Albert Lin, The Merit Times staff writer
September 5, 2023

On September 1st, UPF Austria and the Kriya Yoga Center held the "Vienna Peace Conference" in Vienna's seventh district. They invited prominent figures from various faiths to speak on the theme "Peace Starts with Me," discussing the benevolent aspects of their respective religions from a perspective of spiritual practice. The attendees included Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, the spiritual leader of KYIO (Kriya Yoga International Organization); Venerable Ru Qun, Superintendent of Fo Guang Shan Internationale Progressive Buddhistische (IBPS) Gesellschaft; Professor Ismail Yasin, an Islamic scholar from Syria; and Dr. Joshua Sinclair, an American author, playwright, comparative theology professor, and Christian representative. Each speaker shared insights into the positive forces within their religions from their own spiritual practices.

Peter Haider(3rd from right), the Chairman of UPF Austria, took a photo with the speakers. photo／The Life News Agency

After a spiritually uplifting musical performance, the conference officially began. Peter Haider, the Chairman of UPF Austria, welcomed the attendees and stated that in these turbulent times, there is much that can be done for peace. Elisabeth Cook, another representative from UPF Austria, expressed the hope that people should respect all religions and create opportunities for world peace.

Venerable Ru Qun emphasized during the introduction to "Humanistic Buddhism" that Buddhism is not only a religion but also a philosophy and a guide to life. Buddhism helps people deal with various troubles and anxieties in their daily lives. Fo Guang Shan's Humanistic Buddhism advocates "Three Acts of Goodness — Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words, and Think Good Thoughts." This is used to purify the "Three Types of Karma: action, speech, and thought" and serves as a direction for the practice of the body, mind, and spirit of all sentient beings, helping to solve societal problems.

Venerable Ru Qun said that activities such as visualization, meditation, and sutra chanting can change oneself, leading to inner peace, reducing wandering thoughts and emotional fluctuations. It also helps in learning non-attachment, compassion, forbearance, equality, inclusion, and respect, as advised in the Analects of Confucius: "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself."

At last, Venerable Ru Qun shared a composition from New York youth years ago, "Harmonize." Through its harmonious melodies and lyrics, the speech was concluded, receiving a round of applause from the audience.

Venerable Ru Qun(2nd from left) took a photo with Peter Haider. photo／The Life News Agency

Paramahamsa Prajnanananda from the Kriya Yoga Center explained the ancient Sanskrit word "Shanti." This term signifies achieving inner peace in body, mind, and spirit through compassion, mutual understanding, non-contention, and selflessness. He stated that in our turbulent world, peace is urgently needed, and the most crucial aspect is inner tranquility. Yoga offers numerous ways to manifest "peace."

Professor Ismail Yasin, an Islamic scholar, mentioned that all Muslims are "peace warriors," making the Islamic world a place of peace. In Islam, individuals seek the peace of Allah for their body and soul, emphasizing unity within the Islamic community over individualism. The greatness of Allah surpasses all else. Currently, people are pursuing material wealth, but their body and soul are divided. To regain health, they must return to Allah.

Dr. Joshua Sinclair, representing Christianity, pointed out that European missionaries had committed many unkind acts in the past in Africa, South America, Asia, and other places. He hopes that Christians worldwide will rethink the history of colonization because "love is not something that can be traded." Joshua Sinclair stated that Christianity has been a painful chapter in the history of many countries. He would like to apologize for all the disharmony that occurred during the spread of Christianity.

Prominent figures from various faiths attended the "Vienna Peace Conference." photo／The Life News Agency

After the question-and-answer session of this conference concluded, the organizers invited Venerable Ru Qun to conclude the meeting. Venerable Ru Qun stated that the method of practice of each religion may differ, but they all converge on the path of goodness, advocating the abandonment of evil and the embrace of good. To truly practice and uphold human peace, it requires the joint efforts of all religions. Peter Haider expressed that interreligious dialogue can enhance mutual understanding and create virtuous connections, which is very meaningful.

Finally, within the Sanskrit chants of the "Peace Prayer," this year's "Vienna Peace Conference" concluded successfully.