This is a transcript of the late Vipassana teacher S N Goenka’s speech at the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit, New York, on 29 August 2000. It was delivered amid an acrimonious debate on conversions to a conference attended by 2000 religious and spiritual leaders. In the context of the raging debate on conversions, it is very relevant.

We thank (the) organisers for this wonderful occasion to unite, serve humanity. Religion is religion only when it unites, not divides. Religion is not for dividing people, it is for uniting people.

So much has been said about conversion, for and against conversion. I am for conversion Rs but conversion not from one organised religion to another organised religion. I am for conversion from misery to happiness! Conversion from bondage to liberation! Conversion from cruelty to compassion! That is the conversion needed today.

Our ancient country not only gave a message of peace and harmony to humanity. Enlightened persons have given a method, a technique Rs how to have peace, harmony. To me, for peace in society, we cannot ignore individuals. If there is no peace in the mind of the individual, how can there be real peace in the human world? If I am agitated, full of anger, hatred, ill-will and animosity, how can I give peace to the world? I cannot because I have no peace myself, I am an agitated person. Therefore, enlightened persons have said, “First cultivate peace within you.” So one has to observe whether there is really peace within oneself or not.

All sages, saints, and seers of the world advise, “Know thyself.” That means not merely knowing at the intellectual level, or accepting at the emotional or devotional level, but realising by experience at the actual level. When you experience the truth about yourself, within yourself, at the experiential level, many of the problems get solved.

You start understanding the universal law, the law of nature — or, the law of God Almighty. This law is applicable to one and all: When I start observing myself, when I generate anger, hatred, ill will, or animosity, I immediately realise I am the first victim of my anger.  I am the first victim of the hatred, animosity that I am generating within. First I harm myself, and only afterwards do I start harming others. This is the law of nature.

Observing myself, I find that as soon as I generate any negativity in the mind, there is a physical reaction: my body starts burning, becomes heated up… palpitations, tension; I am miserable. When I generate negativity in me and become miserable, I do not keep the misery limited to myself; instead I throw it on others. I make the entire atmosphere around me so tense that anyone who comes in contact with me also becomes miserable… and I talk of peace and happiness. More important than words is what is happening within me. The moment when my mind is free of negativity, mind is pure, the law of nature starts working… nature Rs or God Almighty Rs starts rewarding me. I feel so peaceful. This too I observe within… One&’s religion, country makes no difference. When one breaks the law of nature and generates negativity in the mind, nature punishes this person. I start feeling the misery of hellfire within, here and now. Similarly, the law of nature is such that if I keep my mind pure, full of love and compassion, I now enjoy heaven within myself. It makes no difference whether I call myself a Hindu, a Muslim, Christian or a Jain: the human mind is the human mind. Conversion should be from impurity of mind to purity of mind. How people get changed! No magic or miracle; this is a pure science of observing the interaction of mind and matter within ourselves. One observes how the mind keeps influencing the material body, and how the body influences the mind. One understands the law of nature so clearly: when I generate negativity, I suffer; and when I am free from negativity, I enjoy peace and harmony. This technique of self-observation (Vipassana) can be practiced by one and all.

This wonderful technique is given by the Enlightened One in our ancient country to the world… people from different religions learn this technique and get the same benefit. They continue to remain as Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jain… makes no difference; a human being is a human being. But a big difference comes …they become truly spiritual people, full of love and compassion… good for themselves and for others. This is the real conversion that is necessary, nothing else. 

Permit me to read a benevolent message from India to the world, inscribed in stone 2300 years ago, a message from the great emperor Asoka. The message from this ideal ruler says: “One should not honour only one&’s own religion and condemn other religions.” This is an important message in today&’s world. If you keep condemning others and insisting “mine is the best”, you create difficulties for human beings. The message continues: “Instead you should honour other religions also for various reasons”. Every religion has a wholesome core of love, compassion and goodwill. Honour every religion because of this core. The outer shell always differs Rs rites, rituals, ceremonies, beliefs. Do not quarrel with those, but instead give importance to the inner essence of all religions. And there will be no quarrel. The ancient message says, “By so doing, one helps one&’s own religion to grow and also renders service to religions of others. In acting otherwise, one digs the grave of one&’s own religion and harms other religions as well.” Understand, this is a big warning. The message continues: “Someone who honours his own religion and condemns other religions may do so out of devotion to his religion, thinking ‘I will glorify my religion,’ but his actions injure his own religion more gravely”. This is the message of Dharma, of the Universal Law: “Let all listen: concord is good, let us not quarrel…” Instead of disagreeing and condemning other religions, give importance to the essence of every religion…then there will be real peace, real harmony.