Do I have too much time on my hands?
Someone was asking about the Gita.
I dont think that the Gita or my interpretation of the Gita promotes violence. But I think that its saying that - to everything there is a season.- This is a part of the ongoing discussion. In particular the defence of Che and the Revolution.
Dismissing heroes who have used violence just because they have used violence dismisses a heck of a lot of heroes!
Gita refers to the war as Dharma Yuddha, meaning just war.
Commonly referred to as The Gita, it is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna which takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, just prior to the start of climactic war. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties and then elaborates on the Yogic teachings, with examples and analogies. During the discourse, Krishna reveals that he is the Supreme Being Himself , and blesses Arjuna with an awe-inspiring glimpse of His divine Absolute form.
“Valour, glory, firmness, skill, generosity, steadiness in battle and ability to rule - these constitute the duty of a soldier. They flow from his own nature.”
"Think thou also of thy duty and do not waver. There is a war that opens the doors of heaven Arjuna! Happy warriors whose fate is to fight such a war. But to forgo this fight for righteousness is to forgo thy duty and honour:is to fall into transgression."
"If any man thinks he slays and if any man thinks he is slain, neither knows the ways of truth. The Eternal in man cannot kill: the Eternal in man cannot die"
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Violence vs Non-violence
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6 comments:
more on just war:
The reason for going to war needs to be just and cannot therefore be solely for recapturing things taken or punishing people who have done wrong; innocent life must be in imminent danger and intervention must be to protect life. Force may be used only to correct a grave, public evil, i.e., aggression or massive violation of the basic human rights of whole populations."
This is also a very good essay on the topic:
http://www.rosicrucian.com/2qa/2qaeng09.htm#question163
I like this topic.
I wonder if our self-consciousness (morality, ethics, self-awareness) is really that much of a gift. Do animals feel just or unjust? I would argue no – but it’s interesting to consider, especially reading fiction like “Not wanted on the Voyage”, “Watership Down”, or any of those types of tales that associate humanistic qualities to animals. Why do humans like to portray animals with human traits – and why do we like to read/hear these stories?
When I think about war, especially in the time of Arjuna and Krishna I think of how different it was. Imagine killing someone with a sword, spear, or dagger; face to face with their breath on your cheeks.
It must have felt heroic to survive something like medieval war. There is something heroic about besting another creature, your strength against theirs – an intimate struggle. Our society is still very much in love with this struggle as evidenced in sports. Sports, at the heart of it, are as close as you can come to war without war. It is the conflict/competition of will, heart, desire, strength, etc and we love it – just reference the annual revenue of any major sport and the numbers speak for themselves.
Damon, who was not the biggest or strongest person I’ve known by any stretch, used to often tell me that he day dreamed about being in a bar and flipping over a table full of drinks at the start of a brawl. What is it inside us that relishes that creature to creature struggle so much?
If the apocalypse came and we were reduced to our basic selves would we rebuild this same society all over again – with all of its ills? I like to think of that post-apocalyptic time on occasion. I for one would surely die. How many others would too? Lots I imagine. As a whole we’re no longer fit to survive in the wild and the world is a wild, wild place for certain. Is that a good thing? I like to think so. It’s humbling.
I feel I’ve digressed or wandered a lot here – but I like it so I’ll continue.
Recently I was reading articles about scandal in the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Put people in a lawless scenario, without consequence and see what happens – it’s scary. Or, is it? It’s certainly violent but is that wrong? I put this in context but I’m speaking right and wrong out of context – like universally. Are we denying ourselves something in this society that manifests itself in scenarios like that? Some thing that festers until it becomes so gross and twisted that when released it’s terrifying.
Part of me detests violence but another part of me, to be honest, craves it. In my past I played several very physical contact (collision is perhaps more apt) sports and I still spend time longing for those days. I’ve been in a few fights and although scary, I can’t deny the excitement. On that same token, my brother was jumped by a gang of guys wielding baseball bats in a parking-lot a few years ago and it was terrifying.
In a lawless scenario who would I be? If given a license to kill would I? Could I? Who you any of you be?
Edit: The last line should read "Who would any of you be?"
I always thought that guys were into sports, fighting, and war because of an instinct to hunt that has been repressed since the caveman days where typically men's main job was to kill for survival.
Compared to women, men usually have more muscle tone, testosterone, and ability for spatial perceptions that make them ideal for this task.
So maybe watching sports is sort of vicariously satisfying this hardwired urge.
Wow, too many ideas for me to respond to. But
I think sports are also a part of our social need. We are essentially a pack animal, cheering for our tribe to be the strongest, and most likely to survive. (What's better for the group is better for the individual).
When it comes to violence I have come to the same crossroads in my thought. It is a standard "moral dilemma" question. Is there any time when it's right to kill/harm? Obviously there are many views. If you had a gun and Hitler was there, would you shoot him? It seems some people get pretty heated if you say no too quick, understandably. On the other hand, what do they expect me to do? Murder?. Even that exaggerated scenario makes both options look pretty crappy, and there are many variations of this dilemma, a sort of gradient spanning a large portion of human experience. Hopefully you won't be exposed to too many from the severe end of that scale, and if you are, think carefully and deeply.
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