Welcome to our 3rd presentation of Godhead is Light, Nescience is darkness.
If I were to ask you to define a great man, what would you say? Think for a moment. What is your definition? The media presents us with entrepreneurs, millionaires, billionaires, and influential people in various arenas who we are led to believe are worthy of our attention and esteem due their accumulation of wealth and prestige. Are they? In the Vedas one of the signs of greatness is someone who has the ability to tolerate even the most provoking situation. How many great men or women do you know according to this definition?
Do we even regard tolerance as a quality worth cultivating?
I remember being delayed in an airport once going to India over 15 yrs. ago. The waiting room was filled and many mothers were doing their best to keep their children occupied as continual delays to our flight were announced. It was relatively quiet and pleasant despite the stressful situation. Few Americans were there, one of the others besides myself was a middle-aged man who one could tell was used to getting his way. His bullying the young woman behind the desk could not make the airplane come faster, or assure his next connection or lessen his wait time and discomfort. It changed nothing except to create an uncomfortable atmosphere. And I remember thinking, “What is the value of position and money if one has not cultivated self-control and patience?”
Now consider for a moment how this lack of control of our mind and senses affects the quality of life. What happens when one thinks only of their own advantage? How does this affect someone individually and collectively? Isn’t this what we are seeing playing out across our country and world today? How are the higher qualities of a human being cultivated, qualities such as compassion, tolerance, patience, equanimity, non-violence, steadiness? In all the discussions around education, are we hearing anyone speak about the need for developing character? If one wants to build a great country, then the foundation must be solid and that does not mean only the economic structure.
We have allowed atheism to invade and pervade every part of our society including our educational system. One cannot develop the above-mentioned qualities without a belief first in God. In the name of so-called freedom our whole educational system was hijacked by atheists who loudly proclaimed their “right” to not have to hear about God. It was upheld by judges who no longer understood that if you disregard God and His laws and create your own man-made laws according to political ideologies you will weaken and undermine the entire human society.
There is no way we can change the current state of unrest until we acknowledge there is a God who is the creator and controller of everything. We are not free to do anything we like without serious consequences.
Real knowledge is timeless, real knowledge is given by the Lord and meant for the betterment of every living being. This knowledge was lost for many thousands of years, but was the basis for extraordinary civilizations which existed and thrived on this planet for millennia. The books translated from the ancient Sanskrit language by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada can give us the proper foundation for a flourishing, healthy and peaceful society.
We are led to believe we come from monkeys and that we are progressing by dint of our modern technology. But if we do not know the goal of human life, how do we know if we are going forwards or backwards? It is time to reexamine everything we have been taught in the light of real knowledge, which does not separate us from God and one another, but rather brings us together to become the proper stewards of this beautiful planet. An educational system based on these teachings will endow men and women with Godly qualities. Such men and women of good character will be able to work in concert for the betterment of all living beings.
Let us take our power back from this small, atheistic sector who are seeking to destroy all we know to be of value. Let us disregard their divisive messages of fear seeking to separate us at every turn. We have given our power away, and we are fully capable of taking it back. Our fellow human being is not the enemy. Lust, anger, greed and envy are enemies. The uncontrolled mind is an enemy. Let us stop turning upon each other and turn inward instead and see how to amend ourselves so that we have the courage, strength and proper vision for this fight ahead.
What is the purpose of government? According to the Vedas it is to make sure that society is functioning in a way to create the ideal environment for spiritual realization. We can no longer afford to edge out God in all of our dealings and expect to survive as a species. All good qualities manifest in those who associate with the fountainhead of all goodness, beauty and power, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This understanding crosses all sectarian religious boundaries. If we want this country to be great again, which will influence our entire planet, we must begin to turn away from the darkness of ignorance which foolishly proposes that we are here simply to enjoy the temporary existence of this body and die with no thought of why we are here and what is the purpose of this human form of life.
It is time we give our children the chance to become the great men and women they can be by seriously considering how to instill in them the qualities of patience, tolerance, equanimity, steadfastness, selflessness and compassion. It is time to reclaim our world.
