The 10th of December 2014 marked the 18th Anniversary of the signing of the South African Constitution. This day was also the commemoration of the disappearance of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. These two seemingly arbitrary events in history converged in the shape of a lecture entitled The Law Meets The Vedas delivered by ISKCON-guru Jayadvaita Swami at the Constitutional Court of South Africa.

The South African Constitution enshrines the principle of equality as one of its core values. Addressing the injustices of inequality has been, arguably, this young democracy’s primary focus in its first 20 years. Jayadvaita Swami, however, explained how “inequality cannot be denied when it is explicitly manifest before us. Some of us are strong and others weak. Some are endowed with certain qualities and others not. Inequality is, however, only superficial, for it is related only to the material body. The principle of true equality of all living beings is fully realized on the platform of the soul.”

The lecture was organized by Itumeleng Mphake, Law Clerk to Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. 

To download the full lecture click here