Bill Clinton Meets with His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj

His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj opened up a new cultural and spiritual dimension in Indo – US ties by meeting with President Bill Clinton. The historic meeting took place on Wednesday, October 4, 2000 at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami, Florida. This makes Pramukh Swami Maharaj the first Hindu spiritual leader to have had a dialogue with an American President in office. The President was in Miami on official business. His Holiness was in Miami to perform the consecration of a new BAPS temple and community center. He had recently participated in a cultural youth conference in Orlando. So the unexpected meeting caused not a little surprise in both the Swaminarayan and greater Indian communities.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj is the spiritual leader of the socio-spiritual organization, Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). The organization’s mother wing is headquartered in Gujarat, western India, and is recognized as the largest Hindu organization in the western hemisphere. The meeting with the President was welcomed by Indian community leaders who see the Clinton administration’s desire that the two leaders from such a diverse background meet as wholehearted recognition of the increasing importance of the Indian community and its cultural identity in the USA.

Explaining that world peace can be achieved with a two-sided approach, His Holiness said to the President, "Our body represents the whole world. If any part of our body is injured, it causes pain all over the body. Similarly, if there is violent activity in any corner of the world, it causes pain everywhere and leads to difficulties. To prevent such unrest, we chant the rosary and pray to God. And if politicians and diplomats, like yourself, meet to seek initiatives then peace will be established in the world."

BAPS leadership has for long believed that whilst politicians have an essential role to play in establishing world peace through the use of arms control and governmental dialogue, lasting harmony between all people can only be established when there is a real change of heart on the individual level.

This pragmatic approach saw Pramukh Swami Maharaj addressing the recent Millennium World Peace Summit attended by the world’s pre-eminent spiritual and religious leaders at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York. In his address to the assembly His Holiness stressed that it was excellent that there was dialogue between leaders, but it was equally important that this dialogue was continued by the followers of the faith and that it was the responsibility of the leaders gathered at the UN to ensure that their followers imbibed the message of tolerance and loving acceptance.

"Interfaith dialogue that leads to greater understanding and tolerance has always been a priority with His Holiness," said Girish Patel, BAPS spokesperson. "Pramukh Swami Maharaj has met with the chief Rabbis of Israel and with Pope John Paul. He has had dialogue with Sheikh Isa Bin Salaman of Bahrain and the Dalai Lama. At the grass roots level all of our local chapters are encouraged to have some form of dialogue with local communities and religious groups."

Pramukh Swami Maharaj blessed the President that his initiative to enable peace in the Middle East be successful. The President said, "I am deeply honored and happy that Your Holiness has visited our country. I spend most of my time resolving differences between people. In this way, our work is similar! I pray for your wisdom in guiding us towards peace and happiness."

Pramukh Swami Maharaj then presented the President with an "Amrut Kalash" - a decorative, golden urn symbolizing the auspiciousness of Indian culture - and a rosary, which the President touched to his heart in reverence.

The US President is not the first political leader to have met Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The long and diverse list of luminaries includes British Premier Tony Blair, Prince Charles, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Atal Bihaari Vajpayee Prime Minister of India, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Prime minister Baseo Pandey of Trinidad and Tobago.