The Wisdom of Krishna and The Reality of War.
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The Tibetan Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama describes the Reality of war.
Don't we know already? Don't we have that much common-sense?
The war is constantly ongoing a process in life at the individual and the collective level.
At the very level of existence where the survival of the form is challenged every moment.
From the tiny insect to the societies, cultures, civilizations.
So is it wise to condemn, denounce the war?
When a stupid fails to think on his own cruelties, the violence, the formidable destruction of not only of the great values, but of the life itself as well and not only the human beings but in many forms, you just can't preach him. He is blinded by the fear, passion, rage, authority, be it a book, or the people in authoritative position he depends upon for his life and survival. And not to mention of course, of his pleasures which have already destroyed the minds of all of us since the tradition of following blindly some-one or something has began.
So war is in our blood and keeps inviting blood, unless we cleanse and purify our blood.
War is a great folly and foolhardy too, yet without understanding why war is in our blood condemning denouncing the war is far more a greater one.
A man of sane mind can see the utter meaningless and the destruction the war brings.
We kill our own brethren not only those who we think are our enemy, but also those who we think are our relatives, friends, loved-ones our own blood.
Arjun too was possessed by this pity and asked to Krishna :
"Is it not sheer mindlessness, stupidity to kill our brethren for capturing and enjoying the pleasures of power, wealth and land? When they are not with us what use we have of these things? Is it not better to live one's life by means of alms or like the mendicants who feed on the wild plant-roots, leaf, fruits and such things?"
To this, Krishna suggested :
"Arjun! You are a born kshatriya and your very nature would not let you follow this whim of your mind. Those mendicants, Muni who live in the forests have a goal of attaining the Supreme Truth, to know what the ultimate meaning and essence of the life. They are ready to pay the price to fulfill their urge for this. They have the ripened understanding that the world can give you the food, cloth and shelter but for this too you need to pay the price. And you have to fritter away your peace of mind in this effort to maintain the life with all those luxuries which have no limit. And seeing the utter meaninglessness of war you are resigned to all this and accepted to embrace the life of an ascetic in order to find the deeper meaning of life as a whole. So they are convinced that the world and its joys and pleasures have no intrinsic value or meaning and only hinder the search for Truth.
Arjun ! On the other hand Arjun! you are thinking of escaping from this inevitable eventuality of war, the destiny has brought for you only because of aversion to war and its consequences.
There is a contrast poles apart.
You are walking into a vacuum while those ascetics after having well understood the hollowness, the emptiness and the absurdity of the apparent world and its pleasures and pains, saw there is no other way for a wise to find out the greater and the Ultimate Truth that is but self or Self, for everyone is spontaneously aware of one's self, though may not see the significance easily. To find out the meaning and significance of this 'self' or 'Self' one needs to have urge and has attained the maturity of mind which creates in him this urge and interest. This is not wandering in dark but is a sustained effort and exercise that could be taken up while one is young in spirit.
Only a wise with all his best efforts will try to avoid the war in the first instance, but when you are forcefully drawn into a war, you have to fight for and against this or that side. Kill and / or get killed. War is the inevitability destiny has forced upon you. And condemning war or running away from war benefits in no way."
Apathy to the sorrow of the mankind only adds to it and aggravates the situation even more.
This is not Compassion which is / was directed to men of ascetic-mind.
--
--
The Tibetan Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama describes the Reality of war.
Don't we know already? Don't we have that much common-sense?
The war is constantly ongoing a process in life at the individual and the collective level.
At the very level of existence where the survival of the form is challenged every moment.
From the tiny insect to the societies, cultures, civilizations.
So is it wise to condemn, denounce the war?
When a stupid fails to think on his own cruelties, the violence, the formidable destruction of not only of the great values, but of the life itself as well and not only the human beings but in many forms, you just can't preach him. He is blinded by the fear, passion, rage, authority, be it a book, or the people in authoritative position he depends upon for his life and survival. And not to mention of course, of his pleasures which have already destroyed the minds of all of us since the tradition of following blindly some-one or something has began.
So war is in our blood and keeps inviting blood, unless we cleanse and purify our blood.
War is a great folly and foolhardy too, yet without understanding why war is in our blood condemning denouncing the war is far more a greater one.
A man of sane mind can see the utter meaningless and the destruction the war brings.
We kill our own brethren not only those who we think are our enemy, but also those who we think are our relatives, friends, loved-ones our own blood.
Arjun too was possessed by this pity and asked to Krishna :
"Is it not sheer mindlessness, stupidity to kill our brethren for capturing and enjoying the pleasures of power, wealth and land? When they are not with us what use we have of these things? Is it not better to live one's life by means of alms or like the mendicants who feed on the wild plant-roots, leaf, fruits and such things?"
To this, Krishna suggested :
"Arjun! You are a born kshatriya and your very nature would not let you follow this whim of your mind. Those mendicants, Muni who live in the forests have a goal of attaining the Supreme Truth, to know what the ultimate meaning and essence of the life. They are ready to pay the price to fulfill their urge for this. They have the ripened understanding that the world can give you the food, cloth and shelter but for this too you need to pay the price. And you have to fritter away your peace of mind in this effort to maintain the life with all those luxuries which have no limit. And seeing the utter meaninglessness of war you are resigned to all this and accepted to embrace the life of an ascetic in order to find the deeper meaning of life as a whole. So they are convinced that the world and its joys and pleasures have no intrinsic value or meaning and only hinder the search for Truth.
Arjun ! On the other hand Arjun! you are thinking of escaping from this inevitable eventuality of war, the destiny has brought for you only because of aversion to war and its consequences.
There is a contrast poles apart.
You are walking into a vacuum while those ascetics after having well understood the hollowness, the emptiness and the absurdity of the apparent world and its pleasures and pains, saw there is no other way for a wise to find out the greater and the Ultimate Truth that is but self or Self, for everyone is spontaneously aware of one's self, though may not see the significance easily. To find out the meaning and significance of this 'self' or 'Self' one needs to have urge and has attained the maturity of mind which creates in him this urge and interest. This is not wandering in dark but is a sustained effort and exercise that could be taken up while one is young in spirit.
Only a wise with all his best efforts will try to avoid the war in the first instance, but when you are forcefully drawn into a war, you have to fight for and against this or that side. Kill and / or get killed. War is the inevitability destiny has forced upon you. And condemning war or running away from war benefits in no way."
Apathy to the sorrow of the mankind only adds to it and aggravates the situation even more.
This is not Compassion which is / was directed to men of ascetic-mind.
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