What happens to us when inhumanity becomes normality, when we close our eyes to it and let it happen in spite of the knowledge that what we consider to be normality is not right, even when we are aware that it is no longer associated with nature? Violence, brutality, cruelty, inhumanity to human beings are now as much a part of the present day as the desire for peace, respect for all living beings, love and compassion.
But the gap between the one and the other seems to be getting wider and wider, because violence cannot be combined with peace and inhumanity cannot be part of human dignity. In order not to become victims of Pandora’s box ourselves, we prefer to be quiet, watch and leave the helpless to themselves. We believe to be on the safe side – but watch out, appearances are deceptive! Security is a construct that can never be covered by external conditions. Let us finally say goodbye to being directed outwards and turn our gaze inwards. Only then are we able to recognize what gives us security in an uncertain time. With this introspection we give ourselves the possibility to decide whether we want to remain uninvolved observers in the events of injustice or not. Do we want to be like blind people who cannot face reality?
The world may be peaceful in its essence, but it has become unbalanced by human beings. His greed, his resentment, his need to take care of his own ego, have taken on dimensions that have caused damage to this world and its peaceful coexistence and this is still the case today. The enrichment of the ego sooner or later always leads to destruction, because it does not serve the common good and this is contrary to the basic idea that “all is one”. We do not want to admit that we have a responsibility towards ourselves and others. Do we see ourselves only as puppets in the game of power and struggle or do we see ourselves as acting, compassionate beings who can contribute to the balance of this earth?
Human dignity has now become a precious commodity that is reserved only for those who can afford it because of their status, their political position and their material wealth, but this kind of dignity is not real. It is hypocritical and can be shattered like a glass ball on the ground at any moment, as soon as external conditions are attacked. This is not human dignity, but the maintenance of a power struggle in which there can ultimately only be losers!
Human dignity is inviolable, regardless of religion, status, nation, gender, skin colour, language, education, origin; it is also the basis of our humanity. It is the responsibility of every individual to preserve this and the dignity of every living being on this earth, to hold it in their hands like a treasure and to bring it to everyone & everything. We are not only responsible for ourselves, but our existence is only a part of a greater existence. Ignoring this fact, in the end, only harms ourselves. We must not close our eyes, because Pandora’s box does not sleep!
The cultivation of both compassion and love and the life of non-violence give us the necessary strength to face what we call war, misery and cruelty. To respond to suffering with compassion only leads to more helplessness and despair. Compassion is our ability to see a living being in its entirety, regardless of the situation it is in. Compassion, however, refers to the situation and not to the wholeness of the living being. Compassion sees the situation and not the person behind it and this makes us mute, because we are only witnessing the horror, but no longer acting. History has shown that great personalities had the courage to change, did not take normality for granted and developed the qualities mentioned above in order to live the dignity of every single human being. We all carry this strength within us and nobody can take these abilities away from us. Even if we may be outwardly wronged, we remain inviolable on the inside if we carry the jewel of human dignity within us.
What happens to us when inhumanity becomes normality, when we close our eyes to it and let it happen in spite of the knowledge that what we consider to be normality is not right, even when we are aware that it is no longer associated with nature? Violence, brutality, cruelty, inhumanity to human beings are now as much a part of the present day as the desire for peace, respect for all living beings, love and compassion.
But the gap between the one and the other seems to be getting wider and wider, because violence cannot be combined with peace and inhumanity cannot be part of human dignity. In order not to become victims of Pandora’s box ourselves, we prefer to be quiet, watch and leave the helpless to themselves. We believe to be on the safe side – but watch out, appearances are deceptive! Security is a construct that can never be covered by external conditions. Let us finally say goodbye to being directed outwards and turn our gaze inwards. Only then are we able to recognize what gives us security in an uncertain time. With this introspection we give ourselves the possibility to decide whether we want to remain uninvolved observers in the events of injustice or not. Do we want to be like blind people who cannot face reality?
The world may be peaceful in its essence, but it has become unbalanced by human beings. His greed, his resentment, his need to take care of his own ego, have taken on dimensions that have caused damage to this world and its peaceful coexistence and this is still the case today. The enrichment of the ego sooner or later always leads to destruction, because it does not serve the common good and this is contrary to the basic idea that “all is one”. We do not want to admit that we have a responsibility towards ourselves and others. Do we see ourselves only as puppets in the game of power and struggle or do we see ourselves as acting, compassionate beings who can contribute to the balance of this earth?
Human dignity has now become a precious commodity that is reserved only for those who can afford it because of their status, their political position and their material wealth, but this kind of dignity is not real. It is hypocritical and can be shattered like a glass ball on the ground at any moment, as soon as external conditions are attacked. This is not human dignity, but the maintenance of a power struggle in which there can ultimately only be losers!
Human dignity is inviolable, regardless of religion, status, nation, gender, skin colour, language, education, origin; it is also the basis of our humanity. It is the responsibility of every individual to preserve this and the dignity of every living being on this earth, to hold it in their hands like a treasure and to bring it to everyone & everything. We are not only responsible for ourselves, but our existence is only a part of a greater existence. Ignoring this fact, in the end, only harms ourselves. We must not close our eyes, because Pandora’s box does not sleep!
The cultivation of both compassion and love and the life of non-violence give us the necessary strength to face what we call war, misery and cruelty. To respond to suffering with compassion only leads to more helplessness and despair. Compassion is our ability to see a living being in its entirety, regardless of the situation it is in. Compassion, however, refers to the situation and not to the wholeness of the living being. Compassion sees the situation and not the person behind it and this makes us mute, because we are only witnessing the horror, but no longer acting. History has shown that great personalities had the courage to change, did not take normality for granted and developed the qualities mentioned above in order to live the dignity of every single human being. We all carry this strength within us and nobody can take these abilities away from us. Even if we may be outwardly wronged, we remain inviolable on the inside if we carry the jewel of human dignity within us.