Editorial: Powerful Ones

Editorial

We have Money and Power

so we can do or say anything

A few people on earth have both power and wealth. They are uncontrollable. They can do whatever they want, punish whomever they want, say whatever they want. At least they think that they are in such positions where nothing can happen to them, nobody can touch them, nobody can question them.

Some recent happenings in India and the latest protests by medical community show this attitude of some people. Some of us are under the delusion that we are the safest. Unfortunately nobody is safe or absolutely happy on this earth. All great dictators collapsed and became dust. All those who thought they could terrorize their subordinates through power and wealth died miserable deaths in the end.

Sankhyans were perhaps the first people to announce this truth using three powerful words. Suppose you are a dictator and think that you are invincible. You have a huge hospital with the best equipment, doctors and medicines with you. You have built the strongest house which withstands all challenges of nature. Yet you will have suffering and death.

The other way to look at this is to think of the higher Power, the divine. Ishvara is the mover of all things in the universe. By His will, everything comes and goes. Yet we assume that we are extremely powerful and invincible. If He wills, an ant can be a Hercules. If He wills, an imaginary, self-proclaimed dictator can see the dust in no time.

The best way for us therefore is to surrender to the will of Ishvara and remain humble. If He protects, no power can harm us. Nobody, not even the most powerful dictators on earth can touch us if the Lord protects us. And if He so wills, all the so-called powerful people shall be nobodies soon.

May Sri Ramakrishna guide us all towards the supreme Light. This is the eternal prayer of all of us.

Swami Sunirmalananda