Everywhere in the world,
we can observe
and be touched
by acts of kindness.
People from all walks of
life, faiths, and cultures
extend themselves
beyond the call of duty
to help others
unconditionally.
Through their noble deeds,
humanity as a whole
is elevated.
To commend
virtuous actions and
encourage more people
to be inspired
by their examples,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
has lovingly created
a series of awards,
including the Shining
World Leadership
Award, Shining World
Compassion Award,
Shining World Hero and
Heroine Awards, Shining
World Honesty Award,
Shining World Protection
Award, Shining World
Intelligence Award,
and Shining World
Inventor Award,
to recognize some
of the most exemplary,
generous, caring,
and courageous people
who walk amongst us.
How are you Kamlesh ji?
I am fine.
Health remains bad,
but I don't
pay attention to it.
I keep on praying to God,
keep reciting.
That's why
I do not feel anything.v
Situated at the foot
of the Himalayas
on the bank
of the holy Ganga River
near Rishikesh, India,
Ganga Prem Hospice is
a spiritually-oriented,
non-profit hospice
for terminally ill
cancer patients.
It provides material
support, medical care,
as well as emotional
and spiritual comfort
for individuals
and their loved ones
as they are going through
pain and suffering from
life-threatening illnesses.
My mother was struck
with cervical cancer
in May 2006.
During the suffering,
she was refused
by various places, as
there was no possibility
for her to recover.
Then we came across
Ganga Prem Hospice
and this institution
carried out all treatment.
When we got in touch
with this institution,
they did everything for us.
The institution
took care of the expenses
for fruits, vegetables,
groceries, medicines,
everything for my mother.
And the rent
for the house which is
a thousand rupees
per month; that too,
the institution paid.
As we do not have
anybody, no relative,
no other family,
we are alone in this world.
There is no income.
I am frightened
to even think what
would have happened if
the institute did not help us.
I am grateful to God,
I thank God enormously.
Thanks to the institute
that they provided
the complete treatment
for my mother.
They spent money
and managed everything
very properly.
Ganga Prem Hospice
is indeed
a unique institution with
a spiritual philosophy
of unconditional love.
It was established by
Madam Nani Ma
and Dr. A. K. Dewan.
Originally from
the United Kingdom,
Ms. Nani Ma is
a kind-hearted lady
who sought
spiritual enlightenment
at a very young age.
I came to India
on a spiritual quest,
because I had heard
that in India, the science
of liberation was here.
So I came, and afterward
in a very short time
I found my Guruji.
He was
a very special person.
He lived in a cave by
the Ganga in Rishikesh,
and he had no possessions.
He just wore one cloth
and he had nothing at all,
he just sat quietly
in his cave.
But he was a man
of great knowledge,
very great knowledge,
and very great kindness
and love.
He encouraged me
to meditate.
He taught us
that everybody’s
happiness and sorrow
is the same as our own.
And he taught us
to love God
more than anything else,
and to love God in people.
One day, Ms. Nani Ma
realized deeply that
serving the multitude
and helping the needy
is also an aspect
of spiritual practice.
Therefore,
she started giving care
to the terminally ill
cancer patients
in the hospital, guiding
those who could only see
suffering and an end, to
embark on a new journey.
I didn’t do it deliberately,
I didn’t make a decision,
but I found a love
in my heart growing, and
growing, and growing.
Babaji said that whatever
we see in front of us,
if anybody needs help,
we should help.
And I saw the difference
between those who died
with God and those
who died without God.
I had a friend, he spent
his last six months here,
and we spent the six months
talking about God,
watching the Ganga, and
by the end of the six months
his mind was so peaceful
and he was so ready,
he said,
“I have everything I want.”
And I thought,
“Why can’t more people
have a chance like that.”
And at the same time,
I met Dr. Dewan, so
somehow it’s just started.
The co-founder of
the Ganga Prem Hospice,
Dr. A. K. Dewan,
is a famous surgeon
in India who often saw
cases of cancer patients
in a tortured state
due to the illness.
To facilitate
the establishment
of a place that could
provide genuine care
for such patients, he first
founded a charitable trust
called the Shradha Trust.
As an oncologist,
I have seen the suffering
of cancer patients.
In advanced cases, when
the curative component
is over, nobody wants
to treat these patients.
They can’t be kept at home
and they suffer a lot.
And let me put it this way,
they die an undignified
death in pain,
so we just wanted
to help them more.
Shradha is the name
of my patient and she was
an associate of Nani Ma.
And she was very keen to
help the cancer patients,
so we decided
we’d go for a hospice.
But before that,
we needed more
to make a trust,
and we named the trust
Shradha Cancer Care Trust,
after the name
of that patient.
She’s alive till today.
She’s doing fine.
She stays in the ashram
even now.
And we had a few members
who were dedicated,
who were interested
in doing this work.
One of them
a gynecologist,
one medical oncologist,
one accountant,
one as businessman,
and people joined hands
and we grew
bigger and bigger.
In the hospice,
as Dr Dewan says,
we are not going to
cure anyone.
If God wants,
if God cures anybody,
then that’s His grace.
In general we are
helping the transition.
We are helping the passage
from this body
to another body,
or to the state where
it is not necessary to
have any body any more.
We will not be
indoctrinating anyone,
but we will be
helping people
to feel their own way
into a closer relationship
with their inner self
and their inner spirit.
This is both spiritual
and emotional.
If they are helped
both emotionally
and spiritually then
they will be at peace.
And when people are
at peace, they don’t
feel the pain so much.
Currently,
Ganga Prem Hospice
has initiated
a construction project
that upon completion
will offer clinics,
patient rooms,
a meditation hall,
and library, etc.
Meanwhile,
it continues to provide
a monthly cancer clinic
in Rishikesh which
gives free treatment
to poor cancer patients.
Ganga Prem Hospice’s
volunteers also
visit terminally ill
cancer patients
as much as possible,
bringing comfort to them
and their family.
All staff members
and volunteers selflessly
dedicate themselves
to caring for the medical,
emotional, and spiritual
needs of the patients.
I have started coming here
only for two months
and I am finding it
a very good place
for the treatment of
the cancer patients, and
they are getting benefit.
I have relation
with Sarojini Murthy
for 36 years.
Then she initiated
this Ganga Hospice.
She aked me that,
if we give this land to her,
someday she would like
to start the work,
that is that clinic.
So I said
that we had land for that,
she can have it,
and since then
this Trust started.
I became a member of it.
I have been watching it
eversince, working for
the clinic eversince.
And plenty of patients
come here to us.
The doctor
provide treatment,
he get them tested etc.
This selfless service
is going on very well.
Always it was my dream
to serve.
I feel tremendous pleasure
in serving those people.
At least I am doing
something for humanity
in my life and rest of my life
I’ll do more and more,
as much as I can do.
For their holistic
charitable deeds,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
honored
the Ganga Prem Hospice
with the Shining World
Compassion Award.
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
letter of appreciation
read as follows:
“Dear Ms. Nani Ma,
It is with great pleasure
and gratitude
that we present to the
Shradha Cancer Care Trust
the “Shining World
Compassion Award.”
This Award is presented
in recognition of your
outstanding caring efforts
to uplift humanity,
for lovingly healing the sick,
bringing a positive
atmosphere of hope
and solace to the needy,
and creating
a kinder world for all.
Compassionately
responding to the needs
of terminally ill
cancer patients,
Shradha Cancer Care Trust
benevolently created
Ganga Prem Hospice,
a public charitable
establishment which will
provide much needed
backup care facilities
in Northern India.
With an ideal location at
the foot of the Himalayas
on the bank
of the river Ganga, near
Rishikesh and Haridwar,
this spiritual and holistic
centre, the Hospice,
will provide
a flow of nourishment
for the body and spirit
of the patients.
Providing
a spiritually orientated
holistic approach
will be a source of
strength and courage
for the weak, bringing them
back to God.
Your loving concern
giving divine medical
and emotional support
will convey great comfort
to their hearts, helping
to alleviate suffering
and bring peace of mind.
Thank you,
Ganga Prem Hospice,
for uplifting our world
with your inspirational
example of love in action.
For selflessly providing
for the needs
of the less fortunate,
for your vision, wisdom and
kind-hearted generosity,
and for being a dedicated
and noble role model,
we hereby applaud
and celebrate the
compassionate deeds of
Shradha Cancer Care Trust,
Ganga Prem Hospice and
all your devoted staff,
with special thanks
to Ms. Nani Ma – Trustee
with a heart of gold!
With Great Honour, Love
and Blessings,
The Supreme Master
Ching Hai”
In addition to accepting
the appreciation letter
and crystal plaque,
Ganga Prema Hospice
also received
a loving contribution
of US$10,000 from
Supreme Master Ching Hai.
Furthermore,
gifts were presented,
including
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
heartwarming
#1 international
bestselling books,
“The Dogs in My Life,”
“The Birds in My Life,”
and “The Noble Wilds,”
along with
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
spiritual lecture DVDs
and compilations
as well as her poetry book.
We also want
to thank your Master
for her recognition,
and for her generosity
in giving us these gifts
towards our work
and for being who she is,
for understanding
that the spiritual path
is not only about one,
it’s about all.
All words of praise for her
and we’re very grateful
to her.
And we hope and pray
that we have
a long association
with Supreme Master.
Thank you.
Finally, Ms. Nani Ma
and Dr. Dewan
emphasized the importance
of adopting
a plant-based diet,
which is crucial to keep
one in good health both
physically and spiritually.
Diet is extremely important
and it is well proven
by studies that vegetarian
diet is healthier and good
for people – I’m talking
about healthy people –
and the chances of cancer
are much less
in vegetarians
than in people
who are consuming
a non-vegetarian diet.
And if you see
our Jain dharam
they preach and teach
vegetarianism only.
I find in our Trust
and most of the people
who are associated with us
are strongly vegetarians.
They don’t even consume
alcohol, no tobacco,
no smoking,
nothing of that sort,
and this is what we need.
It is a type of cannibalism
when we are eating other
creatures who are living,
who have their own
feelings about life,
who want to live.
So if we are being violent
in this way,
we can’t rise into any
spiritual understanding.
Our appreciation,
Madam Nani Ma,
Dr. A. K. Dewan,
and all kind people
involved in the services
of Ganga Prem Hospice
and Shradha Trust,
for your selfless dedication
in caring for the most ill
and less fortunate,
as well as their families.
May you be blessed in
your steadfast assistance to
God’s precious children
during their stay
on Earth.
For more information
about Ganga Prem Hospice,
please visit
Cherished viewers,
thank you for your presence
on today’s program.
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May we all care for
one another as ourselves.