Equality that is imposed leads inevitably to inequality Gita 05.18

Equality that is imposed leads inevitably to inequality. We live in an egalitarian society where inequality, discrimination are considered to be the worst of sins. The aspiration for equality can be noble, but its application requires some serious contemplation.

We may want equality, but equality is not a materially self-evident fact. Whatever parameter we might use for assessing or grading people, be it IQ or some other intelligence quotient or whatever else, people will inevitably come out unequal. And in the struggle for existence that is life, some people will come out on top and some people at the bottom.

Now while the worst effects of such inequality definitely need to be curbed and countered, for example, powerful people shouldn't have a free license to exploit the powerless people, still imposing equality by fiat can be seriously counterproductive. Why? Because when equality is to be imposed, that means people who have naturally risen to the top have to be pulled down and people who have naturally sunk to the bottom have to be pulled up. And the authority that decides this gains unequal disproportionate power.

And just as power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, often this authority assumes absolute power because it believes that it has, it occupies the moral high ground given its propensity to, given its agenda to bring about equality. And with this, by thus becoming powerful, it often ruthlessly reviles and represses anyone who opposes it. The history of humanity shows that attempts to impose equality have not ended up making people equally wealthy.

It has made people disastrously poor. What then is the solution? Gita Wisdom explains that because equality is a non-material fact, its fulfillment is also best achieved non-materially or spiritually. The Bhagavad Gita states that the wise people see all living beings equally.

They see everyone equally because they see everyone as samdarshina, as equally because they see everyone as inherently a spiritual being and as intrinsically a part of the supreme spiritual being. So everyone has the potential to connect with the ultimate all-attractive reality Krishna and to relish spiritual absorption and satisfaction through that connection. And thus the best way to bring about equality in society is by providing everyone equal resources to connect with the whole.

The more people will become connected, the more they will become contented and that is the way to having people equally happy. Otherwise if you just focus on trying to bring about material equality, that won't be possible because people are inherently unequal and instead if you provide everybody good opportunities to contribute according to their particular interests and talents then everybody can make their particular contribution and then be contented knowing that even if they cannot continue to make the contribution, they are still valued and they will be cared for. So thus by recognizing the thinking of our current age while also recognizing the timeless wisdom of the scripture we can try to create a bridge by which people can start appreciating spiritual wisdom and not just appreciating but also eventually assimilating their lives and thereby transforming themselves.

Thank you.