Dehradun: Aug 11, 2018 saw an unprecedented congregationof legal luminaries of India to discuss the importance of human values in legal profession in the spiritual town of Puttaparthi.
The conference on “Human Values and The Legal World” was presided over by Hon. Chief Justice Sri Dipak Misra in the presence of Hon. Justice Sri Dalveer Bhandari, Judge, International Court of Justice, The Hague.
It was attended by more than 750 legal professionals and 300 law students. It also had a galaxy of Judges from the Supreme Court and the State High Courts of India.
The main objective of this conference was to reiterate the immense significance aligning the legal profession with the eternal human values of Right Conduct, Peace, Truth, Love and Non Violence – the five principles that Sri Sathya Sai Baba emphasised as the pillars for building a moral society.
The conference was inaugurated at 2pm with sacred chants praying for universal peace.
Welcoming the dignitaries to the conference, Sri Jatinder Cheema, National Vice President, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, said that since January 28, 1950, the Indian Judiciary system has made concerted efforts to protect the rights of every human being and keep the social fabric intact.
He said that in the current world of technology without boundaries, communication has become easy yet the distance between the human hearts has increased. Given the paucity of peace in the current times, he said that there is no better place to discuss about this than in the “abode of Peace” – Prasanthi Nilayam.
Sri S S Naganand, Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, in his welcome Address, shared about the life of Sri Sathya Sai Baba who in the age of 14 declared that He has come to redeem the world and mentioned how now the Sri Sathya Sai Organisations operated in over 125 countries.
He highlighted how the teachings of Bhagawan Baba synthesize the message of all the world religions and simply it into “Love all Serve all” and “Help Ever Hurt Never.” He invited all to participate, debate and engage in the spiritual love at the conference.
Justice Dipak Mishra in his inaugural address reminded everyone of three important principles: a) ‘Divinity is Humanity’, b) ‘thoughtless thought is spirituality’ and c) ‘remaining in constant nowness is physical and economic morality’.
The way to peace is the annihilation of “the ballooning of perpendicularism” which in spiritual terms means the elimination of ego, he said. Then he reflected on spirituality and shared: “We have all gathered here to learn the act of surrender”.
Elaborating on Dharma, he explained that it is a concept that cannot be adequately translated in the English language or any language and that Dharma connotesthat which sustains society, maintains the social order, and ensures well-being and progress of humanity.
He went on to share that we need to protect human rights by expressing human values. One can enjoy one’s human right without bending the human rights of others.
Talking about the connection between spirituality and rationality, he said that there has to be “spiritual rationality” and “rational spirituality”.
Towards the end of this spiritually enlightening talk he mentioned that while he generally summons people, this was an occasion when he was summoned and he referred to this as “the kripa (benevolence) of almighty”.
In the course of his talk he also shared a Supreme Court judgement which delineates the concept of dignity of human beings and said – “The reverence of life is insegragably associated with the dignity of a human being who is basically divine, not servile. A human personality is endowed with potential infinity and it blossoms when dignity is sustained. The sustenance of such dignity has to be the superlative concern of every sensitive soul.”
In fact his talk had several such judgements on the primacy of human values to guide the custodians of our Constitution to create a better society. Quoting another judgement, he said, “It may be pointed out that our Constitution is a unique document. It is not a mere pedantic legal text but it embodies certain human values, cherished principles and spiritual norms and recognises and upholds the dignity of man. It accepts the individual as the focal point of all development and regards his material, moral and spiritual development as the chief concern of its various provisions.”
As he ended his talk, he reiterated that human values are an inseperable part of the constiutoitn and are bound by the Constitution of India.
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The 1000-strong audience rose in standing ovation as he ended his 30-min talk. The members of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust then felicitated him.
The opening session of this unique conference ended with all rising for the National Anthem.
