7 July 2026

Awakening Inner Peace and Inner Strength

Under the Theme: Self-Empowerment

Good evening, 

My dear Sisters and brothers

Like you all, it is an honour and blessing for me personally to be here this evening as we have the august company of sister Shivani.

My association with the Brahma Kumaris goes back to my childhood. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to visit and also to address gatherings at their campuses in Manesar and Mount Abu. What has always inspired me is the quiet consistency with which this remarkable spiritual family translates timeless Indian wisdom into daily living—through meditation, self-reflection, and selfless service.

It is therefore a special honour to join you here in Zurich as we reflect on a subject that touches everyone of us—the awakening of inner peace and inner strength.

We live in an age of extraordinary progress. Technology has profoundly transformed our lives. We are more connected than ever before. Yet stress, anxiety, and loneliness have become defining challenges of our time.

Perhaps this tells us something important. We have learned to master the outer world, but we are still learning to master the inner one.

That is why today's theme—Self-Empowerment—is so relevant. True empowerment is not about controlling people or circumstances. It is about mastering our own thoughts, emotions, and responses. It is the ability to remain calm in uncertainty, compassionate in conflict, and hopeful in adversity.

More than five thousand years ago, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita addressed this very challenge. On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna's greatest struggle was not with the great warriors before him. It was with the fear, confusion, and doubt within him. Before asking Arjuna to act, Lord Krishna first helped him gain clarity.

The Gita's timeless message is that the greatest victory is not over others, but over our own anger, fear, attachment, and ego. It teaches us to perform our duties with sincerity while remaining detached from the results. It teaches us to remain balanced in success and failure, praise and criticism, gain and loss. That balance is not weakness—it is inner strength.

These teachings are as relevant today in Zurich as they were in ancient times. 

And this timeless wisdom is also at the heart of the Brahma Kumaris' mission. For nearly nine decades, they have helped millions across the world discover that peace is our inherent nature. Through Raja Yoga meditation, values-based education, and dedicated service, they have shown that when we change the quality of our thoughts, we change the quality of our lives. And when individuals transform themselves, society begins to transform.

Having known the Brahma Kumaris since my childhood, I have seen that their greatest contribution is not merely in teaching meditation. It is in quietly demonstrating that lasting change begins within. 

We are especially fortunate this evening to have with us revered Sister Shivani. Through her clarity, compassion, and practical wisdom, she has inspired millions to discover that every thought is a choice, and every choice shapes our destiny. Her message transcends cultures because it speaks to universal human values.

I see a great similarity in these thoughts between Indian and Swiss people. Closely connected to self through nature, a peace-loving community in the midst of turmoil all around us, Swiss people have internalised the timeless wisdom of Brahmakumaris.

As we begin this evening's journey together, let us remember one simple truth: every peaceful family begins with one peaceful individual. Every compassionate society begins with compassionate hearts. Every lasting transformation begins with self-transformation.

May today's gathering inspire each one of us to awaken the peace that already resides within us. I wish you all an inspiring evening, and I warmly invite you to receive the wisdom and insights of our keynote speaker, Sister Shivani.

Thank you very much.