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Give me peace, give me peace... I would like to thank him for his open-hearted and open attitude in support of our tradition. He lives with us at the World Tournament, and this year he came here to plant the tree of peace symbolically. Just as Župan explained, in the last few weeks he planted trees first in Slovakia, then in Washington, then in Wellington in New Zealand, and before yesterday in Berlin in Austria. Well, today we will also plant trees in Maribor. In the beginning, the foreman was connected to the symbol of the tree—a tree that grows from a small seed into something magnificent, and the tree that grows makes no difference to whom it will give shade and to whom it will give fruit. As such, it is a beautiful symbol of peace. For the beginning of today’s program, we will play a short performance with the title, "The Drop of Life." Performance: "The Drop of Life" I’ll tell you shortly. Please come here, Paṇḍā. Paṇḍā: What should I do? Narrator: This is cool. You have to shout. Just put your paws around your mouth and make a flat sound. Okay. Paṇḍā: Who? America, can you hear us? Voice: Who? Yes, we can hear you. But a bit quieter, though. My pups are asleep. What’s the matter? Paṇḍā: We are in a hurry. Please come here, Puma. Puma: What should I do? Paṇḍā: You have to shout. Puma: This is awful noise. Soon everyone will join us. Okay. Who? Oceania, can you hear us? Voice: Who? Is that you? Yes, yes, don’t shout. I can hear it, less volume. What’s the matter? Puma: We don’t know, but our mouth. Please, listen to me, everybody. During the years I have flown here and there, I know what is happening on the Earth. All: What? Puma: It’s a problem called desertification. All: Canalization? Dehumanization? Decoration? Recession? No! Puma: Desertification! What does that mean? Well, trees are vanishing, the earth is drying, and sand is flying. So, to solve the problem, let’s plant new trees! All: Yes, let’s do it! But where do you think we can find seeds or seedlings? Bear: What’s wrong with him? Oh, it’s so hot! I’m itchy all over! All over, please scratch me. Puma: Scratch you? Bear: Yes, yes, scratch me. I can’t call butter wise. Dry is earth, and dry is fur. No wonder if you’re itchy, sir. Bear: I feel so good. Scratch me near, scratch me far. Ho, ho, here and there, boom, dum, bum. Cruella is a good object. Let’s scratch his mouth and his back. All: Well, well... what can we hear? Puma: There was a eucalyptus seed in your fur. It was that which tickled you. Kangaroo: Now I’m feeling itchy. Please scratch me as well. All: Puma has this itchy thing. Let’s scratch and scratch and... sing. Kangaroo: I feel so good, ha ha ha. Scratch me near, scratch me far. Oh, oh, here and there, moon naba. Puma: No wonder you felt itchy. There was an acacia seed in your fur. It was this that tickled you. Gorilla: No, I’m itchy, itchy. No, I got it. All: What’s under his arm? Who can tell? Let’s find out and scratch him well. Gorilla: You’re so good, ha ha ha, scratch me here, scratch me far, far, oh oh, here and there, un da ba. Puma: There was a fir seed in your fur, no wonder you felt itchy. Gorilla: I’m not itchy, but, but, you can take a seat, although it looks so nice. Please scratch your neck, gorilla, at your own, please. Stop it, stop it. Puma: We have now one seed and two seedlings. What can you do with them? All: I know. Let’s plant them. Monkey: If a tree grew here, I could climb up into a tree and do something. Cat: If a tree grew here, I could breastfeed my cats in the shade. Camel: If a tree grew here, you wouldn’t get sand into your eyes. Puma: But one tree is not enough. We need a forest. All: Excellent. Now we’ll do some calculations. If each of us planted one tree, how many would it be altogether? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Correct! That’s almost a small forest. But if each of us planted two trees, how many would it be altogether? 2 times 5? 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. If one million animals planted one tree, how many would there be in our forest? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Okay, okay, okay. To add all those trees up would take a whole year. Think again. One million. Puma: That’s it. A seed is the baby of a tree. A seedling is a small child, one million babies. A tree is the mother of a seed. Monkey: I want to climb into a tree. All: Sure, so let’s start the work. Song: A tiny tree, we plant you here again. A tiny tree grows silently. A brand new spirit we see. Let its red shine. The seedling will survive. A new seed beneath. Once your golden dreams have parted, we hope you’ll live a wild and free life. Let it red-shine; the seedling will survive. A new year has just begun, so send your greetings out. Shine a sun so bright, it’s your love to grow and say. So bright, it’s your love to grow above and say to the sky. Congratulations to the youth for this inspiring presentation. Very nice. Now I would like to ask our guest, Mr. Župan, Mr. Franc Kangler, to speak to us. Address by Mayor Franc Kangler Thank you, Mr. Žbran. First of all, greetings. Mr. Žbran, with the family, guests, organizers, especially our youngest. Of course, I am very happy to see so many young people, so many children, who are involved in projects that spread positive and clean energy in this city. When we talk about positive and clean energy today, it is connected to our great project, the Cultural Capital of Europe. In 2012, the city of Maribor will be the cultural center of Europe. And all of cultural Europe will be in our city, Maribor. The name of the cultural space is Pure Energy. Our task is to create pure energy in Slovenia, in Europe, and in the world. We are spreading positive energy to all people. I am even more happy that today, together with our guest, we will plant the tree of peace. This is the first month that the minister of Europe has declared Maribor as a cultural center for the year 2012. This tree symbolically connects the whole world. This tree symbolically gives positive and pure energy. I am convinced that those who create local politics in this place, that we will preserve, that the place will be clean, that the place will remain as green as it is, and that we will together, united, overcome all the obstacles that we have on the way. Above all, we have joined forces and created, and in 2012, in this place, we caused a cultural explosion. A cultural explosion that must cause cultural prosperity for all generations in our city, from our youngest to the oldest. I have good feelings. I assure you that we all want this, that we can, and above all, that we will. To all those who have any thoughts or proofs that with the right energy, a person can do anything. To keep every faith, and above all, to help a person hand in hand for a better tomorrow. Once again, sincere thanks to our youngest performers. Above all, I have to thank the organizers for the project that has brought it to such a point as it is today. Once again, thank you very much. Host: Thank you, Mr. Župan, for these nice words. I would like to say that, as a Mariborčan, on behalf of all those present, we congratulate you and the group that realized these plans. And of course, we are standing with you until the year 2012, when we will also be celebrating. And we are happy to be present and to participate with our enthusiastic work. Now I would like to invite our honorable guest to the sanctuary. I invite you, Swāmījī, to speak with us. Address by Swāmījī How to pray to Mother Nature? First of all, I would like to bless us with good health, harmony, peace, mutual understanding, and good intellect to protect nature. Salutation to the Cosmic Mother, the Lord of our hearts, Universe of God, in the form of the entire nature. In his divine presence today here in this park, dear mayor of the City of Maribor, Mr. Franz Kangler, all very dear children, you are the culture of tomorrow. You are the light of Maribor, and dear brothers and sisters. I’m very happy to see you, and that you came here in such great numbers to plant a tree for world peace, multiculturalism, and good health—that’s only possible through the trees. This tree should remind us that we should be like the tree. As the Ādipuruṣa said, the tree doesn’t make any differences. Doesn’t matter human or animals, which country you have, which culture you have, which color you have, which belief you have, without any expectation, the tree is just giving. And through the tree, God is giving us. Through the water, God is giving us life. Through the air, God is giving us life. And through the fire and the sun, God is giving us warmth. So it’s very important that we cultivate and take care of the trees, and this day should be a historical day for Maribor. Every year, this day, the 21st of May, should be a peace prayer to meet with all young children and the younger generation and have a festival of the juniors. I was very impressed by our juniors who presented such a beautiful theater, a play. And they showed us how our life could be without trees. In one way, I was sad. When I entered this area, I saw only plastic trees. Then I looked up—oh, beautiful trees we have. Can you imagine this park without these trees, only with like these plastic trees? So, thank you. Keep that, and thank you for reminding us of this again. You are the future of our town, and also I thank you, the school directors. I wish to our dear mayor of the city all the best, good health, divine protection, and may all his visions come true. He would like to make Maribor, like his vision, open for the whole world. That Maribor is known to the whole world more and more. Like a home for all. Come, enjoy, and go back. And take good experiences from here. Dear brothers and sisters, thank you for your coming, and I am looking forward now. It is a high time, a good constellation, to plant our tree. And you are a part of the tree. And our young generation will always remember you, that it was my grandparents. I would like to thank the Yoga in Daily Life organization and especially Mr. Dayāl Purī. And all the helpers to organize this event. And first of all, I am very thankful to Mr. Mayor that he made it possible that we could be here, and he personally takes the power to plant the tree. Also, all dear brothers and sisters from the media, I would like to wish the media people all the best, good health, and many, many blessings, that in your country and through you, in the whole world, the message of peace and harmony and the planting of the trees and vegetarian life should move into the whole world. Thank you for your interest. May this event remain an inspiration for millions of people. This event will be an inspiration for millions of people. So let’s plant a tree. Oṁ Śānti, Śānti, Śānti. Oṁ Mīr, Mīr, Mīr. Thank you. Host: Now we will move to that part of the park where we will plant a tree. On the way, you will see a guest of peace. This is the guest of the trees that are here, which were created for the incredible creativity of our youth. We made a contest for the school youth to make a tree. And look at what wonderful creations have been created, so many different ideas. Please, for the welcome opening. [Musical interlude] Host: Which one, sir? This red book you already have? Attendee: Yes, sir. Host: Provisionally, okay. You can come this side. Good? I got to move. Where do you want us, this side or that side? This side, okay? This side, they will sing one song, but then they can sing "Plant the Tree," and then they can sing, okay? Attendee: Okay. Group Chant: Oṁ Śānti Oṁ Tryambakaṁ Yajāmahe Sugandhiṁ Puṣṭivardhanam Urvārukamiva Bandhanān Mṛtyormukṣīya Mā’mṛtāt Oṁ Namaḥ Pārvatī Pate Har Har Swāmījī: So, may this peace tree stand here for all of us, first of all for the well-being of the city of Maribor, and may it remain here as a symbol of peace. It means that Maribor, which would like to have peace in the whole world, made this tree to join another chain for world peace. This is the 26th World Peace Tree in the world, and I thank Mr. Mayor for participating and making it possible that we could plant these beautiful trees here. Everyone, feel free to take a little heart and put it in. And put the water in, and touch the tree. Don’t move, okay? Now the children, give them place. Children's Song: The leaves are on the branch, the leaves are on the tree, the tree is planted on the green path. [Applause] Host: Thank you, thank you. Swāmījī (Final Remarks): Respected Mayor of the city Maribor, Mr. Franz Kangler, I respect the media, dear brothers and sisters, the junior citizens of this town. It is neither morning nor evening, so I would just say, "Good day." I am very happy and very surprised that, really, Maribor is the first city which took a lot of interest to plant a peace tree. And children, with such a beautiful play and paintings, and many people of the Maribor city are here. That is really very, very important and significant that Maribor people love the international culture, and that’s why the city was declared in 2012 the city of the multicultural, European capital city of the multicultural, and I am very happy about this, Mr. Mayor, and this is all his work, Mr. Mayor. The tree is the symbolizing of life. Anything that is created on this planet, I think the first in the form of life was the tree. The tree is giving us the oxygen, and the tree is very neutral. There are four which are known as holy: the tree, the lake, the rain, and the sand. These four are existing for others. I wish to Maribor people and the citizens of Slovenia all the best and good health, God’s divine protection, and understanding for the multi-culture and for the multi-religions. And this tree should remain here as a symbol of peace. It means that Slovenia, and especially Maribor, stands for world peace for the sake of our next generation, to have a beautiful planet with harmony, peace, and a lot of rain and greenery. So thank you very much, dear friends. The Yoga in Daily Life is a worldwide known organization, has more than 350 locations around the world where Yoga in Daily Life is taught. Yoga in Daily Life is working for humanitarian projects, for rainwater harvesting projects, to turn the desert green, also for the animals, shelters, and for the students, and for some kind of calamities like earthquake or fire or flood, as well as working very close with The United Nations and the Earth Charter to bring their dreams into reality in 2015, but they took a vow to realize good health, water, and so on. So Yoga in Daily Life is recognized by the whole world, by major NGOs and governments, and one of the really best NGOs in the world, and I’m happy that in Maribor there are thousands of people who are members of the Yoga in Daily Life. I wish you good health, happiness, harmony, and divine blessings, and God bless you. Thank you, sir, for your coming. Dear brothers and sisters. Now, if you have any questions, you are most welcome to ask. Thank you. Host: This event is now officially closed, but nevertheless, we will have some more events. This is the Yoga in the Park, which is going on in this place. It will be today at 5 o’clock. Most of the tai chi will present their performance at Sisyphus. And then there is, I believe, the dance of the Muslim culture. In the Muslim culture, there is a lecture today in the scope of our "Keeping Pace" event. Until the end of the month, the children’s trees will be displayed in our shopping center. But Swāmījī stays here until the end of the week, so tomorrow at 7 p.m. there will be a lecture in Ljubljana, Swāmījī will be in his home in Śaṅkarje, and on Saturday and Sunday there will be a seminar in Kranj. Since I have already listened to the talks about the future between Župan and Swāmījī, as far as I heard, it could be that in the very special year 2012, yeah, we will plant a very special Banyan tree in 2012. I will cultivate now, lastly. Okay, thank you.