The Drowning of Conscience: Greece's Failure of Responsibility in the Pylos Shipwreck.
When We Ignore Cries for Help, Our Shared Humanity is Compromised. By seeing the divine in all beings and serving that divine nature, one realizes the brotherhood of all humanity.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 32, Lord Krishna (representing the Universal Self) says to Arjuna: "He who sees Me in all beings and all beings in Me, he never becomes separated from Me, nor do I become separated from him. He who serves Me dwelling in all beings, that yogi truly comes to Me."
In this teaching, Krishna says that one who sees the One in all beings and all beings in the One will never become lost, and will never lose the One. He who serves the One dwelling in all beings, that yogi truly attains the One. This insight is fundamental to karma yoga. It means that by serving others and seeing the same divine nature in all, one not only attains liberation but also sees the unity of all beings. Recognizing the One in all leads to universal brotherhood and true wisdom. Karma yoga is the path of selfless action, serving others as if they are manifestations of the divine. This vision takes us beyond separation and allows us to perceive the essential relationship between ourselves and all beings. By seeing the divine in all beings and serving that divine nature, one realizes the brotherhood of all humanity. This breaks down barriers between "me" and "the other", leading to unity and peace.
Karma yoga is a path to enlightenment through loving action in the world. The key teaching is that the true Self dwells within all beings. By serving others with compassion, one serves the indwelling Self. This unlocks the door to unity and freedom. To see the Self in all is wisdom; to serve the Self in all is love. Karma yoga combines wisdom and love, leading to God-realization and universal brotherhood.
The recent revelations about the shipwreck of hundreds of migrants off the coast of the Peloponnese exacerbate the fault of the Greek authorities. A video published by Defence Line, filmed by a crew member of a merchant ship that rescued the migrants, shows the calm sea and the fishing boat at a standstill waiting for help. This contradicts the Greek authorities' version that the people on board were refusing assistance and continuing their journey. The video clearly demonstrates that the boat was in distress, which should have compelled the Greek authorities to intervene. Instead, they chose to do nothing while hundreds of people were risking their lives. They stood by as dozens of human beings drowned or were reported missing, denying them a future and depriving families of the opportunity to give their loved ones a proper burial. This avoidable tragedy will remain an indelible stain on the conscience of the Greek authorities.
The indifference of the Greek authorities towards migrants in life-threatening situations is even more reprehensible when compared to the rescue efforts of Italy and NGOs like Open Arms. While hundreds of people were dying off the coast of Greece, the Italian Coast Guard carried out a challenging rescue of 96 migrants in the same sea, with the support of Frontex. Open Arms saved another 117 migrants off the coast of Libya. These operations demonstrate how maritime rescues should be conducted: with compassion, efficiency, and respect for the sanctity of every human life.
Greek theatrical tradition is filled with works that celebrate the values of hospitality, compassion, and peace, which have been denied by the Greek authorities. In Aeschylus' The Suppliants, King Pelasgus welcomes fifty sisters fleeing from Egypt and protects them, even knowing that it could lead to war. The Greek authorities have betrayed this example by denying refuge to those fleeing from wars and persecution. Euripides' The Trojan Women depicts the suffering of the women of Troy after the fall of their city. Today, that same suffering is reflected in the faces of refugees rejected by Greece, deprived of a future. Aristophanes' Peace expresses the desire to end the war and regain prosperity. The Greek authorities have forgotten this ideal of peace, seeing refugees only as enemies instead of equal human beings deserving of dignity and rights. These works demonstrate that Greek culture has always considered hospitality a fundamental value and compassion a virtue. Today, the Greek authorities have lost sight of this wisdom. By rejecting refugees, they betray the wisdom of their ancestors and the message of Greek tragedies. They must rediscover the values that once defined the greatness of Greece in order to redeem themselves from the blood of those they allowed to drown and reclaim their own souls.
The tragedy of Pylos is a direct result of the Greek authorities' failure to provide assistance. Not only have they gravely undermined Greece's historical tradition of hospitality, but they have also ignored the moral and legal duty to save human lives in danger. Their failures are countless and unforgivable. To redeem itself, Greece must look to its roots and embrace peace, hospitality, and compassion once again. It must cease building walls and barbed wire fences, and instead construct bridges of solidarity. It must see refugees as human beings rather than threats and welcome them with the same spirit as King Pelasgus, knowing that hospitality can bring prosperity instead of war. Without this fundamental transformation, the claims of civilization by its authorities will sound increasingly false. The principles upon which Greece was founded—humanity, compassion, wisdom—will be nothing but empty words. The price of indifference is the very soul of Greek culture. The path to redemption begins by embracing the stranger. Greece must choose whether to remain faithful to the lessons of its ancestors or forever lose its own soul. In the hands of the Greek authorities lies the fate not only of the refugees but of Greece itself.
May they make the right choice to redeem their past and save their future. Hospitality and compassion are the only paths to the salvation of Greek culture. Without them, Greece will be merely a shadow that has forgotten its inner light.
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