Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park – A Canada 150 Project
Like the greeting conveyed by the Inuksuk, one of the first sculptures you see as you enter the Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park, we welcome you to this place dedicated to promoting the principles of non-violence, justice and peace in the world. We at the Humanics Institute will be working in promoting this vision through programs and projects aimed at understanding and appreciating the following essential values inherent in all cultures and religions in the world: The Oneness of reality; all human beings are responsible beings born equal in respect and dignity, and the intrinsic relationship between human beings and the natural and cosmic environment around us.
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As you may know, the inuksuk is a welcoming sign shaped by the Inuit in the form of a human being, to welcome visitors to their communities. We at the Humanics Institute, acknowledge that the land that the Humanics Sanctuary is in, is unceded Algonquin lands, and would welcome all Indigenous people of Canada, to work with us to acknowledge and respect the fact that we are all members of one family.
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At the Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park, while acknowledging that differences exist, we believe that the commonalities in our religious beliefs, spirituality, race, ethnicity, culture and nationality ultimately unite us. As a Canadian organization, while celebrating diversity, we strive to advance the awareness that we are not fundamentally different from one another. While we fully respect everyone’s right to freedom of conscience and religions, and are providing an opportunity for all major religions in the world to show their commitment to these essential values we all share, we urge everyone to be open minded and, in a mutually respectful and compassionate way, to try and understand, appreciate and learn from one another, and help us in promoting the principles of non-violence, justice and peace in the world. All the sculptures at the Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park, have been carefully selected to convey various perceptions of the three essential values we all share.
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The following words of the Message sent by Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada on the opening to the Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park on the 2nd of July 2017, truly capture what inspired us to develop and open the Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park.
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“I believe Canada’s prosperity and strength is a direct result of our diversity. We are a nation that has steadily grown over the past 150 years, each new Canadian adding a unique set of beliefs and experiences that, in its sum, has resulted in an open and welcoming society.
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Our Values, rooted firmly in our multicultural identity, are exactly what the Humanics Institute aims to promote. Through their inclusive nature, this organization has brought together a wide range of Canadians united by a common dedication to peace and a shared commitment to celebrate our diversity. It is in this spirit that we open this new sanctuary and park, which promises to be a peaceful place of reflection and meditation.”
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The Humanics Sanctuary is intended to remain as a permanent facility in Ottawa and will be opened from the 1st of June until the 31st of October, from Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 Pm. But if we are to achieve our vision we need the involvement and support of all Canadians. Sometime soon we hope to have a Sanctuary Building, which will be a peaceful place of reflection and meditation for everyone, irrespective of a person’s cultural, racial, national or religious affiliations. Once we have such a facility we will be open all year round.
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Acharya Ranjit Perera, President, Humanics Institute
Below are sculptures in the Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park, and a short Statement concerning their relevance to the three essential values that the Humanics Sanctuary is meant to promote.
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TRINITY OF ESSENTIAL VALUES
This sculpture represents the trinity of interrelated essential values inherent in all cultures and religions in the world: the oneness of reality; that all human beings are responsible beings born and intended to remain equal in dignity and rights, and; the intrinsic relationship between human beings and the natural and cosmic environment around them
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ONENESS AND COMPLEXITY
The story of the blind men whose understanding of the elephant was limited by the part of the animal they were in contact with, reminds us that none of us can have more than a partial perception of the whole. Reality is vast, complex and mysterious and we are, by nature, constrained in our ability to fully comprehend and conceptualize it.
