• By Parveen Chopra

HEMPSTEAD, NY (TIP): At the Sant Nirankari Mission’s well-attended Mukti Parv Samagam (Spiritual Liberation Convention) on August 17 at Hofstra University, a spiritually uplifting discourse was delivered by Nirankari Rajpita Ramit Chandana, husband of Satguru Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj, the current spiritual head of the Sant Nirankari Mission.

The event at Hofstra’s John Cranford Adams Playhouse auditorium was organized by the New York-Connecticut chapter of the Nirankari Mission. It drew more than 1,200 participants, including over a dozen political and community leaders from across Long Island, according to a press release from the Mission.

In his reflective discourse, the young Nirankari Rajpita Ji, who had arrived in New York after delivering back-to-back discourses in New Delhi and Birmingham, England, delivered a deeply thought-out message. He reminded participants that spiritual life is rooted in valuing human virtues. He lamented that today, people have been desensitized and inflict pain and suffering upon fellow beings. Each group tends to feel superior to others due to their religion, country, or culture. “Yes, we are free to practice our faith, but that should not restrict others’ freedom or disrespect them. Nor should we impose our faith on others,” he said in his 45-minute presentation. Dignitaries present at the afternoon event included New York State Senator Steve Rhoads, Town of North Hempstead  Supervisor Jennifer S. DeSena, and Town Clerk Ragini Srivastava, as well as Tsewang Gyaltson, Consul at the Indian Consulate in New York.

Throughout the event, other mission speakers and devotees shared personal experiences of spiritual growth, describing how the convention deepened their understanding of faith and practice. The program also featured soulful hymns and devotional music, fostering an atmosphere of reflection, meditation, and community spirit. The New York-Connecticut Chapter of the Mission expressed gratitude to Satguru Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj for sending Rajpita ji to New York for the program. A langar meal followed the program even as people queued up to greet Rajpita ji individually.

(Parveen Chopra is the Founding Editor of ALotusInTheMud.com, a premier wellness and spirituality magazine)