New York [US], December 21 : Spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar emphasised the necessity of meditation during his address at the inaugural session of the first-ever World Meditation Day at United Nations headquarters in New York.
Gurudev Ravi Shankar called meditation "mental hygiene" and reflected on its importance in today's time when "mental health took a big toll" on the population.
"Today, meditation is not a luxury as it was thought, but it is a necessity. I would call it mental hygiene. Like you have dental hygiene, we have mental hygiene wherein meditation can help us to be more centred and away from aggression and depression. The mental health crisis has taken a big toll on our population. On one side, our young population is undergoing such aggressive behaviour. On the other side, there is depression," Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said.
Ravi Shankar added that meditation brings us sensitivity and sensibility, "two important factors of any civilized society."
He advised people to be more sensitive towards themselves, towards fellow beings and also for the environment.
"We need to be sensitive towards ourselves, towards fellow beings and also for the environment. Meditation makes us more conscious about our environment, and conscious about the feelings of people around us. It helps us to stay away from those antisocial activities which would harm oneself and others," he said.
Gurudev Ravi Shankar also gave a special meditation session during the event to more than 600 enthusiastic participants.
The event was attended by the President of the General Assembly Philemon Yang, Under Secretary General Atul Khare and several other dignitaries.
Notably, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution, declaring 21st December as WorldMeditation Day on December 6.
India was instrumental in the unanimous adoption of the said resolution. Adoption of the resolution at such a time highlights the importance of promoting calm, peace, and overall human well-being when the world is facing conflicts and suffering. It also marks a significant milestone in global recognition of meditation's transformative potential, an official release stated.
21 December marks the Winter Solstice, and in the Indian tradition, Uttarayana begins with the Winter Solstice and is considered an auspicious time of the year, especially for meditation and inner reflection. It also falls exactly six months after the International Day of Yoga on 21 June, which is the summer solstice, the release added.
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