The United Nations General Assembly has declared World Meditation Day to be observed annually on December 21, after a draft resolution, co-sponsored by India, was unanimously adopted by all members. An inaugural event was held at the UN Headquarters in New York, hosted by the Permanent Mission of India and attended by renowned Indian spiritual teacher Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who led 8,5 million people worldwide in a record-breaking live meditation for global peace and harmony.
“The first World Meditation Day marked an unprecedented celebration of unity and inner peace,” a statement on Shankar’s website said. “With participants from over 180 countries, the event showcased the transformative power of meditation as a global movement. Beginning with the inaugural event at the United Nations and culminating in a live session led by Gurudev from the top of the World Trade Center (New York), the day witnessed a wave of meditation sweeping across continents.” (Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)
The draft UN resolution, unanimously adopted by the UN on December 6 and entitled Global Health and Foreign Policywas jointly presented by Andorra, India, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Nepal and Sri Lanka, with the support of 60 co-sponsors.
The event reportedly broke a number of world records, including "the largest number of viewers of a guided meditation live stream on YouTube," as recorded by Guinness World Records, and "the maximum number of nationalities participating in a guided meditation in one day," as recorded by the Asian Book of Records. (Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)
In his keynote address on the occasion, Shankar observed, “Meditation is the journey from knowing through thought to feeling what you know. To meditate, you must first move from thinking too much to feeling what is. And then go beyond feeling to the inner space. If you want to be sane, sensitive and sensible, you must meditate. Meditation is not inactivity. It makes you more dynamic and peaceful. Even to be a revolutionary, one must meditate.” (Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)
Born in 1956, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is an Indian spiritual teacher, also known as Gurudev. In the 1970s, he worked as an apprentice under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement, and in 1981, he founded the Art of Living Foundation.
“The recognition of meditation by the United Nations is a great step forward,” Shankar noted ahead of Saturday’s inaugural event, which was also attended by General Assembly President Philemon Yang and Under-Secretary-General Atul Khare. “Meditation nourishes the soul, calms the mind and offers a solution to modern challenges.” (Hans Inde)
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said in a social media post:
A day of global well-being and inner transformation!
I am happy that India, along with other Core Group countries, led the unanimous adoption of the resolution on declaring 21 December as World Meditation Day in the United Nations General Assembly today.
India's leadership in overall human welfare stems from our civilisational dictum #VasudhaivaKutumbakam: the whole world is one family.
A core practice of Buddhism and many other spiritual traditions, with far-reaching physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits, the practice of meditation dates back to 5 BCE, with archaeologists recognizing links to ancient China, Egypt and India. The UN added that an estimated 000 million to 200 million people worldwide practice meditation today.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the important benefits of meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation,” the United Nations noted. “WHO discussions on stress management highlight the importance of learning coping mechanisms, such as meditation, to promote mental and physical well-being.” (United Nations)
Renowned Buddhist leader and socially engaged monk Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena, founder and spiritual director of the non-profit Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC) in Ladakh, far north India, issued a statement to celebrate the new annual observation, which read in part: “It is heartening to share that December 21 has been declared as World Meditation Day by the United Nations General Assembly. This is a truly commendable milestone! . . .
“We are deeply grateful to the UN and its member countries for supporting this proposal. We express our sincere gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and many individuals and organisations in our country who have launched this wonderful initiative, just as they did for World Yoga Day on 21st June. World Meditation Day is indeed a monumental achievement! . . .
“Medication supports physical health, while meditation nourishes mental health. Together, they ensure holistic well-being. Meditation is a pure science of the mind, a systematic approach to understanding, purifying and mastering it. Ultimately, it can lead to enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of birth and death – Samsara.
See more
World Meditation Day December 21 (United Nations)
1st World Meditation Day – A World Record (Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)
No luxury, but necessity: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at UN inauguration of World Meditation Day (India West Journal)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to address UN on World Meditation Day (Hans India)
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The article UN marks first World Meditation Day on December 21 with record-breaking online event appeared first on Buddhadoor Global.
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