On loving all

On loving all

An innocent comment by Mr. Chandramouli in his letter (The
Jakarta Post, Dec. 14, 1995) invited an interesting discussion by
Mr. D. Prabhakar in his letter of Dec. 21, 1995. While I do agree
with most of his views, the following points need to be raised.

While loving all is an easy task, one can and should progress
towards that goal. Human beings are endowed with a developed
intellect which helps them to progress towards the goal of human
life. The real purpose of life is to identify ourselves with the
unity in diversity, i.e. identify ourselves as the "real living
principle" and not with this body, mind and intellect which are
the equipment which differentiate living beings. Once we identify
our real self we know that it is the same self in all beings and
the love flows automatically to all beings in this world. Nobody
needs to teach us to love our own self.

Mr. Prabhakar says that Lord himself does not love all. The
Hindu scriptures indicate that the whole world represents a
portion of the cosmic body of the Lord and when a portion of our
body becomes septic, we, in the interest of and love for ourself
may amputate a part of the body, and this action, not out of hate
for that part, but out of love for the remaining part of the
body, is undertaken. Similarly when the Lord descends he does so
to annihilate the evil tendencies, out of his love to promote
dharma to enable human beings to fulfill the goal of life.

A wise man does not differentiate a scholar, a cow, an
elephant or a dog as he has identified himself with the unity in
all beings, the self and so the outwardly equipment are only
external appearances like the dresses one may wear may be
different but the individual is one and the same. Mr. Prabhakar
comments "Love of two conflicting forces will result in
inaction." Love is not a mathematical equation as an algebraic
sum of two equal conflicting forces to result in inaction.
Rather, actions arising out of self realized wise men are soaked
in love and hence they vibrate love in the hearts of all persons
associated with them.

Hindu scriptures are full of examples wherein realized masters
continued actions like King Janaka, Sage Vyasa, and so on; I do
agree with Mr. D. Prabhakar's views that action is essential, but
it is only means towards the goal of "loving all." Once the goal
is attained, the quality of actions arising out of wise men
towards the betterment of society will certainly be millions of
times better as it arises out of the ocean of love for the entire
world.

V. RAMABHADRAN

Jakarta