Hyderabad: With 10,125 representatives from 134 nations in attendance, and with the blessings of His Holiness Shri Shankara Vijayandra Saraswati Shankracharya Swamigal of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (Sri Kanchi Matham,Tamil Nadu), Dr. Tony Nader, MD, PhD, formally inaugurated the Assembly of 10,000 for World Peace, which will convene until 13 January 2024.

Addressing the vast assembly overflowing the main hall at Kanha Shanti Vanam outside Hyderabad—the largest hall dedicated to meditation in all of India — Dr. Nader said “Congratulation to you all! You have only just arrived but already you are making history. Never before have so many experts in the technologies of consciousness (10,175 and counting) gathered together in one place, and from so many countries — 134: truly, a united nation of meditation! And it’s not just history that you’re making here, it is also the future. Together, we will be demonstrating a much brighter tomorrow for our world.”

Dr. Nader continued: “Maharishi Mahesh Yogi often called Bharat ‘the Land of the Veda,’ and two Vedic phrases come immediately to mind: from the Yoga Sutra, ‘In the vicinity of Yoga, hostile tendencies are eliminated;’ and from the Maha Upanishad, ‘The world is my family.’ Here in the heart of Bharat we will be applying the most powerful of all Vedic technologies for peace — the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program — to demonstrate for the entire world how hostility can be ended and the long-sought unity in the family of nations can finally be achieved.”

His Holiness Shri Shankara Vijayandra Saraswati Shankracharya Swamigal of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, told the assembly, “For more than fifty years, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi traveled the world encouraging top modern scientists to study the technologies of consciousness from ancient Vedic science. Maharishi planted the seed for International Yoga Day at the United Nations and by his tireless work opened a new era that brought the practical benefits of Vedic science to an increasingly receptive global audience.

“Now, guided by Maharishi, his successor, Dr. Tony Nader, head of all the Transcendental Meditation organizations worldwide, has taken up this essential research work with great energy. That so many of you have answered his call and assembled here at this difficult time in world affairs testifies both to your conviction and to the power of the technologies of consciousness that you will be practicing. I encourage all world leaders to look deeply into this Vedic science as a solution to mankind’s problems. It is time now that many more join Dr. Nader in applying these consciousness technologies to create a more perfect life on Earth.”

Sri Shankaracharya concluded by giving his blessing “to all in this big international assembly dedicated to creating all good, for all humanity.”

Dr. Nader told the assembly, “You have journeyed a great distance to be here. At last you are among thousands who share the same goal, the very best goal — enlightenment for every individual and a world at peace. We may speak different languages but we know the same one Self, the field of pure Consciousness, in which everything manifests and progresses to ultimate fulfilment. We have a common purpose here at Kanha Shanti Vanam: together in our silent sessions of meditation we will powerfully enliven pure Consciousness, that fundamental field of coherence and integration in the whole of world consciousness.”

Dr. Nader’s address and the blessings from the Shankaracharya were interpreted simultaneously into 21 different languages so no assembly participant would miss even one inspiring word. Dr. Nader continued, “Struggle and conflict are not necessary. Enlightenment and peace can be easily achieved and shine everywhere as soon as there is a permanent 10,000 group anywhere in the world.”

Dr. Nader said, “Everyone knows by now that this is not just another conference talking about peace. It is not just another rally calling for an end to war. We are here to actually demonstrate a scientifically proven technology so powerful that merely ten thousand can create peace for eight billion once the group of 10,000 is established permanently.”