Spirituality The Key to the Resolution of the Problems of Our Age
The modern human society is engulfed by challenging problems such as pollution, environmental imbalances, unethical practices, religious intolerance, terrorism, etc. on the social and global fronts and stress, fear, job uncertainty, etc. on the personal front. Even birds, animals and other living species have suffered due to selfish human activities; deforestation and the dumping of the industrial waste into rivers for instance have had detrimental effects on the food chain and the habitat conditions of several species, generating fear of extinction of some of them.The idea that changes need to be made in order to solve problems is widely accepted across the globe. It is also recognised that it is our duty to ensure a bright and better future for the coming generations. How can these two requirements be met? What approach should we take? Several suggestions have been put forward.
For example, a group of intellectuals has been saying for a long time that financial hardships give rise to all problems. If the economic condition improves, prosperity will increase and then no one will remain backward nor will anyone have to adopt dishonesty or theft as a means of earning money. Thinkers of this group do not lay as much stress on increasing the production or savings on expenditure as they do on equal distribution. They argue that if money is taken from the haves and distributed amongst the have-nots, the financial condition of the masses will improve. As a result, solutions to moral and other problems will also be found. The people of this group identify themselves as communists.
A second group considers the lack of education to be the cause of backwardness. This group believes that the solution to all the national and international problems, including that of morality, can be found in improving the educational level of the masses. A third group says that the government has enormous power in its hands for halting the activities of criminal elements; at the same time it can use national resources for opening the doors of progress and prosperity.
A fourth group considers the exclusiveness of communities or nations as the cause of mutual conflict. They think that in order to unite everyone, we must put an end to all differences, so that a single world-nation, world-religion, world-family could be created, that can automatically lead to peace and prosperity. A fifth group, comprising of scientists, has a solid faith in science to solve all the problems of the world. However, scientific knowledge is relative and thus incomplete; it does not have definite answers to many basic questions pertaining to human life, such as the mystery of life and death.
1. In fact, most of the time, problems are created due to the errors, wickedness or immoral behaviour of people. Sometimes circumstances too generate hardships. Wise persons try to find solutions to such problems with the help of existing resources. Efforts are made to compensate the damage and curtail the corrupt practices but a long-term solution is not found. Problems continue to arise from time to time. Circumstances are never created in which an individual is given protection and the society is seen in an orderly state, although such circumstances are hoped for and anticipated. Peace therefore remains only a pleasant illusory dream.The above approaches for finding solutions to problems are only partially correct. Even if all the suggestions are implemented, it can solve the problems faced by the human race to a limited extent, because they suggest the eradication of symptoms that apparently seem to be the causes of many hardships and disturbances. It is akin to using allopathic medicine to suppress the symptoms of a disease. For a permanent cure of any disease, the root cause has to be diagnosed and then targeted.The universal governing power of a human being is "consciousness."
2. It gives birth to beliefs, faith and desires. These impulses form the personality of an individual. It is the faith that generates desires. Thoughts play an indispensable role in fulfilling desires. A person will first have a thought to fulfill a desire and then he will perform the necessary action. Since the performance of a task is visible to our eyes while thoughts are not, we base our judgment of whether the task is good or bad and deserves praise or blame on false appearances. From the materialistic point of view, only this is possible and in fact it is appropriate too. However the fact remains that it is thoughts that lead to actions and so they deserve praise or blame in the real sense. Thoughts possess the power to mould the personality and give it a direction towards progress or failure. A person is what he thinks.Thoughts are extremely powerful. They inspire a person to take decisions regarding what is to be done and what is not to be done. This decision-making capability lies with the brain. Motivations are generated in the brain. The organs of the body simply obey them like faithful servants. Therefore, it is the brain that is responsible for good or bad deeds...
