Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

why is there so much fighting in today's world?

There is so much global strife today. Iran, Israel, USA, N.Korea, India, Pakistan, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, etc etc all are fighting for geo-political reasons. Yet you will not find people quitting politics because it is a problem. However, when the same fighting happens in the name of Religion by some dogmatic followers, then we will find common man rejecting God. We also witness lot of strife at the domestic level within households thus the increase in number of divorces. Where I live, the probability of getting divorced is close to one in two. So there is quarrel at every level of existence from macro to micro.

This is but natural in this age. Why is this natural one may ask? Why is there so much warring attitude even at the slightest provocation? Why are people averse to the idea of God?

Srila Prabhupada has many times mentioned that if we do not try to understand God and call out His Names, then we are no better than cats and dogs. He says cats and dogs because we cultivate animal consciousness. Animals maintain their status quo by eating, sleeping, mating and ultimately fighting for defense. If we as human beings also do the same albeit in a sophisticated and glorified manner, what is the difference between us and animals?  We know how devastating it can be when human beings kill each other in the name of defense? One only has to look into the annals of history to verify the number of wars civilized man has fought.

Srimad Bhagavatam, a spiritual literature, gives us the answer as to why this is the case.

One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth — such a person is no better than a cow or an ass. - SB 10.84.13

So as long as we are convinced we are this body made of flesh and blood, we will glorify this body through wife, house and land, and fight for it at the slightest provocation just like a cat or a dog. Mundane religiosity or economic development is not the answer. The answer is to approach a bonafide spiritual master and inquire from him submissively. Then we practice what we inquire and transcend our bodily/mental urges. Only this can give peace and ultimately happiness..

Hare Krishna

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