Monday 16 April 2018

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

When I was in the service there used to be a group of office workers and others who gather every morning and afternoons at the tea stall opposite my office complex with the local daily spread before them and analyzing the days news. Sadly they end up trashing almost everyone who makes the news, using abusive language including swearing and cursing, and rumor mongering.

Then I went out for a drink on a very rare occasion with a businessman friend of mine. While sipping the tea we spoke about our families. Then quite of a sudden he pointed out to the vacant shop houses next to the restaurant and mentioned that if he were to start another branch of his Kopitiam or traditional coffee shop outlet in modern premises in that locality it would liven up the whole area.

I could then see what was in peoples minds. Those in the business sector although engaged in a conversation were always on the look out seeking new opportunities to widen and expand their businesses besides fulfilling the needs of the market and serving the public. On the other end we are sadden to see many spent their time and breath on engaging talk about others, often feeding the flame of anger, hatred, jealousy, envy etc. The saying that an idle mind (brain, hand) is a devil's workshop seems to be true in this sense. 

Coming to the spiritual field, to my surprise I saw all these negative traits too among supposedly spiritually inclined people. 

Then looking back into history, the battle between the good and the evil has been going on for ages. 

The clash of the titans has been in existence since time immemorial. Moving even further back we had Lord Muruga who turned warrior to deal with Soorabanman who was leading the Avunas in battle against the Tamils. 

The Kurukshetra war was a precedent to more wars to come. Surprisingly this war was between blood brothers.

Many a spiritual leader or saint has been put through rough times eventually coming out of it unscathed by the grace of Erai. Arunagiri had Sambanthandan to deal with during his time. Hathiram Baba had to deal with Govindarajulu. 

In present times too sadly we see some devotees and disciples having turned against the guru, working in tandem with individuals or groups, against the interest of the guru or the establishment.

My daughter who is a fan of movies based on novels and comic characters, says it beautifully.
"In books and movies, there is always the protagonist(s) and the antagonist(s). The protagonist is the main character, the leading role of the story. And the antagonist is the bad guy. The Voldemort to Harry Potter, the Joker to Batman. Even if the character might have good intentions, and the writer makes you sympathize with them, if the consequences of their actions cause more chaos and destruction than good, they become the antagonist by default. An example of this character would be Erik Killmonger from Black Panther.
But the antagonist doesn't have to be a person; it can also be nature, or the universe. This is usually seen in disaster films when the world is about to end and the lead must do everything they can to ensure their family survives. Even certain circumstances that affect the protagonists' life negatively can be the antagonist, i.e. economic collapse, the death of loved ones and society's expectations of the lead. But there is always a good, and always a bad. These are the "must haves" of any good story. Without these two core elements, the story lacks a driving force, and you are left with a story about someone who lives a mundane life; going day by day with nothing exciting happening, no journey to embark on, nothing and no one to risk their lives for. Superman would be too perfect without the Kryptonite. And nobody wants to read or watch that!"
Indeed we need both the good and the bad. You choose whether you want to go around doing damage or doing something constructive.

So which side are you on?