Peace and Reconciliation - a key philosophical strand
Peace cannot be there where hatred resides
Within this premise lies the genesis of one of the strands of our marquee philosophy and the annual event of the Sri Vishnu Mohan Foundation - the Peace and Reconciliation Conference.
Peace cannot be there where hatred resides ( As articulated by Shrihariprasad Swami)
This is not what the learned do not know. But yet hatred in today’s world and for the individual is a foundational attribute. Everywhere there are Dhrtarashtras who say, janami dharmam na cha pravrttim, janami adharmam na ca nivrttim. I know what is dharma but I cannot practice it.
I know what is adharmam, but I cannot stop doing it.
Ironical to say the least. This is not what the seers of the past or the philosophies of progress have taught us. From Krishna to the Buddha, from Christianity to Hinduism the song of peace has always been heard louder when the notes of hatred have disappeared. Every time the war drums beat, the calls for peace have also been there. Sri Krishna stopped all talk of war and worked hard for peace. When I say this possibly there are echoes of peace at what cost and there is no point pursuing it for an individual.
But then has the world progressed because of wars? Has history recorded creators of war with the glory of shaping mankind? Peace in a way is the opposite of hatred. A mirror image that hatred would not want to see. The Buddha said, “Hatred does not cease by hatred. Hatred ceases by love. The world does not know that we must all come to an end here; --but those who know it, their quarrels cease at once”. But it is our duty to look at peace from the point of view of growth and as a character that we engender in ourselves. If there is anything that the Indian philosophical tradition teaches us it is that the way to perfection is slow but sure and that, that way is by constant effort to change ourselves, rejecting unpleasant and unnecessary traits and cultivating positive and good ones. We have so much in ourselves, memories, unfulfilled dreams and misunderstanding in our minds that shape our thinking. We must work, just like a farmer works in his field weeding out the bad and increasing the good so that our minds are free from hatred and misunderstanding.
From Sri Sathguru:
Sri Sri Sri Vishnu Mohan, an ideal disciple, placed everything before me, whatever reactions he received, whether they were good or bad or indifferent and forgot about it afterwards. He did not think it was done to him. Once he placed it before me, he forgot it and so he was always happy, peaceful and calm. The happiness which comes from worldly things is not really happiness - it can be spoilt easily and then becomes pain. But other people, they feel that good and evil is being done to them. Since their concentration is on themselves - they cannot offer it to God and so they run around in circles alternatively being happy and sorrowful.
Sri Sathguru said this on the morning of Vaikunta Ekadasi, 2003, while teaching the following verses (chapter 1 verses 3-4) of the Dhammapada:
“He abused me, he struck me, he overcame me, he robbed me” - In those who harbour such thoughts, hatred will never cease.
“He abused me, he struck me, he overcame me, he robbed me” - In those who do not harbour such thoughts, hatred will cease.
Quick Pointers
- Till date seven editions of the Annual Conference on Peace and reconciliation have been held with each year resting on a specific theme.
- Engagements with multicultural and inter-religious work is a passion with Swami Shrihariprasad leading him to accept close association with the Indian Philosophical Congress, Indian Council of Philosophical Research - Delhi, IDCR of Loyola College, Kadavumbagam Synagogue of Cochin and enjoys the exchanges with like-minded thinkers like Prof. SR Bhatt, Sri Moosa Raza, Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Father Vincent Sekhar, Prof. Syed Ali Mohammed Naqvi, Prof. Dr. Sreekala Nair of Sri Shankaracharya University, Kalady and many others.
- Swami Shrihariprasad is committed to the twin ideals of Vasudaiva Kudumbakam and Loka Sangraha and while regularly taking part in interfaith dialogues, in the year 2016, He initiated the Annual International Peace and Reconciliation Conference, exploring dynamics of peace from the multi-disciplined dimension.
- The Peace and Reconciliation Conference in its eigth year in 2023, hosted speakers from various diasporas and expanses including Lord Bhikhu Parekh of the House of Lords, educationist and Sufi scholar Sri Moosa Raza, Dr. Prof. Aruna Gopinath from Malaysia, Prof. Geo Lyong Lee of South Korea, Raja of Mahmudabad, and many other eminent personalities.
Rewind
- The first edition was on the theme of ‘ A Just and Lasting Peace springs from a Just and Peaceful Society’. It was held on the 2nd and 3rd March 2016. It was inaugurated by Dr K.S.Radhakrishnan, Chairman of the Kerala State Public Service Commission. The keynote address was by Dr SR Bhatt, Chairman of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research. H.E.Mr Fabig, Consul General for Germany, Dr Sreekala Nair - Dean of SSUS - a well known epistemologist, Shri S Swaminathan - former Ambassador , Prof Sangeeta Menon of the NIAS, Bengaluru were those who took part.
- The second edition was on the theme 'Perspectives from Religion and Philosophy‘. It was held from 4-6th March 2017. The speakers emphasised the need to make mutual endearment, understanding and acceptance of other view points as an integral part of our lives. So that society could evolve and bring down the tensions and conflicts in our lives. The Conference featured an array of speakers and thinkers from across the the globe and spiritual spectrum. It was inaugurated by the Respected Esin Celeni Bayru the 22nd descendant of the famed Sufi sage, Jalaluddin Rumi.
- The third edition was held in January, 2018. The theme continued on the earlier threads of 'lasting peace springs from a just and peaceful society'. The Chief Guest was Pornpimol Sugandhavanija, the Consul General of Thailand, Lord Bhiku Parekh of the House of Lords, England, Sri Aravind Menon, Delhi and the respected Haji Syed Chisthy, Chisthy Foundation, Ajmer.
- The fourth edition was held from the January 19-21st, 2019. The theme was ' Family is the Cradle of Peace'. Dr Kenneth Robbins, Independent Researcher, Jewish Studies, Washington DC, Dr Arul Maria Raja, Director, Institute for Dialogue between Cultures and Religions, Sri Sadhu Rangarajan, Sister Niveditha Academy, Bengaluru, Dr SR Bhatt, Chairperson, ICPR, New Delhi, Respected Brahmasri Chennas Dineshan Namboodiri, Tantri of Sri Krishna Temple, Guruvayur and Sri Moosa Raza, former Chief Secretary, J&K were some of the dignitaries who graced the event and shared their thoughts.
- The fifth edition was held from January 4-6th, 2020. The theme was ‘Conflict Resolution & the Perpetuity of Peace Pathways to the future’. Dr Sreekala Nair, Head of Department of Philosophy, SSUS, Dr S Sreekumar, Utharadam Thirunal Marthanda Varma Trust, Sri Ashok Dhar, retd. Director, Observer Research Foundation, Ven. Dr Phramaha Sompong, Sri KN Ramaswamy, Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Prof Giri Rangaswami, Director CSR, Aviit College, Tirupur were some of the dignitaries who spoke at the Conference.
- The sixth edition was held between 1-3rd October, 2021. The theme was 'Right Education is the Key to Peace’. The Chief Guest was His Excellency, the Governor of Kerala, Sri Arif Mohammed Khan and some of the dignitaries who graced the Conference were, Her Excellency Ms Judith Ravin, Consul General of the United States of America, Chennai Consulate, Prof SR Bhatt, former Chairman ICPR, Padma Bhushan Sri Moosa Raza, former Chief Secretary of J&K, Dr Sanjay Paswan, Former Central Minister, Member Bihar Legislative Council, Prof Sachidananda Mishra, Member Secretary, ICPR, Prof Ramesh Chandra Sinha, Chairman, ICPR and Dr Jahira Khatun.
- The seventh edition was held on 17th and 18th December 2022. It continued the theme thread of ‘Right Education is the Key to Peace’. Prof. S R. Bhatt, Former Chairman, Indian Council for Philosophical Research (ICPR), Sri. T S. Tirumurti, I.F.S., Former Permanent Representative of India to the UN, H H. Jagathguru Swamy Sri Narayana Theerth, Shankaracharya of Kalikambal Peetham, Gangotri, Dr. Mohammed Asif Ali Nawabzada,, Dewan to the Prince of Arcot, Ms. Soumini Jain, Former Mayor, Kochi, Ms. Lakshmi Narayanan, Wholetime Director, T. Stanes and Co. Ltd., Prof. Panneerselvam, Former Prof. & HoD Philosophy, University of Madras, Dr. Mar Andrews Thazhath, Metropolitan Archbishop of Thrichur, Swami Ramakrishnananda, Chinmaya Mission, Nagapattinam, Sri. Onampilly Muhammad Faizy Ustad, General Secretary, SAMASTHA Eranakulam dist., Secretary, SYS state committee, Major General (Retd.) Sri. Rajiv Narayanan, AVSM, VSM, Indian Army were some of the dignitaries who spoke at the Conference.
From our Album
The forthcoming 2023 edition of the Peace Conference
Justice for Peace
Peace emanates from behaviour. That which adheres to the principles of dharma, empathy and the overarching feeling of oneness. Thinking before saying, acting or taking a stance is the first step forward in the oneness journey. Peace possibly has its origins there.
Shifting focus to violence which may sound like the opposite of peace is also a form of behaviour. A bhavam and in some cases the chosen way of living for some. Where does this violence begin? Possibly in the word, in the tatvam and in the pressures of living and that pervasive and fetishist feeling of me and mine. The lenses of oneness have given way to the piercing glares of difference and domination. In such a world how can knowledge help us? What are those strands that will help us reconcile, become aware and start rebuilding our penchant for peace and justice? How do we revive that kindred spirit starting with the transformation of the individual?
This is the larger import of the 8th Peace and Reconciliation Conference that will be held in December 2023. Call for Papers has been announced. You can see the concept paper here.
This is the eight edition. The theme of Justice for Peace has been planned to have many sub- strands.