Should I enlist in the Military?
March 23, 2009
From Marcus:
How should I start this off?
P.S. Something inside of me says that the military could be a bad decision but I just pass those feelings off as being jitters and the fear of leaving my home that I have known for so long. Although, I know that I probably wont make the military a career. I do however believe it will be a good catalyst to launch me in the right direction.
Well, my name is Marcus and I am 20 years old. I have been contemplating on enlisting in the United States Air Force for quite some time now. I guess my question to you is if I enlist into my country’s military and I was placed into a position where I would have to take someone’s life…… Would that somehow effect my karma or my core being? I do believe that all life is sacred but what if I am placed in a situation where its either my life or his life and I choose to take the latter rather then forfeit my own?
Inspirations from Binah:
When you go into the military with the right intentions, it can be an honorable profession. The choice to enter is one that takes tremendous courage. In our current world climate, there is a great possibility of seeing combat regardless of your position, so this must be a consideration you weigh heavily when deciding to enlist.
Your question cuts to the root of many fears young men and women have about the armed forces. We speak often of love and the need to end the violence in the world, but we should not deny the fact that there is a time and a place for everything. There are times when a situation is so extreme that it requires an extreme response.
Answering whether taking a life will affect karma truly depends on how you see the greater conflict. In evaluating your core values, do you find that the ideals being fought for are for the greatest good? The most difficult question you are going to tackle is your lack of choice. Once you enter the armed forces, you lose the ability to choose when to act; actions are dictated by your commanders and those of much higher rank. If you feel aligned with their overall philosophy and can support the missions you will be sent on, then move forward comfortably. But if your only reason for entering is to advance your career at the expense of your moral standard, then you may want to listen your internal warning.
As an enlightened being, there is much you can do being a part of the organization. By consciously redirecting energy, you can help bring peaceful solutions where others saw none. You may find that your life purpose takes you into the military so that you can work through your feelings on the necessity of killing. There are many reasons why even if you do not agree with the philosophy, this may be the right choice to make. You should be wary of moving forward until you examine that part of yourself that thinks the military is a bad choice. Only when you confirm that what you are feeling is only the ‘jitters’, can you protect your karma no matter what the situation.
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