by Benedicto Ismael Camargo Dutra
Suffering, misery, destruction, violence. But we are in a time of peace; what would it be like if we were at war? Human beings do not understand each other in the domestic sphere. Conflicts are spreading throughout the world. Newspapers write about war and war preparations everyday. What can be the result? Who will be able to forecast exactly the consequences of a war in the Middle East? This way, human beings are realizing that things are changing, we are living in a turbulent time in which there is disenchantment which will be followed by the destruction of hope for general improvement. But who in this midst is really searching for God with humility and earnestness?
People around the world perceive the agony of this era and realize that things are not what they should be. Human beings must at last strive aright for spiritual recognition and maturity. It is only then that the true conception of life and human existence will arise, with consequent peace and happiness.
However, we are in a stage of transition and all the accumulated mistakes of past centuries are causing agitation and instability; these mistakes must be corrected before a new era of peace and happiness can emerge.
Human beings have deviated from the path of happiness through their own decisions and they will have to recognize that they are beings gifted with spirit, who should strive for everlasting accomplishments in harmony with the Laws of Creation. But human beings let themselves be dominated by the intellect, a product of their brains, part of their physical body, which is closely connected to the material. Thus, the brain is always seeking for the satisfaction of worldly vanities and advantages, not considering the great whole, understandable only through conscious participation of the spirit.
By enslaving himself to his intellect and to the material, the human being misses the principal aim of his existence and does not take advantage of his earth-life for spiritual recognition and his necessary development. Thus, instead of building up and improving, he creates a rude and artificial world which cannot be sustained, producing instability, misery and suffering. The domination of the intellect has produced cruel and insensitive human beings, dominated by fear and capable of making brutal and destructive decisions.
Towards the end of year 2002, world leaders met in Johannesburg to discuss sustainable development in order to arrest the advance of poverty and the degradation of the environment. At last, human beings are realizing that they haven’t taken proper care to preserve the environment, and that the quality of life is approaching permanent deterioration. But behind the curtains, the crisis with Iraq ended up being a dominant issue, for it’s definitely a problematic matter for peace. However the issue of the environment is a priority as well, for being a creature, the human being is part of it, and whatever is done against the environment, will adversely affect every creature.
Human beings haven’t paid proper attention neither to the environment nor to the population growth problem, for the population explosion is a consequence of the lack of adaptation to the Laws of Creation, constituting a great obstacle to sustainable growth and the progressive improvement of human quality and proper preparation for life. Millions of people are unemployed , hundreds of millions starve and are homeless. The problem worsens by the constant increase in the incidence of early pregnancy among young girls from 12 years of age. As if to compensate for failure in the positive areas, human beings demonstrate great ability to build terribly destructive weapons, chemical, bacteriological and atomic ones, thereby making evident the low spiritual level of mankind.
The world has definitely been moved by petroleum and money, the two anchors of power, and wherever there are oil-fields there are always focuses of tension. The situation of the conflict between the United States and Iraq is amplifying irreconcilable divergences that day after day are becoming harder to resolve by peaceful means and through mutual understanding. These divergences are being aggravated by ethnic and religious prejudices despite the efforts of many people to find a peaceful solution. The position of Brazil’s new President is meritorious. Calling for a peaceful solution, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the world needs peace not a new war.
Where it is going to take us, nobody is likely to know exactly, but it’s a serious problem , and as the Arabian League warned, a war against Iraq may open the doors to hell in the Middle East. Other possible hypotheses would be the disturbance of the world’s balance of power through the disagreements between Europe and the United States in partnership with the United Kingdom, and uncertainties resulting in economic, political and social consequences.
Where petroleum and money are involved, power and domination is the predominant logic among human beings enslaved to the intellect, and in this atmosphere hatred and fear rule, preventing true happiness.
While the big interests quarrel, impelled by greed and hatred, suffering falls on the citizens who confidently expected the parties involved to lead to better days. It’s the effect of the threads of fate woven by peoples, nations and individuals. The human being is discredited. His past does not reveal anything good. Wars and conflicts have always been the decisive means his quest for power. What can we expect from the continuous highlights of war and preparations for war given by the media leading to a growing tension? This way, the autocratic decision of some interest groups is disguised, while the thoughts of the masses end up being directed to the issue of war as a trivial event, weakening the thoughts of peace.
There are demonstrations against war, but the seeking for peace requires a fortification in order to be effective; it is in his spirit’s core that human beings should seek peace and, not only in his easily manipulated intellect.
The search for peace should start at home, in the understanding between married couples and between them and their children. Peace should be sought at work among workers, between the latter and the employers. Peace should be sought by the members of the public administration, either elected by vote or employed by the government. Peace should be sought sincerely, without hypocrisy or falseness. Then, when everyone desires eagerly for peace it will arise naturally. Yet, nowadays the feelings of hatred, fear and revenge are prevalent. Events are determined by what is preponderant in the human will, and there is no way to escape from the consequences; good or bad, they will have to be tasted by their generators.
“Everything which does not swing in the sense and the Laws of this Creation is bound to fail and collapse; for then it not only loses all support, but it creates for itself opposing currents which are stronger than any human spirit and which in the end will always overpower him and his work.
Therefore adjust yourselves now and at last to the perfection of the harmony of Creation, then you will find peace and success!”
(In the Light of Truth, The Grail Message, by Abdruschin, Vol. 3, lecture “Woman and Man”)