Non Resistance

It is human nature to resist against the various forces that coerce him/her into doing things forcibly. This can be seen from the minor defiance to bloody wars and revolutions. The sole aim of resistance is to bring about change quickly, preferably for the better. This resistance can be individual or collective, but its attributes are similar. The consequences of a successful resistance are well observed throughout history, thus rendering it the seal of approval. But all this is in the realm of society. In the spiritual realm there is a strong advocacy for non-resistance. "Resist Not Evil" is the adage used frequently. What is the reason behind this apparent contradiction? The dilemma seems to be "To Resist Or Not To Resist", to take a cue from Shakespeare.

Resistance is important in the society. To bring about positive and beneficial change among the populace, a strong and effective resistance is vital. The independence of various countries would not have been possible without some sort of resistance to the existing forms of government. In such instances, resistance is a widespread and far reaching movement. Consequently, the immediate and far reaching effects of resistance can not be predicted. Rather, it is like a loose cannon, ready to blow up any time in any direction without notice. This unpredictability notwithstanding, social resistance is an effective method.

Resistance is not spoken of fondly in spirituality; non resistance is the norm here. Here is where the difficulty arises. If one thinks upon resistance in spirituality, the first item to consider is the ability to resist. For example, non violence is harder to adhere to for a physically strong person. Likewise, only the person capable of resistance can practice non resistance. Next comes the outcome of non resistance. This aspect seems even more complex to realize. The idea to let things take their own course does not seem to be very promising. It is human nature to take things under his/her own control and keep them that way. But non resistance goes in exactly the opposite way.

Upon closer scrutiny, however, a different picture emerges. Non resistance is one of the most important and powerful tools for spiritual expansion that we can have. Spiritual advancement is possible by curbing the various human instincts, one of which is resistance. I am not saying that human instincts are vile or wrong. I am only stating that they don't serve any purpose in spirituality. So non resistance is a sort of a spiritual exercise also. Thus it is a means as well as an end in itself. This is consistent with the theme of spirituality.