Distractive & Destructive World
ਜਾ ਕਉ ਆਏ ਸੋਈ ਬਿਹਾਝਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ
ਮਨਹਿ ਬਸੇਰਾ ॥ {ਪੰਨਾ 13}
Ja ko aaye so-ee bihajo har gur tey manhe baseraa.
We forget the real purpose of life – to imbibe the virtuous qualities of *Truthful Living*, love, selfless service, kindness and compassion. This is realised by the Blessings of Satguru.
The path of Spirituality is a testing and a difficult one, strewn with thorny obstacles, temptations and distractions.
There have always been distractions. However, these are becoming more numerous with time.
In the old days most distractions were outside the family fold. But now, with nuclear families, affluence and diversity it is easier to stray off the righteous path.
The world is becoming smaller by the day; interaction with other cultures can compromise the resolve to stay connected with one’s faith. The pressure of other cultures on our day to day lives weighs heavily on our ‘spiritual shoulders’. In the quest of our earnings for our survival we need to compromise in the name of integration.
Not that long ago, in the early and mid 20th century, people in the Indian sub-continent were more god-fearing attaining to basic values of decency, selflessness, contentment, compassion and kindness. These are fast disappearing while greed, sensuality and egotism are on the rise.
The world is led, more and more by social media. There’s a plethora of information irrelevant to spiritual progression. The hatred and the filth spread in the name of free speech is brain-washing young minds, which draws a bleak picture for the future – a society at odds with itself. This state of affairs has manifested in communal frictions and wars in the name of race, religion and political ideology.
It is even more incumbent upon us to organise our lives with maryada (strict discipline & critical red lines). To counter the impact of other culture, follow Guru Nanak’s guidelines of Truthful Living – Naam Japna (meditation); Kirat Karni (honest earnings); Wand Shakna (sharing of food and other essentials within the society, irrespective of caste, colour or creed).
Is AI (Artificial Intelligence) turning out to be the last nail in the coffin of humanity? Whilst it, undoubtedly, AI has potential benefits. However, super developed and unregulated AI would lead to fraud, scams, political manoeuvring and disruption.
Further, it will erode into human interaction and freedom and impose greater dependence on AI.
Misrepresentation of information would add to distrust and tensions in an already divided and fragmented world – possibly foreboding WW3 and the end of the human race. It begs the question: are we on the road to self destruction?
Leave you with that thought.
rs ‘arshi’
rsa 4-5-26