Preparing the world for peace and justice
What makes us human, and why is there a systemic breakdown at all levels of present-day society? Multiple narratives provide plausible answers, but none appear to be satisfactory, given the health of our planet. The Golden Rule states that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
Perhaps the question ‘who am i?’ can be better understood by rephrasing it as ‘What kind of human being am i?’ along with two related questions: What is my purpose in life? Why am i here? When confronted with frightening circumstances or thoughts, a tiny part of our brain called the amygdala goes into overdrive. Called the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response, all it takes is one singular situation or thought, and our whole world can turn upside down.
Bahá’u’lláh, founder of Bahá’í Faith, whose birth anniversary is being celebrated throughout the world, enjoins humanity to think more of others: “Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbours.”
Whether or not a person loves his neighbour may seem unimportant or trivial in relation to bigger concepts such as world peace. The reality of man is his thought, not his material body. “When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.” Bahá’í writings emphasise the power of positive thoughts to counteract negative ones, particularly in the context of interpersonal relationships.
Bahá’ís believe that very few people consciously and deliberately do a wrong act. They usually have a justification for what they are doing. People cannot help acting the way they do. They are the product of their background and environment. If we remember this, we will not get angry or despise them. Rather, we would think of their background and circumstances and how they were raised and try to help.
Humanity yearns to live by the Rig Ved dictum: “Common be your prayer; Common be your end; Common be your purpose; Common be your deliberation; Common be your desires; Unified be your hearts; Unified be your intentions; Perfect be the union among you.” And yet individuals easily succumb to baser instincts.
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius said, “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. The soul becomes dyed with colours of its thoughts.” The Buddha said, “Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.”
On any given day, thousands of thoughts flood our brains, and many negative ones are simply untrue. Challenging destructive thoughts about ourselves or others and being compassionate throughout difficult situations can keep negativity and its resulting ill effects in check. How one reacts to people could make all the difference. People treat you as they are, not as you are.
We should associate with kind souls whenever possible. In his book The Hidden Words, Bahá’u’lláh wrote: “Company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship with the righteous cleanseth rust from off the heart.” Bahá’ís believe that upheavals and convulsions are preparing the world for the promised era of peace and justice, and that the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh has set in motion forces that would eventually hasten Golden Age for human race.
Today is 208th birth anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh
The writer is secretary, Bahá’í Spiritual Assembly of Delhi
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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