Who's to Blame?
We've recently witnessed tremendous natural disasters with the
2004 tsunami in Asia and the 2005 hurricane Katrina that has hit New
Orleans and Mississippi. Seeing the devastation, one can easily
imagine how our ancestors would have assumed that one God or the
other must be terribly angry with them for some egregious misdeed, and
is hurling wrath upon the land as punishment.
Even in modern times, we've had Jerry Falwell claiming that
Florida's hurricanes were expressions of God's displeasure at
Disney World's recent "Gay Day." Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s August 31,
2005 article titled "For They That Sow the Wind Shall Reap the
Whirlwind" also projects human revenge mentality onto Mother Nature,
suggesting that Katrina may have targeted the Mississippi Governor
who derailed environmental measures to protect against global
warming: "As Hurricane Katrina dismantles Mississippi's Gulf
Coast, it's worth recalling the central role that Mississippi Governor
Haley Barbour played in derailing the Kyoto Protocol and kiboshing
President Bush's iron-clad campaign promise to regulate CO2."
This is not to deny the role of karma -- universal cause and effect
-- in creating these outer events. Certainly it is worthwhile to consider
all options when contemplating what we can learn from the events of our
lives. For example, science has recently brought statistical proof that the
power of mind and prayer can help to effect healing. When viewing the
angry red hurricane discus being hurled into the country from the gulf,
one might also consider those millions of emotional people around the
world praying to their god for the destruction of America. Then we could
respond by keeping our own thoughts and prayers powerful and
positive.
All events of life carry potential lessons of personal and spiritual
growth, and these natural disasters are no exception. For example, it is
natural human tendency to strike out and place blame when we are
abused, but when Mother Nature herself is the cause, against whom
shall we retaliate? We can't bomb Her or put Her behind bars. Nor
can we kill her, because she is our mother, our very existence. The
United States has spent years, lives, and massive resources to avenge
a single strike by an enemy to our Twin Towers, responding by bombing
even friends and neighbors of these perpetrators. Osama bin Ladin and
company can't hold a candle to the damage caused by Mother
Nature, and yet we are not able to respond to her strikes with the usual
lower human emotions of anger and revenge.
The experience we are all having in response to these natural
disasters is a glimpse into how a great, self-realized saint or sage might
experience all of the challenges of life. Those who see God's Hand
in everything do not respond with the same kind of personal anger that
most of us would. They see all things, all people, and all actions as
sparks of the one divine consciousness that manifests in and as all
beings in what my guru, Swami Muktananda, called a "Play of
Consciousness."
Another great being from India named Papa Ramdas wrote several
books about his journey of learning to experience God in and as
everything while wandering as a penniless pilgrim throughout India. If a
train worker threw him off of a train, Ramdas experienced it as God
Himself or Herself throwing him off of the train, with a trust that the Divine
can only bring blessings, regardless of the potentially negative
appearance. One story about Papa Ramdas gives a glimpse into the
way this kind of inner vision would manifest outwardly:
Once Papa Ramdas was dwelling in a cave
near a town. As people became aware of his presence they started
visiting him and spending time with him. The childlike simplicity and
deep devotion with which Papa Ramdas lovingly rendered vibrant
spiritual wisdom and stories soon endeared him to the hearts of the
people.
Seeing him living without possessions in a bare cave, the local
townsfolk started bringing whatever they deemed necessary for his
comforts. Soon, a cot, a bed, plates, and many other articles were
collected in the cave. The devotees would often visit Papa Ramdas
during the daytime, but they left for their homes when darkness
descended, and thus Papa Ramdas would remain alone overnight.
Presently, a thief came to know about all the valuables kept in the
cave, and one night, after all had left and Papa Ramdas sat alone lost in
deep meditation, the thief made his way to the dwelling and ordered
Ramdas to collect all his possessions and tie them up in his bed sheet.
To the thief's puzzlement, the saintly man showed no sign of
distress. Sunk in divine bliss, Ramdas started packing, and
affectionately handed the bundle to the thief with a benign smile. Taking
the cot under one arm and the bundle on one shoulder, the rogue
walked off and Ramdas sat down on the stony floor, going back into
deep contemplation on his beloved Lord.
When morning dawned, the devotees arrived, and were shocked to
find an ever-blissful Ramdas sitting in a bare cave stripped of all
possessions. "Papaji," they asked, "Where have all the things gone that
were here yesterday?"
Papa Ramdas laughed: "Ram took them away." (Ram is
a Sanskrit name for God.)
The devotees were intrigued: "Which Ram, Papaji?"
"Which Ram? There is only one Ram. Ram gave them and Ram took
them away." The saint laughed heartily.
It was only then that they realized the greatness of the sage before
them. His serene peace and total absence of regret for all that was gone
taught them how free man is when he tears the shackles of attachment.
When natural disasters such as the
recent tsunami and hurricanes take place, they give us a unique
opportunity to experience a dramatic challenge without giving us the
option of jumping into lower emotional responses such as personal
anger and seeking revenge. Surely, the participants have feelings of
upset, loss, and sadness, and perhaps even a general sense of anger,
and those who are watching still experience compassion for their
sufferings. Yet, along with these feelings comes a sense of surrender to
the events, a certain level of equanimity and trust in the course of
Nature. As Krishna says to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita ( http://
www.spiritualscriptures.com/ ), "For the
inevitable, you should not grieve."
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed these great and relevant
teachings of one who has attained full faith in God's presence:
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes
you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would
sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any
one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who
begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. You
have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven;
for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust."
Sharon Janis is the author of Spirituality For Dummies, Secrets of
Spiritual Happiness, and Never to Return: A Modern Quest for Eternal
Truth. She is also an award-winning filmmaker, philosopher, artist,
speaker, and singer. Visit her webpage of free multimedia spiritual
resources at http://www.nightlotus.com, and her Spiritual Social
Commentary Blog at http://www.spiritualcommentary.com
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