To celebrate International Peace Day, RI District 3150, in association with Heartfulness, which runs several meditation centres across the world, including the iconic and massive 1,400-acre Kanha Shanti Vanam in Hyderabad, organised an impressive event attended by hundreds of Rotarians and several thousands of people from the local community. The event, during which a Rotary Peace Pole was established at the venue, was supported by RCs Hyderabad Elite and Secunderabad.
The Kanha Shanti Vanam is owned and operated by the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, a global non-profit, and its president Kamlesh Patel presided over the Rotary event, which was organised to send a clear message to the larger community on the kind of efforts Rotary is taking through its Peace Centers across the world, including India (Symbiosis University in Pune), which trains Peace Scholars to promote peace and harmony in our world.
Patel is the founder of the Heartfulness movement which is centred around meditation and the Kanha Shanti Vanam houses the Heartfulness Institute, which is the world’s largest mediation centre with a 30-acre campus and the capacity to seat 100,000 people for meditation at any given time.
Unveiling the Peace Pole Kamlesh Patel briefed the Rotarians on the architectural and other marvels of the Kanha campus, and said he was excited to enter into a partnership with Rotarians to promote peace. “I wish to create many Kanhas with you all. Hope you are ready for this,” he asked.
He said there was discussion at various platforms on how to promote world peace. “My guruji had said in his letter to the United Nations way back in 1956 that “world peace is not possible without individual peace. There is nothing like the ‘world’ without individuals; it all starts with an individual, a single person.”
He gave the example of Lord Krishna who had asked Arjuna on the battlefield how can one who is ashant, or not at peace, find happiness? “Every jeevatma (living being) seeks happiness. Unless there is peace in the heart, you can never bring about happiness despite having everything in life.” Similarly, there can be no peace in the state of restlessness. Unless there is harmony within one’s own self and among the family members, there cannot be any peace in the family. Underlining the importance of medication, he said all harmony comes from a contemplating mind… a mind that is focused, and such a focus is not possible without meditation. “Now you can connect the dots between meditation, a focused and contemplative mind to harmony, peace and eventually happiness.”
He added that if he wanted to “bring some level of solace, joy of peace in his own wife, “I cannot do so. She has to do it herself. This is our fundamental nature. When we go against our nature, we become worse human beings.”
He added that to properly pursue this methodology of meditation, one had to take at least take three to four meditation sessions from a trainer. The Heartfulness movement had trainers even in small villages. Sharing his email id (daaji@daaji.org), he said anyone could email him and would be connected to some trainer in their area.
Addressing the large gathering estimated at over 40,000, RID 3150 DG Uday Pilani wondered what better way could Rotary celebrate World Peace Day than taking the message of peace and harmony to not only the large numbers present at the venue, but attending the event throughout the world through live streaming. “I’ve received so many messages from Mauritius, US and across India. Our two great organisations recognise the ancient Hindu philosophy that peace or shanti is the single most important aspect for growth and development of humanity.”
He added that Rotary and Heartfulness shared a common belief that a more peaceful, compassionate and sustainable world is possible only when people come together, through meditation, dialogue, community service and environmental stewardship.
Jhansi Premanand, district chair for peace and conflict resolution, reminded the gathering that true peace was not a passive wish, but “a deliberate investment, which requires more than the absence of conflict; it demands the presence of clean water, health, literacy, and economic opportunities, all of which are woven in to the fabric of Rotary service. We build trust through local service projects, youth leadership and our incredible network of Rotary Peace Centers.”
District public image chair K Seshasai Kumar said the Kanha event was a powerful reminder that peace begins within, and when “nurtured through service and collective action, as is done by Rotary, it creates lasting impact.”