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Dear Readers,

Wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May God bless all with humanity, peace, harmony, unity in diversity, righteousness, integrity, truthfulness, compassion, empathy, austerity, simplicity, and health and happiness. May God give all the power to work hard righteously, fearlessly, and selflessly, with love, faith and devotion for all.

The cover story is on the Universal Religion of Humanism. Guided by this vision and mission, the Kanoria Foundation and Srei Foundation along with Business Economics and Universal Spirituality & Humanity Foundation, will be organising the 12th World Confluence of Humanity, Power & Spirituality on 27th & 28th December, 2019 at Westin Hotel, Kolkata. A galaxy of global political and religions leaders, philosophers, eminent writers, entrepreneurs, enlightened persons, scholars, industrialists, businessmen, eminent personalities and youth will grace the conclave. The confluence will infuse and ignite the message of world peace, harmony, love, unity, righteousness, service, devotion to work, prosperity, happiness, austerity, simplicity, women empowerment, creation and generation of wealth for the welfare of all and protection of Mother Earth.

God is our Universal Father, Mother and Friend. Every religion is evolving God out of the material human. It is the same sunlight coming through glasses of different colours. All religions are flowers of different colours to be tied with the chord of love into a beautiful bouquet to be offered at the altar of humanity. The soul, which is immortal does not have any gender. Souls of both men and women, from all economic strata pursuing any religion, are manifestations of the Universal Soul. Soul is the infinite embodied in a finite, mortal body. All men and women are reflection of God’s love and His manifestation.

Humanity is the essence of all religions. Service to Humanity is worship of God. Harmony, peace, love, co-operation and co-existence are the essence of eternal laws. Unity in diversity is the manifestation of the Creator. All the rivers flowing from different countries merge with oceans and oceans return the water in the form of rain, enriching us and the earth. There are many names and forms of God who is the one Universal cosmic soul without a beginning and an end. All human beings and living beings are manifestation of one Universal soul (God). In a great scripture “Bhagwad Gita” (Sanatan Dharma -Hinduism), Lord Krishna said to His disciple Arjuna,                                                           “Sarva  bhuta  hite rataah”. I am seated in heart of all. See self in all beings. Engage in the welfare of all creatures to attain me. Hinduism has the concept of Pantheism, the doctrine that God is in everything. Waves come from ocean and also merge with ocean. So, all souls come from the Universal Soul (God) and all souls merge with the Universal Soul (God). It develops consciousness of oneness, love and devotion.

In unity in diversity,

Behold the Divine appearing in multiple forms.

Immense is His vastness, unparalleled is His glory.

All the countless earths, suns and

planets which are seen, and which are

beyond our perceptions exist under His command.

Kindled in various forms, the perennial flame is one.

Sprinkling the world with golden beams at dawn.

Painting the evening clouds with

changing colours, the sun is one.

—  Rigveda 8.58.2.

Sufism teaches that the light is in all forms, love all beings as manifestations of God. Serve all keeping the beloved (God) in mind and heart. Sufism emphasises on compassion, moderation and humanity.

Guru Nanak (Sikhism) teaches us that One God dwells in every heart.

Spirituality teaches us that with kindness one can conquer hate, with goodness one can conquer malice, with generosity one can defeat all meanness and with truth defeat lie and deceit. Fear him who attempts to malign and destroy the soul. The great Hindu scripture Ramayana says “Siyaram mai sab jag jani”, meaning “All human beings are the manifestation of God (Lord Sitaram)”. (Know that in entire universe Sitaram exists).

The Upanishad mentions that “tattvamasi”, means that “What thou art, I am that. God is myself”. Soul is the self of my body, God is the supporting and controlling peaceful force of the soul. Essentially God and soul are one. It says “Aham Brahmasmi”. I am God.

God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. God is compassionate and His love is boundless. Every human being is divine. One has to harness the divinity within. As God’s love is boundless, our love needs to be boundless. He resides in the heart of every being. God brings to the ignorant the light of knowledge; to the feeble the power of strength; to the sinner the liberation of forgiveness. He is joy and bliss, He is the abode of peace, and He is the destroyer of sorrow and giver of happiness.

Lord Buddha said, “Look equally with a kind heart at all the living beings.” Humanity is one family. Women and men are equal. Every human being is potentially divine. Fight with yourself, why fight with external forces?  He prescribes a path of non-violence.

Lord Jesus Christ said, “Love thy neighbours as thy self, judge not others, judge yourself, and forgive them as they do not know what they are doing.” He said, “I and my father are one”.

Ignite spirituality. It encompasses humanity. It is the eternal law of creation – compassion, empathy, love, peace, harmony, co-operation, co-existence and divinity. One has to listen to one’s subconscious voice. The goal of life is to manifest perfection and divinity which we have within. It infuses the eternal law of hard work with joy and devotion without the expectation of fruits. Spiritual thoughts give strength to stand with poise and renewed strength during the storms of failures and then to climb the ladder of success. We have to manifest Spirituality within us.

An enlightened person perceives the truth of God. All spiritual souls have awakened to the same truth of God. God is truth, Truth is God. They have taken the suffering of humanity on to themselves and afflicted their body while serving them and by showing the right path devoid of their suffering. Mother Teresa said, “What you do for the poor, you do for God.” Bhagwan Sri Ramakrishna said, “Service to Humanity is worship of God.” Essence of all religions revolves around righteous action.

Serve humanity. Serve living beings. Save Mother Earth. Protect the environment. Help and not fight, assimilate and not destroy. Bring harmony and peace, not disenchantment and neglect the living God. Men and women are the infinite reflection of God. Love, serve and work with devotion, righteously, selflessly, fearlessly. Be a spiritual person.

Let us march ahead with the flag of spirituality to work hard with devotion and to serve humanity and the universe. Have internal faith in self, in all and in God. Perceive the truth. Create and generate wealth for the welfare of all. Be honest in thoughts and actions. Waste not. Live with simplicity and austerity. Our mission is growth of Nation and Viswa (World) spiritually and righteously.

Let Bharatwasis be not divided based on castes, religions, regions, affluence and richness. Let all foster a spirit of cooperation, harmony and peace.