NEWS BRIEFS

FEBRUARY 2004

Global Internet Broadcast
On January 4, 2004, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj's discourse was broadcast over the internet to fifty Science of Spirituality centers in over 22 countries. The subject was a verse by Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj about the importance of remembering God, so that we may feel the loving support of God always with us. He said we have to sit regularly in meditation and lead an ethical life so, in this lifetime, we can experience the divine worlds within us.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj Visits Peru
From January 9 through 20, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj toured Peru, famous for its geographical beauty and ancient Incan civilization. This was the first visit by a living Master of Sant Mat. Wherever the spiritual leader went, large numbers of people came to see him. Traveling from the jungles of the Amazon to the high altitudes of the Andes, within a ten day period he met with thousands of people in five different cities: Lima, Cuzco, Iquitos, Piura, and Arequipa.

Lima
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj arrived first in Lima, where hundreds of people had gathered at the airport to greet him. They had come from Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, as well as from Europe and North America.

The spiritual leader’s first public event was a meeting with local dignitaries and the press. When asked how to bring peace to Peru, he replied to have true peace in any country, it is important each of us be at peace. He said during the Human Unity Conference, to be held over the next few days, the focus would be on techniques by which we as individuals can find peace. When we find peace within ourselves, he said, we will radiate this peace to the environment in which we live. 20th Human Unity Conference & Two Honorary Doctorates

The following day, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj was enthusiastically welcomed at the Auditorio del Colegio San Augustin in Lima. Here, before an audience of 3,500 people, he was presented with two honorary doctorates. This special occasion began with a performance of the Halleluiah chorus. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, entering the stage during the performance, drew spontaneous applause as everyone rose to their feet in tribute.

Ms. Fabiola Pasapera, representing the mayor of Lima, and Dr. Benjamin Boccio-La Paz, rector of Universadad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, warmly welcomed Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj and the conference delegates.

Following the national anthems of Peru and India, Rector Dr. Benjamin Boccio-La Paz and Vice Rector Dr. Isaac Roberto Angeles-Lazo of Universidad Federico Villarrea each named Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj "Doctor Honoris Causa" for his work toward world unity and global harmony. The honorary doctorate from Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega was awarded to the spiritual leader for his efforts in the field of education and peace. He received the honorary doctorate from Universidad Federico Villarreal for his success in bridging science and spirituality and facilitating human unity through communication.

Accepting the awards, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said the honorary degrees recognized not him but the universal message of spirituality, the message of love, unity, peace, and nonviolence. He added it was heart warming to know that educators in this area recognize the importance of this spiritual message.

The spiritual leader then inaugurated the 20th Human Unity Conference. His opening talk, "Man, Know Thyself," stressed the importance of spiritual growth which, he said, is the heritage of humanity. The saying "Know Thyself," which is written on the entrance to the Delphic Oracle in Greece, was meant as a reminder of our true aim of life, which is self-knowledge and God realization.

The conference continued with several presentations on the topic of peaceful education. In Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj’s evening talk "One World, One Humanity, One Love," he spoke about saints and mystics, like Saint Francis of Assisi, who had tremendous love for God and the whole of creation. He explained how everyone can attain that same point of view and urged the audience to connect with the divine power of God within themselves. As we experience that love of God, he said, we find that we are all one and the same, living in this beautiful world that God has given to us.

San Martin de Porres & Santa Rosa de Lima
On Sunday, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj visited two sacred places where two Peruvian saints were buried: San Martin de Porres and Santa Rosa de Lima. In his Sunday talk, the spiritual Master spoke about these two great saints. He said San Martin meditated twelve hours a day and served people tirelessly, even though he was mistreated and misunderstood. Santa Rosa, the first canonized female saint of the Americas, devoted herself to adoring God and serving humanity. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said mystical experiences of divine love are not reserved for the saints but are the birthright of everyone.

Cuzco & Machu Picchu
The tour continued the following day in Cuzco, a beautiful city located high in the Andes. Here, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave a spontaneous talk at a local hotel to a capacity crowd. The following day he and his party boarded a train for Machu Picchu. At the top of this Incan site at a place called "The Sacred Plaza" where the most important Incan ceremonies took place, the spiritual leader gave a beautiful discourse. Afterward, everyone sat in meditation.

Iquitos
The next stop took him from the cool, rainy mountains of Cuzco to the tropical jungle of Iquitos, a city on the Amazon. Surrounded by three rivers, Iquitos can be reached only by boat or by plane; no roads connect the area with other parts of Peru.

Here Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj inaugurated a new ashram, sited on 84 acres. Built in a rainforest, the ashram is filled with natural beauty. A delegation from the president of the regional government of Loreto, Robinson Rivadeneyra, greeted the spiritual leader at the ashram and declared him an honorary citizen.

The conference program continued that evening with a talk by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj entitled, "Ecology of the Soul." Afterward, the spiritual leader was interviewed by local television. Referring to the talk he had given earlier, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said just as our environment is polluted by dirt and industrial sewage, our soul is polluted by layers and layers of mind, matter, and illusion. Cleansing the soul so it can shine with its innate beauty is as important as cleansing our outer environment.

The next morning, economist Pedro Zumaeta Vela, regidor of the Municipalidad Provincia de Maynas in Loreto (representing the largest province in Peru), met with Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj on behalf of Mayor Juan Carlos del Aguila. He presented the spiritual leader with the Keys to the City for his efforts toward forging a peaceful world. After the presentation, they both shared their vision on how spirituality can help bring more peace into the world. Following this meeting, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj embarked on an Amazon cruise. Here, the spiritual leader gave a beautiful talk, comparing the journey on the Amazon, the longest river on earth, with the cruise our soul embarks on in the sea of life, through the cycle of transmigration. He pointed out the importance of having an inner spiritual guide who can bring us to our true Home and stressed the importance of daily meditation.

Piura
Located in the northern part of Peru, Piura is a desert city, an hour's drive from the Pacific Ocean. Here again, the spiritual leader gave a talk at the local coliseum. Speaking to an audience of 2000 people on "One World, One Humanity, One Love," he said through meditation on the inner Light and Sound, we can experience the oneness underlying the whole creation, that oneness which is God. The following day, he visited a twelve acre site, purchased to establish an ashram. He also visited the ruins of a palace where kings lived even before the Incas. In the evening, he again spoke about the lives and teachings of the saints, especially those of San Martin de Porres and Santa Rosa de Lima.

Arequipa
On January 18, the tour continued in Arequipa, a city in the southeast of Peru. Here, speaking in a coliseum, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave his last public talk of the tour: "The Lives and Teachings of the Saints." From Arequipa, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj returned to Lima and, later that night, flew to Chicago, ending a special and remarkable tour.

From Peru to Chicago
Upon his return to the Chicago area on January 22, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke at the Science of Spirituality Center in Naperville. He said throughout his tour, through a variety of climates and cultures, he found the people of Peru to be very spiritually aware. He also mentioned the two saints from Peru, saying both wrote about their mystical experiences and experienced their soul as separate from the body, and both were vegetarians. The spiritual leader concluded by saying we can sit in silence and connect with God only when we are detached from the activities of the world. What is important to know, he stated, is that whatever environment we are in, God resides within ourselves.

Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj's Birthday Celebration in Naperville
The following Sunday, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave a discourse on a ghazal (verse) by Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj in which he explained how the more our soul becomes beautified through meditation, selfless service, and ethical living, the more it attracts God's grace. Following this, he joined everyone for a vegetarian luncheon where desert was a cake in honor of the birth anniversary of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj (1894-1974).

Travel to Delhi
On Thursday, January 29, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj and his wife Mata Rita Ji left for India.