Even as close as 50 years ago if one was a traveller or even living a simple life, one had to be careful of bandits, robbers, people trying to steal your money. If one was traveling by stagecoach, railways etc one had to be ready to defend oneself with sword and gun or whatever means at our disposal, because there were always the criminals waiting out there to get us. So, the railways, the highways were not always safe places. People travelled on them because one had to. People carried money too in the absence of any other way to transfer. These public places were naturally open to the criminals, the brigands and the pirates. One always had to be ready to defend oneself and one’s wealth with whatever means at our disposal. Now we claim that we are a civilised society governed by a rule of law. Technologically advanced too. The criminals and the brigands no more are inhabiting the highways and such, except in some remote parts. They are all out there on the information highways and the Internet. Even though we may not face much of a physical attack, we still are under attack for cybercrime, phishing calls, sextortion calls and a whole range of attacks. Now, it is not the skill with the sword and the gun that is necessary but technological skills necessary to protect ourselves. One thing remains common between 500 years ago and today. The mindset that one has — to be calm and centered, not to react, to be proactive, seeking help from the security agencies, whether one is facing a threat on the physical highway or the information highway are important to handle the situation. Physically a lot has changed, but the necessary values remain the same. These will be necessary a few million years from today. These are eternal values of an eternal civilisation. Nobody in Sanatana Dharma who expects to be spiritual can do without these values. For our spiritual progress and a safe, healthy, happy life we need a minimum of these values.
The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com
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