Siddhachalam NJ 1993 06 Acharya Sushil Kumarji

Author(s): Siddhachalam NJ
Publisher: USA International Mahavir Jain Mission Siddhachalam

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etc. Violence goes far beyond what they are trying to do in the United Nations - namely achieving peace between nations. Soon there shall be peace amongst nations, now that the cold war has ceased. As conflicts between nations have also ended, it is necessary to broaden the UN's efforts to include the entire field of Non-Violence.
Dr. Muller said that both Acharya Sushil Kumarji and himself had been inspired by the lofty statue of Jesus Christ at the top of the hill in Rio to work for non-violence further, by creating the World Movement of Non-Violence for Peace and Environment. This movement was launched at the Sacred Earth Gathering in the presence of spiritual and religious leaders and indigenous people from all over the world. The Sacred Earth Gathering Declaration was one of the most beautiful declarations at Rio.
Dr. Muller added that they should ask the UN to declare a day of peace and non-violence. At least one day a year should be non-violent. Media should also be asked not to carry violent stories. Why should we not have human rights for non-violence? As a human being it is our right to see the world without violence. We are entitled to govern- ments solving their problems through non-violence. He thanked Acharya Sushil Kumarji for having come from far away India to bring Jainism with the marvelous message that we should cultivate a world of Non-violence between people, nations, and all living beings. Acharya Sushil Kumarji has inspired him to become even more non-violent than he was prior to their meeting.
Dr. Muller ended the talk saying that Acharya Sushil Kumarji launched the Movement of Non-Violence at Rio and he became the co-founder, which was a beautiful meeting of East and West -a Jain Monk from the East and a European with 40 years of experience at the UN from the West. Now, we shall make non-violence the form of civilization on this planet.
Acharya Sushil Kumarji, while thanking the gather- ing, cited a tale from Hindu mythology. He said that when Vishwakarma (the architect of the world) created this world
he threw a feast and invited all the angels and demons. At the feast delicious foods were served. However, he put a condition that everybody must eat the food without bending their elbows - everyone had to keep their arms straight. The demons thought that Vishwakarma had gone crazy after creating the world. How could one eat without bending one's elbow? The demons walked off. The angels were also perplexed, but they thought that there must be some logic to what Vishwakarma had requested. They straightened their arms, took the food in their hands and, without bending their elbows, they realized that they could feed each other. They realized what Vishwakarma meant - in this world each one lives with the help of others. We are all interdependent.
Acharya Sushil Kumarji cited another example - that of a cat. A cat has only one set of teeth, with which it catches rats and also picks up its kittens. The rat meets his death in these teeth, whereas the kitten does not get even a scratch. This is non-violence. When one becomes the mother then there is only love and nothing else.
Dr. Farouk Mawlawi, Chief of the NGO Section, United Nations, congratulated Acharya Sushil Kumarji for launching the Movement of Non-Violence and said that they needed peace more than ever before. The movement was certainly headed in a positive direction and he was honored to wish it success.
Dr. Harry Lerner, President of the Communication, Coordination Committee of the UN, and the oldest NGO, also expressed his full support for the movement.
Mr. Dinesh Jain, Consular of India's mission to the UN, congratulated Acharya Sushil Kumarji on behalf of himself and Mr. Ghare Khan, India's Ambassador to the UN.
Mr. Arun Kothari, President of the International Mahavir Jain Mission, welcomed the gathering. Messages from Mr. Akio Matsumura - Secretary General of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival; Rev. Dean Morton; Father Luis Dolan of the Temple of Understanding; Dr. N.P. Jain, India's former Ambassador to the UN, EEC, Mexico, etc. were also heard.
We must be guided not by precedents alone, however wise these may be, but by the needs of
the future and by the shape and content that we wish to give it.
'An Agenda For Peace' - Boutros Boutros - Ghali
Crusader for Peace and Non-Violence
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