There is so much strife in the world. There are conflicts, economic strife, environmental destruction, wars and hunger, not to mention the massive unrestrained urbanization, in many parts of the world. Sometimes it seems like the Earth has become an unbearable place to live on. Day after day, things seem to be heading for disaster. Optimism has become an expensive commodity. Is there any spiritual way out of this strife in the world?
Even the Great Spiritual Ways Failed
Looking back at history, we find that here have been many great leaders with massive followers. Mass leaders such as: Julius Caesar, Alexander, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Che Guevara, Nelson Mandela and many more who tried to alleviate misery in the world. Many spiritual masters and holy people such as Buddha, Jesus Christ and, Mohamed who prayed, preached and established spiritual ways or religions to put an end to this strife and conflict.
Ironically, even there have been many wars, YES, wars for peace, to fight the menace of conflicts! But to no avail. We find that the scenario has gotten bad to worse in this “modern and civilized” world. Obviously, even great people, of the past and the present, have failed to end the strife. Did their spiritual ways failed to establish complete harmony?
Is There No Hope Left?
Going spiritual way, it certainly looks like a grim situation, however, there is a glimmer of hope–the word ‘I’. Yes, the word called “I”. That immediately raises a question as to what is so special about this word. We use it dozens or scores of times a day. And how does it resolve the issues that we are facing currently? The answer lies in opening up our spiritual eye and then look at “I”. It is the word that may be the most wretched or the greatest, depending upon the (spiritual) way you see it.
Two Sides of the “I” is the Problem
On one hand, the “I” may be your fat ego that wants the world to be in its own way. If things are not as it wants, you will see conflict, destruction and wars in the world. When desires of this “I” are not full filled, it sees hunger and lust out there in the world. This continuous strife has left its imprint on our history. The proofs of it are civil wars in African countries, Hitler’s demonic acts, the World Wars and in recent years ISIS and Syria crisis. All these strife indicate our going off the spiritual path. Incidentally, how a fat ego of an individual called Duryodhan caused one of the greatest wars in the history of the mankind. Read here : Mahabharat
Losing Spiritual Way Further
This “I” is deeply sunk in the quagmire of seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. It is not on the spiritual path, rather it is wrapped in swaddling bands and sealed and veiled behind our senses. These sinful senses constantly seek gratification and thus the “I” goes sinking deeper and deeper. This makes those veils and seals become even stronger tighter to break and the I loses the spiritual way.
Thus when you see famine and floods, discontent, strife and struggle, wars and destruction, it is through this I’s veiled eyes.
What You See Out There is What You Are
The seven sinful veils have wrapped and sealed all your senses . Therefore, if you see that your world is such a wretched and baffling riddle, it is you who is so—wrapped, sealed and veiled self who is the baffling riddle. If you hear all kinds of miserable stories, they are, in fact, spoken by you only—by your mouth wrapped in many layers, sealed and hidden behind seven veils. That is the only way to see it–the spiritual way.
If you see something ugly, it is you who is ugly—look at your eyes, only your eyes, first and last. When someone speaks harshly to you, mind you, it is you only. Your veiled and sealed tongue does that—watch your tongue to wash off the bitter taste of strife.
The way things appear to you is the way you are on the spiritual way. Do not ask the world to shed its horrible veils that you see. Do not try and waste time to change the things. They are doing fine for whatever they are meant to.
Unwrap and Unveil Yourself and You Have the Spiritual Way
It is you who need to unwrap and unveil yourself and the world will unwrap and unveil. Break those seals on your soul and the things will break their seals.
“Let things alone and labor not to change them. For they seem what they seem only because you seem what you see”—The Book of Mirdad
Hence, you should see but yourself only and hear none but you only. Because in all things and beyond all things it is you and you only. In all the words and beyond all words again, it is you only. You are the seer, you are the speaker and you are the creator. That is the only spiritual way to end the strife.
Thus, the key to unwrapping your swaddling pads, unveiling and breaking seals of your senses lies in the word that you utter all the time—the word “I”.
Seed of the God Buried Within Your Heart
It is the way you use it: Our “I” may be the fat ego wrapped, sealed and veiled or it may be your enlightened self–the seed of God buried deep within your heart. This seed is striving hard to sprout when the spiritual path is clear. Then it finally grows to be a lush mature fruit laden tree which gives its bounties and unconditional love. It spreads its love freely among one and all.
That’s how the world changes, you merge with the God who is you only, your true glorious self. Then there is no strife and struggle, no wars and destruction out there. They were in fact, inside your “I” which was wrapped, sealed and veiled with deadly desires. THE ONE AND ONLY SPIRITUAL WAY TO END THE STRIFE IN THIS WORLD.
As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, but in being able to remake ourselves.” ~ Gandhi
Now, it’s your turn to unwrap, break the seals and unveil your “I” to reveal yourself in the full glory, thereby help end the strife in this world.
Share your thoughts below:
Featured Image: Source
Follow Rao TS