As human beings, large numbers of us wish for global happiness and kindness. We believe in world peace though we have little notion about how this can be achieved. We have studied war and considered whether our biological natures are responsible for the repeated large and small scale conflicts in which we have engaged for ages.

While I know no more than most people, it seems to me that conflict just like cooperation is inherent in the cycle of existence. I cannot think of anything that exists without its opposite. Order degenerates into chaos. Creation entails destruction. Birth brings death. When we stop growing, we degenerate. We evolve and devolve. Utopia leads to dystopia. Conquest entails defeat.

But in between peace and war, there is preservation. Hindu philosophy sees three aspects of life power celebrated in the forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. These divine forces celebrate creation, preservation and destruction. Preservation is our window of opportunity to act benevolently in order to maintain stability and goodness. It is in acts of preservation that I think we are most likely to be helpful to our world and its people.