Vedanta Society of St. Louis
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, July 14, 2007: (HPI Note: Following story was received from Swami Chetanananda of the St. Louis Vedanta Society.) On May 12, 2007, I was invited to say some universal Hindu Prayers in the Graduation Ceremony of the Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri. It was held in Edward Jones Dome in the downtown of St. Louis. Twelve hundred students received their degrees and the audience was over 10,000. Ms. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the keynote speaker and she received an honorable doctorate degree given by the president of the university. I introduced myself to her as a monk of the Ramakrishna Order. She was very kind and cordial towards me. Ms. Karen Lubbert, the vice president, told me that I was the first Hindu who was invited to invoke the ceremony. I chanted each prayer first in Sanskrit and then repeated the English translation:
1. May the winds blow sweetly. May the rivers flow sweetly. May plants and trees be sweet to us. May days and nights be sweet to us. May the Sun shine on us sweetly. May the dust of the earth be sweet to us. May all beings be happy. May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be blissful. (Madhu Suktam from the Rig Veda)
2. Lead us from the unreal to the Real. Lead us from darkness to Light. Lead us from death to Immortality. Light us through and through and guide us ever more with Thy loving presence. Peace. Peace, Peace. (From Yajur Veda)
3. Let all beings be happy. Let all beings be free from disease. Let all beings have good outlook towards others. Let none be subject to misery. Peace, Peace, Peace. (A Hindu Prayer)
I had only three minutes time. My prayers were very much appreciated including by Ms. Pelosy who repeated “Peace, Peace, Peace” and smiled.