Hyderabad, Mar 15 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said mutual respect and cooperation by the followers of different religions is not only helpful, but also necessary for world peace.
Murmu, who graced and addressed the Global Spirituality Mahotsav at Kanha Shanti Vanam near here said that our culture based on spirituality has always kept the message of “world as a family” at the center.
"In our dialectical traditions, instead of proving any one philosophy right or wrong, we believe that all paths lead to the Truth and must be respected," she said.
The person who looks at everyone with equanimity is considered a Yogi and this sense of equality is the foundation of our spiritual tradition, she said.
She said that the message of the Global Spirituality Mahotsav ‘From Inner Peace to World Peace’ is an essential message for the welfare of the entire humanity in today's global environment.
The aim of this event, which is to increase harmony and mutual understanding between people believing in different religions and sects, is a commendable effort towards the welfare of humanity, she said.
"Mutual respect and cooperation by the followers of different religions is not only helpful but also necessary for world peace," the President said, according to an official release.
She said that consciousness itself is spiritual and that there is no room for any kind of discrimination and division in this.
The President said that a life based on morality and spirituality is beneficial at both, the individual, and societal levels.
She urged everyone to conduct their work in accordance with moral ideals and spiritual goals which has been the legacy of our ancestors in the country. She said that a person who moves towards modern development on the basis of this heritage will be successful and happy.
The President said that from Lord Mahavir, Lord Buddha, Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Sant Kabir, Sant Ravidas and Guru Nanak to Swami Vivekananda, India's spiritual figures have provided the essence of spirituality to the world.
Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi integrated spiritual values in politics which is why he is called ‘Sant of Sabarmati’, she said.
The President said that only the good deeds done in the present determine the nature of the good future. "Our thinking creates our destiny, and our passions and hostility affect our lives. We have to create our destiny, we have to control our mind and for this we have to take the help of meditation," she said.
"We should bring about change in ourselves and only then try to bring about change in other people. If all persons ensure their own improvement and work altruistically, then together we all will be able to take the entire humanity in the right direction," the President said.
The 'Global Spirituality Mahotsav' is a one-of-a-kind spiritual congregation being held from March 14 to 17 at Kanha Shanti Vanam, the headquarters of Heartfulness, a non-profit organisation situated on the outskirts of Hyderabad.