
1 minute read
Meditating for amity
from 2009-09 Sydney (1)
by Indian Link
The Power of One is often underestimated. We live in a society and preach ‘community spirit’, yet few of us actually believe that we can singularly make a difference. To resort to the old cliché: “Drops of water make an ocean”, but a drop of water can also cause a ripple in an ocean; and so in reality every single being can make a difference.
In 1993, a study was carried out in Washington DC about the effects of transcendental meditation on the violent crime rate of the city. 4000 people were summoned to meditate for an 8-week period. The results were monitored weekly and an overall 23.3% decrease in violent crime was noted in that period, discounting factors such as police activity, temperature and community initiatives.
Saurabh Mishra from Melbourne has re-initiated this drive to help reduce the crime rate in the Victorian capital city. The concept occurred to Saurabh after consulting with Nithya Shanti – a modern day sage living in Pune, who with the blessings of his teachers, has stepped out of his role as a Buddhist monk to spread the message of peace across the world. With the help and guidance of Nithya Shanti, Saurabh has set up the ‘meditate for a cause’ initiative, with 400 people around the world already tuned in. The concept is simple – a ten minute meditation regime daily for 12 weeks and to gauge its effects on the crime rates in the city.

In laymen’s terms the idea is that if you are at peace within yourself, you will cause a ripple effect on people around you. Also, if enough people ask the universe to deliver on this cause, their cosmic powers will combine to ensure that their efforts are not wasted.
The Victorian Police release a quarterly figure of crime rates, and Saurabh Mishra hopes to see a significant change in these results. In July when Saurabh began this 12-week initiative, the yearly figure was hovering around the 33,000 mark. Saurabh hopes to see a drop in this at the conclusion of the initiative, around the middle of October.

Saurabh has enlisted his whole family to do the programme, and when quizzed about the effects on them, he laughingly says, “Well, my kids don’t fight everyday!” Even Saurabh’s two young children are meditating daily for ten minutes.
Explains Saurabh, “We as humans, have an impact on the society we live in. We are not simply reacting to situations or are victims of situations, we contribute to them. We shape the reality around us through our minds, hearts and karma.”
To be a part of this initiative, please visit www.lovingsilence.org to register.

