06/10/2024
When I was in school, history fascinated me. I read about the French Revolution, the World Wars, India’s struggle for freedom, the 1857 uprising, the battles of Panipat, Adolf Hi**er, Mussolini, the Greek Revolution, economic recessions…the list goes on. And back then, I used to think, “Thank goodness I was born in a time of democracy.” Most countries today have embraced this concept, after all.
But now, as I look around and see the current geopolitical climate, I’m beginning to rethink that sentiment. It feels like we’ve entered an era far worse than ancient times. Yes, those times saw conflicts, but they didn’t have the missiles, atomic bombs, and technologies capable of mass destruction that we have now. People didn’t just kill—they now possess the means to obliterate, to wipe out nations, cultures, and human races without a trace.
We often boast about how much the world has changed and developed. But we must ask ourselves: is this really the progress we desired? Is this “development” truly better, or is it far more dangerous than we can even fathom?
In this age of advanced weapons, divisions over territories, casteism, and race, it’s becoming more apparent than ever—the world desperately needs to learn the teachings of Buddhism. To understand that all these divisions, all these claims over land and identity, are temporary. Peace is not a choice, it’s the only way forward.
