BREATHE, AND YOUR PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED

The following words were quoted by a well-known international spiritual leader, in an essay about human values, reasons for terrorism, and people's march towards fundamentalism. I would preferably keep his name undisclosed, but the issue could apply to many such gurus. Much of the essay was reasonably sound, although a little banal. One simple thing which I was in complete agreement with him was:

"Most of us look at people who are already terrorists and ask how they can be reformed. There is, perhaps a more important and urgent question to ask. How can we prevent youth and children of today from becoming terrorists of tomorrow?"

But this is what came at the end:

"How can we get anger, violence and the sense of hatred out of the
hearts of people? This is the problem that is facing us today. We know the
answer philosophically, but what are the practical steps and how do we
begin? It is here that something very basic to our life comes into play
- our breath. Breath is the link between body, mind and emotions.
By attending to it, we can calm our minds."

Interestingly, that's it. That's the end of the essay.
It is when I read words like these coming from well-known spiritual gurus that I am really befuddled by, if not irked by spirituality. I am sure the man meant well, but how on earth is a rational thinker supposed to see how spiritualism can ever provide an answer to our problems, if he reads something like this? At the least, he would end up believing that spiritualism is as worse, if not worse, at providing solutions to dilemmas as are other efforts. This is when I start thinking of religion and/or spiritualism as literally being the opium of the masses. It won't solve your problems, but if you believe enough in it, you surely can seek solace from those problems and forget about them in a mist of breathing/meditation/other opioid things. But remember, they are still not solved. Maybe then you can believe that problems are never to be solved, only to be forgotten?

I thought about this, and as if to reiterate my opinions, a quote from one of the guru's students caught my attention:
"I used to get angry very easily, even at very small things. Now, almost nothing bothers me"

Correct. Just like Mumbai is so resilient, that it can never be bothered by bomb blasts. No?