We see criminal acts and mentalities all around us, as well as various campaigns and systems to redress them. But to really serve justice, we must look to the root of unjust acts and how the current society is not a conducive atmosphere for the virtue we seek to restore.
At present we live in a very relative world. Especially in the secular West where “each to their own” and “do whatever works for you” attitudes create a wide spectrum of moral standards. The closest thing to an Absolute is whatever laws are enforced at any given time by a philosophically and culturally fragmented leadership.
How can we expect people to know what is right and to act accordingly in an atmosphere satiated with confusion and disagreement?
Constituents and leaders alike are in need of true knowledge; a rainbow of truth that transcends the blacks and whites of “good” vs “bad” or “liberal” vs “conservative”. Every living entity shares a spark of life, often called consciousness or “the soul”, and that unites us past skin colour, religion or even species. Realisation of this true “self” is our ticket to peace both individually and collectively.
To the extent that a person acts unjustly is the extent to which they have not realised their own spiritual essence. As the primary yoga text Bhagavad-gita points out: “There are so many departments of knowledge all over the world and many huge universities, but there is unfortunately no university or educational facility where the science of the spirit soul is instructed.”
Ultimately ignorance creates injustice, and ignorance is created by the lack of a culture which facilitates such spiritual education and practise. Clear non-sectarian methods are provided in these Vedic texts of ancient India as to how we can embark on that journey of self-discovery, learning how to act justly according to nature's Absolute laws and to realise our relationship with the Supreme Spirit.
Punishment is shallow and only really serves as a deterrent for the wrongdoer to maintain his perceived self interest. Real justice would be served by the person learning their lesson and changing their heart, and thus moving closer to the ultimate goal of life. Otherwise we are simply responding to ignorant actions with more ignorance, which is by far the greatest injustice.
As Abraham Lincoln famously said “I have found that mercy bears richer fruits than justice”. Mercy essentially means causeless love and compassion, which we can universally access with a spiritual understanding.
Most leaders nowadays are simply power-hungry puppets at the hands of the electorate, therefore the responsibility lies with us to embody and demand this change, thus restoring true justice and equality into the world.
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