Writer-At-Large – Teaching the Law of Dharma to the ISIS

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Spoiler alert: This essay is committed to making a point in gravitas, which I have understood can only be done by not expressing myself in emojis or the texting slang language.

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Dear ISIS,

Did you know that irrespective of religion and cultural references, once you are born a human – I hope you agree to that part of the argument to begin with, you have to abide by a law of Dharma?

This will be a quick lesson. As quick as death that came with a knife for some of your victims and as slow and painful to seep into your core as the death by fire that came to the rest of them.

The law of Dharma is for everything to be in the most purest and natural state of its being.  It is the most basic and essential human trait.  In fact, everything in nature follows it’s own Dharma.

Fire has its Dharma. It follows no religion, no cult, or doctrines. It has no pretensions and in its purest form, it will burn. It will never waver from its identity, its course of life. As long as it is alive, it will burn.

A knife, will cut. It is by its inherent nature that it is meant to cut. It does not differentiate between a tomato and a neck. A good knife does a good job if it stays true to its natural duty of cutting. The impossibly blunt knife will be discarded promptly.

There is something Buddha said that is the only truth.

“This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky, rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.”

Our lives are literally a drop in the ocean.

So, don’t brood, don’t ruminate. All is well.  Experience the silence of the mind. Experience solitude. Trust me, I know how impossible it is, when your smartphone goes off every 2 to 3 minutes.  Right? That’s what I thought.

Now is forever and infinite. It is timeless. It is consciousness, your mind being in the now. It is here, now and now.

Enjoy this moment, it is there for you.

The past is in ashes. The future is indefinite, I can’t see you in the tomorrow.

Just like we won’t ever see Peter Kassig again.

“I wish this paper would go on forever and never run out and I could just keep talking to you. Just know I’m with you. Every stream, every lake, every field and river. In the woods and in the hills, in all the places you showed me. I love you.”

These are the last words he wrote to his parents, under the exhausting stress of impending death.  If this is what the knowledge of the mindless cruelty can do to a person, I can only imagine with all your freedom and free will, all the great things you might be capable of.

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Think of how you can serve.  How can you be of service to humanity?

Actually, let’s skip that.  As you can see, that hasn’t been going so well.  Looks like you have assumed the “service” to be  beheading or lighting up people.

Let’s wonder, Why are you here?  To cleanse?

No, don’t worry about it either. You are just as clean or impure as the person next to you. You seem to have not caught up with so much on news, you were simply caught up in making the news. Some real strange things are happening in the world right now. You are not the quirkiest.

Change is difficult, but it is possible.  Start by doing things that express the love you have for yourself.  Make a list of your unique talents.

I am positively assured to think that beheading it not one of them.  I think you were really destined to have higher goals than to the drain the blood of a corpse and hold it’s decapitated head in your bare arms.

If money was of no concern, what would you do?  How would you express yourself where your surroundings feel timeless?

Clue, it doesn’t have anything to do with social media or selfies.

You know about me? In my purest natural state of self consciousness, I am deeply self absorbed. Practice this state and you will realise that you don’t give a damn about anything else and can’t possibly imagine anyone worthy of your spit let alone being beheading worthy.

So, be selfish. Think of what is in this for me, rather than how I can “ethnic” cleanse or wonder how to retribute.

There is no cause to be fulfilled but you. No one to be taken care of you but your undying spirit.

Look, its energy is pervading your inner self.  Think with clarity.

Just do the physical, mental and intellectual things that express your true self. Fascinate yourself and yourself by being the best version of your own self.

Without your inner sanctity, there is no YOU. You are you for a reason. Find it.  Don’t lose you, you have got only ONE you.

So, what is your true self? What does your consciousness tell you about yourself?

To kill, to behead? Listen, not to anyone else, but yourself. Is your OWN hate telling you to go ahead and kill?  Then you should go ahead, by all means.

Are you thinking for yourself? Where are you showing your individuality as a person?

You must be having unique needs like each one of us. Even twins don’t feel the need eat and go at exactly the same time of the day!

Our senses are meant to be fascinated by blood, gore and evil. Politicians, religious leaders, movie and video game creators already know this best kept secret.

Finally, I will leave you with a simple trick. If you behave the same exact way you behave in a group as would in solitude, that is YOU arriving at YOUR Dharma.

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About Sanatana Dharma

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।
अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥

Brahman alone is real; the universe is mithya – neither fully real nor unreal, but an appearance. The individual self (jiva) is none other than Brahman itself, not separate or different. This is the true teaching of the scriptures, as revealed by Vedanta. ~ Verse 20 from Brahma Jnānavali Māla