"Love, peace, tolerance" is what Pakistani students shouted for when asked by visiting spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar what he should speak about. Ravi Shankar regaled the audience at the famous Forman Christian College in Lahore as he spoke about love, religion and answered number of questions.
"You better find another one from about seven billion living souls in the world. Move ahead," was Ravi Shankar's advice to a Pakistani student who sought his view on him being unable to forget his ex-girlfriend.
The answer led to a round of thunderous applause from the audience in Lahore.
Hundreds of students accorded a warm welcome to Ravi Shankar, who began a three-day private visit to Pakistan with an address at the college in Lahore.
The hall was jam-packed an hour before the arrival of Shankar as both students and teachers were eager to listen to him.
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'You tell a lie and lose power over yourself'
"I am glad to see your enthusiasm. You can do wonders in life with this energy. Do not lose this enthusiasm," Shankar said after walking onto the stage.
He asked the students what they wanted him to speak about and the hall echoed with shouts of "Love, peace, tolerance".
Shankar involved the students in demonstrations to make them understand the power of truth. "You tell a lie and lose power over yourself," he said.
He told them how to control anger and mood swings and to concentrate on studies.
A student asked Shankar to comment on the "worshipping of idols", as it is a common belief in Pakistan that Hindus worship hundreds of gods.
"Like Allah has 99 names, there are over 1,000 idols but God is not in them. God is one. Hindus also worship one God," Ravi Shankar explained, drawing applause from senior members of the faculty.
'India-Pak can make progress, overcome poverty if united'
"Both countries can make progress and overcome poverty if we are united. We need to wipe away every tear...I have a dream in my life and that is about a world free of violence, anxiety and corruption," he said.
'No religion is responsible for terrorism'
He added, "A person who thinks he will go to heaven and the rest to hell, in fact creates hell for the rest".After he concluded his speech, students rushed up to the spiritual leader to take photographs with him.Shankar arrived in Lahore on Monday via the Wagah land border crossing. He visited the historic Badshahi Mosque and held some private meetings with followers of his Art of Living movement.
He will travel to Islamabad tomorrow and open a new Art of Living centre.From the federal capital, he will travel to the southern port city of Karachi, from where he will leave for India on March 14.
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