"Vedic philosophy is don't change world, change yourself": Swami Avadhut at World Hind Congress

Bangkok [Thailand], November 27 : Participants from Russia at the just concluded World Hindu Congress in Thailand have heaped praises on Hinduism and Indian culture and opined that efforts should be made to propagate the way of life across the world.
On the closing day of World Hindu Congress in Thailand on Sunday, philosophers and spiritual practitioners also expressed enthusiasm for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya scheduled to be held in January next year.
A monk who identified himself as Swami Avadhut and who had arrived in India 35 years ago said he was impressed by Indian culture and Hindu religion. The monk is currently working on a Vedic planetarium with immersive art and technology for young Indians.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "From the first moment I came, I love the people, I love Indian food. I loved everything about India, especially philosophy...Now I am taking care of cows and Govardhan temples and devotees".
He elaborated on the benefits of Yoga, and religious 'kirtan' and referred to 'Bharat' as the "capital of the world".
"My definition is Bharat Varsh is planet earth. India is the centre...Bharat Bhoomi is the capital of the earth. That means everyone who lives on this earth is part of God. So the word Hindu can be applied to Chinese, Russian, and American," the swami who is associated with the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.
He added, "I'm just giving an example. Everybody loves Gulab Jamun. Everybody loves yoga...Action with an Inner Self...Don't try to change the world. Change yourself and the World will change around you".
Speaking on the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he said that it is important to "correct the political mistakes".
"Ayodhya is the symbol of Dharma because Rama Chandra is Dharma Raj. He is an ideal leader, ideal husband, ideal king, ideal man. So that's why every Indian loves Ramachandra because we need to follow the ideal. So that's why Ayodhya is so important," he said.
Russian philosopher who gave her name as Maria said that she had left her native religion six years ago and adopted Hinduism.
"It's like feeling over your heart. You just follow it because it resonates. You understand that you should be vegetarian because it's natural. You should be kind to other souls, other people...it's just about your soul, about your heart," the Russian said.
Speaking on the World Hindu Congress, she said that Hinduism should be spread around the world but without any pressure.
"Yeah. I think it should be spread all around the world for sure it will be great for all, but we need not do it without pressure. Yes, because not so. Not all people want to be Hindu, somebody can be Christian or Muslim, but it's all about connection with God and all other races are good too," she said.
She also spoke about the digital content being created by them to share the story of Lord Ram around the world.
"We are producing digital content. Our artists and musicians created this content and it's about Ayodhya as well. So we love Lord Ram. We have a beautiful movie about it, you can see it in the rear glasses. You can see it under the dome that we are producing...I know this story, a very beautiful story and I want to visit Ayodhya. Yes, and we are creating this content to share this story all around the world," she added.
Another Russian speaker Ekaterina spoke about the roots of spirituality in Indian and Russian cultures.
"Ekaterina is my Russian name. My Indian name is Kalyani. Actually, I think that Russian and Indian people have the same idea about spiritual life. They believe in God and they are looking for something, natural something which can catch their hearts," she said.
She further said that they create exhibitions about the Hindu culture and would like to inspire the new generation by spreading it around the world.
"I have been following the Hindu religion for the last 13 years, and we prefer to produce this culture in our country in Russia and we make many an immersive exhibition about Shivaloka Brahmaloka. When tourists come, they can see it wow. It is not only about technology, it is about spiritual life, we want to inspire new generation and I hope we can do it in all the world," she added.
The Third World Hindu Congress concluded in Thailand on Sunday with the resolve to connect every Hindu in the world with each other and to gain strength for the welfare of the world through the life values of Hinduism.
According to organisers of the World Hindu Congress, the next World Hindu Congress will be held in Mumbai in the year 2026 and before that, the World Hindu Economic Forum will be held in Mumbai in September next year. Hindu businessmen from different countries will also hold an expo.