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Swami Suddhananda |
Human aggression
Reading a newspaper is no more a pleasure. Even a simple browsing
leaves one tired and frustrated. There is nothing nice to be
reported. Whose fault is it anyway? Is it the newsprint on which the
news are printed? Is it the printer? Is it the reporter? Or is it the
incident?
Leaving the reporter apart for sometime, we can easily find fault
with the incidents! But incidents like an earthquake or a cyclone may
be natural but the rest – the wars, hunger, crime, hatred and
conflicts – are totally man-made.
Naturally, therefore, to have news that are soothing, uplifting,
auspicious, we need ‘people’ – the man – to be beautiful and
auspicious. The man is essentially ‘Beauty’, the ‘Auspiciousness’,
the Immortality itself, but is yet to be aware of it, like everything
else in the universe. But, when other species and elements can never
be made aware of the limitless, the auspiciousness, only human beings
can see themselves as they are. Animals may never know what freedom
is, but they shall never ‘pretend’ to be free. They are in a way
blessed or condemned to be what they are.
Whereas the human being has a choice and it all
depends in what way he is guided. When it is beautiful to watch the
animals in the wild, their love, their aggression, their migration,
their movements, their nest sand even their hunt, it is absolutely
devastating to see even the photo of two persons killing each other.
What to talk of the gory sight!
How many wars must in the name of money and faith
be fought, how many millions be killed for mankind to wake up that
the vision of ‘the man’ is extremely important for the world to be
beautiful. The man’s view of the world is more important than the
world’s view of the man. Collectively, we may wish ‘a’ man to be
somebody, but that person can only be himself and not what others
expect him to be.
That is why even if the whole humanity belongs to
one religion or one faith, still there will be discord among human
beings. We can provide food and materials for survival, we can make
people rich and healthy. That will solve the problems of poverty,
illiteracy and disease. But that also will precipitate a new problem
of riches, intelligence, health and plentifulness. At that time, the
theologies will jump in to corner the people. In fact, it is not the
theology but the theologians who jump in when all other needs are
taken care of.
Imagine a world where there is no science, no
education! Why imagine? We can go to such areas even now where the
religious beliefs too are very crude. Such people are not going to be
educated or rich because of a particular theology. To educate
somebody, we do not have to first brainwash anybody with a faith.
Science and faith
In fact, that faith will be beautiful, human and
auspicious, which comes as a crowning glory to human intelligence.
Let the educated, intelligent man ‘think’, analyse the different
theologies and then choose his faith.
Imagine a world where there is no discovery of
wheel, no machines, no industrialisation, no car and no petrol! West
would not be rich and Middle-East will not even know that there is
petrol underground, to become the richest nations, as nobody will be
aware of the use of petrol without car! East will be in meditation
with superficial sustenance!
Not many religions or simple faiths advocate
analytical thinking. If we see the vedic literature, it was all
geared towards the Absolute and Immortality, Eternity was revealed!
There was some emphasis on different aspects of human life, but we
cannot claim the wonders of modern science being present then.
The world view of the Vedas introduced the man to
himself to view the world as the manifestation of the same reality!
Yet, all the needs of man – the righteousness, the security, the
pleasures and the ultimate freedom – dharma, artha, kama moksha –
were taken care of with various shades of rules, exceptions almost to
the point of rigidity as well as permissiveness.
Today, the world needs it without the dead woods
of many systems initiated at different times. Some of the systems may
look ancient, age old, but those are changeable depending upon the
time.
In today’s world that faith, theology or
philosophy becomes popular which can provide tourist attractions! The
exotic destinations are either outside or inside, but never ‘the man’
himself. If the faith allows eating, drinking, mating and indulging
as part of the celebration, there shall be many who love it. At the
same time many will be tired of it. Neither the indulgence nor sheer
austerity can hold anybody for a long time. Man will be tired of
both. That is why ‘the man’ must know himself and then to balance his
life in such a way that the austerity is as much a meditative
indulgence, as even the indulgence is a celebration of austerity!
Tolerance – Essence of vedic vision
As even we are looking at different companies
before choosing a product, so also the man must be educated with
basic human values, analytical temper and then must be exposed to,
not be imposed upon different theologies to choose. Before leaving or
embracing other faiths or religions, let people think of the concept
of man, the creation and God on both sides and choose. It is
necessary on the part of Indian society to look at the differences in
the name of caste, creed, sex, race and religions as even it is
necessary throughout the world with different concepts of segregation
but with the same conflict and pain. India happens to be the land
where the oldest religion, the mother of all religion, holds all
religions within her purview. Somebody can be anti-Hindu, but a true
follower of Vedic Hinduism cannot be anti-anybody. When a theology
has its limitation, exclusiveness, then the followers have to be
fanatic as there is no other way out, but the non-practising people
there will be secular. In Vedic Hinduism, the people who know and
practise have to be tolerant as all the shades of all thoughts,
faiths have their place in sanatana dharma. Only the ill-informed in
Hinduism will be rigid when the informed ones in many faiths have to
be rigid as they do not have any other view point.
We have to, therefore, decide whether religion
should influence education or educate the people first and then give
them the choice. At least let them begin with God! Truth is in
everything, everywhere at all times. It will take time but is worth
attempting. Because when a visible single planet cannot hold us
together as belonging to one spaceship called earth, how can the
invisible Truth/God hold us together! But, there the man is now
crossing many barriers like caste, creed, nationality and race.
Slowly, they will drop the differences in the name of religions too
to enjoy oneness in spite of all the differences!
Sanatana dharma, the Vedantic vision, has the
ingredient for world to recognise the Oneness, in spite of all the
possible functional differences even in the name of Gods, what to
talk of many other relative identities!
Indians have a responsibility to initiate the move
first in their own lives and then in the world around!
Swami Suddhananda
Samvit Sagar Trust
Tiruvannamalai
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