Sarkar: Peace

The cry, “Peace! Peace!” has become a craze in the world today. Can anything be achieved by such cries? There is no way to establish peace except to fight against the very factors which disturb peace. Even in the personal life of every human being, there is a constant fight between the benevolent and the malevolent intellect, or between vidyá and avidyá. At times vidyá triumphs, while at other times avidyá wins. In social life, too, this fight between vidyá and avidyá continues.

Regrettably, it has to be said that those who hold the view that non-violence means non-application of force can neither establish sentient peace, nor defend their hard-earned freedom. Their declaration of non- violence may be deceitful, or a diplomatic manoeuvre to conceal their weaknesses, but it will never be possible to establish sentient peace through this type of approach.

Thus, those who are keen to establish sentient peace must endeavour to acquire strength. It is impossible for goats to establish sentient peace in the society of tigers.

Likewise, if any country perpetrates atrocities on its minorities or attacks a weak neighbouring country, then the other neighbouring countries should, if necessary, resist the oppressor with the force of arms, and thereby come forward to establish sentient peace.

Absolute or permanent peace cannot occur in collective life because the created universe, which is embedded in the process of saiṋcara [extroversion] and pratisaiṋcara [introversion] is, in fact, dominated first by Avidyá [extroversial force], and then by Vidyá [introversial force], respectively.(3) When the existence of the universe is rooted in the existence of these two, then permanent peace (támasikii or sáttvikii as the case may be) in the universe would mean the cessation of the activities of either Vidyá or Avidyá, or both. This is why it has to be said that collective peace in the universe cannot occur except in the case of pralaya,(4) and the concept of pralaya is illogical. However in individual life human beings can certainly achieve absolute peace through sádhaná [spiritual practices]. From the worldly viewpoint I consider this state to be the pralaya of individual life.

The fight between vidyá and avidyá will go on forever; so the necessity of more or less police and military will also go on forever. But then, when the world government is established, this necessity will decrease.


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