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The tenth edition of the World Confluence of Humanity, Power, and Spirituality, organised by the Srei Foundation and the Kanoria Foundation, saw the convergence of ideas and principles to practise spiritualism at all levels. The aim was to promote the culture of peace and harmony through spirituality. The confluence saw distinguished industrialists, business leaders and celebrities from various walks of life come together to imbibe spirituality in life and at work. The confluence inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s message delivered on the platform of the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, emphasised the need to promote spirituality, spread the message of peace and harmony, urged individuals to work hard with devotion and encompassed the high spiritual standing of the Vedanta philosophy.

The two-day confluence organised on December 22 and 23 at The Westin Rajarhat in New Town, Kolkata, saw a large participation. The sacred confluence was inaugurated by the Sanskrit sloka of praising Guru to take his blessings to make the programme a successful one - “Akhaṇḍa maṇḍalakaram vyaptam yena characharam/ Tat padam darsitam yena, tasmai sri gurave namah”- which means the force that pervades the entire unbroken form of the circle (of creation), moving and unmoving, to that beautiful and benevolent Guru through whom that state was revealed (to me). Salutation was followed by sloka by Manisha Lohia.

The confluence was inaugurated in the presence of the Honourable Governor of Tripura Tathagata Roy, Former President of Ecuador Rosalia Arteaga Serrano and Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar with SREI Chairman and Managing Director Hemant Kanoria and SREI Foundation Chairman H.P. Kanoria.

Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Srei Infra Vice Chairman Sunil Kanoria, Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh, Srei Foundation Chairman H. P. Kanoria and Srei Infrastructure Finance MD and Chairman Hemant Kanoria were present during the second day of the confluence which aimed to promote universal spiritualism.

We are all manifestations of God in various forms

Dr. H.P. Kanoria

Eminent Industrialist, Banker, Educationist, Philanthropist,

Chairman of Business Economics, Srei Foundation and

IISD (Institute for Inspiration and Self Development)

Hon’ble Governor, Hon’ble Former President of Ecuador, Revered Religious Leaders, Respected Political Leaders, Eminent Guests and Speakers, Divine Brothers, Divine Sisters and Dear Divine Youth. Good morning, Jai Hind, Jai Viswa! Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance.

I welcome you all to the Tenth World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality. I extend my gratified thanks to all for gracing the confluence. Your deliverance and presence will promote spirituality, humanity, peace, harmony, unity in diversity, hard work with devotion selflessly with righteousness, truthfulness, simplicity, austerity, cooperation and the realization of God abiding within all beings. We are all manifestations of God in various forms. God was alone. He said, “I am alone, let there be many” – “EkohamBahusyam”

He is seated in the hearts of all beings. God is the force within us. We are all born as perfect and divine. Our souls which are parts of the universal soul are infinite and immortal. Universe is unity with diversity. Part of the universal soul is in all beings. So, there is no upper and lower class, no inferiority and superiority in men and women. All are equal. The only difference is of gender. All rivers flowing from several countries merge with the oceans and the oceans return water in the form of rain to nurture God’s creation. Lord Krishna said, “The entire universe has been manifested from my form. All beings are dependent on me, but I am not dependent on them”.

                     Mayaa Tata Midam

Science has proved that physical individuality is a delusion. The sum total of cosmic energy is always the same. Science is in finding this unity. Its goal is to reach perfect unity. Physics discovers a single source of energy out of which all are created/manifested/expanded/subdued. Chemistry’s goal is to discover one element out of which all others could be created. Manifestation not creation, is today in the world of science.

God is everywhere and in everything. Truth, eternal order,  austerity, simplicity, hard work with devotion, humility and humanity uphold Mother Earth to give us bounty to live full span of life happily and united amidst diversity in grace free form ego. Religions of the world are mutually complementary and not contradictory. Conversion from one religion to another religion cannot lead one to salvation/liberation. The drive and urge for attaining salvation/liberation has to come from within. Own religion is one’s mother and other religions are sisters of mother as said by Paramhansa Sri Ramkrishna. Have the core belief in the oneness of all. Humanity is the essence of all religions. Spirituality ignites to work hard with devotion and righteousness to create wealth for the welfare of humanity. It is essential to work hard and selflessly to provide basic needs of the increasing and growing population at a pace higher than that of current economic growth. Save Mother Earth, Not Fight, Assimilate, Not destroy. Bring harmony and peace, not dissention. Let the world have the cosmic co-operative spirit. Spirituality manifests divinity within us. It creates the international bondage, one family and one world.

I would like to narrate a story from The “Holy Vedas”. Demi Gods, Demi Goddesses and human beings were hollow and full of sorrow despite having all richness and bounty of nature. They approached the Supreme God, Lord Vishnu, who advised Demi Gods and Goddesses to have empathy, sympathy and kindness free of ego and for human beings to work hard with devotion and righteousness, selflessly, live with simplicity and austerity and share earnings and wealth with the poor without ego. Help them, assist them and you will live happily the full span of life following the path of spirituality.

Spirituality infuses the elements of balance and right living in the physical, mental and intellectual faculties of individuals. Intuition is developed. Life is then balanced. Paramhansa Sri Ramkrishna said, “Service to Humanity is the worship of Lord Shiva (God)”. Jesus Christ said, “Only right in the world is to give, to serve. Be content to serve. Serve the world.” Swami Vivekananda said, “Do not neglect the living God, the man and the woman who are the infinite reflections of God.”

Let us march ahead with firmness and determination, keeping high the flag of humanity and spirituality to manifest the divinity, to overcome global hunger and global warming, to have harmony and peace, believing in the essence of all religions is cosmic co-operation and co-existence. God calls “O Children realise all in one, one in all.”

Om, Amin, Amen, Ek Onkar, Ahura Mazda.