WHITHER OUR SOCIETY

WHITHER  OUR SOCIETY?

The brutal murder of Swathi, of Infosis, Chennai, on the platform at Nugambakkam railway station, poses a number of questions! It was a broad daylight murder in the presence of a large number of passengers.  Even as they saw, the person slashed Swathi’s neck, jumped the platform even as the train approached and fled! The precious life of the young woman was snubbed out in three minutes.The people who were witnesses to the bloody murder caught the train that arrived and went to their respective places of work! None dared to approach the murderer or chase and catch him. It appears from the statement of the person who saw the incident that two persons chased the man and one of them threw a stone at him. But the man escaped!

Society has failed to save and protect a precious member! Swetha's father was full of remorse and regret as none of the passengers came to her help. Members of our society are found lacking in civic consciousness and very rarely we come across one or two who volunteer to help the needy at the nick of the moment.  people are afraid that they would be drawn into needless troubles by the police. This tendency has to be given up. We should be compassionate to our own brethren, show our love and sympathy especially during situations like this. Why do people turn cruel, desperate and go to the extent of murdering others? What provokes them to indulge in these heinous crimes? Is humanity so beastly as to demolish whatever it dislikes? The fact is that man, in spite of advancement of civilization, science and technology has not lost his basic animal nature! He is the slave of his passions, emotions and desires! Anger, arrogancce, greed and hatred have made him their slave. Having controlled almost everything in the world, Man has lost control over himself. Morality and ethics are at their lowest ebb and people are not bothered about the consequences of their actions.

Most of these heinous crimes are the outcome of disappointment in love affairs! There is confusion in the mind of the Young man. He confuses love with lust. Love is noble; lust is ignoble. Love is compassionate; lust is cruel and beastly. Love is selfless; lust is selfish. Love is eternal; lust is ephemeral. Love is largeheartedness; lust is narrow minded.  Love is not possessive; lust is possessive. Love is not for physical satisfaction of the Senses; lust is only for the physical satisfaction of  the Senses.The ideal lover wants the well-being of his lady love wherever she is and even when she marries another person. The person infected with lust can never tolerate another possess his fiancee! Thus lust is mistaken for love and it has lost all its meaning and significance! Love involves supreme self sacrifice whereas lust murders and destroys! The incident of Nirbhaya’s gang rape is a classical example of what lust is in all its implications.

Why do these things happen? It is because animal instincts in man have gained the upper hand! Man has become selfish and highly materialistic! He has forgotten the purpose for which he is born-- to realize himself. He has lost his moors and has strayed into dangerous waters. He has totally forgotten the very essence of happy and contented life-- human values    namely truth, righteousness, peace, love and nonviolence that form the bedrock of human existence. The world is tormented by violence everywhere. There is no peace in any part of the world. There is dishonesty, fraud and falsehood all over the world. He is mad, mad, and mad after money and is ready to die for it as if it will give him salvation. It is a pity that modern society is drowned in the mire of materialism

How can this worsening situation be altered? “ Spirituality alone will take man to the sacred path leading to his destiny! Spiritual wisdom is not something received from others. It has to blossom from within. For man to acquire peace he has to activate thyaga (sacrifice) and get rid of the sense of dualism. True spirituality consists in the elimination of all animal instincts in man and manifesting the Divine light within.” remarks Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba!!! He should have fear for sin and love for God.-- “ Papa bhiti Daiva priti”.He should recognize the atmic principle in every creature on earth for God manifests himself in every creature as the atmic principle or Spirit. It is not impossible for man to change but it requires a concerted effort on his part. Only when there is a transformation to this effect, in man, society  stands the chance for redemption !!!