Hari Om
'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days;
Q&As; a general review of the week so far…
As
the world turns on its axis, so each country upon the earth turns on its own
particular 'spit'; there is a growing sense of unease the world over and it is
erupting in pockets of intense destruction, some greater than others. It is
often asked, "how can a merciful Lord let this happen?" by those who
have some form of faith, or it is said that "there is proof your God does
not exist!" by those who do not. Neither statement is fair to the process
of faith or spiritual meaning.
If
we look for a physical God who can, like a parent, have physical effects we
will be disappointed on our reckoning day. If we decry the concept of a Power
of Universal Meaning, we deprive ourselves of the fullest extent of living.
What
is more, neither statement is helpful in the circumstances to which they are
directed. It can certainly be overwhelming to be reading/hearing about such
dreadful acts and their consequences. It is very difficult not to fall into the
trap of the media and make assumptions and form half-informed opinions from
which we in turn will build our actions and words. Anger, hatred, fear and so
forth, whilst quite natural as initial reactions, serve no fundamental purpose
beyond ensuring further perpetration of evil.
Make
no mistake; to think dark thoughts is a perpetration of evil, whether or not
those thoughts are voiced or acted upon.
The
student of Vedanta learns that it is fine to be disappointed and hurt by the
events of the world, but that it is useless to linger in those pains. Rather,
we must draw ourselves upwards and seek a balanced view; where we cannot, or
where there is clear infringement, we must at least call for and advocate
common sense and fairness in dealings… even with the evil-doers.
Furthermore,
we must assess how much 'investment' is appropriate in any given situation.
"Does this affect me directly? If so, to
what degree? If not, do I need to invest any emotional value at this time? If
so, for how long? Is there anything which I can do to make a difference to the
event? If yes, do it; if not, make decisions about moving along with life. Will
there be any purpose served by my remaining emotionally attached to the
situation?.." and so it goes on. The world needs those who can
operate from compassion without the drag of emotional weight. Let not those who
would point and say "you don't have any feelings!" affect you.
Attempts to make people feel guilty for not
feeling guilty is a very pointless and wasteful use of the human intellect.
We
must understand and sympathise with the pain and angst for those who are in the
immediacy of the types of events which have peppered the news of late, but
unless we have the wherewithal either financially or physically to make a
difference in those situations, it is also appropriate, as spiritual adherents
and intellectual beings, to continue working for the good and to keep smiling,
even now. Let not the crazy world drag you down. Show it you can rise above it
and shun its attempts to instil fear and provoke reaction.
Place
Love in your hearts, Brahman in your minds and let us pray as One…
HARI OM,
HARI OM, HARI OM...
