24th International Human Unity Conference

The 24th International Human Unity Conference (IHUC), was held in Cali, Medellin and Bogota from April 20–24, 2007. In his inaugural talk, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said the intention of the conference was “to bring peace, happiness and joy into the lives of this [Colombia] country.” In reality, he continued, we are conscious beings, full of the Light and Sound of God. Our soul is like a big light with many coverings veiling it. As each covering is withdrawn we see more and more of the Light. We can experience this inner Light through meditation. He also spoke about the importance of forgiveness and said we can’t change what occurred in the past; if we focus on it, it will bring us pain. The saints and mystics have always said the most important moment is the present. We need to make ourselves peaceful in this moment. Instead of worrying about what has passed, let us lay all our troubles in the lap of God.

A group of religious leaders from the International Society of Krishna, the Christian Evangelical Church, the Indigenous Organization of Mayan Culture, the Bahai Faith, the Jewish community, Catholic and Protestant churches and the Islamic community, which had been meeting weekly to reflect on how to promote respect for human life, gave Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj a Proclamation of Interfaith. It said: “We need to recognize the essential spiritual nature of every human being so that peace will come to our world.” On the second night of the conference, the Governor of Valle del Cauca, Angelino Garzon, presented the spiritual Master with the Distinguished Medal of Confederation of Cities for his work as a world leader of peace and human unity. The governor expressed his gratitude for the message that through forgiveness we can create a world of peace. He spoke about his own daughter, a bright young architect, who had been murdered. “The only way to survive such tragedy,” he said, “is to find peace within.” He then vowed that every day he would ask God for the will to forgive, reconcile and build peace in his country.

The spiritual Master also received the Order of Independence, the degree of Comendador, from the president of the Departmental Assembly of the Valle del Cauca, Dr. Marino del Rio. This award was given in appreciation for Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj’s efforts to help society achieve its goals through nonviolence and peaceful action.

Priest Mamo, a leader and representative of the indigenous people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, presented the spiritual Master with a stone tied by a ribbon which they hung about his neck. “Like this stone,” he said, “it is our wish that the spiritual Master never leave our country and remain here forever.” The indigenous people are from an ancient tribe who are believed to be the spiritual caretakers of the earth. In his talk, Priest Mamo said that everyone in the assembly was invited to become drops of the same river and rays from the same sun. “We are not owners of the world,” he said, “just its caretakers. We must learn to soar in spirit just as our fathers and grandfathers have done before us.” Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj then spoke about the spiritual journey. “When I visited Spain,” he said, “I saw the Rock of Gibraltar where it is written, ‘No more beyond.’” He explained that this was written in the days when people thought that the world was flat, and if they journeyed too far, they would fall off. One day, he said, some explorers journeyed past that point and returned to change the words to “more beyond.” Likewise, he explained, we can explore the realms beyond this physical world when we learn the art of meditation on the inner Light and Sound of God. He concluded with a prayer for the people of Cali to experience God’s grace, that they may journey within and connect with the inner Light and Sound of God. The young adults then performed a play, accompanied by flutes, which illustrated how the mind tries to lure us from meditation by sending us thoughts, but how the mind is then controlled by the melodious flute reverberating within.

CONTINUATION OF THE 24TH IHUC - MEDELLIN: - On April 22, the conference was brought to Medellin, a city located in the Aburra Valley, nestled in the mountains and situated about 4,600 feet above sea level. Here, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said it was with great joy that he returned to Medellin—the love and warmth of the people is something I will remember all my life. He added we should live in the present moment and remember the words, “This, too, shall pass.” No amount of material possessions can bring us peace, he explained, because nothing in this world is permanent. Instead, the key to life is to focus on the soul and spirit. Since all our interactions in this world are temporary, we can only find happiness when we connect to God, who resides within our soul.

During the conference Ramon Acevedo, member of the Assembly of Antioquia, presented the spiritual Master with the Order of Merit Juan del Corral, Category Gold. The award is named after Juan del Corral, a 19th century leader of Colombia who worked to abolish slavery. Hundreds of people applauded as Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj accepted the award. “It is a great honor,” he said, “but this honor is not for me. It is for the message I carry.” The spiritual Master said the conference offers us an opportunity to speak about peace, unity and forgiveness. There is not a single person who does not want to be peaceful. He explained that we all make lists of those things we want to accomplish each day. However, there is no place on the list to know ourselves and know God. If we don’t meditate, he continued, we will not experience the truth — that we are all the same at the level of our soul. The journey within is a journey of love in which we dive into the sea of immortality. He concluded with a prayer that each and every one of us examine our priorities in life, because once we truly know our self, we will know God.

CONTINUATION OF THE 24TH IHUC - BOGOTA: - On April 24, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj inaugurated an ashram in Bogota. He also made an unscheduled stop at the home of a disciple of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj. She had been ill and was surprised and delighted by the spiritual Master’s visit. He very lovingly sat and talked to her while she radiated joy and gratitude.

At the conference that evening, a representative from the Colombian Congress, Sandra Ceballos, spoke about how she had taken initiation when the spiritual Master last visited Bogota in 1999. Today she works with the current president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, on developing strategies for peaceful conflict resolution. “I want everyone who is initiated by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj to help in the peace process,” she said “and I hope we can have a better world for our country and its children.”

The spiritual Master spoke about peace, harmony and love which focuses not only on the difficulties in the world outside but on how to reach the root of the problem. It is easy to tell others to be peaceful, he said, but we must first achieve peace ourselves if the world is going to change. He talked about the necessity of experiencing the inner Light and Sound of God through meditation. When we see someone else, he explained, we are not seeing another person; we are seeing ourselves.

CONCLUSION OF THE 24TH IHUC - At the conclusion of the 24th IHUC, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said dwelling in the past brings us pain, therefore we should live in the present moment and focus on what will truly make us happy. Speaking about the process of meditation, he said God is not sitting in the sky. He is within us.

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