Gurudeva at World Political and Religious Conferences
S. Rajam
a. For five days in 1988 Gurudeva met with spiritual and political leaders at Oxford University, bringing the tolerant, all-embracing message of Hinduism to a forum that included the Dalai Lama, the Archbishop of Canter- bury, Cardinal Koenig and leaders of every major faith, joined by ranking politicians, media and scientists. b. In the frigid winter of 1990, as the USSR was breaking apart, Mikhail Gorbachev invited 700 politicians and 700 spiritual leaders to Moscow for a week-long forum. Gurudeva was among the Hindu leaders. c. At the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, which marked one hundred years since Swami Vivekananda’s powerful message to the West, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Swami Chidananda and Mata Amrit- anandamayi were elected the principal representatives for Hinduism. d. At the 1992 Global Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Gurudeva was pleasantly startled to hear the world religions all saying, “Everything is divine. We are all one.” Brazilian tribals wanted their picture taken with the tall swami from Hawaii.