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SPIRITUAL-SCIENTIFIC PERSONALITY/227
SURAT SPIRITUAL DECLARATION
15th OCTOBER, 2003
On the 15th October 2003 a historic declaration in the name of Surat Spiritual Declaration was presented to the Hon'ble President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam by 15 leading spiritual leaders. The Declaration seeks to foster Enlightened Citizenship. It seeks to do so by exploring and harnessing the different dimensions of spirituality. "Every religion has a central component - spirituality driven by compassion and love. Rationality and logic are intrinsic to science and spirituality. A spiritual experience is the goal of the deeply religious person whereas a major discovery or invention is the goal of a scientific mind. If both aspects are unified and amalgamated in our own pattern we can transcend to that level of thinking in which unity is a cohesive concept. The enlightened citizenship will then take place - with the interaction of science and spirituality". Science and spirituality have to interact in the context of economic growth and development, this action oriented declaration states "It is our responsibility as religious and spiritual leaders to carry out this mission of removal of poverty from our people".
DECLARATION
CREATOR'S MESSAGE
God has created the human being with brain and thinking faculty. He has commanded His creation to use the faculty with reasoning to reach His image.
This is the mission of human life.
Science is a recent boon God has bestowed upon mankind. Science with reasoning becomes the capital of the society. Spirituality is a special quality God has given to the human being. The duty of the human being is to discover it and use it for the benefit of all.
In whatever field we work, be it science, technology, medicine, politics, policing, theology, religion or judiciary, we have to remain in the service of the common man whose well being is central to all human knowledge and endeavour.
THE PRESENT CONDITION
Even while the above is the main focus of human life we find that our nation is facing loss of confidence in itself, at various levels. There is lack of
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