This is indeed strange, but illuminating. Very little children have been observed to turn their heads away when confronted on t.v. with acts of cruelty (probably the pretended cruelty in children’s programs). How so?
Then, older children are known – in all parts of the world – to display a sense of fairness, even when this was not taught to them. ‘That’s not fair’ is quite a common refrain, remarkably. It is actually heart-warming to observe. Are we born with this sense of justice, in much the same way that we are born with a capacity for, not only speech, but also the grammatical structures of language?
Most of us would probably have been bullied a little in our youth, been chastised or punished undeservedly by parents, teachers or other figures of authority. In these circumstances, the idea of forgiveness would/could not enter our minds, surely. When does forgiveness as a conscious thought (or even an act) then infiltrate our minds? Would not most of us have acquiesced with any of our ‘betters’ when they recommended forgiveness, but actually or subconsciously harboured the thought of retaliation? Or, if the latter were improbable, how about justice from the heavens? Somehow?
Having experienced racism during the White Australia era, when I would be the last to be served in the shops, and be told to go back to where I came from; denied equal opportunity or even justice at times at work; and suffered discrimination arising from tribalism, also at work (by a gang for whom the word ‘mass’ had great weight, but who were not racist, and were only looking after their own); I had to learn to forgive (partly for my own peace of mind). And have done so effectively. It is a great relief!
I could see no purpose in asking for cosmic justice. If it exists, it would surely operate autonomously! Read my memoir The Dance of Destiny, which offers, apart from all manner of interesting information, a glimpse of spirituality as I feel it.
RAJA ARASA RATNAM 