Archbishop Peter Chong recently attended the inauguration of the Universal Meditation Centre in Nadi, Fiji.
In his address he said there needs to be room for inter-religious dialogue so that religious faiths and traditions are shared and learning takes place.
Chong said God was universal and meditation was a universal practice among the different faiths.
“One thing that is common to human existence is the search for wholeness because of the universal experience of human brokenness.”
He said people needed to acknowledge that faith was a part of our culture and traditions.
“There should be room for respect for diversity but also allow room for dialogue.
“That’s the way all religions can contribute to sharing their faiths and truths to a nation.”
The Ramakrishna Mission built the $2million universal meditation centre in Nadi.
The centre was inaugurated by leaders of the Christian, Hindu and Muslim faiths last week and will serve as a meditation spot for people of all faiths.
A lack of spiritual learning in schools prompted the mission to build the centre.
Ramakrishna Mission secretary Swami Tadananda Maharaj said the planning started in 2010 and the building was designed by 2011.
“Construction started in August 2012 and it has taken about two years and three months to complete the project.”
A number of businesses in the Western Division helped finance the construction of the Meditation Centre.
Vinod Patel and Company Limited and Arvind Raniga of Raniga Jewellers both contributed $100,000 towards the project.
Nitin Hiralal of Grand Melanesian Hotel donated $50,000.
“We saw that the Ramakrishna Mission was doing excellent work as they have been running the Ramakrishna Health Centre very nicely and for the first time in Fiji, such a meditation centre was built,” Mr Vinod Patel said.
“It is for all races and we thought that we should give something towards it.”
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