By Sriram Palghat, Upper St. Clair, PA
e-mail: palghat@gmail.com
Recent incidents such as the shooting in the Connecticut school and the brutal gang-rape of a woman in New Delhi made me wonder what is driving men to commit such unimaginably violent acts?
Our busy, materialistic society is stretching us thin, not giving us any time to think of anything other than chasing our worldly pursuits. Along the way some people discard their moral and ethical groundings.
Religion is important in upholding the moral and ethical values of a society. However, men and women today are hardly finding time to even think of religion and values. An example of this is the closing down of churches in the US due to lack of interest and faith among younger generations. Technology is not helping the situation either. Smart phones and pagers make people think of work even in sleep.
is Holiness the Dalai Lama says, “Because… individuals [in society] derail from their values and behave negatively, there is more and more madness today. If their numbers increase, all of society will suffer. If we utilize and understand religious traditions properly, individuals benefit, and so can society as a whole.”
The question we must ask ourselves is, “Are we promoting the material-oriented dynamics without caring too much about the need for nurturing value-oriented lifestyle?” It is important for people to pause from time to time and think of the values we pursue. Every individual owes this time of reflection to oneself and to society at large. Many religious organizations are organizing religious events and retreats, providing us triggers to reflect on our pursuits.
n Pittsburgh, the Chinmaya Mission is organizing a Bhagavata Saptaah from Sunday, August 11 to Sunday, August 18 at the Chinmaya Sanjeevani in Monroeville. In this 8-day event, you will listen to stories from the Bhagavatam discussing ethical issues and conflicts that are as relevant today.
Opportunities like this help us to recognize how we can incorporate positive values into our lifestyle to find peace within ourselves so that we can find peace around ourselves. This is a great opportunity for us to unplug from our stressful daily aggravations and get immersed in listening to the stories from our epics and get rejuvenated.
Amidst the busy lifestyle of the current society, as Seekers of Truth, we need to make an effort to set aside some time for such events. We all need triggers to bring about desirable changes in our lives.
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