Message For Peace
AS religion refers to serving others, people of all the faiths should move ahead for peace
among mankind by adopting this meaning of religion, observed Prime Minister Lokendra
Bahadur Chand while addressing a foundation stone laying function-cum-religious discourse
programme organised by the Kirat Religion Protection Central Working Committee at
Chulachuli-2 of Ilam district and which was held to coincide with the Mahashivaratri
Festival with the motto "World Peace and Unity: The Need of the Day". Lord
Shiva, along with Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, comprise the Hindu Trinity. It is for this
very reason that Mahashivaratri-or the night to commemorate the birth of Lord Shiva-holds
a very important place in the hearts of all Hindus throughout the world. Although Lord
Shiva, as per Hindu tenets, is considered to be the Destroyer of the Hindu cosmogony as
and when the time comes, he is also revered as the god who propounded the path of yoga
which, in essence, is highly meditative and directed to the union of "jivas" (or
individual souls) with that of "Shiva" (or the Ultimate or the Universal Soul).
Apart from this, Lord Shiva is also viewed by all Hindus as the destroyer of all kinds of
obstacles that could hinder the devotees trying to merge their souls through the path of
yoga with the Universal Soul so that they would not have to endure the endless cycles of
birth and rebirth. In other words, Lord Shiva is the god who always protects his devotees
and helps them in their endeavours to attain the much-sought after spiritual state of
"samadhi" through the path of yoga.
But then, for Lord Shiva's devotees-who obviously figure in
the millions-to progress along the path of religious discipline espoused by Lord Shiva, a
peaceful environment is most essential. That too, not only in the spiritual plane, but
also in the social, economic and political planes. For, after all, Lord Shiva's
devotees-be they sadhus who have renounced the materialistic world or lay persons still
engaged in mundane activities-are also integral sections of the Nepalese society. As such,
Premier Chand's observation during the function-that all the political parties and the
civic society should extend cooperation to the government's efforts to ensure peace, law
and order-should be viewed in this light.
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