Desi Talk

U nited Nations – That Meditation is important to calm the individual mind and bring inner peace which would heal and repair a world fractured by war and strife, bringing lasting world peace, was the unanimous view of scientists, spiritual lead- ers, scholars and diplomats at the second International Day of Meditation celebrated December 21, 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in NewYork. Organized jointly by the Permanent Missions of India, Andorra, Mexico, Nepal and Sri Lanka, the special event titled Meditation For Global Peace and Harmony, featured talks, presentations and a special session of practicing meditation led by spiritual leader, teacher and keynote speaker Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Speaking about meditation’s calming and healing power, Ravishankar said meditation was helping soldiers fighting a war in Ukraine reduce their stress and depres- sion. He said the Yoga of meditation was taught on the battlefield by Krishna to an Arjuna who was depressed by the upcoming war. He said, “Actually, meditation was taught in the war field when Lord Krishna taught Arjuna Yoga and Meditation.” Life today is no less than a battle- field, making it important for us to meditate in spite of impediments, he said. There are many stages of meditation and many tech- niques, Ravi Shankar said. The goal of the many tech- niques for meditating is to achieve unified tranquility and oneness that binds us today, he said. Breathing in and out and concentrating on it was one of the techniques of meditation, he said. It is necessary to temporarily put aside desires and anger over what has happened while meditating, he said. “…you have to say, let me keep my desires aside. You say, I’m going to look into them later,” Ravi Shankar explained. That moment of keeping all aside is the path to meditation, he said, and then led the gathering into a short meditation session. India’s permanent representative to the U.N., P. Harish, spoke about the U.N. General Assembly unanimously adopting the resolution last December to mark Decem- ber 21 as theWorld Meditation Day. Harish said the UN resolution affirms India’s gift to humanity and its civiliza- tion and ethos of peace and harmony. The U.N. resolution acknowledges that meditation transcends cultural, religious and geographical bound- aries, offering a universal template of transformation, Harish said. “Transformation within brings transformation in the external world. Indeed, inner peace brings external peace in the world outside,” Harish said. Meditation’s roots go back more than 5000 years in ancient India, to the concept of jnana or knowledge, which is a state of pure consciousness, where the mind’s relentless, chattering subsides, giving way to clarity and calmness, he said. Recounting the benefits of meditation, Harish said it recalibrates our mental and emotional systems and cul- tivates clarity, emotional intelligence and interconnect- edness. The benefits of meditation have been validated by scientific research which has proved that meditation reduces stress, improves physical and mental well being, decreases depression and anxiety and heals emotional trauma, Harish said. www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 14 December 26, 2025 Scholars, scientists, spiritual leaders and diplomats at the second celebration of the International Day of Meditation at the United Nations Headquarters December 21, 2025. Indias Permanent Representative, P. Harish, addressing a gathering of more than 700 scholars, scientists, leaders and diplomats at the second celebration of the International Day of Meditation at the United Nations Headquarters December 21, 2025. More than 700 people attended the second celebration of the International Day of Meditation at the United Nations Headquarters December 21, 2025. Spiritual leader and teacher, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, was the keynote speaker at the second celebration of the International Day of Meditation at the United Nations Headquarters December 21, 2025 All Photos :Courtesythe PermanentMission of Indiatothe U.N. India, Other Countries, Host World Meditation Day At UN; Call For Global Peace And Harmony By Archana Adalja COVER STORY S piritual leader and founder of Living Arts Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar advised media, including ParikhWorldwide Media and ITV Gold, to convey the correct perception of meditation or ‘dhyan’ as an everyday practice and not an isolating act practiced only by giving up hearth and home. “The media’s role is to reach people and correct the wrong perception about ‘dhyan’. Some people think dhyan means giving up their daily lives and going into the Himalayas,” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said evoking laughter from hundreds who came to hear him at the Spring Studios in NewYork City. “This wrong perception needs to be changed by media. Those who want to be happy, live in harmony with others, and progress as a society – for all of them, dhyan is very necessary.” Whether it is soldiers fighting wars or returned from war, policemen, firefight- ers, every profession in every field of life, they need to understand the importance of meditation, he said, urging his audi- ence with the words, “So, let us all be ambassadors for meditation – to have a free and loving and caring planet.” Gurudev Ravi Shankar who was in the tri-state forWorld Meditation Day, said meditation did not belong to any one entity or person. “People are changing through meditation. That is an estab- lished fact. And it will happen.” His advice to people around the globe he said, is to follow this teaching of dhyan and meditation practiced for ages by India’s sages. Attention, focus, dhyan, or meditation, whatever it may be called, those who want to succeed and progress in life whether for happiness or devel- opment, need this practice, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar advised. “Let Us All Be Ambassadors For Meditation”: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Tells Media, Believers PHOTO:CourtesyDr.Parikh. S piritual leader and founder of the Living Arts Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, met Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of the tri-state based Indian American news out- let ParikhWorldwide Media and ITV Gold, December 20, 2025. The meeting was held at the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City. Sri Sri Ravi Shan- kar gave his blessings to Dr. Parikh and presented him with a shawl. The spiritual leader was in US and addressed the United Nations and held several other meetings around the occasion ofWorld Meditation Day, which is observed on December 21, 2024. Dr. Parikh invited Gurudev Ravi Shankar to be featured as a guest on the ITV Gold television channel, which the spiritual leader graciously accepted on a virtual platform. Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh December 20, 2025, in New Jersey. Spiritual Leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Meets Padma Shri Recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh By A StaffWriter By A StaffWriter