We had the opportunity to participate in this event – representing the Hamilton Hindu perspective on the theme:

“Cultivating Positive Emotions for a Healthy Society” Islam seeks to improve our well-being by teaching us how to develop positive emotions and avoid negative ones. People with positive emotions tend to be happier, healthier and better members of the society. Islamic teachings will contribute tremendously in this regards.”

This was our contribution as delivered by Abhay Charan dasa:

On behalf of the branch of the Hindu community that I represent I wish to thank the Muslim community for taking this initiative and allowing us the opportunity to participate and say a few words from our tradition. Hinduism seeks to uplift humankind from suffering and misery – and transcend those negative emotions arising especially from our lust, anger and greed – which lead to oppression and suffering. According to Hindu scripture – selfless love, eternal compassion and enduring forgiveness characterize a civilized and enlightened society. Hinduism’s scripture – the Bhagavad-Gita (16.1-3) prescribes the emotions and qualities of the divine nature; and I wish to read the following verses to illustrate this: ”The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purification of one’s existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from anger; renunciation, tranquility, aversion to faultfinding, compassion and freedom from covetousness; gentleness, modesty and steady determination; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and the passion for honor–these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men and women endowed with divine nature”. The essence of the Bhagavad-Gita is in harmony with the other scriptures and faiths of this world: love God and love your neighbour as you love yourself. Develop compassion for all living beings; and thus demonstrate your love for all of God’s creation. This means we eradicate our feelings of fear, envy and hate for others. A true saintly person is ever friendly, kind, generous, forgiving and merciful to others. A true saintly person is never one-eyed and sectarian – conversely a saintly person is joyfully convinced that each and every one of God’s sons and daughters are equally valued and equally loved. The emotions of tolerance, humility, tenderness and charity as enunciated in Bhagavad-Gita should be spread throughout the communities making up our world. We members of different faith communities have a great responsibility to follow in the footsteps of our many traditions’ saintly persons. If we can imbibe their saintly qualities and demonstrate to the world such enriching emotions as humility, tolerance, compassion, mercy, kindness, and selfless love; we too can start to experience serenity, peace, joy and spiritual happiness. By projecting these loving emotions, we help to destroy the six enemies of this world: selfish desire, anger, greed, attachment to “I and mine”, pride and jealousy. Exploitation of people, animals and the environment is due to our false belief that we are the proprietors and enjoyers of all that we survey. Such a mentality fails to see that since we did not create this world, we are not the owners of it. If we can utilize this world in such a way that it’s creator is pleased, our world can become a place of peace and happiness. And how can we change a selfish, exploitive and materialistic world society – we have to begin with ourselves. We must strive to become men and women who express emotions of selfless love, benevolence and generosity of spirit. We do so with great confidence knowing that we are all the much loved sons and daughters of our shared creator. We express our love for God and all His creation with enduring generosity, so that our children and all future generations may live happily and peacefully together.