Remarks by Sri Chinmoy at the dedication of the Mekong Delta as a Sri Chinmoy Peace Delta⁵

Ho Chi Minh, I bow to you. You are the father of the nation, the liberator of the nation and the highest dreamer of the nation. Your mind's wisdom and your heart's compassion will forever shine through the heart of each and every Vietnamese.

You had something that is so rare in human beings: you saw and felt that each human being has something good in him. Most people find it extremely difficult to see any good qualities in their enemies. Once we consider someone our enemy, we do not see anything good in him. But you had that rare wisdom which allowed you to see good qualities even in your worst enemies.

After you had liberated your country and made it independent, you took light from the American Declaration of Independence, which was the vision of President Jefferson.

The French tried to dominate your country and you fought so hard against them; finally you threw them out of your beloved country. But at the time of your inauguration, you took inspiration from their message on the Rights of Man. No human being on earth will be able to do what you did for mankind.

I come from India; I am a son of Mother India. Here in Viet Nam I feel very strongly the presence of Mother India. Simplicity of life and purity of heart are two most significant qualities that a country can have. These two divine qualities give me utmost joy, for I am a seeker of truth and a lover of peace. In India I feel these qualities and also I feel them here.

I am extremely, extremely grateful to the authorities here for allowing my name to be closely connected with your achievements and with your vision of tomorrow's progress. When we live in the mind, we quarrel and fight. But when we live in the heart, we only love, for we feel that we all belong to one world-family. If we can live in our hearts, there will be peace within us and harmony in the world. Then we will have accomplished everything.

Here we are offering our dedicated service to Viet Nam and praying to God to bless us with peace. Peace can be found in our inner existence. It is not something that we can see; it is something that we can only feel and grow into. An American general, in a different context, once said about your soldiers: their presence was always felt, but they were not to be found. Peace is like that, too.

Viet Nam, you have suffered. Your suffering knew no bounds. Again, it is you who will be able to offer joy and happiness to the world. You are the chosen country, for the country that has suffered the most is the right country to offer joy to mankind. After the darkest night, we see the beauty and light of day.

Viet Nam, we love you and adore you because you are a true believer, lover and promoter of world peace.