Discrimination, a human failing

There is a lot of violence in the world.

More so today, in the name of honour, beliefs, ideologies and nationalism. One human kills another for family honour, for the community, to prove religious supremacy or for the country.

Killing of another human is not alarming anymore, it might just be criticised sometimes or celebrated if it is in the name of patriotism.

We believe we have the right to kill a human from another land, under the pretext of safeguarding our own. And within the nation, we clash over beliefs based on religion, caste or language. Closer home, there is fighting within the family over a difference of opinion. Non-violence towards animals is followed on religious grounds, but the same values are not extended to humans. But remember, carnage can never be growth.

Is there a way to create a peaceful humanity? Certainly, there is. The simplest and only way to create external peace is to experience inner peace. And to experience inner peace, experience inner silence. Peace

radiates from you. Nothing in the external world can give you inner peace, but a peaceful self will certainly create a peaceful surrounding, be it at home, community or in the country.

A superior teaching of our sastras treats humans as ‘Sahaudara, Saha-udari’, not just as brothers and sisters, but equals who can share blood between one another. Your blood knows no discrimination between gender, creed, caste or nationality.

Similarly, one human’s kidney will not discriminate against another’s, based on the divisions created by man. Donated when alive or dead, it will work for another body.

Irrespective of all one’s beliefs and ideologies, this divine quality cannot be changed even if one wished it to. It is a human being’s highest virtue. You belong to all humanity. And if the divine gift, your body makes no discrimination between one human and another, then the walls erected by humans are damaging and misleading at best.

We need to realise we belong to the same source. We are one.

The entire world is our nation and the entire humanity is our relation. This understanding is the foundation for peace in the community, nation and ultimately global peace. I do not know how far this understanding will take you, but certainly it is the first step that humanity can take to make sure we will not move backward anymore.

Wishing you a life of peace, success and happiness

Aham Brahmasmi!!

—Shri Aasaanji is a non-religious, contemporary Spiritual Master and the founder of the Atmayoga Foundation (Institute for Inner-Science and Self-Transformation) www.atmayoga.in