Amid controversy over the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) one wonders whether the LLRC looked into the lessons to be learnt for humanity. Probably, it was not the LLRC mandate to do so.

For instance lethal weapons are being produced by the so-called developed nations. It is a flourishing business and one of the most powerful industries on our planet. Needless to mention, the senseless killings that have taken place in every domestic and world wars, culminating in the Middle East debacle of our era, has been pathetic to say the least. Sane humans need ask if it is justifiable. Is this the ascending state of human evolution or have we gone wrong somewhere?

We could justify sale of armaments if parents and teachers could justify giving switch blades, knives and hand guns, for infants to play with. Arms dealers would say they deal only with mature adults, and not children. Could maturity be measured even in adults? One need only look at the mess we have made of the world, to answer that question; and look at the carnage the super powers have created, in wanting global dominance. No wonder the developing nations too want to be like them.

It was a great religious leader, who said two thousand years ago, not to draw out the sword; those who do so to survive and get what they want, would perish by the sword. So it is clear that using weapons to get what we want is wrong. The shedding of another’s blood is a costly price, that’s upon one’s head. Those who really stand convinced are those who make money out of manufacturing weapons, to kill and shed innocent blood.can we make war obsolete? It’s said that wars originate in the hearts of people. The externals of religions are meaningless, unless the spiritual side of people is developed. In other words, one’s heart has to be daily purged of wickedness, lust and pride. Secondly we need to challenge the way the world perceives things. It is wrongly believed that happiness can only come through our physical senses. In fact, it evolves in the hearts of people and remains there only if one wills it to, despite the circumstances one faces. Trying to seek it outside of us is futile. For until a person’s heart is changed, nothing outside could change the person. When we discover it within, it manifests outside.

Nations believe that destroying life is the only answer for being secure and at peace. We need to discover the weapons of destruction that are in each one of our hearts. These weapons destroy and kill when saying wicked things to hurt. We could instead, choose to have loving kindness towards all those we perceive to be a threat or disturbance. The crisis, the country is now facing is an opportunity to show and give to the world, the values and power in our religions of our nation. The challenge however, is to live it, only then would weapons become obsolete and hatred seen as a destructive energy, for what it is.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka