FRONTPAGE3rdINTERNATIONALCONFERENCEONDHARMADHAMMAHARMONYOFRELIGIONS:WELFAREOFHUMANKIND2426OCTOBER,2015Indore,MadhyaPradesh,IndiaOrganisedBy:DepartmentofCulture,GovernmentofMadhyaPradeshSanchiUniversityofBuddhistIndicStudies,Sanchi,MadhyaPradeshCentreforStudyofReligion&Society(CSRS),IndiaFoundation,NewDelhiINNERPAGESABOUTTHECONFERENCEThe central theme of this Conference will be HARMONY OF RELIGIONS: WELFARE OFHUMANKIND. The aim of the Conference is to focus on the harmony of all religions and theusefulness of religion for individual, social and cosmic well being. Its main motive is to bring aboutpeace, plenitude and solidarity in the world through the agency of religion. As a precursor to theKumbhamelaalsoknownasSimhastha(world'slargestreligiouscongregation)tobeheldinUjjainin2016,thisConferenceseekstoexploresharedvaluesamongdifferentreligionsoftheworld.Among the multiple and variegated manifestations of human consciousness the place and role ofreligionhasbeenvitalandsignificanthavinganunmitigatedinfluenceonhumanmodesofthinkingandwaysofliving.Itseeksredemptionfromsuffering,receivingofsolaceandsuccorandrealizationof bliss and beatitude. Ideally speaking religion should be a means of fullest efflorescence of ourpotentialities and capabilities in the service of humanity in particular and of the entire cosmos ingeneral.Thoughreligiositymaybealikeinallhumanbeings,religionsarenotone.Sowehaveapluralityofreligions.Theostensivevariationsamongreligionsarisebecausedifferentindividualsandindividualgroups attempt to understand the fundamental religious truths in their own ways and adhere tothemindifferentformsandmodes.Butthisshouldnotobliteratethebasicspiritofreligiosity.Human life is a prized possession. A mechanistic understanding of human ontology and humanevolutioncannotdojusticetothespontaneity,creativityandgoalorientedhumanpursuits.Norcanitensurehumandignity,genderequality,socialjusticeandhumanrights.Spiritualapproachalonecandosoofwhichonenessoftheentirerealityisthebasicpresuppositionandguidingprinciple.Inspirituality there is no denial of matter and material prosperity. Matter is the base and veryprecondition of all existence. But matter is not the sole reality or the apex reality. Further, matterneeds to be refined and transformed into that which is compatible with the spiritual. In religiontherehastobesymbiosisofthetwo.Cultivation of existential openness and universal sameness based on the principles ofinterdependent existence and interconnectedness of all phenomena provide for environmentalequilibrium as well. The mind leads and shapes the worldly life. If we have righteous mind weperform good deeds and virtues spread. But if we have vicious mind we indulge in bad deeds andvicesspread.Moraldegenerationresultsinpollutionwithinandwithout.Humanbeingisthemostevolved species in the cosmic process and has acquired the capacity to preserve or harm nature.Since we have caused the evils and consequent undesirable suffering, we carry a universalresponsibility not to create ecological imbalance and to rectify whatever imbalance we have madebecauseofourfolly.Naturehasitsintrinsicvalueaswellasinstrumentalworth.Wehaveforgottenthe intrinsic value of nature and have taken it as merely instrumental. We try to conquer nature.Thisisourignorance.Ifwecarefornature,naturewillcareforus.Ifwedestroynature,naturewilldestroyus.Thisisthesimpleprincipleofinterdependence.Natureisbeautifulandbountiful.Letusappreciateandpreservethisqualityofnature.Thisisproperperspectiveonecology.Theuniverseisanundividedwhole.Thereisorganicinterdependence,cooperativepartnershipandsupportivemutualismincommunityliving.Thereisreciprocitybetweenlivingbeingsandinanimatethings. All have to coexist in the universe but it has to be a regulated coexistence. So the guidingprinciples of communitarian life are coexistence (sahavasa), cooperation (sahakara) and cosharing(sahabhoga).Thistypeofunderstandingleadstomutualcomplementarities,mutualtrust,andaboveall to nonviolence (ahimsa) which is the highest truth and highest virtue. For this purpose there isneedforreviewingandrethinkingoftherequiredmodeofphilosophizingonreligiousexperiences.SCOPEOFTHECONFERENCEThisConferencewillexplorethefollowingsubjects:1.GlobalPeace2.RespectforEnvironment&Nature3.HumanDignity4.Pluralism5.Moral&SpiritualvaluesSUGGESTEDTHEMES1.Religionasameansofglobalpeace2.Roleofreligioninecologicalbalance3.Religionpromotinggenderequality4.Religiontosafeguardhumandignity5.Religiontoensuresocialjustice6.Religionpropagatingmoralandspiritualvalues7.Religiouspluralism8.DevelopmentofYogictraditionsindifferentreligions.9.Natureandmodeofworshipandprayerindifferentreligions10.Roleofreasonandfaithinreligion11.Significanceofknowledgeinreligion.12.RegionandsocialserviceSUBMISSIONSTheAbstractsandPapersmaybesentbyemailinwordfile(Unicodeformat)to:dharmadhamma@indiafoundation.inLastDateforSubmissionofAbstracts:31July,2015LastDateforSubmissionofPapers:30September,2015BACKPAGEORGANISINGCOMMITTEEChairmanShriShivrajSinghChouhanHon'bleChiefMinister,MadhyaPradeshConvenorDr.S.R.BhattProfessorandHOD(Retd.),DepartmentofPhilosophy,UniversityofDelhi,NewDelhiShriRajeshGuptaRegistrar,SanchiUniversityofBuddhistIndicStudies,MadhyaPradeshMembersVen.BanagalaUpatissaNayakaTheroPresident,MahabodhiSociety,SriLankaProf.ShriPrakashSinghChairProfessor,IndianInstituteofPublicAdministration,NewDelhiProf.BaidyanathLabhProfessor,DepartmentofBuddhistStudies,UniversityofJammu,JammuShriSwadeshSinghResearchFellow,IndiaFoundation,NewDelhi3rdINTERNATIONALCONFERENCEONDHARMADHAMMACSRS,INDIAFOUNDATIONF3,IIIFLOOR,UPASANABUILDING1,HAILEYROADNEWDELHI110001PH:01143012351Email:dharmadhamma@indiafoundation.inWebsite:www.indiafoundation.in