Lasting Solution for Modern-Day Conflicts - part 3 > Keynote Address of Her Holiness Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi at the closing Plenary Session of The Parliament of the World’s Religions. July 13, 2004, Barcelona, Spain. ( contd. from page-2)

Wage a War Against Our Common Enemy

Society is comprised of individuals. It is the conflict in the individual mind that manifests as war. When individuals change, society will automatically change. Just as hatred and vengefulness exist in the mind, peace and love can also exist in the mind.

To wage wars, we spend billions of dollars and engage countless people. Think of how much attention and intense effort go into that process! If we were to use even a fraction of this money and effort for the sake of world peace, we could definitely bring about peace and harmony in this world.

Every country spends huge amounts on building security systems. Security is indispensable. But the greatest security of all is to absorb the spiritual principles and live accordingly. We have forgotten this.

The enemies that are today attacking us from within and without cannot be dealt with just by increasing the strength of our weapons. We can no longer afford to delay the rediscovery and strengthening of our most powerful weapon, spirituality, which is inherent in us all.

There are over a billion people in this world suffering from poverty and starvation. This, in truth, is our greatest enemy. Poverty is one of the basic reasons why people commit theft and murder, and become terrorists and prostitutes. Poverty not only affects the body, but also weakens the mind. Such minds are influenced in the name of religion and injected with the poison of terrorist ideals. Looking at it this way, Amma feels that 80% of the problems in society would be resolved if we were to eradicate poverty.

In general, the human race is on a journey without a clear goal.

A man drove up to an intersection and asked a pedestrian, “Could you tell me where this road leads to?”

The pedestrian responded, “Where do you want to go?”

The man replied, “I don’t know.”

“Well then,” said the pedestrian, “it obviously doesn’t matter which road you take!”

We shouldn’t become like this driver.

We need a clear goal. Amma is alarmed to see the direction in which the world is heading. If, in the future, there is a Third World War, let it not be a war between countries, but rather a war against our common enemy, poverty.  

In today’s world, people experience two types of poverty: the poverty caused by lack of food, clothing and shelter; and the poverty caused by lack of love and compassion.

Of these two, the second type needs to be considered first—because, if we have love and compassion in our hearts, then we will wholeheartedly serve those who suffer from lack of food, clothing and shelter.

It is not the era we live in, but the compassionate hearts that will bring about a change in society. Religions should be able to create more compassionate hearts. This should be the main objective of religion and spirituality.

In order to protect this world, we have to choose a path forsaking our personal differences and desires. By forgiving and forgetting, we can try to recreate and give new life to this world. Digging up and scrutinizing the past is useless, and will benefit no one.

Abandoning the path of vengeance and retaliation, we need to impartially judge the present situation in the world. Only then can we find the path to true progress.

Beauty Unified in Diversity

True unity—both amongst humanity and between humanity and Nature—will come only through our faith in the immense power of the inner Self, which is beyond all external differences.

A rainbow gives visual splendour and also has an inner significance that helps expand the mind. A rainbow is formed by the convergence of seven different colours, making it so attractive and beautiful. In a similar way, we should be able to recognize and accept the differences created by religion, nationality, language and culture. We should be able to join hands, giving primary importance to humanity and universal human values.

A rainbow appears and disappears in the sky within a span of minutes. However, in that short life span, the rainbow is able to make everyone happy. Just like the rainbow, which appears small in the infinite sky, our life span, which appears for just a short while within the infinite span of time, is also very small and insignificant. As long as we live in this world, our greatest and foremost duty (dharma) is to be of some benefit to others. Only when goodness awakens within the individual will one’s personality and actions gain beauty and strength.

There once was a little girl who was permanently in a wheelchair. Her disability made her angry and frustrated with life. All day long, she would sit by her window moping, enviously watching all the other little children as they ran, jumped, skipped and played with each other.

One day, as she sat gazing through the window, it began to drizzle. Suddenly, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. Instantly, the little girl forgot about her wheelchair, her disability and her sorrow. The colourful rainbow filled her with happiness and hope. But then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the rain stopped and the rainbow vanished. The memory of the rainbow filled her with a strange peace and joy. She asked her mother where the rainbow had gone. Her mother answered, “My darling, rainbows are very special creations. They exist only when the sun and rain come together.”

From then on, the little girl would sit by her window, waiting for the sun and the rain to come together. She no longer cared to watch the other children play.

Finally, one bright, sunny day, it unexpectedly began to rain lightly, and the most heavenly-coloured rainbow appeared in the sky. The little girl’s joy knew no bounds. She called out to her mother to come quickly and take her to the rainbow. Not wanting to disappoint her daughter, the mother helped her little girl into the car and drove off in the direction of the rainbow. Finally, when they arrived at a point where they had a good view of the rainbow, the mother stopped the car and helped her daughter to get out, so that she could enjoy the sight.

Looking up at the rainbow, she asked, “Wondrous rainbow, how is it that you are able to shine so radiantly?”

The rainbow replied, “My dear child, I have a very short life span. Only for a brief span of time while the sun and rain come together do I exist. Rather than fret over my short existence, I have decided that within my brief life span, I want to make as many people as I can as happy as possible. And when I decided to do that, I became radiant and beautiful.”

Then, even as the rainbow was still speaking, it began to fade—until, finally, it was no more. The little girl looked up with love and admiration at the spot in the blue sky where the rainbow had just been. From that day on, the little girl was never the same. Instead of moping and fretting about her disability, she tried to smile and bring happiness to everyone around her. Thus, she found true happiness and satisfaction in life.

The rainbow was so beautiful because it forgot about itself and lived for the sake of others. Similarly, it is when we forget about ourselves and live for the happiness of others that we experience the real beauty of life.

The body will perish whether we work or sit idle. Therefore, instead of rusting away without doing anything for society, it is better to wear oneself away in the pursuit of good actions.

-------------

{ This speech may be reproduced in part or full in the print or electronic media only with the explicit permission of Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Amritapuri, Kollam, India 690525. If you have received permission to reproduce the speech, please acknowledge explicitly that
(a) the excerpt is from Amma's keynote address at the closing Plenary Session of the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona;
(b) the copyright for the speech belongs to the Mata Amritanandamayi Math; and
(c) the full text of the speech may be read at
www.amritapuri.org/amma/pwr2004/barcelona.php.}