The significance of pursuing and promoting peace among the people of the world was emphasised at the second annual meeting to commemorate the birthday of Mother Teresa of Kolkata in Auckland last month.
More than 500 people were present at Catholic Church of Christ the King in Mt Roskill to draw inspiration from the tireless works of Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to the cause of serving the poor and the needy.
Indian High Commissioner Retired Admiral Sureesh Mehta was the Chief Guest at the event organised by the Mother Teresa Interfaith Committee chaired by Wenceslaus Anthony, with Dame Lyndsay Freer as the Master of Ceremonies.
The Peace Cycle
Mr Mehta said Mother Teresa was one of the most important personalities of the 20th Century and that she dedicated her life to spread the message of love and peace among the people.
“Mother Teresa worked in India, the land of peace, with diverse language, culture, religions, politics and economic wellbeing. Her mission was to bring people together through love and goodwill so that they could live in peace and harmony. She was a true messenger of love and peace,” he said.
Mr Mehta said India was a land where many major religions of the world were born and promoted. These include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, he said.
“The role of religion is peace and every religious faith preaches the importance of respecting all human beings irrespective of their social disposition, income levels and religious faiths. India is the perfect example of ‘unity in diversity’ and ‘religious peace and tolerance.’ Its 5000-year-old cultural and social heritage is of immense value to the whole world,” he said.
Mr Mehta explained the factors that determined the interminable link between service and peace, which formed the core principles in Mother Teresa’s life.
“Service leads to Peace, Peace leads to Faith, Faith leads to Love, Love leads to Service and in turn, Service leads to Peace,” he said.
Among the highlights of the evening were the two-minute speeches of religious leaders, connecting one aspect of Mother Teresa’s life and works to the teachings found in their Holy Books.
Hindu Tolerance
Hindu Council of New Zealand President Vinod Kumar said ‘Tolerance’ was one of the most important aspects of Hinduism.
“Hinduism preaches the concept of ‘Vasudhavia Kudumbam,’ encompassing the entire world, with all its people and their religious beliefs and non-beliefs into a homogenous unit. The Whole World is a Family,” he said.
According to Mr Kumar, the Rig Veda one of the four fountains of human knowledge, prescribed the concept of religious freedom and tolerance, assigning to each individual the right to belief and worship of any religion or practice.
“The world received the Rig Veda at a time when there were no other religions or beliefs and yet it spoke of tolerance and good behaviour,” he said.
Harmonious Muslims
Speaking on the meaning and purpose of ‘Harmony,’ Dr Anwar Ghani, President of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) said peaceful co-existence and good neighbourly behaviour were among the main teachings of Islam and that there was no scope for disrespect to other faiths or religions.
“The Holy Quran teaches us to pursue two types of harmony – Internal and External. Internal Harmony is finding peace within one’s self. Such harmony is translated into the public domain through peace, love and sacrifice as a family, neighbourhood, community, society, city, state, country, region and the world. One cannot exist without the other,” he said.
Serving Sikhs
Rajinder Bedi, Secretary, Sri Dasmesh Darbar (Auckland Sikh Society) outlined the aspect of ‘Service’ that is enshrined in Sikhism and Guru Granth Saheb Ji, the Holiest Book of Sikhs.
“Service forms the core of our religion and is evident in every aspect of a Sikh’s life. Be it pursuing a profession or leading an ordinary life in the family, every Sikh is taught to serve others. Such service could be in the Gurdwaras, Langars (Kitchens in Gurdwaras), schools, hospitals and other places of public utility. Every Sikh learns at a young age the need to serve people and the society,” he said.
Other Faiths
Among the other speakers were Evgeny Orlov, a prominent barrister representing the Jewish community, Robert (Bobby) Newson of the Maori community, ESOL Teacher and community worker Homi Shroff (Zoroastrian) and Resident Teacher Geshe Thupten Wangchen of the Dorje Chang Institute (Tibetan Buddhist Centre).
Catholic Bishop of Auckland Diocese Patrick Dunn said Mother Teresa energised people of the world through four major channels, namely, Service to the Poor, Generosity, Sense of Joy and Faith.
“I see Auckland as one of the ten most ethnically diverse cities in the world. But never have I seen so much poverty in the world than in Auckland. Such poverty is not in material wealth but in promoting peace and love,” he said.
Channel of Love
Bishop Dunn said Mother Teresa’s life and sense of giving should inspire people. With such inspiration, we can establish a better world,” he said.
The idea of establishing an Interfaith Committee emerged at a meeting held between Mr Anthony, Catholic Diocese of Auckland General Manager Kerry Coleman and Rainey Collins Wright Ltd Principal Partner Warwick Wright early last year in Auckland.
“We believe that the late Mother Teresa of Kolkata was the only person who would achieve the task of reaching out to the people of all faiths and communities. She knew no barriers to people. We proposed to celebrate the Birth Centenary of Mother Teresa on November 7, 2010,” he said.
Later, Mr Anthony was instrumental in contacting leaders of the Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and other communities and bringing them together at the Interfaith Committee.
He said the meeting reaffirmed overwhelming support of a cross-section of communities gathered under one Party, Manifesto and Policy, namely ‘Love and Peace’ in the name of Blessed Mother Teresa.
“She spent much time praying in the Chapel in the presence of the Lord. She would be so pleased to see that people have all gathered in the place, which is so close to her heart irrespective of their faith and community in the name of Love and Peace,” Mr Anthony said.
Later, Mr Mehta released special bookmarks carrying the daily prayer of Mother Teresa, produced and gifted by the Kalamazoo Group Chief Executive and Managing Director Steve and Odelia D’Souza.
