蜜芽传媒

Yesterday, perhaps like many of you, I listened with relief and some surprise that both Israel and Iran planned to cease hostilities. This certainly felt welcome after the real danger of escalation. However, the ceasefire didn鈥檛 seem to last until the end of the Today programme; is the so-called 鈥�12-day war鈥� was actually 鈥渙ver?

If it holds, is it just a diplomatic pause; or the potential for lasting concord between two adversaries deeply suspicious of each other鈥檚 intentions. After the attack on their nuclear facilties, Iran鈥檚 foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated in defiance: We can rebuild them, because the knowledge is there鈥�technology鈥�.cannot be destroyed by bombs.鈥�
This is a challenging truth about knowledge 鈥� there is no way to put the genie back in the bottle. Despite its limitations, the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty has at least slowed the spawning of nuclear-armed countries eager for that status and deterrent power.

This reflects a key idea in Hinduism 鈥� karma, that the information of our activities is never lost. As explained in the Upanisads: Our actions inform who we are and who we become. They define the context of our life and our relationships 鈥� both individually and collectively. There will be no way to move forward within the Middle East 鈥� and in the other flashpoints of the world 鈥� without addressing the context that past actions have created for us today. And to reflect that, however well intentioned, our current actions might further exacerbate the context and legacy faced by future generations.

Information of our past actions persists in our minds. It influences our hopes, fears, motivations, outlook, and prejudices. It is imbedded in our history, our traditions and the dreams we create for our families, communities and countries. As the Mahabharat says: 鈥淓ven if an action is long forgotten by the doer, its effect and future impact linger like fire nascent in wood.鈥�

President Trump encouraged Iran and Israel to keep to the road of truth and righteousness and gain 鈥淟ove, Peace and Prosperity鈥� for their nations. That鈥檚 a lofty aspiration. But, in some ways, it reflects the Gita鈥檚 proposition for building lasting peace. The Gita calls each of us to see beyond our immediate circle of interest by recognizing the ultimate unity that binds us all with equal status; equally deserving of security, dignity and happiness. It is such broad-minded consciousness that nurtures inner peace, says the Gita, and it creates a new context for our hopes of achieving real peace and prosperity.

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