JOIN USSometimes I feel overwhelmed by the evil going on around me, not just in the media but right under my nose. I feel powerless to do anything about it. For instance, I have tried to warn some of my friends not to participate in projects that appear to be good but are profiting evildoers.
They just laugh at me, saying everybody is doing it. I say my prayers realising that not everyone sees things as I do. But, according to the Beloved Puttaparthi Preceptor, “Hands that help are holier than hands that pray.”
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba never condoned inaction where evil was concerned.
He said, “The Divine belongs to everyone and is not the sole preserve of anyone. There is only one God, but He manifests Himself in many forms to please different people.
“Sadhana (spiritual practice) alone is not enough to enable one to understand this truth. The spirit of enquiry is also necessary. Today, numerous divisive forces are at work. What is essentially one is being regarded as many. In this process, the true concept of Divinity is lost. In the pursuit of worldly interests and out of commercial considerations, the Divine is being split up. As a result, men are unable to grasp the true nature of the Divine. This leads to a failure to distinguish between what is true and what is false.”
From my perspective, what the Puttaparthi Avatar was saying about India, applies to the entire world.
“Today, many are indulging in actions opposed to Dharma and truth and, on the basis of their caste or community, are promoting strife and conflict in the country. Elders in the nation are remaining mere spectators of all the unrighteous and violent actions that are being done by the evil elements. Even the scholars and intellectuals are remaining silent. Persons holding high office are merely watching what goes on.”
God is asking me to stand up for what is right. I have surrendered my life to Him, but this does not mean sitting and meditating and rolling my prayer beads between my fingers.
There are things I can do to rid society of evildoers. First, I can continue to expose them through my writing and speaking; I can go to the authorities and report their evil acts; I can avoid bad company — even if it is my own family; I can be courageous and brave like many who have gone before me; I can be what Puttaparthi Sai taught me I am, Love in action. I can do this humbly and with a sense of great joy.
“Failure to resist evil is an offence,” Sweet Sathya Sai clearly stated. “When the good are associated with the wicked and do not oppose them, they share the responsibility for the deeds of the evildoers. The Divine destroys even those who either do not oppose or remain passive while injustice and wrong doing are perpetrated.”