This is an email exchange between me and a dedicated inquirer, a Ukrainian friend of ours. He could not join us for our seminar in Spain in March this year as he chose to stay and fight for what he believes in, for his country, for dharma. It covers the very difficult topic of why there is evil in the world, and why adharma exists.
O: Thank you very much for your support, your prayers, and your love. The war has been going on for 25 days, but my mind refuses to accept this new apparent reality. So many deaths around, so many destroyed villages, cities in Ukraine. Impossible. Airstrikes daily.
We (my friends, relatives) spent the first week of the war in the combat zone where we were blocked in a village near Kyiv. On the eighth day after the battle, we were lucky to leave the village by car. Now we are safe.
Many of our Vedanta soulmates are in contact with me, sending words of support, and offering any help. This is our Shining World. I am very lucky and happy to be with you in Shining World. Shining World prevents me to fall into depression. Unfortunately, the damn demon disrupted my participation in the seminar, but as Ukraine will definitely win and I hope to meet with you soon.
With deep respect and love,
Sundari: I cannot tell you how shocked we are at the events unfolding in your country, and what this must mean to civilian life. Though of course looking at things as the Self, we can see the age-old play of dharma and adharma acting out on the world stage, with Putin the latest iteration of adharma, of Duryodhana, and Zelensky of dharma, of Krishna. Yet it is hard to compute what it must be like for you and your countrymen who have been subjected to such brutality and whose lives have been torn apart. Our hearts go out to you all and our prayers are with you.
Certainly, your country and its leader are a much-needed inspiration for a global reset in dharmic values. We are so relieved to hear that you are safe, we are with you in this hour of darkness with the hope that dharma prevails. Until we see you again, know that Shiningworld is who you are as the Self, nothing can take that away from you. You have already won, regardless of the outcome.
With much love from both of us
O: Thank you very much for your prayers and love. It is not easy. You may have heard or read about the town Bucha and the village Motyzhyn. Many murdered and raped people are being found there after the liberation.
My company is located in Bucha. My house where we were locked is located in Motyzhyn. These areas have been devastated. Among the murdered are my friends, employees, and acquaintances. It’s not easy.
Sundari: Our hearts bleed with yours, though we know there are no words to convey the horror of what you are experiencing in your world from the safety of ours. It must be so incredibly hard to stand in faith as the Self when ordinary life for the jiva turns into hell. This is coming face to face with Isvara’s darkest side.
There is no way to face what you are facing, to see the death and destruction other than as the Self, for whom there is neither. Krishna told Arjuna this same thing when he was faced with having to enter a war against his countrymen and family – he reminded him that there is no death for the Self. Though nothing can touch you, we know that is easy for us to say. We hear these beautiful words, but most of us will never be in such a position as Arjuna was, or as you are now.
This is when Self-knowledge counts the most yet is the hardest to apply, the real test of tests. It is so sad that Isvara must support both dharma and adharma in this crazy mithya world, but it is impossible for the field to function any other way in the world of duality. What you are facing in Ukraine is evil, there is no other word for it. Yet as Vedantins we know that evil is caused not by Isvara but by ignorance of Isvara.
“Evil” will always be present in the apparent reality. It is rajas and tamas at their worst, if they could be personified, they would look like Putin and all the others like him before, and still to come. Evil, adharmic acts, and all their many manifestations are abominations, and one cannot but denounce them if dharma and peace of mind are what you value. But we must not forget the most important fact: this world is not real. Even Putin is the Self.
Yet to face the suffering of life, especially on the scale that you are experiencing it now, is a very tough call. Even as a free being, Self-knowledge is not a magic pill for the ego. It does not make us immune to the suffering and horror of life. You still need to process the overwhelming shock and trauma and it must be so hard to accept in your situation that Isvara’s creation is playing out as it must.
Karma is impossible to understand from the jiva’s perspective because the jiva can only look at what takes place in the apparent reality from within the framework of the apparent reality. This perspective will always be limited. The apparent reality will always be limited. The only solution is to ‘step out of Maya’(the hypnosis of duality) and see it from the non-dual point of view of Awareness. There is always a bigger picture at play.
Christ said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” And that is true. We pray that the madness will cease soon, that Isvara protects you and your loved ones, that your hearts heal, and your homes and lives are rebuilt in time.
With our love and prayers
Sundari