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. Please keep your dial tuned to Supreme Master Television for Words of Wisdom, up next after Noteworthy News. May we all care for one another as ourselves.