Look Beyond Peace And Violence

Oct 13, 2004, 12.00am IST
T S SREENIVASA RAGHAVAN.

Not a day passes without a reference to the need for peace. Still, the booming guns don't fall silent. While peace is discussed because of its absence, war is the subject of debate on acco-unt of its ever-menacing presence. So we need to find answers to two important questions: Can we achieve a lasting peace? Can we shed individual and collective acts of violence?


To find convincing answers, we will have to analyse peace and violence in their totality, both from the point of view of indivi-duals and communities. Atma-shanti is peace within and a soul that is peace-less within can hardly be peaceful outside. The Ribhu Gita is an exposition of advaita by the sage Ribhu to Nidagha, in the Sivarahasya. Ribhu, in fact, holds the individual responsible for everything that is good or bad; and also for everything that is neither good nor bad.

For, what exists is only Brahmn — the eternal state of Supreme Consciousness.

Ribhu says to Nidagha: "I'm of the nature of all activity/ I'm of the nature of the doer of all/ I'm the protector of all/ I'm of the nature of the destroyer of all/ I'm ever the nature that is not anything/ I'm of the nature that is established as myself/ I'm ever of the nature of the undivided Absolute/ Inquire steadfastly into this every day" (14:8).


One could, however, argue that violence is a part of human nature while peace is not...because, the six innate, intertwined, yet pivotal qualities of humankind are desire, anger, greed, delusion, ego and competition. Shanti (peace) is absent whereas its antithesis krodham (anger) is conspicuous by its presence.


Ribhu deals with this question too when he says unto Nidagha: "There's nothing to be discarded as disagreeable/ Nothing to be added as agreeable/ There's neither a master/ Nor any disciple/ There's nothing called knowledge/ Knower or the knowable/ There's no sentience/ Or mindless insentience/ Nothing auspicious/ Or inauspicious for me/ I'm the difference-less Brahmn" (8:20).

By pronouncing that there's nothing to be cherished as agreeable or discarded as disagreeable, Ribhu — the prophet of non-duality — opens our eyes to the fact that everything has to be accepted in its totality: peace or violence, happiness or sorrow, ego or simplicity, natural or unnatural; because their denial or suppression will result in confrontation (10:3).

Our real challenge lies in going beyond discrimination. If we talk about love suppressing hatred, we'd get only a love that's coated with hatred. If we talk about God suppressing the Devil, we'll get only a Devilish God. And, if we talk about peace suppressing violence, we'll get only a violent state of peace.

Like peace and violence, everything in the world is highly indivi-dualistic. If you insist that you'll change only when the whole world does, it'll never happen. Ribhu expresses it better: "Nidagha! As there's nothing apart from your Self/ Consider your Self as yourself/ Experience your Self, and ever enjoy/ The bliss of your Self in yourself/ Become peaceful and immersed/ In an ocean of happiness/ Without any of the least sorrow/ Remain my son as a mass of bliss!"

Neither peace can put the violence down nor violence can mutilate the face of peace. We have to learn to accept...without attachment or detachment. A supreme state of consciousness alone can achieve this. Then we'll discover the harmony that lies beyond peace, beyond violence. But we have to begin with the self. That's why J Krishnamurthy said: “You are the world!”