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Globalise Spirituality and Values, Not Religion and Commodities

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Globalise Spirituality and Values, Not Religion and Commodities’, said Swami Navananma Jnana Thapaswi, Director, Santhigiri Ashram in the key note address delivered in the plenary session of two days international seminar on globalization, values and world peace organized by Department of Philosophy, Gujarat University, as a part of silver jubilee celebration of Gujarat university. Globalisation is an element minimising the distance between the nations. It’s an opportunity to exchange the cultures and sharing resources throughout the world. Globalisation is changing the outlook of the world very rapidly. Contemporary development in science and technology especially information technology boosted the velocity of Globalization. But along with these positive elements, there are some challenges and dangers which are to be considered seriously when we accelerate the velocity of this process, Swami continues. The plenary session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Krishna Ahooja Patel, UN representative, WILPF, Geneva. Prof. Dr.Christopher Key Chapple, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, USA, Dr. Satyapal singh, IPS and Shri. Navin Doshi, Founder President, Nalanda International Centre, Los angles, USA were present in the session. The session was conducted in the senatorial hall of Gujarat University, Ahmedabad.

“Desire, consumption and satisfaction are the three important aspects of human life. Desire and satisfaction are emotional. Consumption is physical. i.e, action oriented. We never used to think about the science of relationship between these two planes of life. The science of relation between the mental and physical plane of an individual is very interesting one. This knowledge is the science of spirituality. One may think how it would be spirituality. The present spectacle is not enough to read the science of spirituality. We have to understand and approach spirituality with a higher level of mind than the contemporary thought. We learn and practice spirituality from scriptures and religious texts and practice it through the traditional style of practice and culture. This is what the view of religions. But actually it is the knowledge of spirit of an individual. i.e, spirituality is quite personal. Why I said this is to bring our attention to the fact that the peace and values are closely related with the entity of an individual. What is the entity? It is nothing but the energy or spirit or soul of an individual. Human spirit is also subject to change as the philosophy of all energy statuses in the universe. But in human body, it happens in a special way. It is due to the influence of mind and body.

How one can identify the influence of mind and body on spirit. It is possible by learning and practicing spiritual science. The spirituality of every individual differs from one to another. is it possible to distinguish the good and bad influence of mind and body so as to eliminate the bad in the spirit and improve the good. Gradually this knowledge will improve to the status of thought that one need not want both the good and bad. That is through the evolution of spirit in human body not through the transformation of body only. This is the status of mind and body from where the pure thought and actions generate so as to contribute peace and values. This is the truth irrespective of good and bad. How one can identify the truth with which one can face and overcome the good and bad is the real concept of ‘Dharma’ which will never obtain from books. The Indian concept of Dharma was neither the philosophy of good and bad nor the philosophy of action bringing sin and virtue. But it was the true knowledge from the mouth of a ‘Gyani’ concerned with the action to overcome the good and bad in the spirit. It was termed as Upanishad. Sit beside the Guru and learn from the mouth of Guru about the secret of the self. This exercise of Dharma through mind and body will change the spirit so as to upgrade its status and purity. This is the unique way for improving the values and peace. This is the culture which we have to globalise to maintain and improve the values and peace. Whatever we globalise without this knowledge and quality will bring the value and peace to the lowest level and pollute the society and nature”, Swami explained.

Prof. Dr. Ramji Singh, Ex-parliamentarian and Vice Chancellor, President,International Society of Social Philosophy, Pt: Vasanta A Gadgil, Founder President, Sharda Jnanapeetham , Pune, Prof. R.S Patel, Director, School of Psychology, Gujarat University and Dr. Dilip S. Charan, Head, Department of philosophy also presented their papers in the conference

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