The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05

III. S. LOUNGE MFG. co.

Resist not evir-that nonresisting evil is the
highest ideal. We all know that IL in the
present state of society in this country some
OF US were 10 try to carry out this teaching
TO its fullest extent the whole social fabric
would fall to pieces-the violent and the
our propsrty. our lives Even II enly one az
day of nonresistance were practiced 1t would
lead to the utter dissolution of society.
Co, Yet; intuitively IN our heart OF hearts we
evil This seems to us the highest ideal, but
to teach this doctrine only would be equiva-
lent to condemning a vast majority of mar
kind. Not only so; the impossibility of liv-
ing up to this highest standard would dis
courage and weaken men, and that constant
breed more vice than any other weakness.
To the man who has begun to hate himself
the gate to degeneration has been opened
And so it Is with a nation.
Our first duty is not to hate ourselves,
because to advance We must have faith first
in ourselves and then in God. He who has
no faith in himself can never have faith IN
God. Therefore. the only alternative remains
to us to recognize that duty, morality and
all these things vary under different circum-
stances-not that the man who resists Is do
ing something wrong, but that in certain cir
cumstances in which he is placed 1t may be-
come his duty to resist.
THE EXTREMES SIMILAR.
"Some of you may have read the Bhaga-
vad-Gita. and many Of you i'm Western coun-
tries. perhaps. felt astonished when reading
in the first chapter that Krishna calls Ar
juna hypocrite and a coward because OF
his refusal to fight and to offer resistance
on the plea that nonresistance was the high
est ideal of love. To understand this repri-
mand we must know that in every case the
two extremes, the extreme positive and the
extreme negative, are always similar.
Man enters this world without teeth and
crawling; he goes out without teeth and
too slow We do not see them. nor do we see
them when they become too rapid. So with
sound. When very low we do not hear;
when very high we do not hear. In like
manner is the difference between resistance
and nonresistance.
weak, lazy and cannot and not because he
will not; the other is the Man on the Cross,
who, knowing that He could bring legions
down TO defend Him. instead did not resist,
and blessed His enemies. The one who re-
sists not from weakness commits sin, and
the other who resists from strength commits
also a sin. Buddha gave up his throne and
position; that was true renunciation, but
there cannot be any question OF remuneration
In the case of beggar who mas nothing to
so, in speaking Of this nonresistance and
renunciation, we must first take care what
we really mean. We must first know wheth-
er we have the power or resistance or not.
II. having the power. we renounce and do not
resist, then are doing grand act, but II
We cannot resist and at the same time vans
to deceive ourselves that We are actuaed
by motives of the highest love. are do
ing the exact opposite. Thus Arjuna be-
came coward at the sight of the mighty
array against him; his love made him for get
his duty toward his country and king. Thai
Is why Krishna told him that he was q
hypocrite: Thou talkest like wise man
but thy actions betray thee TO be a coward
therefore. stand up and fight
such is the idea of the Karma Yogi. The
Karma Yogi is the man who understands
that the highest ideal is nonresistance. bu;
who also knows that II Is the highest ma m.
Hesitation OF power, and that what is called
resisting evil Is but step on the way to-
ward nonsesistance. Before having attained
him work, let him fight, let him strike
straight from the shoulder. Then only when
he has gained the power to resist nom
resistance will become a virtue"