Mr. Dipesh Prandya
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
Warrington, PA
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, (R-PA)
Date of Prayer: 11/14/2019
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our guest
chaplain for today, Dipesh Pandya, along with members of the BAPS
mandirs in our district in Pennsylvania.
They are here with hundreds of prominent Indian Americans who are
also members of the BAPS organization, a Hindu faith that holds
services in 32 States across 91 congressional districts.
They are here with us today to celebrate Diwali, the festival of
lights, a festival celebrated by over 2 million Indian Americans across the United States. This 5–day celebration signifies the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.
Diwali reminds us that there is joy in serving God, serving our
country, serving our community, and our fellow citizens, particularly during times of calamity and despair. Traditionally, rows of divas, or
candles, were used to illuminate and dispel darkness.
Today we are reminded that we must work together, united and in
friendship, to serve this great Nation and the communities in which we live.
Indeed, the BAPS community throughout the United States continuously strives to serve society through various charitable and humanitarian activities, ranging from food drives to disaster relief efforts, including the planting of trees.
On behalf of my fellow Members of Congress, I am proud to recognize
and welcome the BAPS members who have traveled here to Washington from across the country.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Aum.
O, Lord, lead us from illusion to the truth. Lead us from darkness to light. Lead us from death to immortality.
May everyone in the world be happy. May everyone be healthy. May all experience what is good. May there be no suffering.
O, Lord, may the skies give us peace. May space bring us peace. May the Earth give us peace. May the waters give peace. May herbs and plants give us peace. May all the beings of the Earth bring us peace. May the deities bestow peace. May all of Your creations bring us peace. May peace prevail throughout the universe.
As we are here to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, I invoke the credo of my spiritual leader, His Holiness Pramukh Swami
Maharaj: "In the joy of others lies our own. In the progress of others rests our own. In the good of others abides our own."
O, Lord, may all the Members of this House and their staff receive Your guidance in their thoughts and actions. May our Armed Forces stay
victorious, and may they be protected.
May God bless the United States of America.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory