Spiritual Vision to Deal with Racism

Unlike the first week of September of the previous years, this year wasn’t as hectic as before for the college students
across the US universities. The reason being most of the faculties were on a two day #ScholarStrike, a strike against
widely entrenched racism in American society. Racism has again become one of the most discussed topics on
campuses since the death of Georgel Floyd, who cried out for help in vain against police brutality.

Since the unfortunate killing, various protests erupted across US cities against the police atrocities and called out for
significant discussions to overcome this great social evil. Professors, activists, policy makers and the common man
all are protesting, discussing and researching to find a solution to the systemic oppression and discrimination in the
society. In spite of various attempts to completely understand and curtail this great social evil, no clear solution
seems to emerge.

In dealing with this great menace, all that the policy makers could think of was to reduce the funding to the police and
reduce some of their attorneys. However, it is very evident that this isn’t going to resolve the most fundamental issues
concerning the discrimination and oppression which takes place across the normal social intercourse of life beyond
the police atrocities. Since the past four centuries, various policies and institutions have come in place to completely
eradicate racism, however, the problem seems to manifest in various new ways with very little hope of being
completely eliminated. In such a scenario, it is prudent for the policy makers and activists to look for alternate but
effective solutions which can address the root of the problem and give practical results.

In such complex scenario, it is worthwhile to pay attention to the message of Bhagavad Gita, which can give one the
proper vision and tools to eradicate systemic oppression and discrimination. In the very beginning of Bhagavad Gita,
Lord Krishna begins His instructions chastising Arjuna for claiming himself learned while acting like an unlearned
man. Now, this is a very significant instruction because as the famous scientist Einstein once said “we cannot solve
our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”, and Lord Krishna was reminding Arjuna to rise
above the mundane material platform to resolve the grief which has come upon him. Similarly, in order to solve
racism it is important for the leaders to rise above the level on which the problem is created (material platform) and
look at it from a higher spiritual platform. This can benefit in two ways, one, it will help one realize the root of the
problem and two, would enlighten with the right perception and the process to handle the root of the disease.

Spiritual vision, as described in Bhagavad Gita, begins when one understands that every living entity is a spirit soul
beyond the material covering of the bodies. This is a very profound understanding in a world where people perceive
others based on the amount of melatonin (color), race, gender, caste, creed, nationality etc, or in short, the outward
appearance. Although, a very simple realization, this profound spiritual knowledge of Bhagavad Gita provides one
with an alternative vision of seeing each living entity as a spirit can be the profound educational solution to stop
discrimination based on material inebrities.Further,having the spiritual vision that everything is connected with the
Lord and also that the Lord is present in everyone’s heart, one is sure to overcome the temptation of looking at the
objects of the world as a matter of exploitation. This would further develop one see everyone with an equal vision in
spite of varying outward dresses (bodies) of the living entities.

Developing this spiritual vision is the need of the hour, which could counteract the imperfect material perception
which artificially discriminates individuals based on the different dresses (bodies) one manifests because of one’s
previous karma and guna. We hope the leaders and the prominent men of the society look through the pages of
Bhagavad Gita to address these systemic societal challenges and help create a peaceful and prosperous world