By: BK Chirya Risely
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2046/the-daily-guardian%09/15
Dated: February 15th, 2025
The transformative capacity of soft power
“… the greatest challenge to being alive - to witness injustice in the world and not allow it to consume our light' - Thich Nhat Hanh
Earth can be either Paradise or Hell. Currently, the world is obsessed with ‘hard power’ that controls, imprisons, abuses, colonises and much more,
“Hard power involves the ability to use the ‘carrots and sticks’ of economic and military might to make others follow your will" - Joseph Nye
Here, "carrots" stand for inducements such as the reduction of trade barriers, the offer of an alliance or the promise of military protection.
However, individuals as well as countries across the world are now taking another look, and using a fresh approach to explore an authentic inner power known as soft power, a non-violent, peaceful approach to living. On a national level soft power refers to a nation’s ability to influence others through non-coercive means, such as culture, diplomacy, and persuasion rather than guns and missiles. For example, the five pillars of India's soft power—dignity, dialogue, shared prosperity, regional and global security and cultural and civilizational links -—are employed and enhance its global influence.
Soft power comes from within the soul. I am the sum total of the basic pure qualities of the soul – peace, love and joy, and all that is good within. To be aware of my true identity as an eternal thinking soul, separate from the body, and in this way being an instrument, detached yet loving, creates an unlimited peace and happiness within. Soft power is spiritual power and enables us to manage our emotions, to focus and re-align our values, empower our lives and contribute to co-creating a better and brighter future world. Medical science has proved that our emotional state, plays a huge role in determining our health, well-being and use of power. No one can make us feel happy, hurt or powerless. It is our internal conversation about their behaviour that determines how we feel. Worry, anxiety, pain, anger or fear makes a huge impact on our physical and mental health. It is the quality of our consciousness ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ that creates our right use of power and implementation of non-violent solutions.
We also need to communicate and be dependent on the relationship with a higher source. The basis of soft power is knowing ‘God is doing and making us do’. Since God is all powerful and imperishable, God will never leave me.
“Dear God, my wisest Father, you often whisper to me: ‘Become a rose; do not remain a thorn. Spread the fragrance of the self.’ To be one thing inside and another thing outside, complain about myself and others, allow worry and doubt to rule my mind, to be fearful of people simply because they think differently, I fully see now these attitudes create Hell. Since I have created it for myself, I also have the capacity to change it, but I certainly need Your cooperation.”
From: ‘In God’s Heart’ by Anthony Strano:
We need to check ourselves. How much love do I have for the Father? To what extent do I have divine virtues in me? The way to develop and use soft power is to be connected to God constantly, full of humility, and serve in the remembrance of God with a lot of lightness, giving all the credit of the service to God.
BK Chirya Risely is a Rajyoga meditation teacher
based at the Brahma Kumaris Peace Village Retreat Center, USA
