People ought to face the incidents of war with courage and equanimity in the faith that no sacrifice or suffering is too much when the call of duty is clear and imperative. In the event of a direct and aggressive attack the clear duty of all is to resist it, even by direct participation in war, if there is no other alternative. But in offering such resistance they should make sure that they are prompted solely by the sense of duty and that they have no hatred or bitterness toward the aggressor who is acting under spiritual ignorance. Further, they should not be callous to the physical and mental suffering inflicted by air-raids or by warfare on land or sea. On the contrary, they shall render to the wounded and desolate victims of war every possible service, according to their individual ability and aptitude.

As a rule, spiritual aspirants are indifferent to purely material well-being. They are prone to be indifferent to war as well as war-effort on the grounds that most wars are actuated by purely material considerations. But it is a mistake to divorce spirituality from material considerations. Material considerations do have a spiritual aspect and importance. Even spiritual aspirants, who are wrapped up in the super-sensible realities of inner life, can ill afford to ignore war, particularly when they are directly involved in it. Spiritual aspirants take their stand upon the reality and the eternity of the Infinite Soul; it should, therefore, be easy for them to stake everything for the sake of a duty which springs from the claims of the spirit.

When truly understood, all conflicts and wars are seen to be a part of the divine game; they are thus a result of the Divine Will which finds expression in the world of manifestation, through the help of maya or the cosmic power which creates and sustains the illusory world of duality. The purpose served by maya in the divine game is twofold: First, it can be instrumental in entrapping the soul in the mazes of illusion, and second it can also be instrumental in freeing the soul from the clutches of spiritual ignorance and bondage. Maya should not be ignored; it must be handled with detachment and understanding. Wars are the working of maya; they would be spiritually disastrous or otherwise, according to whether they are inspired by attachment or detachment for the creations of maya.