I am not a religious leader. I am a pilgrim on a spiritual path. I have equal respect for all religions and religious teachings. But when the religious institutions cause divisions, dissension, and conflict among people, they are deviating from the non-violent and sublime paths shown by their founders. If religious leaders awaken the spiritual energies in people, only then will we have happiness, prosperity, and peace in our society.
Organised religion can cause havoc in many a society.
To me, what is important is not the religion itself, but the spiritual awakening that can be brought about in human beings, by awakening spiritual values and moral conduct in them. This is the true role of religion. So far, about 215,000 people have participated in these meditation exercises. We will continue this in all districts, and we hope to get a million people to participate. Then, we will start the second stage of our people's peace meditation, based on transforming the consciousness of people towards compassion and peace.