Reports from online events celebrating International Day of Non-Violence

On Saturday 2nd October 2021, the occasion of the International Day of Non-Violence and birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council (SSMWPC) collaborated with Yoga in Daily Life (YIDL) to present two special Online Events, hosted from Australia and Canada and joined by speakers and participants around the world.

See a report from the event organised in Australia below and a combined article and photos from both events on the SSMWPC website: worldpeacecouncil.net

Report from YIDL Australia

The celebration of the International Day of Non-Violence in Australia on the 2nd of October 2021 was organised by Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council and Yoga in Daily Life Australia. It was attended online by 150 participants from around the world, in addition to 30 participants who gathered in person in Brisbane at the Yoga in Daily Life Ashram.

In his opening words, Mahamandaleshwar Swami Jasraj Puri greeted the distinguished guests and introduced the Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council and Dharam Samrat Paramhans Swami Madhavananda Ji, in whose name the council was founded, as well as Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda Ji, the author of the Yoga in Daily Life System and founder of the Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council.

Achieving unity and peace within us and worldwide is the main message of the SSMWPC. Swami Jasraj Puri expanded on two quotes this mission is rooted in:

• The first is from Sri Swami Madhavananda Ji, ‘One in All and All in One’, meaning that the one Atma (Self) or one God, lives in every living being, and all living beings are united in that one.
• The second principle is embedded in the famous quote of Sri Mahatma Gandhi Ji, ‘Be the change you want to see.’ If we want to change the world, we need to start from ourselves, from within, and live the values of peace and non-violence with complete integrity.

The event was supported by the High Commission of India in Australia and the High Commissioner His Excellency Mr Manpreet Vohra attended the event and gave a speech. The Consul General of India in Sydney, Mr Manish Gupta and the Consul General of India in Melbourne, Mr Raj Kumar, submitted written messages expressing thanks and support for the efforts of SSMWPC in promoting the messages of peace and non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi Ji, as well as the values of tolerance and compassion in our daily lives. Both messages were read to participants during the event.

In his speech, H.E. Mr Manpreet Vohra stressed that Gandhiji’s message of the importance of each and every human being’s words and behaviour, no matter their level of education and profession, in making the world a better place. His Excellency reminded us how nowadays, 73 years after Mahatma Gandhi left this world, his message is still very relevant and how Gandhiji was against colonialism, against the caste system, for open democratic participation, against economic exploration, against religious and ethnic supremacy, for equality of all and emphasising that nationalism is not the highest concept, but rather, world community.

Vishwaguruji reminded us about the importance of integrity, and how Mahatma Gandhiji’s life was the embodiment of the values he was speaking about, inviting humans to live the principles of peace and non-violence in their daily life, through their deeds, thoughts and feelings. Vishwaguruji pointed out that nowadays the whole world respects Mahatma Gandhi very much, but still the world hasn’t changed, people still kill each other, kill animals, destroy nature, pollute waters, and destroy their own bodies, consuming alcohol and other poisons, all of that being quite the opposite of Mahatma Gandhi’s guidance, and expressed a wish that the people of his dear Mother India would come back to living Gandhiji’s values and principles in their daily lives so that India can once again be an example for the whole world.

Swami Madhuram Puri, from Yoga in Daily Life New Zealand, sang a bhajan (spiritual song) “Prakash Punja Amrita He Sagar Sri Dipa Hari Mahadani” by Paramhans Swami Madhavananda Ji about his guru, Bhagawan Sri Deep Narayan Sri Mahaprabhuji, who lived from 1829 to 1963 in Rajasthan. Sri Mahaprabhuji is revered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, an embodiment of love, wisdom and mercy. This bhajan extols that Sri Mahaprabhuji is the source of light whose wisdom and words shine upon the whole world like a rain of nectar, awakening the knowledge within us, the capacity to recognise that in every atom is the light of God.

The event ended with a meditation on "the peace within us", guided by Mahamandaleshwar Swami Jasraj Puri, with the Sanskrit peace mantra: