Pro-Self Activism, Anti-Self Activism

The well-known Indian film actress, Priyanka Chopra, said of herself in an interview:

‘I have spent all my life being different people so I don’t know the real me.’¹

The present age is one of professionalism. Having a profession means living for others. Therefore, it is true of each person that he lives for others and hardly knows his own self. For example, film actors live for their audiences, businessmen for their customers, lawyers for their clients, politicians for their voters, employees for their company bosses, and so on.

This is why so many people have become non-self actors, that is, they live for others rather than for their own selves. This is surely a great loss for a person, as it is because of this that he almost always remains unaware of himself. He frequently evaluates himself according to others’ perceptions and not his own. He is unable to unfold his real potential, and finally dies in this state of unawareness.

The worst case is that of those who are engaged in violence in the present times. Such people are embroiled in the gun and bomb culture. Their case is that of anti-self activists.

Who are the anti-self activists? They are individuals who, in the name of annihilating the enemy, are actually fighting with their own selves—sometimes in the sense of psychological killing and at other times in the sense of physical killing.

If one observes a bird perched on a tree, one will realize that it is a marvel of creation—how intelligently it has been designed by the Creator! The bird’s design is completely in accordance with the purpose for which the Creator has given it existence. At all times, the bird remains engaged in trying to fulfil the purpose for which it has been created.

Man’s case is a billion times better than that of the bird. In terms of his qualities, man is the best-designed creature of the universe. This aspect of man’s personality shows that, having been so well-equipped, he has been created for a higher purpose. This being so, the first task for man is to discover himself and then plan his life accordingly.

Violence, or terrorism, is a negation of God’s creation plan for human beings. Indulging in violence means that, instead of properly utilizing one’s capabilities, one is doing nothing but getting oneself and others killed. This is why those who adopt the culture of killing are, therefore, said to be involved in ‘anti-self activism’.

Violence, or terrorism, is a negation of God’s creation plan for human beings. Indulging in violence means that, instead of properly utilizing one’s capabilities, one is doing nothing but getting oneself and others killed.

If people are judged on this basis, they can be put into three categories: anti-self activists, non-self activists, and pro-self activists. All persons fall into one or other of these categories.

Terrorists or violent activists fall into the category of anti-self activists, that is, they totally destroy themselves. If a person’s friend gifted him a very high quality mobile phone, he would never throw it down, or break it into pieces. No one would want to treat anyone’s gifts in this manner. Man’s existence is also a gift from the Creator. However, people who are engaged in violent activism are mistreating the Creator’s gift to them—they are destroying it instead of using it for the right purpose.

The second category is that of non-self activists. Such people are gravely under-utilizing the potential given to them by their Creator. What they are doing with the gift given to them by the Creator will certainly not be acceptable to Him.

The third case is that of pro-self activists. These people are performing their roles in accordance with the creation plan of the Creator. These are the people who discover themselves and also the world in which they find themselves. Through study and contemplation, they understand the higher realities and then rightly prepare themselves for the purpose for which the Creator has created them.

People who belong to this last category are human beings in the true sense. They make their plans according to the divine scheme of things. They turn their potential into actuality and thus develop themselves. These are the people who qualify themselves according to the right standard set by the Creator. It is people such as these who will be held deserving of the eternal blessings of the life Hereafter. They will grow as trees of God in this world, and in the world Hereafter they will become a beautiful part of the garden of God.

I know of a person who was not able to benefit from a higher education. Therefore, he had to lead his life doing an ordinary job. He would often say with deep regret to a friend of his, ‘A person finds life only once.’

This means that life is a very precious gift of the Creator. One should avail of this opportunity, because one will never find it again. After death, one will know only repentance, for death always comes at a point of no return.

This formula or principle applies to those who, to a far greater degree, are involved in violent activities. These people become involved in the culture of violence and, very soon, after killing a number of people, they themselves get killed. Neither have these people themselves availed of the precious opportunities given to them by their Creator, nor have they allowed others to do so.

These people will realize after death that the Creator had given them a golden opportunity in the form of life, but they ended their lives without utilizing it for a higher purpose. So, for all eternity, all they have to look forward to is intense regret.

This is an alarming situation which, once understood to be such, should give a warning to terrorists that they should give up their violent activities at once and engage in peaceful struggle to achieve the higher purpose of life.