"While
our world is certainly better than before, the UN is yet to be capable
of replacing 'Might is right' with 'Right is might.' " p. 23
"If we
are serious about stopping terrorism, we must get rid of selfish
interests and greed at individual, commercial, and political levels. If
the majority of the world population remains illiterate, hungry, and
poor, there will be a continual rise in terrorism, and the prosperous
will remain insecure. Even the most advanced nations will not be able
to sustain their progress unless underdeveloped nations are also
elevated." p. 21
"Changes
are effected not by changing others, but by changing oneself.
Individuals make a family, families make a society, societies make a
nation, and nations make a world. Thus, individuals are the world. When
individuals change, the world changes. There is no other way." p. 27
"If
Europe can have one Euro currency, why cannot Asia? Following the
pattern of the European Union, it is time to unify the economies of
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the
Maldives, Myanmar (known as Burma until 1989), and others that were
once an integral part of India into an 'Indus Union.' " p. 49
"Through
the practice of meditation, lost energy is replenished, memory is
improved, intellect is sharpened, and intuition is developed.
Meditation removes all worries and tensions of the mind. The need for
sleep decreases and there is awareness even during the dream state." p.
74
"If
spirituality were practiced sincerely, one would rise above all
religious barriers, expanding the Self to embrace all humanity, even
all creation. Religiosity divides, spirituality unites." p. 6
"God,
who is present in all places, at all times, and in all things, must be
present in this place, at this time, and in this thing. So it follows
that God is surely present within each of us. Indeed, a human body is
the abode of God. Accordingly, each one of us deserves the highest
respect. If God is not within, He is nowhere else." p. 97
"It is
wrong to think that limitless knowledge can be sealed in a single book,
which is finite. Vivekananda aptly remarked: 'Was there ever a more
horrible blasphemy than the statement that all the knowledge of God is
confined to this or that book? How dare men call God infinite and yet
try to compress Him within the covers of a little book!" p. 17
"The
awareness 'I am,' my true nature, always exists. Just as electricity
does not cease to exist when a light bulb is broken, so the power of
awareness 'I am' does not disappear when the physical body of a person
dies." p. 107
"The
sum total of pleasures of the whole world is nothing in comparison to
the bliss derived through meditation. You do not have to believe; you
can know this. Just as the fragrance of a flower spreads out naturally,
the bliss that you feel inside during meditation spreads out to others,
thus building a noble world." p. 80
"The
negative vibrations created by wars disturb the balance of Nature. This
results in epidemics, droughts, floods, storms, and earthquakes." p. 19
"Remember,
enmity often escalates when violence is returned. Likewise, a war, no
matter how victorious, often leaves behind a spirit of revenge in the
defeated people. This, then, becomes the cause of continual wars, from
generation to generation." p. 18
"Every
war is an act of terror—thousands of people are killed, thousands of
women become widows, and thousands of children become orphans. The
future of humanity needs a permanent respite from killing." p. 19
"While
leaders of most countries concentrate on strengthening their alliances
with major world powers, few consider the benefits of unification with
neighboring nations. The European Union has demonstrated that increased
coordination among neighboring nations can be achieved while still
preserving their national identities." p. 33