Plenary,

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 17, 2000

Official Report 577KB pdf

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Time for Reflection

Good morning. For our time for reflection today, we welcome Mr S L Gajree, the president of the Hindu Mandir in Glasgow.

Sir David, I thank you and the Scottish Parliament for giving me the opportunity on behalf of the Hindu community in Glasgow to offer my thoughts at time for reflection.

Upanishad, a holy work of Hindus, urges the human race to be strong and not weak. It admits that there are human weaknesses but counters that admission with the idea that more weakness will not heal weakness. Nobody tries to wash dirt with dirt; sin cannot cure sin. It is only strength that can make us stand against weakness, and we must cultivate the quality of fearlessness.

This is the only book in the world that does not talk of salvation but of freedom, and it shows us that this freedom is already within us. By its nature, the soul is perfect—although evil deeds make it contract, good deeds and good thoughts make it expand and reveal its natural perfection.

Upanishads further tell us that the cause of all misery is ignorance, which is perfectly true when applied to every state of life, either social or spiritual. Ignorance makes us hate each other, and it is through ignorance that we do not know each other and do not love each other. As soon as we come to know each other, love follows, for are we not one?

Every day scientists are coming to the same broad view of matter. The whole universe is one mass of matter in which you and I, the sun and the moon and everything else are but the names of different little whirlpools; it is nothing more than one universal ocean of thought in which you and I are similar little whirlpools. As spirit, it does not move or change: it is one unchangeable, unbroken, homogeneous atom.

We must uphold the Upanishads and believe that I am the soul, me the sword cannot cut, nor weapons pierce, me the fire cannot burn, the air cannot dry; I am the Omnipotent, I am the Omniscient. Never say that we cannot do anything because we are weak; whatever you do sincerely is good for you. Even the least thing well done brings marvellous results; therefore, let every one of us do what little good he can do.

Let us look upon every man and woman—everyone—as God. You cannot help anybody, you can only serve. By serving the children of God, you serve God. It is a privilege. If God grants that you can help any of his children, you are blessed. Do not think too much of yourselves. You are blessed that privilege was given to you when others do not have it. The poor and the miserable are for our salvation so that we may serve the Lord, coming in the shape of the diseased, the lunatic, the leper and the sinner. We must give up the idea that, by ruling over others, we can do them any good. However, you can do just as much as you can for the plant; you can supply the growing seed with the materials for making the body, bringing it to the earth, the water and the air that it wants. It will take all that it wants by its own nature, and, by its own nature, it will assimilate and grow.

Thank you very much.

Before we begin our proceedings, I would like, on behalf of the Parliament, to express our thanks to Glasgow City Council and its staff for its preparations and—[Applause.] You are a bit ahead of me, as I want in particular to welcome the lord provost of Glasgow, who is in the gallery. [Applause.]