The Unholy Trinity: How Corruption, Distortion, and Perversion Fracture Our World

In my previous blogs, I have touched on various trinities—Satva, Rajas, Tamas; Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara; Vata, Pitta, Kapha. Each represents a fundamental paradigm, operating at different levels of existence. But there is another, more insidious trinity at work in our modern world, one that erodes the very fabric of our being and society: the trinity of Corruption, Distortion (or Deception), and Perversion.

How do these three forces interact, and why should we care? The answer begins with a simple, powerful metaphor: our own consciousness—and indeed, our society—operates much like a computer.

Corruption is the loss of integrity. Imagine a file on your computer. When it’s corrupted, its data is compromised. The file is no longer whole; it cannot process input correctly. This is precisely what happens within a human being. Our integrity—the alignment of our core values, our "character" in the purest sense—becomes compromised. This isn't about being "good" or "bad"; it's about a systemic breakdown of our unique, harmonious blueprint.

When a corrupted file tries to communicate with the rest of the system, it produces flawed output. This is Distortion or Deception. The data it sends is wrong, misleading the next program or file downstream. In human terms, when our internal integrity is fractured, our words and actions become distorted versions of our true intent. We deceive others, often unintentionally, by projecting this corrupted data.

The final stage is Perversion. This is the manifest, often damaging outcome of that corrupted data circulating in the system. The distorted information leads to erroneous actions, aberrant results, and a twisted reality. Perversion is the societal symptom—the warped norms, the misunderstood intentions, the toxic behaviors that arise when corruption and deception go unchecked.

Let me share a personal story to illustrate how this trinity operates on a societal level. I grew up in a large joint family. Fifteen or twenty of us would sleep side-by-side in a big hall. One night I might sleep next to my mother, the next night beside my father or a cousin. It was simple, natural, and devoid of any hidden meaning. Later, when I went to a hostel, I’d sometimes ask a friend, "Shall we sleep together?" It was an invitation to shared rest, to the simple, healing act of lying down to recharge.

Today, that same phrase, "I want to sleep with somebody," is almost universally perceived through a lens of sexual implication. What happened? The integrity of the concept of "sleep" was slowly corrupted. Through a loss of innocence, through double meanings and insidious cultural shifts, a new, distorted definition crept in. That distortion in understanding led to a societal perversion—where a fundamental, restorative human act is now viewed with suspicion and prurient interest. The original, wholesome file has been corrupted, and now its very name outputs a distorted signal.

This brings us to a profound Sanskrit teaching:

“Manas ekam, vachas ekam, karman ekam, mahatmanam.”

(A great person is one whose thoughts,words, and actions are in unison.)

“Manas anyam, vachas anyam, karman anyam, duratmanam.”

(He is truly unfortunate whose thoughts,words, and actions are misaligned.)

A Mahatma is not merely "good." They are a system in harmony. Energy flows optimally; there is reliability, stability, and fulfillment. A Duratma is not inherently "evil." They are, first and foremost, unfortunate. They are a system on the verge of a crash. The neural strain required to maintain misaligned thoughts, words, and actions is immense. A liar must construct endless alibis, investing colossal energy in sustaining parallel neural circuits, leading to exhaustion and breakdown. Corruption of integrity is, at its core, energetically bankrupting.

So, what do we do? In a computer, the operating system has a protocol: scan, detect, quarantine, and then repair or replace the corrupted file. Ancient social "operating systems"—religions in their original intent—provided similar tools. Whether through meditation, confession, satsang, or contemplative prayer, these were scanning mechanisms. They were meant to help individuals check their integrity, detect corruption, and initiate repair to restore manas ekam, vachas ekam, karman ekam. Religion was less about divinity and more about maintaining the integrity of the societal network, ensuring no "corrupted files" could destabilize the whole system.

Today, we have largely abandoned these scans. We focus not on integrity, but on not getting caught. Our rule is: "If you are caught, you are punished." It’s a global game of hide-and-seek, protected by firewalls and VPNs. When someone is exposed—be it a celebrity, a politician, or a financier—we rush to throw stones, reveling in the drama of their perversion.

This reminds me of the story of Jesus and the woman accused of sin. He said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” The lesson is timeless. Before we seek to punish, we must ask: Are we, ourselves, free of corruption? Have we never distorted the truth, never deceived, never indulged in a societal perversion, however small? If we have, our duty is not condemnation, but compassionate correction—to help the other repair their file, and to work on cleaning the system so such corruption cannot flourish.

A corrupt person is not a monster to be vilified. They are a symptom. Their loss of integrity points to a failure in upbringing, in society’s scanning mechanisms, and in our collective devaluation of truth. They suffer, trapped in the illusion that money, power, or sensation will bring security, only to find themselves buried under the stress of covering their tracks.

The path forward begins inwardly:

1. Run your own scans. Vigilantly check your integrity. Align your thoughts, words, and actions.

2. Secure your connections. Engage truthfully with your immediate circle. Gently, openly address flaws you see, helping others get back on track.

3. Quarantine wisely. When you encounter deeply corrupt elements, isolate them not with hatred, but by consciously withdrawing your energy and engagement. Lack of demand either motivates repair or leads to benign obsolescence.

We are fascinated by scandals, especially those of a procreative nature, because they reflect our own distorted interests. The obsession with "what Epstein did" or "what that politician did" is often a distraction from examining our own corruption.

The unholy trinity of Corruption, Distortion, and Perversion is a cascading failure. It all begins with a single point of failure: the loss of integrity. When integrity is maintained, the data flows true, actions are harmonious, and the system—be it a person, a community, or a society—thrives in authentic, sustainable well-being. Let us not be systems hurtling toward a crash. Let us be operating systems of harmony, constantly scanning, repairing, and optimizing for the integrity that sets everything right.