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The Parliament of the
World's Religions --
Spiritual Assembly of Spiritual Leaders and Religions of Various Races
 The
Parliament of the World's Religions was held from December 1-8, 1999
in Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town is nestled against Table
Mountain, overlooking the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and is home to
many races, religious traditions, and cultures. At the Parliament
sponsored by the South African government, teachers, scholars,
religious and spiritual leaders, believers and practitioners from
around the world gathered to share their insights and wisdom, to
celebrate their diverse backgrounds, and to address the vital moral,
spiritual and religious issues presently facing the global community.
After
the opening speeches, fellow practitioners, wearing beautiful
traditional attire, and under blue banners bearing the name of The
Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and joined in the
opening day Parliament procession. We greatly outnumbered the other
groups in attendance and thus naturally were the most
"eye-catching" team. South Africans were astonished that our
group came from all the different continents of the world to
enthusiastically support this event. Some of us were holding
invitation pamphlets for Master's speech that were to be distributed
on the following day. Master's beautiful picture was on the cover, and
people drew near requesting copies. As the procession passed a small
red car, we caught sight of Master awaiting Her turn to speak at the
Parliament's next ceremony. She was dressed in classic Aulacese
fashion in bright gold with a traditional-style royal hat of the same
color. As the parade neared the site of the ceremony, the ringing of
church bells announced the start of this magnificent event.
The
event was held outside on a flat hilltop in Cape Town's historic
District Six which became famous in the mid 1960's as a sad and
terrifying setting for Apartheid (racial separatism) in South Africa.
This governmental policy, begun in 1948, made it illegal for Blacks to
live in or even visit the major cities of South Africa without a
special pass issued by the government. All of the Black city residents
were moved to distant townships, usually resulting in a splitting up
of entire families. Blacks were also stripped of their property and
position and many were left destitute. In the case of District Six,
the area was zoned for destruction under the Group Areas Act in 1966
and its residents displaced. Although this terrible policy has changed
since Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1993 (he became
president of South Africa in 1994), many of the scars remain among
Black South Africans, and their moving speeches reminded us that we
are all part of one universal family.
This
ceremony was important in many ways. For all of those present, one
could feel a healing on a grand scale taking place. The entire event
was wrapped in dignity and symbolism, and we felt honored to represent
the great love and blessings that our Master gives to the world.
The
District Six Ceremony took place on a large circular stage at the foot
of majestic Table Mountain. It began with a light bearer carrying a
great torch. Microphones had been set up at the four corners of the
stage, representing the gates of the four directions of the world -
North, South, East, and West. Legend has it that each of the four
directions is guarded by each of the four races of humankind, (white,
black, yellow and red) and each one is a guardian of a different
element, (fire, earth, wind, and water). In the center was a larger
torch that was to burn throughout the week-long Parliament of the
World's Religions.
Representatives
of each race stood in their appropriate places and spoke to their own
guardianship on behalf of their people. A touching element of this
ceremony was that all of the elders of the races were women
accompanied by small girls. This was not only highly symbolic of the
transition to a more tolerant, loving and forgiving age (represented
by grandmothers passing on their wisdom to girls), but it also closely
paralleled several speeches that Master had made during the Cape Town
retreat about how more peaceful ages were always represented by
matriarchal societies (those ruled by women) and that we should return
again to those roots in order to move into the Golden Age. Since
Master Herself is such an outstanding female spiritual leader that
transcends many religious norms, Her presence at this symbolic event
represented an important milestone in our spiritual and cultural
history.
After
the torches converged to the central flame, an Anglican priest led the
gathering in prayer. Several local community leaders were then asked
to share their visions for rebuilding the future. Master was
introduced along with a high priest from the State of Chiapas, Mexico,
and another priest.
After the moving prayers by the priests, Master
took the stage to resounding cheers. Master offered an open prayer, as
following:
Parliament of World Religions Opening Ceremony
December 1,
1999
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Thank You Father.
Thank
you, brothers and sisters, for taking the time to come here to
pray for Africa. Together we will also pray for the world. May I
ask you a few seconds of silence to reconfirm our wish to the
Lord.
Thank you so much.
I
have been praying to God even before I came here, for your land,
and for the world, as always. I have told Hirm, Father, You know
every thing; You grant our wish before we even ask. Whatever You
arrange for us is the best for our spiritual development. It
doesn't matter how bleak it looks at this moment, Your will is
Supreme. Your will is always the wisest, the best, and the most
compassionate in the end. Pray let us know this; pray let us
never forget that Your will is always the most loving in the
highest sense of universal Truth.
We
thank You also for giving us the occasion to be here today in
this beautiful city, one of the most beautiful places on this
planet, and to see all these beautiful, pure, simple-hearted
people. It is our honor of many lifetimes to have such an
occasion, because we are here by Your will. We live here by Your
will, and we shall go back to Yourself by Your will. But we
don't have much chance to see each other physically.
Although
this physical world is a grand illusion, all Your creation, it
is still very beautiful to us; it is our home. And in this
sense, we also dedicate to You today, if You wish, that the
people of this land, or any land, have the home that they wish
and a peaceful life with all the dignity as God's children, as
You shall will it. We dedicate to You our heart, our love, and
our utmost surrender that whatever You shall arrange for us, it
will be Your will. Nevertheless, since we are in this physical
condition, we must endure many illusionary hardships, which
hinder our spirit and separate us from You; therefore, pray
Lord, grant us some of the dignity of basic peacefulness so that
we may have enough calm, enough surrender, to remember You every
second of our lives. You are glory; You are beauty; You are
richness; You are the most fantastic vision of Perfection that
we could ever remember. Let this Perfection also be manifest on
this planet. Perhaps, in some of the lands of the planet that
need more blessings than others, we will be willing to be work
together to help some of these less fortunate lands, some of the
less fortunate corners of the world, such as this little corner
of Your creation. Blessed be You, my Lord, that You remember us
in this corner of Africa. Perhaps all Your children deserve Your
love and blessings, but maybe this corner deserves a little bit
extra.
That
shall be our prayer for today.
Amen.
Thank
you, brothers and sisters.
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