How to make the world a better place

In today’s world, there is very little peace to be had. Leading a peaceful has become rare like a precious gem. Furthermore, everyone is fighting for whatever little peace there is in the world. This is an endless battle and it has degraded our society. Even ant colonies have better social values. They work harmoniously together. Why can’t we?
 
The main reason why we are suffering so much and constantly seeking happiness and peace is because we don’t understand who we really are. We are adept at reacting and these reactions travel from one person to another and soon enough we all become “reactors” waiting to explode. The real self lies dormant and the mind grows by accumulating the “sensory consequences” of our reactions. Once we realize that we are not the mind which is simply an overflowing accumulation of past impressions and future dreams, then the quest to learn our true identity starts. When this search continues within, we will begin to realize the immense value of our bodily vehicle. Every human being has the same vehicle and how we “drive” it determines our peace of mind. Just as we park our car in a garage at night and protect it from accidents we need to take care of our bodies so it runs smoothly and will not be an hindrance in our inner search.
 
A well known law of physics, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This holds true on the inner search of who we are. As we start to experience greater depths of bliss within our own self, the opposite reaction to this, as a natural consequence, is our desire to contribute to the welfare of the world. We are supported in every way by Nature, right from the sun to our heart beat within our chest wall. What have we given back in return is a big question that few attempt to even think about. It is only when we give can we get. Most people wait to get before thinking of giving. If we forgo giving, Nature will not be forgiving towards us. Giving need not be monetary in nature. Not thinking ill of anyone itself is a great act of giving as we are not contaminating the energy space around us with negative thoughts.
 
Along with trying to understand who we are, and striving to make a positive contribution to the world, another key determinant of our present day happiness is the concern for what may happen to the world when we are long gone. Civilization and life as we know it will continue indefinitely. How we use Nature today determines what tomorrow will be like for our children and grandchildren. If we cannot get ourselves to think about people we don’t know, can’t we start thinking about our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and so on who will inherit the earth from us? Concern for their welfare is a good starting point and there is nothing stopping us from wishing for the welfare of everyone around us and those yet to come. Happiness cannot be denied to those who leads such a life.
 
Blessings to all
 
Swami Ponnurangam.