing some of the papers before, I realized that peace has so many dimensions, and perhaps I may add one aspect of it. There was a word, cultural communication, used in one of the papers, which is perhaps very relevant. No doubt, one of the most important conditions for the survival of our civilization is peace. In the last few centuries, this world has become too small, and in spite of many sincere and serious efforts, the globe has been repeatedly shattered by many roars of war. Mahatma Gandhi was one of those strong personalities of the modern age who did not hesitate to combine a deep spiritual insight with an active participation in public life, and with a personal engagement in various activities for the sake of the public good and mutual understanding. In fact, it is mutual understanding, not only of individual people, but of the large, culturally different communities populating this world. This is the essential requirement for achieving global benefits, including peace. Of course, there are many more benefits. In everyday general communication, we use one of the more or less widely known world languages, as we do now, and seem to be able to achieve some level of practical understanding and agreement. But it is essential that we start to know each other more intimately, in order to be able to understand each other’s world—inverted commas—more deeply. Our thoughts and general attitudes are conditioned by our various local traditions, using different languages. We have to understand properly many of their subtleties in order to be able to respect these traditions and, consequently, to respect each other. This will provide the catalyst for an atmosphere of harmony in the first instance, which is the condition for our peaceful coexistence in this world of predominantly material values. Not that material well-being is not an important aim or aspect of everyday life, but it is certainly not the only one. The key to a deeper understanding of various cultures is their concrete languages. Therefore, devoting more attention to a thorough study of the languages of Asia, a continent which is rapidly becoming more and more important on the global stage, is one essential means by which we may be able to support mutual understanding and respect. Developing the studies of Asian languages from a global perspective, with the aim of improving the chances of mutual understanding for the sake of mutual benefit. Mahāprabhudīp Karatā, Mahāprabhudīp Karatā, He Kevalam. By many, though to some this may appear to be a rather idealistic approach, the Indian tradition has always also perceived the practical and realistic background of spiritual vision, and that is perhaps why it has been so inspiring all over the world. And as a verse in the Indian epic, the Mahābhārata says, ‘Suparasan Īvā’—of course, there are variants, textual variants; ‘Suparasan Īvā’ is also one variant. Which means, he who does not have knowledge of his own and has only heard much, he does not know the meaning of the śāstras, or textbooks, scientific books, as the spoon does not know the taste of the soup. So, let this metaphorical image be inspiring for further thought about how to approach our surroundings, and I think Yoga in Daily Life is a movement which is very much Indian. Besides a deeper spiritual insight, it can also help people to achieve their own practical knowledge, which will, we hope, also facilitate a more general mutual cultural understanding, one precondition of world peace. Peace, which is perhaps the most essential condition for our civilization to survive, to finish by the word, world peace. When I started my speech, thank you for your attention. Thank you, Professor Dr. Vacek, Director, Institute of South and Central Asia, former Dean of the Philosophical Faculty at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. And now I would like to invite Professor Dr. Földeshy, Rector, Széchenyi István University, Győr, Hungary, to address the audience. Thank you. Your Holiness, respected Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Māheśvarānanda, board members of the Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda World Peace Council, Brian Philip sitting there, and myself feel humbled and privileged to be invited to the conference titled “Yoga, A Path to Non-Violence and World Peace,” organized on the occasion of the International Day of Non-Violence. Last year, to acknowledge the peace endeavors of Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Maheśvarānanda, we invited him to Széchenyi István University, where we jointly planted a world peace tree in front of the university library. Széchenyi István University in Hungary is a rapidly developing institution of Hungarian higher education with more than 15,000 students enrolled. It bears the name of Count István Széchenyi, the greatest statesman and most generous nobleman in Hungarian history. He is also known as the great reformer who traveled extensively in Europe and was primarily fascinated by the rapid modernization of Britain in the early years of the 18th century. He quickly realized the growing gap between the modern world and his native country and committed his life to the industrial development and economic reformation of Hungary. We, the present leaders of the university, wish to live up to the standards of our forefathers. Nowadays, we cover and represent a wide range of scientific fields, such as automotive engineering, architecture, civil engineering and transport science, economics, law and political science, mechanical engineering, informatics, electrical engineering, agriculture, and the food industry, which is very important from our point of view, and also tourism and catering, which is a brand new field, and I remember your advice in which you said that cooking and catering must be part of the higher education system, so there’s a time to launch new courses from next year on; we will do it. Thank you very much. Health and society, and we also engaged in musical arts. Széchenyi University developed to be the 21st-century university model, meaning that it is an open, service-providing institution of the higher education system, as opposed to the so-called degree-issuing factory or degree-issuing bureau. We take wide-scale responsibility for the next generation. We support their professional, intellectual, moral, physical, and spiritual development. In order to explore the unknown, the unknown inside and outside, because the unknown sometimes generates fear, and as we heard, fear can generate violence, we have a fundamental responsibility to support a new generation, a new generation without violence. We are under a professional mandate to provide various facilities that contribute to a balanced, healthy lifestyle. The Good Student, Good Sport Person Scholarship of our university acknowledges those students with outstanding academic performance who observe the principle of fair play and excel in a branch of sport. We have established extensive sports capacities to support both competitive and leisure sports activities. Yoga in Daily Life has been acknowledged as an optional program at the Center of Physical Education and Sport of our university since 2006. A large number of students opt for Yoga in Daily Life during four terms, and it is for their benefit. University chaplaincy provides special support and pastoral care for the staff and students of all faiths and none. It is a place for relaxation, unwinding, and quiet contemplation. We also feel obliged to pay our duties due to the elderly members of our local community. In 2010, we initiated the so-called Pensioner Universities, University for the Elderly People, which entails approximately eight university lectures per semester, specifically tailored for seniors. More than 1,000 pensioners have registered for the academic year of 2015 and 2016 to learn about the latest scientific novelties. There is a slogan, the slogan of our city, which says that the future is being built in years, and this is how it works. There is a cooperation triangle of the leadership of the city, the municipal government, the local authorities, the second industry, and the university, and this triangle ensures the success of our city. A couple of words about success, what we mean by success. In economic terms, Győr far outperforms the other Hungarian cities and regions. Per capita GDP is 22% higher than the Hungarian average. Other statistical indicators, such as per capita foreign direct investment, the unemployment rate, or gross wages, are also much more favorably measured than in any other Hungarian city. And as a consequence, the crime rate is low as well. The key to our success lies in cooperation and understanding. We realize that without collaboration, we cannot thrive. The city, the industry, and the university are relying on each other’s resources. We make sure that parallel capacities are not pinned down. Our local cooperation pattern is often referred to as best practice on national and also EU levels. According to your understanding, United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon defined six essential elements for delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. Planet, people, dignity, prosperity, justice, and partnership are the cornerstones of the post-2015 development agenda. The 17th Sustainable Development Goal defines the revitalization of the global partnership for sustainable development. The U.S. New Development Agenda suggests partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society. These inclusive partnerships are built upon principles and values. A shared vision and shared goals are needed at the global, regional, national, and local levels. So that’s what we are doing now in Hungary. A partnership, a mutual understanding, and I can proudly report it works. So if any one of you wishes to have a personal and direct experience, we welcome all visitors and guests to our city and to our university. Széchenyi István University is a founding member of the United Nations Academic Impact Initiative. Annual programs are organized under the framework of the program. We further observe the ten basic principles formulated by the UNAI, seven of which are a commitment to advancing peace and conflict resolution through education, resonating with the aim of today’s conference on the occasion of the International Day of Non-Violence. Since 2000, the Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda World Peace Council and Yoga in Daily Life, two international NGOs under the supervision of Paramahaṁsvāmī Maheśvarānanda, have had more than their fair share in the enormous progress that the UN has made toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals. They contributed to the decline of poverty, to the school attendance of children and young adults, and to the expansion of access to safe drinking water. Thank you for that. We respect and acknowledge the endeavors of Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Maheśvarānanda and thank him for the invitation to this noble event. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Dr. Földeshy, Rector from Széchenyi István University, Győr. I would like now to thank Dr. Nisirky, Director of the United Nations Information Service, for his attendance. He has to leave for other commitments, so thank you very much. Please do allow me to read another message that we have received. Part 3: Yoga: A Path to Non-Violence and World Peace – Messages and Addresses The message from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Miro Cerar: Respected Initiator of the Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda World Peace Council, Viśvagurujī Maheśvarānanda, It is my sincere privilege to write this personal address for your esteemed international audience at a time when I am attending the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 here in New York. I have joined other world leaders for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda and the much-anticipated, urgently needed Sustainable Development Goals. Since the topic of this year’s United Nations General Assembly is “The United Nations at 70: The Road Ahead for Peace, Security and Human Rights,” I see an exceptional correlation with the theme of your respected conference, organized at the premises of the United Nations—simply on the other side of the globe. The core messages of non-violence and world peace, as well as yoga as an instrument for reaching inner tranquility and leading to outer peace, are inevitably resonating worldwide. I cannot help thinking that the year 2015 is somehow special. Marking and celebrating the United Nations’ 70th anniversary and presenting the Sustainable Development Goals made me reflect even more on our role as leaders of individual countries. I have thought a lot about Slovenia, which already was a country of great respect and international recognition, and in many sectors a true role model. However, in recent years, some of that particular fame was lost. In this respect, I started looking for answers on how to re-establish that reputation and how to bring a decent lifestyle back to Slovenia’s citizens—not just to a few who are able to afford it. Together with my team, we soon discovered that the answer to that particular question lies not far away from us. Therefore, respected Viśvagurujī Maheśvarānanda, please allow me to take this opportunity to present to your distinguished audience the decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia to be a pilot country among pioneer countries officially recognizing the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals as the basis for our country’s long-term development strategy. We are committed to carrying out the mapping of the Sustainable Development Goals and to building a structure that will continue to ensure good governance. Slovenia will strive to become the model country for sustainable development, and through that, will try to inspire millions of people to follow the path of sustainable development. I firmly believe that in the times in which we are living and in the world surrounding us, the decision we undertook was the only rightful and responsible one. Respected international audience, I truly wish you a successful conference. The more of us acting responsibly, the higher are the chances for our common positive goals to become reality. Yours sincerely, Dr. Miro Cerar, Prime Minister of the Government of Slovenia. We have also received several messages from the Czech Republic. The first one I will present to you is from the office of the President of the Czech Republic, by Jiří Kmoníček, Director of the Foreign Affairs Department. I will read the paragraph: “Yoga means much more than just a lifestyle with its social impact. Yoga is also a spiritual lift of a modern man to a non-Euclidean world, etc. But even with all irony in me—irony is an inherited quality of every Central European, Kundera used to say—the connection between yoga and peace seems very natural to me. It makes sense. Yoga really helps to spread and keep peace in the world.” Jiří Kmoníček, Director of the Foreign Affairs Department. Another message is from Dr. Jan Zahradník, member of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and former governor of the South Bohemian region. I will again read the paragraph: “In the spirit of Śrī Madhvānanda’s motto, ‘One in all and all in one,’ as well as Mahātmā Gāndhī’s, ‘Be the change you want to see,’ your conference pleases me while endorsing efforts for a peaceful, non-violent, and free world.” Dr. Jan Zahradník, Member of Parliament of the Czech Republic, former Governor of the South Bohemian Region. And from the Presidium of Continents of the Czech Republic, Dr. Zdena Marečkova, another paragraph: “Let your conference touch the hearts not only of its participants, but of all countries, including our homeland. It is now your quiet and loving voice which we hear and need over the frontiers.” In the name of Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda and the World Peace Council, I would like to thank you very much for all the messages we have received. Of course, you are able to read all the others which we received in the booklet provided at the conference. And just to conclude with the message we have received from Stjepan Mesić, the President of the Republic of Croatia between 2000 and 2010: “Respected Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda, World Peace Council organizers and participants, the relentless efforts of His Holiness Viśvaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Paramahaṃsa Swami Maheśvarānanda Purī, aiming to improve all aspects of life on our planet, inspire us and teach us that in order to make changes happen, we need to reach both the minds and the hearts of as many people as possible. This sets an example which every human being should follow, and it serves to light the spark within every one of us. The work of His Holiness can be described, both in Western and Eastern terminology, by an interplay of two great quotes. He is actively reminding us to be aware that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, and to be the change you want to see. With love and best wishes for all future projects of His Holiness and the Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda World Peace Council.” Stjepan Mesić. And I would also very much like to welcome among us Dr. Bhava Jain, founder and secretary general of the World Council of Religious Leaders, United States of America. Welcome. Now, I would like to ask the conference initiator, and of course also the initiator of the Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda World Peace Council, Viśvagurujī Māheśvarānanda, to address the audience shortly. Thank you. Viśvagurujī Māheśvarānanda’s Address: Oṁ kāravindu-saṁyuktam nitya-dayanti yoginām kaṁdam mokṣaṇam caiva oṁ-kārāya namo namaḥ. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Salutations to the Cosmic Light, Lord of our hearts, Omniscient and Omnipresent. On this beautiful day, Your Excellencies, Delegates, Sisters and Brothers, today is the day which is worshipped or remembered, the day of non-violence. The next step of non-violence is peace. Today we are all here, and many dignitaries from America, India, Australia, all of Europe, and many other countries are with us. I would like to thank the United Nations for giving us this hospitality and providing this beautiful conference hall for this ceremony. We have received the support of many, many friends, professors, and holy saints from all walks of life. This continuity of the Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda World Peace Council, which has lasted 14 years, we are celebrating. The Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda World Peace Council was established in 2002. Otherwise, our peace and non-violence activities began long ago—first in Turkey, in Konya, and then in other countries. The purpose of this is, as our great speakers before said very clearly—thank you dearly—what we are here for and what we would like to do. Education, which is also a subject of the United Nations for a sustainable world, is the key. Education in this modern world has lost some wings. And these wings are, in my opinion, very important. Three wings are lost. The first is education in the lap of the parents. Nowadays, parents are only parents. They can’t give that education to their children—the education of being human, of being a human being. The world will look different if parents take care and give them that love and that education. The second is spiritual education, and the third is ethics. These three wings are lost, and that’s why we have to struggle and we have to have such conferences; otherwise, it’s not necessary to do so. So the aim of the United Nations is “from many, one,” and education is a key part of that. My master, Horī Gurujī, Dharm Samrāṭ Swāmī Madhavānandjī, his main point was also education—to educate equally. The problem was there long ago, in the British time. We did not have schools in big cities. Children were studying under the trees with a few people who got it right. But now, for 70 years, all of us have had schools and education and everything. But we had the education of the Vedas, the Upaniṣads. The respected professor Vacek spoke very nicely and taught something about the Mahābhārata in Sanskrit, as he said. Another fellow who was talking before also emphasized that language which is very important. We have to learn a language that can bring non-violence and peace. In every language of the world, there is that language, but somehow it is getting lost. And in the Upaniṣad it is said, Jīvātmā Madhu Vātmā. The Upaniṣad said, “Jīvā me mādhv ātmā.” On the tongue, we should have honey. Whatever we speak should be sweet words, kind words. And that, Jīvāhaṁ Madhu Mātma said, Vāśu Deva Kūṭāmbakam. Then it is said, the whole world is a family of one God. The whole world is a family. Modern education has changed. We call the world a family, and now they say the world is a market. Whatever we can earn is our world peace. Gandhījī said there is no way to peace; peace is the way, and peace comes from our own heart. From our own heart, it comes out through the tongue with honey, with sweet words, kind words, humble words. Non-violence—Gurujī said, my master, and many others also—we should have love for all. If we don’t have love, then fear is there. And fear brings all kinds of problems in the world. And fear is born out of ignorance. So, definitely, we can achieve what we want to achieve. But our achievement should not be based on our pride, our ego—“I achieved,” “I did it,” “I will do.” No, we will do, we will work, we will achieve. In the last 40 years of my being in Western countries, there have been a lot of struggles, but all the friends I meet, the practitioners of yoga in their life, we are supporting each other, and we have come to this point. So my inspiration, my knowledge, my strength, my spiritual power is given to me by my Guru. And Gurujī met Gandhijī because Gurujī also had an ashram in Sabarmati, where Gandhijī also had an ashram. They had dialogues many times. So Gurujī said, “One in all and all in one.” If we see everyone as ourself, we will not do bad things to anyone. And so the inspiration, guidance, and blessings are from the Gurudev. We all have a master. Every master is a master. Do not think the master is a physical form. Master is a call; Guru is a call to knowledge, who leads us from darkness to light. No system can function in this world without the Guru system. All would collapse—and that is the Guru system. The Guru system means that even someone who teaches you how to drive a car is your driving Guru. You are a music Guru, you are a football Guru, you are a yoga Guru. Guru means you are the teacher. You say teacher, you say master, and we say Guru. So the problem is the language. Language brings confusion, fighting, and violence. If the language is understood, then it is the same. So if you speak in Western words, the Guru says, “Oh my God, thank you,” at least he remembers God. Yes, it’s Guru. Oh my God, yes, you are correct. This is a glorious sect, my God. And what is a sect? It is a sector. And this word was given at the time of the Holy Saint Francis of Assisi in the Vatican. And there the Pope said, “Well, that can be your sector, that about Franciscus or what you call.” So, sector—this sector, second floor, in the hospital we have heart, eye, etc., different sectors. So misunderstood language is a problem. Without a Guru, we can’t do anything. In Western countries, there is a very systematically accepted Guru system. In India, we don’t do it; sometimes we neglect it, we don’t learn, and it’s finished. In India, there is no compulsory education system. They say, “I don’t want to study.” I am human, I have my human rights—okay, finished. But they have knowledge from their parents. So, Gu means darkness, ru means light: one who leads us from darkness to the light of that knowledge—that is a Guru. And so, my master, I came to him at a very early age, and he taught me many, many things. I feel thankful to him, and I would like to express and explain, to tell my master, that I give you this token of a flower—that I took your knowledge to bring into the whole world that beautiful aroma. So there is one, thank you. There is one song: Phūl chūjī chalānā thā vo phūla meṁ, ḍhuṇḍhana pāyā. I want to give you one flower, but I couldn’t find that flower. I was searching source to source and door to door, but I did not find that flower which I wanted to give you. Definitely, there is that flower, but it was my mistake that I couldn’t find it. So, we have within us non-violence, ahiṃsā, and śānti. Both we can realize: jība me madhu mātmā—sweet words, kind words. If you think of someone as bad, you are already doing violence. If you write bad words about someone, it’s already violence. So Gandhījī said, “Therefore, be the change you want to see.” If you think negatively about someone, then you are not that which Gandhījī spoke of. So thank you very much. Thank you, everybody, that you came. Welcome to you, and there are great speakers waiting. So I don’t want to take more time. I only wanted to welcome all of you. And now we have among us Bābā Jain. He came from America, New York, and he is the General Secretary of the World Religious Parliament. In 2000, a millennium conference was held at the United Nations in New York, in the main lobby or main office, where 5,000 spiritual leaders came from the whole world, from all different kinds of religions. That was such a beauty. That vision was so beautiful. Why? Because all religious leaders were there, and all had a darśan of each other. It was a great event. So he is all the time in the aeroplane. Today he missed his aeroplane—he landed in Vienna. So thank you. Thank you very much, thank you very much. Resolution and Closing: Most respected Vishwagurujī Maheshwarananda, initiator of today’s conference and of the Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda World Peace Council, due to your extreme patience and because the time is still allowing us, please do allow me just to read to you also the Resolution that the respected speakers already started to sign. The main aim of Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda and the World Peace Council is to support and fulfill the United Nations Millennium Development Goals: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; to achieve universal primary education; to promote gender equality and empower women; to reduce child mortality; to improve maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; to ensure environmental sustainability; and to build a global partnership for development. The United Nations has declared June 21st the International Day of Yoga. It was celebrated for the first time by millions of people of all nationalities and denominations around the world in 2015. For the purposes of continuing the strongly supported will of the peoples, the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council has organized a dedicated conference on October 2nd in Vienna, Austria, titled “Yoga, a Path to Non-Violence and World Peace.” On this special occasion, coinciding with the 70-year anniversary of the United Nations, we entreat all world leaders to be united in their efforts toward lasting world peace through stronger acknowledgment and support for peace, education, and the environment; health; water purification; human rights; and a world without poverty. Stronger and more active support is also needed for all the organizations around the world that actively advocate and promote the heritage and wisdom of humankind. Thank you. And as I announced a few minutes before, now it’s time for our break. You know, you read this resolution—it’s just wonderful—but I would have a small suggestion. In the beginning, you said Millennium Development Goals; change that to Sustainable Development Goals. They were just adopted yesterday at the UN General Assembly, so it makes it more current. Thank you very much.