Global meet in India Advocates Meditation for Public Good
Two weeks ago I had the good fortune to attend a major conference in New Delhi, India, advocating for the incorporation of meditation in governance, leadership, education, and healthcare. Having been a long-term meditator, I was encouraged to see meditation getting the attention it deserves and note that it is spreading fast the world over just like yoga has in recent years.
The high-profile Global Conference of Meditation Leaders (GCML) was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, and addressed by popular spiritual gurus and eminent meditation experts. The venue for the February 21-22 event was prestigious too – Bharat Mandapam is a convention center built to host the G20 summit in 2023.
Buddha-CEO Quantum Foundation, based in Bengaluru in south India, organized the 2nd GCML to present evidence that meditation practice when scaled up can promote social change and world peace.
The Vehicle to Ultimate Wisdom
On Day 1 of the conference, Vice President Dhankhar emphasized the transformative power of meditation, calling it “not just an ancient practice, but food for the soul and a necessity for peace and well-being.” Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, he urged, “योगी भव” (Become a Yogi) and highlighted India’s role in championing meditation on global platforms, aligning with the United Nations’ recognition of World Meditation Day (December 21) and the G20 vision of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
Heartfulness guru Kamlesh Patel ‘Daaji’ reinforced that meditation serves as the vehicle to ultimate wisdom, allowing individuals to transcend superficial thinking and access profound inner guidance. He pointed to the unique perceptive abilities of women, which arise from the feminine energy that bypasses pure intellect and connects directly to the “super heart” – a space of deep knowing beyond rational cognition. Men have to meditate to connect to this ‘super heart, he said’.
Conference Chairman D.R. Kaarthikeyan urged world governments to adopt meditation as a tool for holistic development. Dr. H.R. Nagendra, founder of S-VYASA Yoga University in Bengaluru, said meditation is a measurable science. Buddha CEO Founder Chandra Pualamarasetti gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Science of Meditation.
On the 2nd day, three spiritual masters from different traditions all dwelled on why promoting meditation worldwide is the need of the hour.
Sister Shivani ~ Meditation to raise planetary vibration
The talk by Sister BK Shivani, a star speaker from the Brahma Kumaris movement, was one of the most anticipated at the conference. In an engaging manner, she shared tips to deepen our meditation and contribute towards a more peaceful world.
She said that meditation means mastering our mind and our sense organs, not just while meditating, but being peaceful even in a crisis, being compassionate and forgiving even when the other person is hurting.
She strongly suggested switching off screens as they are affecting our lives as we get addicted to them.
Referring to an earlier speaker creating a competition of deepest meditators, Sister Shivani said that the only competition would always be in reference to myself – am I doing better than last month, last year?
Besides morning and evening meditation, she advised stopping every hour in the middle of whatever we are doing for one minute of meditation. Referring to Covid years of fear and anxiety dipping collective consciousness, Sister Shvani invoked millions of people meditating worldwide to raise the vibration of the planet. “Let’s take out a worldwide campaign, letting everybody pledge, whether or not they know how to meditate, to just start sitting in silence for 10 minutes doing nothing.”
To motivate others to take out 10 minutes a day, we have to become ambassadors of meditation, she said. We have to show by example the impact of meditation in our lifestyles.
To create a change for the better in our world, she said that along with meditation, we need to add a few minutes of spiritual study: “I am a Soul, a beautiful, divine, pure, powerful Soul.” Inculcation of soul consciousness shifts our personality from ego consciousness, religion consciousness, and nationality consciousness to where the world is one family, she said.
Bhikkhu Sanghasena ~ Century of Meditation
Shri Bhikkhu Sanghasena, Founder of the Mahabodhi International Meditation Center in Leh, Ladakh, argued for inspiring the young generation to take to meditation. “We see Indian youths achieving great things in IT, now let us motivate them to become yoga and meditation masters to spread spirituality around the world.”
Arguing that only the ancient wisdom of India can save the world, the Buddhist master pointed out, “America and Western countries have done great things in science and technology, but they have failed to bring peace and harmony in the world. This is the century of Asia. Within Asia, it is the century of India. Within India, it is the century of meditation and yoga. So, we must train millions of young people as meditation and yoga teachers to go around the world and save our beautiful planet, save precious humanity.”
Chanchalapathi Dasa ~ Relationship with God
Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice Chairman and Co-Mentor of Global Hare Krishna Movement, and Sr Vice President, ISKCON – Bengaluru, said spirituality alone can provide the solution at a time when all the material progress and access to information is not resulting in welfare and happiness of human beings.
Referring to Krishna’s Gita sermon to Arjuna, he said more important than gyana (theoretical knowledge) is vigyana (realized knowledge). Meditation is the vigyana aspect of spirituality.
One key aspect of spiritual learning, Chanchalapathi Dasa said, is that “we all have a relation with the supreme being and we must discover, understand, appreciate and experience that relationship, that the divine supreme being is so caring for us.” That caring and loving divine supreme being, Lord Krishna for Iskconites, has created the perfect conditions for human beings. In gratitude we must relate to and comprehend the divine supreme being by direct perception, as taught by the Vedic literature, he said.
More Presentations On Different Aspects of Meditation
On the policy front, Dr Vinod Paul, a Member of Niti Aayog who oversees public health in India, discussed interventions needed to scale meditation in the country. He recalled being a student at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, in the 1970s, when pioneering research on the neurophysiology of meditation was conducted there. So, he does not need convincing about its benefits.
Dr. Gopala Krishna, Founder and Chairman of Spiritual Tablets Research Foundation in London, discussed the miraculous effects of meditation on physical vitality and mental well-being in his presentation.
Laurence Guihard-Joly, Co-Founder of Buddha-CEO and former Global Senior General Manager at IBM, spoke via video conferencing from France on ‘Resilience, Inclusion, and Growth Through Meditation.’
Shreans Daga, transformation coach, gave a powerful presentation from Boston on the science of manifestation, followed by meditation on the subject.
Dr Sai Krupa Sagar and Rakesh Jalumane, Co-Founders of Quantum Coherence Technologies, launched the app, BeSuperMind, that enhances your meditation Journey with Technology and Wisdom. The duo said it is tailored for individuals, leaders, and organizations and boosts team happiness, performance, and productivity.
In his closing remarks, D.R. Kaarthikeyan, former chief of CBI (Central bureau of Investigations) and ambassador for many spiritual organizations, hailed the participation of spiritual masters and eminent speakers in the conference. While the Buddha-CEO Quantum Foundation is inspired by Brahmarshi Patriji, who promoted AnaPana Sati or Breath Awareness meditation with origins in Buddhism,Kaarthikeyan said, “Our objective is to spread meditation – of any type – all over the world to fulfill Patriji’s mission.”
He also read out the Resolution adopted by GCML2. In part it says, “There is a need to promote the practice of meditation in the universal public. It should be encouraged in all forms, at educational institutions, organizations, governments, and in various sectors.” The resolution underscores meditation’s impact on emotional intelligence, brain health, and social harmony, making it both implementable and measurable.
Kaarthikeyan has since shared the Resolution with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and plans to submit it to leaders around the world.
Conference Partners
Buddha-CEO Quantum Foundation hosted GCML 2025 with PMC Hindi TV channel, S-VYASA University, and Heartfulness Institute. The Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India facilitated it. Partners included the Ministry of Ayush’s CCRYN (Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy). As a Digital Media Partner, spirituality and wellness web magazine ALotusInTheMud.com had a presence at the conference and published extensive reports on the conference proceedings.
For more information visit: Geml.buddhaceo.org and alotusinthemud.com
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