6. Rule of Law
T he Gita is about maintaining harmony within the inner world while the law is about maintaining order in the outer world. Any karma has two parts; one is the intent and the other is execution. In criminal law, they are known by the Latin expressions mens rea and actus reus , respectively. For example, a surgeon and a murderer both plunge a knife into someone’s stomach. The surgeon’s intention is to heal, whereas the murderer intends to kill. Death may occur in both situations, but their intentions are entirely opposite. Gita is eternal whereas law is situational. Driving on the left side of the road is legal in one country and may be an offence in another. Law is black and white, but not life which has many grey areas. The Gita helps us navigate these difficulties. Law is very comfortable as long as we perform actions which are within the defined parameters of the law of the land. For example, when we pay taxes ( actus reus ), the law is not concerned about wheth...