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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: F.A.Q. 18
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War and Peace QUESTION: What is the position of Yoga on war, peace
and non-violence? ANSWER: In common with all Dharmic
Traditions (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism), Yoga teaches that Non-violence
(Ahimsa) must be the fundamental basis to a life in Unity with Truth. Indeed, many traditional Yogic texts count Non-violence as the
first of the Ten Commandments of Yoga, the other nine being:
Truthfulness (Satya), Not Stealing (Asteya), Right Sexual Conduct (Dharmacharya),
Detachment from Material Possessions (Aparigraha),
Austerity (Tapas), Spiritual Study (Svadhyaya), Purity (Shaucha),
Contentment (Santosha) and Worship of God (Ishvara-Pujana). Yoga teaches that the Universe is God's Creation. More
importantly, it teaches that God lives in all creatures. For this reason, all
living things must be treated with respect. Those who mistreat or kill
animals are sure to sink into Hell, declare the Holy Scriptures of India.
Even plants must not be damaged or destroyed without good reason.
Non-violence, therefore, permeates all aspects of Yogic life. The Yogic Principle of Ahimsa has become a universally recognised principle that not only became the very
foundation of Indian culture and civilisation but
it spread to the rest of the World, including the West. For example, it may
be found in the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors in Ancient Greece and among
the Ten Commandments of the Bible. However, Non-violence is not to be taken as an absolute law
but as a general principle that does not exclude violence (or forceful
action) as a legitimate means of upholding peace, order and justice if and
when peaceful means either have patently failed or are reasonably expected to
fail. The fact is that Non-violence only works if practised by all. Indeed, were Non-violence to be practised in an absolute sense in all circumstances by a
section of Humankind only, the World would be ruled by aggressive people who
take advantage of the others' excessive love of peace (or fear of violence). We can see what happens in the animal kingdom where aggressive
animals prey on peaceful ones. Yet even there, normally peaceful creatures
such as cattle can be fiercely protective of their young and ready to defend
themselves if attacked. Indeed, all creatures, from the elephant down to the
ant will fight to defend their life and territory. It is therefore
unreasonable to expect humans not to defend themselves against those who
intend to harm them or their fellow humans. To see somebody being assaulted
and refrain from helping him on the grounds of non-violence is both absurd
and inhuman. The fact is that, in allowing an evil-doer to commit a crime,
we (a) allow the victim to suffer and (b) sentence the perpetrator to a
guaranteed (future) punishment from which he could have been saved, had we
acted to prevent the crime from being committed. In the light of this, it
becomes evident that violent, forceful or aggressive actions performed in the
interest of upholding life, peace, justice and truth,
must be recognised as being in accord with the
general principle of Non-violence, being aimed at, and ultimately resulting
in, the establishment or reinforcement of peace and order. Thus the Holy Scriptures of India declare: "There is no
greater virtue than Non-violence. Even Violence committed according to
scriptural injunctions is to be praised as Non-violence" (Kurma Purana II.11.15). Lawful Killing According to Yoga, man has no power, indeed, no life of his
own. He derives the powers of knowledge and action, whereby he lives his
life, from the Universal Consciousness or God. He is therefore under the
obligation to use those powers as intended by the Giver and true Owner of the
powers and not as he pleases. In other words, man must live in Unity with
Truth. Indeed, Truth and Life are one and the same. This fact is acknowledged
in Yoga by the use of closely related words to describe both Life (Satta) and Truth (Satya). In
consequence, only life in unity with Truth can qualify as true life, properly
speaking. A life of crime, violence and sin is the opposite of True Life as
it leads not to life but to death, destruction and untruth. For this reason, the life of violent criminals and
terrorists, for example, may be taken for the purpose of preserving the life
of peaceful and law-abiding citizens. Criminals and terrorists, after all, are
well-acquainted with both the rules and the consequences of breaking the
rules. The decision to commit a crime is always a deliberate and informed
one. If they reform themselves and take to the Path of Righteousness, they
should be welcomed with open arms. If, however, they adhere to evil ways, the
shock of being deprived of their own life will certainly put them on the
right path in a future existence. Punitive force, therefore, may well be
applied for reasons of compassion and result in good. By contrast,
Non-violence or tolerance of crime can result in an increase in crime and
therefore defeat its own purpose. While Peace is always desirable, the fact is that Justice is
more important than Peace. Without Justice, there can be no true Peace. A
dictator may preserve Peace by suppressing all legitimate dissent against
him, but people will know in their heart that this is unjust and the sense of
injustice will prevent them from enjoying peace of mind. Moreover, an
injustice once committed will tend to attract further injustice and whatever
superficial Peace has been forcibly established will ultimately collapse and
give way to conflict. Therefore, Justice may sometimes require that physical
force be applied on the part of the righteous. Even from a legal point of view, it is lawful to take the life
of another man in self-defence or in the defence of others. It would be unreasonable for a man to
be sent to prison for killing an intruder who enters his house in the middle
of the night with the intention to commit a crime, or a soldier who kills
enemies in battle. The same is true from a Spiritual perspective. Thus the
Shiva Purana clearly states that he who takes the
life of one who is inimical to Lord Shiva, shall not be reborn, that is, he
will go to Heaven and enjoy everlasting life. Even if he were to lose his own
life in the fight without slaying the enemy, he shall be liberated along with
his family for twenty-one generations. The twelfth-century Shaiva Teacher Basava,
taught that a person who disparages or belittles Shiva should be put to death
(Siddhanta-Shikhamani 9, 36). Such a stance is
clearly supported by Scripture. The Skanda Purana states that “violence to human beings shall not be
committed. But whosoever transgresses
the Law of Shiva (Shiva Dharma) shall be killed forthwith without regard to
sex, parentage and the like”. This may sound a little extreme in the
materialistic World of today where belief in God is treated with derision and
contempt by anti-Spiritual elements in the media, political establishment and
education authorities. However, a little reflection will show that the
ancients were not quite as unreasonable as it may sound. Shiva or God, is the Supreme Principle of Goodness and the Source
of everything that is good. If a man opposes God, he opposes Goodness and its
Law upon which righteous life rests. Those who oppose the fundamental
principles of human life commit a crime against Humanity and against God. Though
they may not realise it, they are evil men and the
enemies of both men and God. Anybody who opposes Goodness is, by definition, evil. Such
persons deserve to be punished unless, of course, they repent and take to the
Path of Righteousness. Yoga is a just and compassionate faith. Says the Shiva
Purana: “Even after committing a great sin, if any
one worships Shiva with devotion he is freed from his sin. Shiva is merciful
towards His devotees. Hence He is called Bhaktavatsala
(Favourably Disposed to His devotees)”. Indeed, Scripture
stresses Shiva’s Mercifulness again and again in very clear terms which
suggest that Divine punishment is ultimately for the elevation of the
transgressor: “It is only to bless you that this punishment has been meted
out to you” (Shiva Purana). Nor must we lose sight of the fact that the highest Goal of
Yoga is to destroy one's own inner enemies, such as ignorance, greed,
hatred, laziness and so on. By overcoming the inner enemies, we will be more
successful in conquering our outer foes. Suicide Another form of violence or physical force conducive to
termination of human life that is expressly permitted in the Scriptures is
suicide. Yoga teaches that human life must be conducted in such a way as to
preserve every man's honour and dignity. If living
in dignity becomes impossible, then man should at least be given the
opportunity to die in a dignified manner. The taking of one's own life on the
grounds of terminal illness, to avoid excessive suffering, humiliation or
captivity, or for religious motives is permitted in Spiritual Law. The Shiva Purana declares that "he who willingly forsakes his life as prescribed in the
Scriptures of Shiva, be it by fasting, by consigning his body to a holy fire,
or by plunging into rivers that are sacred to Shiva, shall attain salvation
without fail". Equally meritorious is the practice of the Rite of the Great
Departure (Mahaprasthana) whereby one may
"walk, fully determined and following a straight path, in a
north-easterly direction, subsisting on nothing but water and air, until his
body sinks to rest. A pious man, having cast off his body by one of the
methods practised by Great Sages, shall be exalted
in Heaven and shall be free from fear and sorrow" (Manu Smriti VI, 31-32). What must be emphasised is that for
the termination of one's own life to qualify as lawful certain criteria must
be first met. The most important of these is that it must not harm other
living beings. The only exception to this are
suicidal acts that harm one's enemies or the enemies of one's country, for
example, in times of war. Such acts are permitted and even commended in
Spiritual Law. It goes almost without saying that Spiritual people must not
hesitate to lay down their lives in the cause of Dharma when such action is
likely to cause harm to the enemy or encourage the righteous. Secondly, suicide must be a voluntary action that is carried
out deliberately, as a lucid and rational decision. Suicidal acts committed
under the influence of intoxicant substances or negative emotional states
like grief, anger, etc., are to be avoided as far as possible as they may
adversely affect one's future life. An ideal death must occur in a state of mind characterised by calmness and alert detachment in order
for the dying person to secure happiness in his next life. Assisted suicide falls under the same category as suicide
and is accordingly permitted in Yoga in certain circumstances. To this we may
count euthanasia (compassionate killing) as practised
in some Western countries, the Hindu custom of sati (sutee)
as well as the ancient Japanese ritual of seppuku. We may observe that other faiths fully agree with this
fundamental Yogic teaching. Thus Western Scriptures clearly state that
"Death is better than a bitter life and eternal rest than sickness"
(Ecclesiasticus 30:17). War for Peace and Righteousness As far as war situations are concerned, it is essential to
understand that from the beginning of written history war has been part of
human existence. This is still true in many parts of the World today. Even
developed countries who have enjoyed peace for decades
have only succeeded to do so by exporting their conflicts to undeveloped
countries. Expressions such as "spoils of war" are based on facts
of history: the wealth and status of most leading nations in the World today
were built on acts of war against other countries - not to mention piracy and
slave trade. In a World devoid of proper Spiritual Guidance,
conflict is often unavoidable. And since conflicts cannot always be resolved
by peaceful means, war often becomes necessary. The position of Yoga on this
point is not only logical but is also supported by all major Spiritual
traditions. In the Hindu Scripture, Bhagavat Gita for example, Lord Krishna clearly advocates military
action not only as a legitimate form of self-defence
but as a Spiritual duty. Likewise, it is written in Hindu Law (Manu Smriti,
VII, 87-88): "A king who, while observing his
duty of protecting his people, is defied by foes, be they equal in strength,
or stronger, or weaker, must not shrink from battle, remembering a Warrior's
duty. Not to turn back in battle, to protect the people, to honour the holy Priests, is the best means for a king to
secure happiness". And: "He who kills in the cause of right
commits no sin" (VIII, 349). Moreover, those who refuse to give
assistance according to the duties (to which they have been appointed by the
King) or to their ability, such as in the case of a village being attacked by
robbers or a dyke being destroyed, etc., are actually committing a punishable
offence (ibidem, IX, 272-274). Among Buddhists, some supporters of Non-violence point out
that, in an earlier incarnation, the Buddha himself is said to have offered
his own flesh to a tigress that due to illness was unable to feed her cubs.
To this it may be replied that the Buddha's action may have been appropriate
in that particular life, but that he did not repeat this in his last
incarnation as a Buddha, when physical self-sacrifice would have frustrated
his World-enlightening teaching activities. It may also be legitimately argued that, if 20th century
Tibetan Buddhists had taken care to set up a proper defence
system, then perhaps they would not have been invaded and subjected to
oppression and genocide by Communist China. Indeed, historical evidence shows
that Buddhist monks hailing from India were responsible for the dissemination
of both Buddhism and martial arts over large areas of Asia. Buddhist
countries are known to have opted for military action whenever this was seen
as necessary. In consequence, forceful action for the purpose of self-defence or reinforcement of law and order does not appear
to have been viewed as incompatible with Buddhist teachings in former times. Historically speaking, military action has often proved to
influence the life of many people in positive ways despite the suffering and
loss of life it may cause. It must be regarded as beyond dispute, for
example, that the German Uprising against British World hegemony in the first
half of the 20th century led to the dissolution of the British Empire,
enabling many nations, including India, to gain freedom from British
domination. Armed struggle against foreign invasion and occupation
is at any rate universally accepted as legitimate. The Shiva Purana (Uma Samhita,
20:33), a Hindu Scripture closely allied to the Yoga Tradition says: "A
righteous war is conducive to the attainment of Heaven. It sanctifies and
increases the manifold beauty of a man". And: "He who falls in
battle without surrendering his weapons attains to Everlasting Heaven"
(20:25). Likewise, in the Christian Gospel (Luke 22:36), Jesus tells
his followers to sell their clothes and buy swords (presumably for purposes
of self-defence). He also tells them: "But
those enemies of mine who would not submit
themselves to my rule, bring here and slay them before me" (Luke 19:27).
And again: "You shall hear of wars and rumours
of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to
pass" (Matthew 24:6). In other words, it is admitted that violence and
wars are sometimes necessary and cannot be avoided. In this particular case,
Jesus was referring to the Jewish uprising against Roman Rule in the years
66-70 CE. Statements of a similar nature may be found in the Scriptures
of Judaism, Islam and other faiths. Thus the great Guru and Prophet of the
Sikhs, Govind Singh, said: "When all other
means have failed, it is righteous to draw the sword". And the Quran declares: "Fighting is obligatory for you,
much as you dislike it. But you may hate a thing although it is good for you,
and love a thing although it is bad for you" (2:216). Fighting in a righteous cause is good for a number of reasons.
It is good because it is conducive to the establishment of Universal Order
and Justice (Dharma) and hence constitutes a fulfilment
of Divine Will. It is good because it enables the fighter to overcome
selfishness and fear which is one of the greatest obstacles in life in
general and in Spiritual life, in particular. It is good because the
hardships endured by a fighter, including injury and death, constitute a sure
means of cleansing oneself of sins that would otherwise be difficult to
eradicate. For this reason it has been said that those who lay down their
earthly life in the cause of Dharma (Divine Law), shall receive the greatest honours. The same position may be found among the Ancient Greeks and
Romans for whom laying down one's life for the sake of one's country and
one's faith was not only a religious duty but a great honour.
Thus speaks the celebrated poet Horatius: "And
how can man die better than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers
and the Temples of his Gods?". RIGHTEOUS or JUST WAR (DHARMA YUDDHA),
therefore, must be admitted to be a well-established universal principle. Forceful action in the face of adversity is often the only
means of establishing good. On the other hand, misguided kindness may
actually result in evil. If, for example, unreformed criminals are pardoned
or released from prison, they will invariably return to crime which could
have been prevented had they been treated less kindly. Therefore, the Shiva Purana
declares: "Kindness towards violent enemies is not ultimately conducive
to good. He who is kind to such ones is really unkind even though his
unkindness is concealed by apparent kindness. It is therefore established
that kindness does not always result in good" (Vayaviya
Samhita I, 31:39-42). The fact is that peace-fanatics can do just as much damage to
themselves, their families and their country as compulsive warmongers. On the
other hand, it is beyond dispute that war that results in peace and justice
is to be preferred to peace that results in conflict and injustice. All major
Spiritual traditions hold both violent and non-violent action to be
legitimate according to the requirements of a given situation. This is a position
with which the Yoga Tradition itself is in complete agreement. After all, Spiritual life and, for that matter, true
Democracy, are not about complacency and implicit acceptance of disorder and
crime but about having the courage to fight evil and defend justice in the
same way, for example, as a living organism fights disease. For this reason,
it is every man's duty to uproot evil and cultivate what is good, that Dharma
(Divine Law) may be established in all quarters of the Earth. Yoga therefore teaches that it is every responsible
person's duty to actively support Universal Order on Earth either by peaceful
means, if possible, or by forceful means, if necessary. From among India's
most noble warriors (both human and Divine) who are celebrated for their
heroic deeds, we may mention Lord Murugan (Karttikeya), Lord Rama, King Skanda Gupta and Shivaji Maharaj. The Gandhian
myth of non-violence Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi was an English-educated lawyer who was active in
Indian politics until his death in 1948. Much has been made of Gandhi’s
doctrine of non-violence as a means of achieving political ends, in
particular, Indian independence from British rule. Indeed, Gandhi’s disciples
have taken to promoting non-violence as a panacea for all ills. On analysis,
however, such a stance becomes fundamentally flawed for several reasons. 1. To assume that the
British colonial powers were afraid of non-violence is absurd. The fact is
that the British quit India not because of Gandhi’s non-violence but because
the British occupation of India had become untenable. It must be remembered
that Britain had willingly entered two World Wars (in 1914 and 1939) on the
pretext of saving Europe from German expansion (in reality, to protect her own
imperialist interests). Morally speaking, therefore, the British could hardly
defend their own occupation of India. Indeed, it was not just India who
demanded independence. Following the German example, the entire
British-occupied world from Ireland to Africa and the Middle East began to
challenge British domination. The Empire was falling apart and, in the wake
of the Second World War, Britain lacked the financial and military resources
to keep it together. Thus the British left India because it was wise to leave while
they could do so peacefully. The alternative, that is, the threat of violence
on failure of peaceful withdrawal was very real and must be regarded as the
principal motivation in the British decision to leave: the Indian masses
could have turned to violence any time had the British been foolish enough to
insist on staying. When half a billion people peacefully ask you to leave
their country, you leave not because you are impressed by the peacefulness of
the request but because you prefer not to risk the potentially violent
consequences of a refusal to comply. And that is that. 2. Not only did
Gandhi’s doctrine of non-violence have little influence on British
withdrawal, but it also failed to prevent the division of India into Hindu
India and Muslim Pakistan (and later into India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). It
also failed to solve the Hindu-Muslim conflict which continues unabated in
Kashmir and other parts of India down to this day. 3. Finally,
Gandhi’s own violent death must be regarded as evidence of his failure. If
non-violence proves incapable of saving one’s own life, how can it save or
solve anything else? In the Yoga
Sutra, it is stated that “when an
individual is firmly established in non-violence (ahimsa), all beings who come near him also cease to be hostile”. This is no
doubt correct. However, it implies that, if the beings who
come near a man do not cease to be hostile, then that man is not firmly
established in non-violence. In other words, Gandhi was insufficiently firmly
established in non-violence to make much difference, as we have shown above. The fact is that a cow’s peacefulness is insufficient to prevent its
violent death at the hand of violent creatures, be they lions, wolves or men.
Likewise, the peacefulness of Hindus has not prevented their near
extermination at the hands of violent Muslims in Kashmir, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and other parts of India. Indeed, as Gandhi’s own violent end
demonstrates, a man’s non-violence cannot always overpower violence. And if
non-violence failed in Gandhi’s case, how is it going to succeed in the case
of ordinary men? In consequence, the Gandhian doctrine of non-violence must be regarded as a
tool of propaganda and indoctrination designed to keep Indians docile,
submissive and subservient to Western interests. It must be observed that
Western powers themselves are ready to employ violent means whenever it suits
them, as in the case of Iraq. The Iraq War As the Coalition-led war in Iraq (2003-2004) has been the
cause of much controversy among nations, it will be pertinent to take it as
an illustration for the practical application of Yogic principles. While some
have declared it to be illegal, others have seen it as a righteous war that
was necessary in order to remove an evil dictator from power. Among those who opposed the war, we may mention the United
Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
Firstly, Mr Annan is an
economist by profession and not a lawyer. He cannot therefore make any legal
pronouncements. Secondly, the UN has been exposed by former UN ambassador, Dore Gold, and others, as one of the most corrupt and
dangerous organisations in the World that cannot
claim to hold the moral high ground it seeks to establish for itself.
Thirdly, the UN is quite happy to accept the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the
Turkish and Iranian occupation of Kurdish and Armenian territories and the
Pakistani occupation of Kashmir, among many other illegal actions perpetrated
by a number of rogue nations all over the World. Fourthly, the UN has
manifestly failed to offer any viable alternative to war in Iraq. In these
circumstances, it is difficult to see how Mr Annan can object to Anglo-American actions. Indeed, on strict logic, dictating to a sovereign country when
it should or should not conduct military actions (in self-defence
or in the defence of others) against another country, amounts to denying the sovereignty of that
country. Sovereign nations who have their own,
lawfully elected leaders, cannot be expected to put their interests in the
hands of a Mr Annan. One
can make a moral judgement as to whether or not a
particular military action is justified. The problem with that is that human
morality is a highly subjective thing, all the more so when it is tainted by
political, cultural, religious or financial commitments. From a Spiritual perspective, there cannot be any
objection to military action carried out for the purpose of removing an evil
dictator from power and preventing the deliberate oppression and murder of
millions of innocent people. Yoga, therefore, has no problem with the Anglo-American
invasion of Iraq. However, the way in which the post-war situation is handled
by the invading forces is a different matter. It will remain to be seen
whether the Coalition is as adept at making peace as it is at making war. The War on Terrorism The same principles that apply to Iraq are also applicable to
the war on International Terrorism: It is right to invade,
attack or otherwise punish or restrain countries that are patently sponsoring
terrorism and threatening World Peace, Stability and Unity. India, the Holy Land of Yoga and all Dharmic
Faiths, has for centuries had to defend herself
against attacks by the forces of foreign terrorism. The main sponsors of
terrorism in the World today are Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Saudi
Arabian forces have been attacking India since the Middle Ages. NOTE: It is important to understand that
Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of India until 1947 when they were
surrendered to the forces of radical Islam by the Communist (Congress) rulers
of India in collaboration with the British colonial authorities. These Indian
territories are now under Muslim occupation and are being used as a base for
attacks on India and other countries (al-Qaida, the
name of the Muslim fundamentalist terror organisation
founded by Osama bin Laden, is an Arabic word for
"base"). The main objectives of the Arabia-Pakistan-Bangladesh axis are
to drive all Hindus out of the formerly Hindu Kingdom of Kashmir (North
India) and cause as much disruption as possible to the economy of India. This
is done through massive infiltration by extremist Islamist elements as well
as daily attacks on Indian buses, trains, schools, temples, financial centres and government buildings. The fact is that if the
problem is not urgently resolved, India will soon fall into the hands of
terrorists and the World will sink into a state of unprecedented Spiritual
and material darkness. The situation is further complicated by Communist China's own
anti-Indian activities such as the occupation of Tibet and sponsoring
terrorist groups who now practically control large areas in the Eastern parts
of India, including Nepal. Other countries such as North America and Britain
need to revise their own anti-Indian policies. American and British people
must ask themselves whether selling arms to India's aggressive neighbours (e.g., Pakistan) and imposing Western culture
on Indian people constitutes an act of friendship towards that country. In addition to these external attacks against India we may
observe that elements within India's own ruling classes - which are largely
dominated by Soviet-style left-wing organisations -
are equally engaged in anti-Indian acts of subversion, sabotage and
collaboration with the Enemy Forces. Given that there is no political will to resolve this
problem, the only solution is for Spiritual leaders and the armed forces in
their capacity as true guardians of India to assume leadership and immediately
proceed to defend the nation against her declared enemies. The Forces of
Global Atheism, Communism and Islamic Terrorism must be driven out of the
Holy Land of India which is the Glorious Abode of Righteousness and the
Bastion of the Supreme Eternal Law (Sanatana
Dharma) on Earth. |