                       World Peace in the Atomic Age
 Address to the Ninth General Session of UNESCO, held in Delhi India, 1956
             and published in "The Way of the Saints: SANT MAT"

Mr. President, Delegates, Leaders, and Friends:

It is a happy event to meet the distinguished delegates and members of the
different countries of the world who have come to discuss plans and
demonstrate universal brotherhood in action, in the spirit of peace and
loving kindness for all the world. I have love for God and for all
humanity. Fully knowing that men and women of high attainments are present
here, I venture to speak to you frankly what strikes my mind on the subject
which is a main objective before us: namely, Peace of the World.

Man does not live by bread alone. He has to live on the Bread of life. He
is a conscious being and has to know himself to live on God consciousness.
Man is a conscious entity which expresses itself through mind and physical
body. Unless he is liberated from bondage of mind and matter, he cannot
have knowledge of self and of God. If his mind is turned to the physical
body and its needs, he becomes earthly. The inevitable result is jealousies
and strifes. But if it is directed toward soul, he becomes spiritual; the
result will be love and peace. The preamble to the UNESCO Constitution says
that since war began in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that
defenses of peace must be constructed. All Masters who came in the past
turned man's attention to the purification of the heart. If we want to
change the outside, we should change our hearts first, because out of the
abundance of the heart man speaks. What does it avail one to wash himself
outside if deceitfulness is in his heart? Purity in thought, word, and deed
is what is required. The world is awakening to this truth, as is apparent
from the fact that religion conferences and such organizations as this one
are coming into existence for the purpose of helping mankind uplift
himself, but violence and hatred still dominate the word and the doctrine
of inequality of men and races is preached and practiced. Some like to
dominate over others and exact and squeeze from others all that they can,
and give little or nothing in return. All this has, as it were, formed
habits that have entered into our nature. How can we change our mind and
turn it to a higher purpose? Mind, like fire, is a good servant, but a bad
master. Guru Nanak said, "Victory over the mind is victory over the world."

Let us consider how we can conquer our mind and change our hearts. Man is
composed of body, mind (intellect) and soul. We have to develop all around.
We have sufficiently developed physically, socially and politically. We
have made wonderful inventions, such as telephone, telegraphy, radios,
televisions, airplanes, rockets, atom bombs, etc., but both physical body
and intellect depend on the soul within, about which we know little or
nothing.

"What does it profit a man if he gains the possessions the whole world and
loses his own soul?" As we have not known ourselves, all advancements we
have made on the physical and intellectual plane are going against us. In a
European conference of scientists held recently, the President of the
conference said that wc have gained control over the forces of Nature
before knowing our own selves. That is why various inventions are going to
help in the destruction of mankind. Had wc known ourselves before we got
control over the forces of nature, all these inventions would have gone to
help in our uplift. All Masters in the olden times, namely, Buddha, Nanak,
Christ, Prophet Mohammed, exhort us to "KNOW THYSELF." For knowing
ourselves we have to rise above the body consciousness by practical
self-analysis. The scriptures say, "Learn to die so that you may begin to
live." Christ said, "Except ye be born again, you cannot enter the kingdom
of God." Nicodemus was a very learned man. He came up to Christ and said to
Him, "Master, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second
time into his mother's womb and be born?" You will see intellectual people
fail very badly when the practical side is concerned. Christ replied, "Art
thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things? Don't you know that
flesh is born of flesh and spirit of spirit?" To be born anew is to rise
above the body-consciousness by practical self-analysis so that one may
know himself and the Overself which is called by so any names. Kabir says
the same thing, "Learn to die a hundred times a day, not once." You must
know how to rise above the body consciousness so as to know who you are or
what you are. Intellectually we know so much about it, but practically we
know little or nothing. It is a matter rising above the body consciousness
and opening the inner eye or the single eye to see the Light of God by
Practical self-analysis, which we have forgotten. It is an old, old
science.

All Masters who came in the past were fully conversant with these facts but
unfortunately we have forgotten them. Can we rise above the body
consciousness? Can we leave the body and then come back? These are
teachings given by almost all the Masters whether the came in one country
or in the other. Maulana Rumi said "My dear friends, learn to die so that
you may have ever lasting life." So this is not a new thing, but an old,
old thing which we have forgotten. So the Master says: "Yes we can have
this experience as surely as two and two make four, very definitely, at the
feet of a competent Master, as King Janaka had at the feet of Ashtavakra in
a very short time." I need not dwell on this subject any longer. Those who
may be interested in solving the mystery life can refer to the pamphlet
Man! Know Thyself, which has been distributed to everyone here, for further
information.

To achieve this end, man must have an ethical or moral life which is a
stepping stone to spirituality. Christ said "Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God." Guru Nanak said, "Be pure that truth may be
realized."

While pressing for the moral and intellectual solidarity of mankind, we
have not laid any stress on the spiritual aspect of man which is the most
vital but a sadly ignored proposition. It is a cementing factor running
throughout all humanity without which all our attempts in the intellectual
and moral planes may succumb and collapse. On my tour of England, Germany
and the U.S.A. last year I was asked, "How can we avoid the danger of
atomic war?" I told the listeners that we can avoid this if we but live up
to what the scriptures say. We know so much about the Sermon on the Mount,
the Ten Commandments and the Eight-fold Path of the Buddha, for preaching
to others, but we do not live up to what we preach. "Be the doers of the
Word and not hearers onlydeceiving your own selves." Reformers are wanted,
not of others but of THEMSELVES. Learn to live just as Yudishtra, one of
the five Pandos, did. It is said that the five Pandos werc placed under the
tuition of a teacher and the teacher gave them a book which started, "Tell
the truth, don't be angry," and so on. Four of the brothers memorized the
full booklet. When the turn of Yudishtra, the other brother, came, he said,
"Well, Master, I have learned one sentence fully, 'to tell the truth'; and
'don't be angry,' I have learned only half of that." The master was
enraged. He said, "What will I answer to the king?" In two or three months
he'd learned only one sentence and another only half. He began slap the
boyonce, twice, thrice. Then he said, "Why can't you tell the truth?"
Yudishtra said, "I do tell the truth that I have learned one sentence to
tell the truth and the other only half, not to get angry. And now I tell
you the truth that in the beginning I was not angry, but when you went on
slapping me, I got angry in my mind." So unless we learn to live as
Yudishtra did, there can be no advancement in any phase of our life. Food
which is digested gives strength. If we put in practice what we have
learned, all danger of an atomic war will be avoided.

Now let us see what the scriptures say for our guidance. Men are all
worshipers of the same power of God, called by so many names. God made man,
ensouled bodies. Our soul is environed by mind and matter. God is all
consciousness. When we liberate ourselves from the bondage mind and matter
we find we are conscious entities souls. We are, as it were, drops of the
ocean of life. If we know ourselves by analyzing ourselves from the
physical body, we will meet the world from the level of the soul. So we
have got a very strong background to stand on, viz., God-consciousness. But
we have been living on up to the "shalts" and don'ts." We shall do this and
do that or don't do this or don't do that, but really we have no strong
background to stand on. "There is no Hindu, no Mohammedan (I may add no
Christian or any other) by birth." That is what Guru Nanak said.

The Israelites came up to Christ and put to Him the question, "Our king
demands a tribute from us, what should we do?" And He told them to bring
Him a coin. And when the coin was brought He asked whose inscription was on
it; when told it was Caesar's, He said, "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's.
Your souls are of God, give unto God." All Master's viewpoints have been
the same. As man is a social being, social institutions of various
religions were made for the uplift of soul, so that it may pass its earthly
sojourn amicably and prove to helping to all humanity, as well as to aid
one to know himself and know the OverselfGod. God cannot known by
intellect, the outgoing faculties, or prana. It only the soul that can know
Godthat is why all Master who came in the past enjoined "KNOW THYSELF."
They further gave two most important commandments: (1) Love thy God with
all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with thy strength, and (2) Love thy
neighbor as thyself. I God resides in all hearts.

We are all conscious entities being of the same essence as that of God.
There is one underlying unityas such we are brothers and sisters in the
true sense of the word and form the universal brotherhood which can be
cemented if the much needed inner unity is realized. Now we know all things
intellectually. As we have not known ourselves, our inner eye is not all
pervading. When your inner eye, single eye, or latent eye is opened then
only you will see the same light of God working throughout all. You will
have true love for all and true regard for all scriptures left by the past
Masters. All scriptures say that God resides in all creation and is
immanent in every form. Guru Nanak said, "We live and have our being in
God. We should treat everyone as our own flesh and blood." Prophet Mohammed
said, "We are all members of the same family of God." All other Saints said
the same thing. We should, therefore, love alllove of God and love of all
mankind are the two great fundamentals or main commandments on which the
work of all the Masters hang. If we follow them in practice, there will be
peace on earth; the kingdom of God will come on earthand there can be left
no danger of an atomic war.

There is one reality working in all. All mankind is one. The differences
are man-madearisen out of self-aggrandizement due to ignorance of one's
own seh. It is said of St. John that he was invited to a school. He came
over and was asked to give a talk. He stood up and said, "Boys, love one
another," and sat down. The secretary in charge asked him, "Haven't you got
anything more to say?" He again got up and said, "Boys, love one another,"
and sat down. Again the secretary asked him if he didn't have anything more
to say. The third time he got up and said, "Boys, love one another. Love
and all things shall be added unto you." To achieve this end man must be
ethical or moral. This is the gist of the teachings of all the Masters,
whom we have with us. Naturally whoever loves God will love all.

Without love no lasting peace can be maintained in the world and without
the spiritual aspect of man being realized you cannot have true love. God
is love and our so being of the same essence as that of God, love is
innately enshrined in us. Shamas Tabrez, a Mohammedan, said, "If you
perform outer rituals and ceremonies of worship for a hundred years, you
cannot be true worshipers. If by doing these you have not developed love
for Him, ye cannot be aware of the mystery of God."

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, said the same truth, "Hear
ye all, I am telling you the truth-those who love, they get to God." The
Bible also says the same thing. "Those who do not love cannot know God."
All others spoke in the same terms. A lover of God will be a lover of all
Masters who came in the past, a lover all holy scriptures, all holy places
and a worshiper of all places of pilgrimage. A lover of God will never
think molesting anyone in thought, word or deed. He will be:

     1) A true ahimsa, which is the highest of all Dharma.
     2) He will live a life of truthfulness.
     3) He will hold a high character.
     4) He will have love for allhatred for none.
     5 ) He will lead a life of selfless senice for the uplift all
humanity.

These are the five pillars on which mansions of peace can be built. These
five pillars are cemented by developing the spiritual contact within. He
looks to the whole world and the various countries as so many rooms
therein.

The governments are raised as custodians for the good of the people. They
are doing their best to restore peace and order in various ways in the
world. The United Nations was also formed to secure this end.

The governments can control the bodies of men, but cannot do man-making 
until the hearts and minds change, the world situation cannot change.
Change must come from within. As I told you already, "Out of the abundance
of his heart a man speaks." The very words he utters are charged with love.
Whatever comes from the heart, that goes to the hearts of the people. This
is the sole work of really spiritual men and not sectarian, who are to do
this job, without which no government can be fully successful. Paid
preaching. I am forced to mention this thing, because it has done more harm
to humanity than the helping of it. Paid preaching carried on by
professional and narrow-minded preachers has made matters worse in all
religions. They, instead of uniting mankind, have assisted in separating
man from man. Look to the olden days. Four phases of life were prescribed
for man. The first twenty-five years of age were spent to learn all the
scriptures and other knowledge. After that twenty-five years to attend to
household affairs. After that, a man had to go into seclusion for about
twenty-five years in order to realize his own self and to realize God. When
he had realized himself and God, he was to go around from place to place
for preaching to all mankind selflessly. Such persons were called sanyasins
who were required to preach. All Masters enjoin us to love God and to love
all humanity with all our soul, with all our heart, and with all strength.
Masters who came in the past told us to go by the scriptures. How many of
us should do this? At least those who are awakened to this truth should do
that. Let them start from themselves. God wants reformers, as told you
before, not of others but of themselves. So many people sitting here, say
six hundred to seven hundred, if we just start doing thatthere will be a
change. Those who come in contact with you, they will also change. So you
see it requires a very rational way of preaching by those who have
universal love, who follow the true import of the holy scriptures which are
fortunately with us today. Had we come, say a hundred years before or four
hundred years before we would not have the scriptures or experiences of
those who came within these periods, viz., Ramakrishna and others. Had we
come before five hundred years we would not have the scriptures of the Sikh
Gurus, which are a voluminous treasure of divinity. Had we come another
fourteen or fifteen hundred years back we would not have the holy Koran
with us. Further, back to two thousand years, if we happened to have come
before that, we would not have even the Bible. Twenty-five hundred years
back had you come you would not have even the scriptures of Buddha and
Mahavira. So we are fortunate these days in the twentieth century that all
those who came in the past with fine records of their personal experiences
which they had with the self and with Overself are with us today. We can be
benefited therefrom but unless we know the true import of the scriptures,
understand the one underlying principle therein, and live up to them, we
are nowhere. What do they say? They advise us to have a robust physical
life, to have an ideal moral life and to know our own self and to know God.

There are two kinds of knowledge, one is called Apara Vidya and the other
is called Para Vidya. Apara Vidya consists of reading scriptures and
performance of rituals and other ceremonies, giving alms, etc.; these are
the elementary stages required for paving the road to spirituality. The
main purpose underlying this is to create in us an interest in knowing self
and knowing God and also in leading an ethical life, which is the stepping
stone to spirituality. For that, naturally, we have to seek the guidance of
someone who has realized that spiritual life. The main draw-back is that we
do not know what we are and where we stand. Our soul is under bondage of
mind and matter. If you learn practically how to analyze yourself and rise
above the body consciousness, you will see that you are not the body, nor
the intellect, nor the outgoing faculties. We know so many things but only
intellectually. Is it possible to know one's self and know God? As I told
you before, yes, it is possible by following Para Vidya, the science of
practical self-analysis in the natural way, which can be followed by men of
all ages. Unless you know who you are and what you are, and what your
relation is with God and all creation, you cannot be fully at peace.

This is no matter of feelings, emotions or inferences arrived at by
intellectual wrestling, as they are all subject to error. This is a matter
of seeing, which is above all of them and given out by all Masters who came
in the past. This applies to all irrespective of whether you belong to one
country or the other, or one religion or the other; that makes no
difference. Since man is a social being, social institutions were formed
just to enable him to lead a life of high morality, of chastity, and of
love for all mankind and pass days of life in peace. To achieve this end,
we have to see the unity underlying all creation by knowing our self and
knowing God. We have wonderfully deveveloped in fhe way of science but
still with all the amenities it has afforded us, we are still not happy.
The true happiness will come if you will know yourself.

We were talking of the governments, that they can control bodies but cannot
make men. Making of men is the job of really spiritual people. Look at the
kings of a like Dashratha, Ashoka and others; almost all of them had in
their courts really wide-awake seers of spiritual status whom they
consulted in all matters affecting humanity as a whole and from whom they
received substantial help in carrying out the work of their states without
having recourse to the use of physical force. If similar guidance can now
be had, it would go a long way to secure peace in the world. You will see
that our success in achieving self- government in India without a regular
war was mainly do to the wise counsel and guidance of Gandhiji which were
based on moral force with some spiritual background. All of us owe respect
to him. If you follow the principles as I have told you, there will be
peace on earth. It is not a new thing. It is already there in the
scriptures left by Masters who came in the past. They all gave out the same
thing. But we know all this only intellectually. The only thing required is
to just put into practice what we know. Instead of preaching to others we
should start preaching to ourselves. Live up to what we say. There will be
a very definite change arising. It may be there is danger of war overhead
but if we at least know what we are and try to live up to what is said
above, that will not make matters worse; that will help the majority of
people. It is true when the house is on fire, a well cannot be dug out then
and there. If we just start living up to what has been laid before us,
viz., love God, and as God resides in all hearts, we should love all
humanity and all creation, that will go a long way to help us. In the Hindu
scriptures, you will find that they give milk to the serpents, Gugapir, as
it is called, because God is immanent in all forms. A question was put to
Christ as to how we should behave toward others, and he said, "Love thy
neighbor as thyself." When he was asked what to do with the enemies, he
said, "Love thine enemies." The true spiritual man looks to the very God in
all hearts. He works from that level. Such people, the more in number, will
go to create more peace and love for one another. So, with these words let
me thank you all for the patient hearing that you have given and take
leave.

