[Advaita-l] Dying to Live Peacefully - III

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Raghav Ji,



Reg  << Would you say that  you can apply it to Arjuna's case and say -

Arjuna was thinking
that he was pursuing peace (by wanting to withdraw from war) invariably was
chasing exactly the opposite. (He was chasing war by wanting to withdraw
from war? Not clear what exactly you mean.  ) >>,



I had made a general statement in response to a general statement by Sri
Jaldhar Ji.  Arjuna was not new to war. He had already waged many such. He
had no compunctions while waging them.  Apparently he waged  them
considering  them to be as per kshatriya dharma. His current unwillingness
to proceed with the war is not due to considerations of peace  or war,  but
due to mOha (affection for his loved  ones) and shOka ( for possible loss
of their lives) . Kshatriya dharma had lost its significance now yielding
place to shOka and mOha. But he failed to identify them as the root cause
of his unwillingness.



This is the general weakness in all our actions. We generally are guided
 by our own instincts in determining what is correct and what is wrong and
act accordingly. We do not go by what is dharma or not in taking a view.
But in the case of Arjuna,  he was not sure either, whether to wage a war
as per kshatriya dharma or be led by his instincts ( imbued with mOha and
shOka ). That was his luck. We might say ours as well. He sought guidance.
And Krishna guided him by saying one should decide in accordance with
dharma.



 Reg  << Also, I understand you to be implying that fighting the war was
less
turmoil for Arjuna rather than not fighting it. But again better I don't
assume what your idea is. Jaldharji just expressed the prima facie view
that war and turmoil go together. But you are disambiguating the two
words..>>,



 I am not disputing that war and turmoil go together. But it does not mean
that in the absence of war  turmoil disappears. It could shift  from one
section of people to another section. That is what dharma yudha is all
about. Which group should  bear the suffering and whose responsibility is
it to judge/ensure  and on what basis.  As for the conflict  for Arjuna, I
have covered it above.

Regards

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