Election day is upon us. The battle lines are drawn. Many
voters are entrenched on one side or the other. Many more are yet undecided and
perplexed by the choice of
candidates.
Today, many people are angry by the failures or inaction of
one side or other; angry with a do-nothing government which doesn't consider
their needs; angry with the moral failures of leadership. And rightly so. But anger and frustration
don’t provide a platform from which to make a sound decision.
The Bhagavad Gita gives an ample description of what will
happen. Krishna explains in the second chapter that if one gives way to anger
it will only blind them. This leads to delusion and bewilderment.
In this state one loses all intelligence. Around us we see people so
frustrated they succumb to degraded activities in the form of intoxication and violence. When people are
angry and frustrated, their reasoning capabilities are diminished and they become
susceptible to being exploited and lead astray.
To make a decision, voters must first understand what the
qualities and behavior of a leader are. A leader has far more responsibilities than
the common person, and thus their decisions have far greater repercussions.
Since a leader sets an example for others to follow, it would be prudent to
seek someone who exhibits leadership qualities and proper behavior better than
we do ourselves.
The qualities of leadership are explained in the Gita and to
a greater degree in Mahabharata. In Mahabharata these qualities are displayed
by personalities like Yudhisthira and Arjuna who care for the citizens they
govern and are in turn loved by them.
Leadership is also discussed at length by Narada Muni, Grandfather
Bhismadeva and Lord Krishna Himself. And
leadership in all its negativity is
especially displayed by Duryodhana, who is greedy, envious and arrogant.
Unfortunately, proper
understanding, as well as proper training in leadership, is sorely lacking in
our modern educational systems. How is a
leader to be trained or to be recognized by the people who want to vote? For this reason, the Mahabharata offers valuable
guidance in our confused times. Therein, we are given not only instructions on
leadership but examples of how a leader should and should not behave.
The leadership vacuum is not going to go away after election
regardless of who becomes president. The so-called leadership of those who want
to exploit their position, who only want to serve their own or their party’s
interest, is worthless.
The schisms which have arisen in America and in other
countries around the world can only further divide and alienate people. The
hatred and distrust of government is unprecedented. But government does and can work if run intelligently,
even if we have to go back to ancient Greece or India to find examples.
Now is a time for devotees everywhere to serve society by
providing a true and unbiased understanding of leadership, and not by being a
sounding board for any one side. The devotees are trained by Srila Prabhupada
as wisdom keepers and must humbly offer the wisdom of the Gita and Mahabharata
for all to consider. Now, in these
confounding times of flux and turmoil, let
those who have receptive ears hear this philosophy and consider this process of
Krishna Consciousness.
Sankirtana Das (ACBSP)
is an award-winning author and storyteller.
For more about his book Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest see www.Mahabharata-Project.com
