Hare Krishna. So, I want to talk about a recent tragic incident that happened in Texas. A 19-year-old boy killed his grandmother, and then he went to an elementary school where he killed 19 children and 3 adults. The situation is heart-wrenching. I’ve read some articles where the government is discussing what can be done about it—whether we should ban guns, or whether it’s more of a mental health issue among these young people.

So, how should we think about this as devotees, and also as normal people? What are your thoughts?

Yes, the Texas incident, where 19 innocent children were killed by someone who had a gun and was clearly mentally disturbed, is tragic, and my heart goes out to those affected. One of the challenges we face when something terrible happens is that we tend to look for a villain to blame. Are guns the problem? Is mental health the problem? The reality is that life is complex, and it’s not easy to pin a tragic event like this on just one issue.

Yes, we can say that if guns weren’t so easily available, the person might not have been able to cause such devastation. That’s true on one level. But, at the same time, if someone is determined to do harm, they might find other ways to do so—there are examples of terrorists driving trucks into crowds. So, blaming guns alone is not the solution. Is mental health the solution? Mental health issues certainly need to be addressed, but simply focusing on that won’t resolve everything. People who are mentally disturbed need help, but it’s not just about medication or diagnosis.

Today, we humans have far more power than we can handle safely, and that’s the problem. Technology has given us access to immense power, and not just with guns. For example, one malicious tweet on social media can destroy a person’s reputation in seconds. This is the predicament of the world we live in—we have access to a lot of outer power but have lost touch with our inner power—the ability to manage our emotions and our minds.

When we talk about mental health, it’s not just a biological issue that can be solved with medication. Medicine may help in the short term, but there are larger sociological and spiritual issues at play. Ultimately, true mental health comes when people have something meaningful to live for. Without meaning, mental health problems worsen.

So, there is no quick fix to this. The Bhagavad Gita talks about dealing with the problems of the world in two ways: dharma at the social level and bhakti at the individual level, or you could say yoga which culminates in bhakti. Dharma, or the establishment of order, is crucial. Krishna says in the Gita that He comes to establish dharma, meaning He comes to establish order in the world.

Now, whether that means banning guns, increasing security, or implementing stricter checks on gun ownership—these are context-specific issues that we must carefully consider. But the principle of dharma, which involves law and order, must be applied more effectively. However, this is just one part of the solution. Ultimately, every human heart longs for meaning, purpose, and love.

The Bhagavad Gita teaches us about dharma (which applies to the world) and bhakti (which applies to the individual heart). Bhakti is not just a religious tradition—it’s the process by which the heart finds higher meaning, fulfillment, and love. This is something that no government can provide. It is the responsibility of each individual, of society as a whole, and of all of us to contribute towards it.

Wherever we are trying to raise our consciousness, wherever we are offering others resources to raise their consciousness, we can reduce the disconnection between the human heart and the divine. And when this disconnection is healed, tragedies like these can be minimized.

As Thoreau said, “For every one hacking at the shoot of a tree, a thousand hackings at the root are better than a thousand hackings at the shoot.” The root cause of these tragedies is the lack of meaning in life. When people lack meaning, they tend to do more and more meaningless things. Some of these actions may be relatively harmless, like mindlessly surfing the internet. Others, like drinking and driving, may cause harm to others. And some, like taking a gun and killing innocent people, are even worse.

Ultimately, we need to focus on giving people meaning and purpose. We can address the practical issues, but addressing the root cause is essential. The Bhagavad Gita offers wisdom to help people find that meaning and purpose. When the root is addressed, the tree of evil will wither, and tragedies like these will diminish.

Thank you.