The War

March 29, 2003

I am confused about this country being at war. I

remember 9/11 and other terrorist incidents in the

last few years. Yes, people died, yes Americans died.

Yes I am American. I walk on the blood of ancestors

who died for me to be here now. Somehow living on

concrete has made me detached from my mother earth and

how precious she is.

Which is to say, as an American citizen I support the

men and women who fight in our name, even though I

don't support the reasons for the fight.

So my confusion is that Amma teaches peace, tolerance

and compassion should be extended to all the beings of

this world and all the other worlds and yet I live in

the country that is killing people in my name.

Does anyone have thoughts on this? Just as I was

writing this down, the answer came that I should pray

for both sides. Is that the answer?

=====

Om Namashivaya - In Amma's service,

Supriti Omenka Nnadi

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April 3, 2003

Ammachi, Omenka Supriti Nnadi <oomenka>

wrote:

> I am confused about this country being at war. I

> remember 9/11 and other terrorist incidents in the

> last few years. Yes, people died, yes Americans died.

> Yes I am American. I walk on the blood of ancestors

> who died for me to be here now. Somehow living on

> concrete has made me detached from my mother earth and

> how precious she is.

>

> Which is to say, as an American citizen I support the

> men and women who fight in our name, even though I

> don't support the reasons for the fight.

>

> So my confusion is that Amma teaches peace, tolerance

> and compassion should be extended to all the beings of

> this world and all the other worlds and yet I live in

> the country that is killing people in my name.

>

> Does anyone have thoughts on this? Just as I was

> writing this down, the answer came that I should pray

> for both sides. Is that the answer?

>

> =====

> Om Namashivaya - In Amma's service,

>

> Supriti Omenka Nnadi

Dear Supriti Omenka Nnadi

My feeling is we should pray for peace among all beings in all places

and at all times. If it is of any help, I wish to share this piece on

war which I will enter below. It is from a question and answer

session held in 1973 by my first guru. It may give you another

perspective. Om Namah Shivaya:

MARK M.: Please speak to us on the importance of war, It seems that

until only recently it was always considered to be man's noblest

occupation. Both Eastern and Western Epics and holy books are filled

with wars. The history of of the world is mainly the history of wars.

Today we live under the threat of the ultimate war. What can we think

of this? How do we relate to nonviolence?

BABA: Why should you be under the shadow of any fear? Even if there

were no war, are we going to live forever? There are many countries

which do not get involved in Wars. Do the people there enjoy

everlasting life?

God is performing three functions constantly: creation, sustenance,

and destruction. War is nothing but the destructive aspect of God.

The wars that were fought in ancient times, particularly in ancient

India, were fought under certain principles. I am not talking about

modern wars. In those days inhuman tactics were not used. Sources of

drinking water were not poisoned, children and old men were not

massacred and cities and towns were not set on fire at night. In the

Mahabharata certain principles relating to war were laid down. A

warrior must not kill women, he must not kill children, he must

particularly take care of pregnant women, and he must not kill the

aged. Warriors were supposed to fight only with warriors.

Modern war is, however, very different. It doesn't seem to follow any

principles. Just as man changes his character according to the age he

lives in, wars also change their character according to the age in

which they are fought. Whether a war is just or unjust, it springs

from attachment and aversion. It springs from desire. There have been

so many wars in the past; why should you be scared of future wars?

Whatever is inevit- able will happen. If a war has to happen, it will

happen; nobody can prevent it.

But first you should think about the war going on inside you, and

that war is far more destructive than any outer war. The war between

India and Pakistan was confined to a certain area and it lasted for a

certain length of time. Even a nuclear war will not last long. The

war inside you lasts all the time, and it is far more dangerous than

any outer war.

You should not worry about outer wars; worry about the inner war. The

irony of your life is that you want peace, but what you get inside is

agitation; you want love, but what you feel inside is hatred. You

want serenity, but what you find inside is disturbance. First you

should understand this contradiction and try to remove it from your

life.

It all depends on what the trend of the time is. There is a time when

there is a surge of creative activity, with scientists, engineers,

and architects building up things; and then there comes a time for

destruction, when bombs are manufactured and whatever has been built

up is destroyed. So there are doers of good as well as doers of evil

in this world. It has been like this from time immemorial, and it

will continue to be like this until the end of the world.

For this reason one should take refuge in discrimination and try to

find out the means to save oneself. Lord Krishna says to Arjuna in

the Gita that this world is transitory and he should become aware of

this and contemplate the inner Self. The world doesn't have much

value, it may end any day. So you should concentrate on the inner

Self. One wonders how many kings and warriors and artists and writers

have appeared on the scene of this world and disappeared. Some of

them were creative while others were destructive, but none of them

survived.

There was a poet- saint, a very good poet-saint called Narayana and

he says that one should be aware of two things in the world. The

first is the Lord, and the second is death.

>From Satsang with Baba Vol #5

September 21, 1973

April 3, 2003

Thanks for this good article!

Charlene