The simplest solution to all our problems is a constant and sincere pursuit for an answer to the question ‘Who Am I”. It was the self-realised Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) who gave this simple solution. He was the living embodiment of the Indian tradition of Advaita Vedanta, which focuses on the oneness of God with the human soul and everything else in this universe. For those who are interested in this simple pursuit, it may be equally important to enquire about ‘What Am I’. What is the Self made up of? An equally simple and logical answer is necessary for us to be rationally satisfied. Man Make-up has great significance and it can even ease our spiritual pursuit of striving to understand about ‘Who Am I’. All great sages (and in fact all of us know) very well that we are not this body of ours alone. Neither are we the life energy inside or the mind or the knowledge. In reality we are a combination of minimum four components – body (physical form), soul (life energy), knowledge (intelligence) and mind (consciousness). Perhaps all living beings are of the same make-up and the non-living without the soul part alone. Let us deliberate further on the four parts that constitute Man Make-up.
Physical Form (Body)
Human body is one of the most complicated machines that can be thought of and our knowledge is yet to uncover most of its complexity. Like everything else in this universe our understanding is diminishing as we try to understand more about the secrets of human body. A simple fact like the variety of looks that a human face can take as a permutation and combination of the seven organs (eyes, ears, lips, teeth, nose, eyebrows and hair) is unbelievable. The same marvel holds good for each and every part of the human body. The complexities are much more astounding when we learn about the various systems that keep the body alive. Yet in the final analysis it is only a few grams of a few elements and a huge proportion of water that makeup any human body. And in the ultimate analysis it is again a loose collection of atomic and subatomic particles that forms a human body. All of us are alike in many ways and different in every aspect. All of us are insignificant and unique at the same time.
Life Energy (Soul)
Soul is that which differentiates between a Man in deep sleep and his dead body. Both are motionless and unaware of the surroundings, but still there is a difference. Science and religion acknowledge the phenomenon of soul in different forms. Science is still in the dark about the secret of soul because of its obvious failure in creating one artificially. But all religions are clear about the involvement of God in it. For the top two organized religions, soul is a proprietary item under God’s command and control; for them it is created by God and it returns to God after death for judgment. The one and only religious thought that considers soul as a flash of God itself is Hindu Sanatana Dharma (PTBH – Proud To Be Hindu) and voluminous documentations are available to substantiate such a claim. Since God is eternally present everywhere there is no question of souls coming or returning to God at any time. It is born and born again until it dissolves permanently into God. And our lives are nothing but a series of dramatic effects (including visuals) enacted on the arena of unchanging God.
Intelligence (Knowledge)
Intelligence is closely associated with the spark of life found in all living beings and just like human body our knowledge also grows with us. It is very interesting to note that there is an element of built-in knowledge (like ROM in a computer) that is readily available for all living beings which takes them through the initial period of survival. This is perhaps lowest in the case of humans, but we make it up with the next phase of acquired knowledge (like RAM in a computer). The extent of knowledge accumulation that is possible for humans is truly amazing and needs no explanation when we think of people like Sankaracharya, Albert Einstein etc., and our own Vedic literature. All successful beings (including Man) are those who realize the skills (vasanas) in their ROM and accumulate more of it in their RAM. Evolution is taking us much forward and the days of super human beings, as envisaged by Swami Aurobindo, are just few millenniums away.
Consciousness (Mind)
Consciousness is perhaps the most intriguing part of our make-up. It is definitely a part of us and yet we have not yet identified its exact location. It is truly amazing to note that there is only one instrument that can ‘see’ the entire universe at a time – just close your eyes and imagine. According to me the basis of Big Bang theory lies in here. The entire universe has originated from the explosion of a speck of consciousness that now encompasses everything in this universe. This is exactly what we loosely call as God, which is omnipresent and omnipotent. The capacity and capability of our minds are infinite and its realization is possible only through dedicated efforts, unless it occurs ‘automatically’ like in the case of Sri Ramana Maharshi or Sri Ramakrishna. And those with realized consciousness can definitely guide us (and not show or give us) towards the direction of realization.
Make-up of man is as fundamental as the question of Who Am I, which Sri Ramana Maharshi (www.ramana-maharshi.org) wanted everyone to seek. Realisation of Self is complete only when we have clearly understood our make-up and recognized the true nature of our consciousness. We need to understand the shape and other features of the bottle before we can fully realize the nature of its contents. The three intangibles of Soul, Knowledge and Mind that reside in our tangible body can bloom into their full potential if we make conscious efforts to understand them. And that is what we identify as Self-Actualisation in the hierarchy of human needs in modern management and we Indians know as Self-Realisation in Hindu Sanatana Dharma (PTBH).
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Career Politicians
Democracy is no doubt one of the best form of governance available for civilized mankind, but a natural breed of mature and talented politicians is a must for making it deliver. For democracy to succeed there should be an established channel for successful people from all walks of life to graduate into political roles. This is not happening in many major democracies and unfortunately India is one among them. Instead, a new breed of politicians is infesting the political arena and vitiating the process of democracy in almost all the developed and developing countries where democratic values have taken strong roots and people are happy with democratic ways of tackling national issues. Politicians are indispensable for the working of any democracy and true democracy can flourish only when politicians are free to operate without any fear and favour. But the new breed of politicians viz. Career Politicians are spoiling the whole concept of democracy. The situation is worsening day by day in all democracies with the advent of a mix of career and hereditary politicians. Both are equally bad and a combination is even more damaging to the best form of human governance.
The success or failure of democracy in a country is solely dependent of the quality of politicians that operate in it. If there are politicians with good intent, there is every possibility of having a good government which will represent majority aspirations. But that alone will not take the country forward. There should be talented visionary politicians to run the government and guide the nation. They will know what is good for the people even when the people themselves may not be appreciative of it. This quality of formulating policies which are for the well being of the society comes out of education and talent. It is not something which is inborn but can only be developed by education and experience. Professionals who are good in one field always find it easy to understand others’ work and efforts. Politics should not become a profession but professionals are needed in politics if development and deliverance are the purpose of governance.
Political Purpose
When we are analyzing politicians it is important to understand what essentially is politics? What is expected of politicians in a democracy? Whatever be its dictionary meaning, in democratic India it has deteriorated to the level of merely taking part in elections and always trying to be part of the government that rules. If one is successful one becomes part of the government and if not, part of the opposition ranks criticizing the government and waiting for the next opportunity to seize power. Most politicians carry out these ‘responsibilities’ well and many of them excel as rulers. The attraction of power is an ever lasting fascination for ordinary politicians and the more they taste it more hungry they become. Nothing succeeds like success and successful Indian politicians are always those who get into the right political party at the right time. It was much easier during the pre-anti defection era. But now also they achieve the same by right mergers and forming new election fronts, before or after the elections to make up the numbers without any rhyme, reason or shame.
Is this all that is expected of politicians in a democracy? Not at all. Ideal politicians must be proficient in so many other aspects apart from elections and governance. I would consider representation and thinking for the well-being of the majority of utmost importance. A good politician must have proper social transducers to pick up the opinion of the majority in his political constituency (not only geographical) on all major issues. Then he (or she) should be capable of articulating this majority opinion in the proper forums including the assembly or parliament or party avenues. But the most critical action that is expected from a politician involves thinking for the majority. It is impossible to get a single opinion from a mob and that is why we have representatives speaking on our behalf. But the representative’s opinion must be in the best interest of the majority even if many of the constituency may not agree. For that to happen the elected political representative must be not only be educated but experienced and capable of taking independent decisions. Only a good professional who can win bread for him and his family can become a good politician in any democracy.
Personal Purpose
There in no doubt that politics is dirty and it is truly difficult to live up to the expectations of others. But it is not at all difficult if one can live up to one’s own expectations. Those who have no self respect cannot expect others to respect you. Most of the politicians fail in this aspect. Many of them are without any formal education and very few are professionals. Most of them do not know any job other than that of the so called public (dis)service. Even professionally qualified politicians like lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants etc., do not take the trouble of practicing their own trained profession even for a day. In the Indian political scene, most of the politicians are lawyers but I am cent percent sure that 90% of them cannot argue properly in any court of law. Quite in contrast we are fully aware of the contributions made by professional lawyers like Gandhiji, Nehru, Patel, Ambedkar, Santhibushan, Jethmalani, Nariman, Sibal, Jaitley etc., to the realm of politics. These lawyer politicians were (are) capable of feeding their own families by practicing law. Society and nation are just extensions for them.
Politics as a profession for a career is the worst that can happen in a democracy and that is what is happening in a functioning democracy like India. Degeneration of our democratic framework can be traced back to this dangerous reality. There is no minimum qualification to enter this profession and there are no minimum standards to be maintained for climbing the career ladder. The most unqualified and unscrupulous are proving to be most successful in politics. Those who are more visible inside and outside the parliament are those who do not participate in the law making process and debates about India’s development and future. Most of them are blissfully ignorant of the requirements of a struggling population and the options available in terms of technology, infrastructure and resources for taking India forward. Many are sitting in the law making bodies only by virtue of their heredity or seniority in career politics. Once out of power, many of them will be like fish out of water that will die without oxygen (money). What more justification is required for rampant corruption while in power?
Monthly remuneration of members of Indian parliament has been recommended to be increased three or four fold to more than Rs. 80,000/- per month. The interesting argument is that it should be at least one rupee more than the maximum emoluments of a professional in government because of protocol and hierarchy. This is in addition to so many other perks and an average monthly expenditure on each lawmaker will be definitely more than Rs. 200,000/- of public money. Do all of them deserve so much for their worth and work? Definitely not. Only those who can earn that much money by their own professional merit deserve that much remuneration for being in politics. It is time for democratic India to think seriously about minimum qualifications for being in politics and state funding for elections to encourage successful professionals to venture into politics. Left to career and hereditary politicians, Indian democracy will be in shambles in not so distant future.
The success or failure of democracy in a country is solely dependent of the quality of politicians that operate in it. If there are politicians with good intent, there is every possibility of having a good government which will represent majority aspirations. But that alone will not take the country forward. There should be talented visionary politicians to run the government and guide the nation. They will know what is good for the people even when the people themselves may not be appreciative of it. This quality of formulating policies which are for the well being of the society comes out of education and talent. It is not something which is inborn but can only be developed by education and experience. Professionals who are good in one field always find it easy to understand others’ work and efforts. Politics should not become a profession but professionals are needed in politics if development and deliverance are the purpose of governance.
Political Purpose
When we are analyzing politicians it is important to understand what essentially is politics? What is expected of politicians in a democracy? Whatever be its dictionary meaning, in democratic India it has deteriorated to the level of merely taking part in elections and always trying to be part of the government that rules. If one is successful one becomes part of the government and if not, part of the opposition ranks criticizing the government and waiting for the next opportunity to seize power. Most politicians carry out these ‘responsibilities’ well and many of them excel as rulers. The attraction of power is an ever lasting fascination for ordinary politicians and the more they taste it more hungry they become. Nothing succeeds like success and successful Indian politicians are always those who get into the right political party at the right time. It was much easier during the pre-anti defection era. But now also they achieve the same by right mergers and forming new election fronts, before or after the elections to make up the numbers without any rhyme, reason or shame.
Is this all that is expected of politicians in a democracy? Not at all. Ideal politicians must be proficient in so many other aspects apart from elections and governance. I would consider representation and thinking for the well-being of the majority of utmost importance. A good politician must have proper social transducers to pick up the opinion of the majority in his political constituency (not only geographical) on all major issues. Then he (or she) should be capable of articulating this majority opinion in the proper forums including the assembly or parliament or party avenues. But the most critical action that is expected from a politician involves thinking for the majority. It is impossible to get a single opinion from a mob and that is why we have representatives speaking on our behalf. But the representative’s opinion must be in the best interest of the majority even if many of the constituency may not agree. For that to happen the elected political representative must be not only be educated but experienced and capable of taking independent decisions. Only a good professional who can win bread for him and his family can become a good politician in any democracy.
Personal Purpose
There in no doubt that politics is dirty and it is truly difficult to live up to the expectations of others. But it is not at all difficult if one can live up to one’s own expectations. Those who have no self respect cannot expect others to respect you. Most of the politicians fail in this aspect. Many of them are without any formal education and very few are professionals. Most of them do not know any job other than that of the so called public (dis)service. Even professionally qualified politicians like lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants etc., do not take the trouble of practicing their own trained profession even for a day. In the Indian political scene, most of the politicians are lawyers but I am cent percent sure that 90% of them cannot argue properly in any court of law. Quite in contrast we are fully aware of the contributions made by professional lawyers like Gandhiji, Nehru, Patel, Ambedkar, Santhibushan, Jethmalani, Nariman, Sibal, Jaitley etc., to the realm of politics. These lawyer politicians were (are) capable of feeding their own families by practicing law. Society and nation are just extensions for them.
Politics as a profession for a career is the worst that can happen in a democracy and that is what is happening in a functioning democracy like India. Degeneration of our democratic framework can be traced back to this dangerous reality. There is no minimum qualification to enter this profession and there are no minimum standards to be maintained for climbing the career ladder. The most unqualified and unscrupulous are proving to be most successful in politics. Those who are more visible inside and outside the parliament are those who do not participate in the law making process and debates about India’s development and future. Most of them are blissfully ignorant of the requirements of a struggling population and the options available in terms of technology, infrastructure and resources for taking India forward. Many are sitting in the law making bodies only by virtue of their heredity or seniority in career politics. Once out of power, many of them will be like fish out of water that will die without oxygen (money). What more justification is required for rampant corruption while in power?
Monthly remuneration of members of Indian parliament has been recommended to be increased three or four fold to more than Rs. 80,000/- per month. The interesting argument is that it should be at least one rupee more than the maximum emoluments of a professional in government because of protocol and hierarchy. This is in addition to so many other perks and an average monthly expenditure on each lawmaker will be definitely more than Rs. 200,000/- of public money. Do all of them deserve so much for their worth and work? Definitely not. Only those who can earn that much money by their own professional merit deserve that much remuneration for being in politics. It is time for democratic India to think seriously about minimum qualifications for being in politics and state funding for elections to encourage successful professionals to venture into politics. Left to career and hereditary politicians, Indian democracy will be in shambles in not so distant future.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Backdoor Brahmins
Be it the Middle East or the West, Indian Diaspora delights in their almost daily ritual of symposiums, seminars and discussions highlighting Brahmin atrocities in India in the past and present. India’s infamous hierarchical caste system dominated by Brahmins has become a pet tool in the hands of so many vested interests. It is interesting to note that while the organizers of all such get-togethers are invariably from minority outfits, they are clever enough to ensure that the main speakers always belong to the majority. It is a pleasure for them to see successors of their past adversaries fighting among themselves to please their present minority sponsors. More than anyone else, the present leaders in these minority communities know the role of erstwhile Brahmins in thwarting their attempts to arabise or westernize the whole of Bharath during their own periods of reign. No amount of muscle power or scheming could match the brain power of a Chanakya or a Sankara in the past and very well they know that it will continue to be so for ever. Real Brahmins and true Brahminhood always referred to the best in terms of brilliance and quality as it was originally conceived.
Brahma, Brahman and Brahmin are three terms that create a lot of confusion in the minds of everyone. The much acclaimed secular education of Hindu children in post-1947 India makes the situation hopeless. For some it is all the same and for many children it is immaterial. The intentional disinterest in everything Hindu that Hindu children are forced to develop by a skewed secular educational system is turning out to be a premeditated attempt for national suicide by Indian nation. While Lord Brahma may not be of much interest to many, the difference and meaning of Brahman and Brahmin must necessarily be known. The all pervading concept of Brahman is always relevant and the ongoing CERN experiments will definitely fuel further interests in the relevance of such theories. But the most misunderstood term among the trio is that of Brahmin. It was never intended to be hereditary and the existence of terms like “Boston Brahmins” denotes a better understanding even in the not-so-distant past. The idea and concept of Backdoor Brahmin dominance started with the advent of foreign influences in India. What has been happening in the Christian and Muslim world for the past few centuries provides amble proof for this interesting claim.
Arab World
In the long years of human civilization, the role of Arabs is only a few days old. And in this too their presence has been recognized by others only because of near monopoly hold over fuel reserves in recent times. It seems the underground layer of hydrocarbon reserves keeps shifting in between the tectonic plates and the Arab world was lucky enough to notice it when it came under their own foot. No one knows how long it will remain under their foot. The Arabs are utilizing the opportunity well not only for promoting their own faith, but also for many wrong causes forming part of their imperial dreams of subjugating all other religions and ruling over the entire world. Quite unwittingly they are also passing through the process of creating a social hierarchy with their own version of hereditary Brahminhood at the very top. This is despite their claim of having developed a modern religion based on equality, brotherhood and justice. All evolving social isms (which include religions also) develop a creamy layer on top and Arabs are no exception when it comes to their own formulation of faith.
Identical to what has happened in Hindu Sanatana Dharma in Indian subcontinent, children of the initial creamy layer who comes to occupy a dominating position in any faith, have gained a backdoor entry into Brahminhood. Arabs are spearheading their religious spread across the world and their own language, attire and customs have acquired a certain higher status. Despite professing equality and brotherhood as being marked specialties of their faith, the truth on the ground points to an overall domination by Arabs in the entire Muslim world. Arabic language has become the chosen language and Arabic dress has become the exalted attire. And whatever the Arabs do has become the correct way for all others to emulate. Richness of Arab nations has no doubt contributed to their dominance in the Muslim world as Backdoor Brahmins. Their co-religionists from other parts of the world now constitute the lower castes and all are trying to mimic their masters in everything they do. What should be attained by merit and hard work is now easily available hereditarily to all Arabs.
Western World
Though Westerners struck the road to civilization quite later than those in Asia, their naive adventurous nature rewarded them with plenty of success in the peace loving parts of the world. Christianity, after its origin in the Middle East, has long been hijacked by the West since the time of Roman empire. And when the Westerners started their conquest of the eastern lands they had this unwanted faith formulation of theirs to offer in return for the loot of material wealth. White missionaries who formed third rung of the invading troops, the first two being businessmen and soldiers, were very clever and cunning. Their role in the grand imperial design was to prepare the natives for eternal subjugation for generations to come. Owners of East India Company knew very well that it is easier to hold on to the British Raj forever if at least half the Indians could be converted to Christianity. Same is the case with all the African countries.
The backdoor entry of Brahminhood can be seen in the case of Christianity too. In the overall scheme of Christian world, the dominant force is that of the Western Whites. They are the ones who formulate and re-formulate the faith. Whites are indeed the backdoor hereditary Brahmins in Christianity. Brownies and Blackies will always remain in the lower castes. Though Obama could become US president, it is impossible for any black or brown Cardinal to become the Pope. Even if there comes one, he will be namesake as a showpiece. Language, attire and customs of Whites have become the hallmarks of the religion. It is upto everyone in the Christian faith to emulate the Whites in their pathway towards God. Merit and hard work have given way to hereditary domination by Whites. Again pioneers of the ism have usurped Brahminhood through their backdoor entry.
Brahminhood in Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) was meant to be something highly admirable and it is open to everyone irrespective of his or her background to achieve it. The truth is that no one is born as a Brahmin and Brahminhood is to be attained by noble thoughts and painstaking efforts. Ancient HSD is full of historical figures who have come up from lower ranks at birth to the highest level of Brahminhood. Vyasa, Valmiki, Viswamitra are just a few of them. Gandhi, Vinobha, JP, Ambedkar etc., also made it later in recent times. The heredity hijack happened in between when a few unworthy children of Brahmins thought of an easy way and the society at large kept mum. The same phenomenon is happening in the Islamic and Christian world now. Backdoor Brahmins are leading the world to an early end in all respects.
Brahma, Brahman and Brahmin are three terms that create a lot of confusion in the minds of everyone. The much acclaimed secular education of Hindu children in post-1947 India makes the situation hopeless. For some it is all the same and for many children it is immaterial. The intentional disinterest in everything Hindu that Hindu children are forced to develop by a skewed secular educational system is turning out to be a premeditated attempt for national suicide by Indian nation. While Lord Brahma may not be of much interest to many, the difference and meaning of Brahman and Brahmin must necessarily be known. The all pervading concept of Brahman is always relevant and the ongoing CERN experiments will definitely fuel further interests in the relevance of such theories. But the most misunderstood term among the trio is that of Brahmin. It was never intended to be hereditary and the existence of terms like “Boston Brahmins” denotes a better understanding even in the not-so-distant past. The idea and concept of Backdoor Brahmin dominance started with the advent of foreign influences in India. What has been happening in the Christian and Muslim world for the past few centuries provides amble proof for this interesting claim.
Arab World
In the long years of human civilization, the role of Arabs is only a few days old. And in this too their presence has been recognized by others only because of near monopoly hold over fuel reserves in recent times. It seems the underground layer of hydrocarbon reserves keeps shifting in between the tectonic plates and the Arab world was lucky enough to notice it when it came under their own foot. No one knows how long it will remain under their foot. The Arabs are utilizing the opportunity well not only for promoting their own faith, but also for many wrong causes forming part of their imperial dreams of subjugating all other religions and ruling over the entire world. Quite unwittingly they are also passing through the process of creating a social hierarchy with their own version of hereditary Brahminhood at the very top. This is despite their claim of having developed a modern religion based on equality, brotherhood and justice. All evolving social isms (which include religions also) develop a creamy layer on top and Arabs are no exception when it comes to their own formulation of faith.
Identical to what has happened in Hindu Sanatana Dharma in Indian subcontinent, children of the initial creamy layer who comes to occupy a dominating position in any faith, have gained a backdoor entry into Brahminhood. Arabs are spearheading their religious spread across the world and their own language, attire and customs have acquired a certain higher status. Despite professing equality and brotherhood as being marked specialties of their faith, the truth on the ground points to an overall domination by Arabs in the entire Muslim world. Arabic language has become the chosen language and Arabic dress has become the exalted attire. And whatever the Arabs do has become the correct way for all others to emulate. Richness of Arab nations has no doubt contributed to their dominance in the Muslim world as Backdoor Brahmins. Their co-religionists from other parts of the world now constitute the lower castes and all are trying to mimic their masters in everything they do. What should be attained by merit and hard work is now easily available hereditarily to all Arabs.
Western World
Though Westerners struck the road to civilization quite later than those in Asia, their naive adventurous nature rewarded them with plenty of success in the peace loving parts of the world. Christianity, after its origin in the Middle East, has long been hijacked by the West since the time of Roman empire. And when the Westerners started their conquest of the eastern lands they had this unwanted faith formulation of theirs to offer in return for the loot of material wealth. White missionaries who formed third rung of the invading troops, the first two being businessmen and soldiers, were very clever and cunning. Their role in the grand imperial design was to prepare the natives for eternal subjugation for generations to come. Owners of East India Company knew very well that it is easier to hold on to the British Raj forever if at least half the Indians could be converted to Christianity. Same is the case with all the African countries.
The backdoor entry of Brahminhood can be seen in the case of Christianity too. In the overall scheme of Christian world, the dominant force is that of the Western Whites. They are the ones who formulate and re-formulate the faith. Whites are indeed the backdoor hereditary Brahmins in Christianity. Brownies and Blackies will always remain in the lower castes. Though Obama could become US president, it is impossible for any black or brown Cardinal to become the Pope. Even if there comes one, he will be namesake as a showpiece. Language, attire and customs of Whites have become the hallmarks of the religion. It is upto everyone in the Christian faith to emulate the Whites in their pathway towards God. Merit and hard work have given way to hereditary domination by Whites. Again pioneers of the ism have usurped Brahminhood through their backdoor entry.
Brahminhood in Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) was meant to be something highly admirable and it is open to everyone irrespective of his or her background to achieve it. The truth is that no one is born as a Brahmin and Brahminhood is to be attained by noble thoughts and painstaking efforts. Ancient HSD is full of historical figures who have come up from lower ranks at birth to the highest level of Brahminhood. Vyasa, Valmiki, Viswamitra are just a few of them. Gandhi, Vinobha, JP, Ambedkar etc., also made it later in recent times. The heredity hijack happened in between when a few unworthy children of Brahmins thought of an easy way and the society at large kept mum. The same phenomenon is happening in the Islamic and Christian world now. Backdoor Brahmins are leading the world to an early end in all respects.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Bigger Bang
There is a growing belief all over the world that the year 2012 is going to be a significant one for reasons unknown so far. Some have fear and some others are hopeful and positive as ever. The fear of World War III (WWIII) has been lurking for sometime and the growing defiance of Iran over the most sensitive nuclear issue strengthens our negative fears. A nuclear capable Iran is sure death bell for Israel. It is foolish optimism to expect inaction by one of the world’s most powerful and determined states in such a scenario. In the prevailing international air of terrorism, islamophobhia and aggressive evangelism, it is not very improbable to have a war between two tribes escalate into one between religions and civilizations. The much predicted WWIII for drinking water may get postponed as WWIV, if at all there is scope for another one. However there is still optimism to look forward to a more positive and incredible development in the year 2012.
One of the major ongoing projects that can give some good news by 2012 is the CERN experiment. It is almost a century since the theories of Big Bang started and it would be a grand finale if the experiments could prove it without any remaining ambiguity. It would be a much bigger bang if Big Bang is true and everything indeed started from a single entity. Consequently, so many half cooked hypotheses and card board postulates will have to be thrown out of our realms of knowledge. The effect of a bigger bang can resonate in so many fields other than science and technology. It can shake the entire foundations of beliefs in all walks of human life. If everything that we can think of started with a single big bang, how can there be so much diversity other than with an underlying string of unity. There can be only one truth and only one direction for approaching the truth. Concept of God and religious beliefs will have to be rewritten.
Scientific Shastra
Shastra in India covers a much bigger area of knowledge than its western counterpart of Science. Indians have always considered anything that can be analysed systematically to be Shastra and that included almost all fields of knowledge. Authentic works like Dharma Shastra and Kama Shastra proves this beyond any doubt. While Western Science was over dependent on instruments, Indian Shastra could go much beyond with the help of meditative and instinctive thoughts. If Western Science insisted on solid proof for every hypothesis, Indian Shastra was content with intuition and faith in profound theories. That is one of the main reasons why Indian Shastras have gone much beyond the frontiers achieved so far by modern Science. Modern scientists realized this difference only when Newtonian physics gave way to its Quantum version in the twentieth century. It is no wonder that almost all physicists of the modern era look so reverently towards Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) ideology.
Despite the dubious efforts of our colonial masters and Islamic invaders, a sizeable part of Indian works on various Shastra is still intact and available to us in its original forms. Distrustful commentaries and sinister interpretations by Christian missionaries and colonial experts have not succeeded much in their intentions. It is ironical to note that some of the most virulent proponents of HSD ideological literature in modern times are the present generations of the very same colonial masters. HSD is beginning to flourish in its pristine beauty once again in the West rather than in its land of origin. Almost all of the major works have been digitized and a mere cursory look though them can tell us the vast expanse of knowledge that has been covered. For anyone impartially interested it would be a great surprise to note that HSD literature covers almost all the current frontiers of Science, most of it allegorically in the least expected forms of stories and mythology.
Advaita Again
Truth of Big Bang is bound to re-emphasize many beliefs in Hindu Sanatana Dharma and dismantle with greater intensity the concept of God in all the Semitic religions. If the cause of everything that we can think of is the single big bang, humanity has no choice but to accept the theory of Advaita. A final seal of authenticity on Big Bang will mean that consciousness, energy and matter are all interchangeable and in fact one and the same. This is nothing but a blunt statement that all matter (me, you, animals, planets, stars etc.), all energy (light, sound, heat etc.), all concepts (God, science, shastra etc.), all ideologies (religions, isms etc.), all ideas etc., in fact everything that we can think of, are essentially one and the same, because everything has emanated from the same source. All the so-called creations have taken place from a single source and quite possibly will go back to the same source, for the cycle of bang and collapse to repeat.
Another offshoot of Big Bang is the authentic seal on the Theory of Evolution, which Hindu Sanatana Dharma has always supported on all planes of thought. There is the shade of evolution in everything connected to HSD ideology. God evolves in various forms and Man is always on an evolutionary path to reach God. Since everything has its origin in the same source, the evolutionary path connecting the minutest organism to the loftiest ideal of God makes perfect sense. All those who prophesied creation of Man by a separate entity called God can roll back their theories and accept defeat in the best traditions of a philosophical debate. All theories of creation will prove to be absurd and shall stand exposed as made up theories aimed at subjugation of Man by Man. There can be no sons or messengers of God, but only incarnations of God in various forms. A majority of humans will stand revealed of their mistake and their leaders exposed of deception.
It is possible that after-shocks overdo the original earthquake in their intensity. The after-effects of Big Bang will be in this fashion. A purely scientific discovery is going to upset the entire world of religious faiths and beliefs when it is getting the final seal of authenticity by the year 2012. Centuries old unfounded theories of creation and prophesy will stand completely exposed with no more followers but the uninformed, illiterate and those with vested interests. The entire scientific community and those with scientific temper will have only one choice. Claims of Vedanta as the eternal truth with no beginning and no end will stand completely vindicated. And Advaita which has always expounded the basic oneness of God and Man will take over the entire humanity to lead us to a world of knowledge, peace and complete understanding. All of us will see only one thing encompassing the entire universe – Brahman, made up of Brahmons (http://www.pseudodictionary.com/brahmons).
One of the major ongoing projects that can give some good news by 2012 is the CERN experiment. It is almost a century since the theories of Big Bang started and it would be a grand finale if the experiments could prove it without any remaining ambiguity. It would be a much bigger bang if Big Bang is true and everything indeed started from a single entity. Consequently, so many half cooked hypotheses and card board postulates will have to be thrown out of our realms of knowledge. The effect of a bigger bang can resonate in so many fields other than science and technology. It can shake the entire foundations of beliefs in all walks of human life. If everything that we can think of started with a single big bang, how can there be so much diversity other than with an underlying string of unity. There can be only one truth and only one direction for approaching the truth. Concept of God and religious beliefs will have to be rewritten.
Scientific Shastra
Shastra in India covers a much bigger area of knowledge than its western counterpart of Science. Indians have always considered anything that can be analysed systematically to be Shastra and that included almost all fields of knowledge. Authentic works like Dharma Shastra and Kama Shastra proves this beyond any doubt. While Western Science was over dependent on instruments, Indian Shastra could go much beyond with the help of meditative and instinctive thoughts. If Western Science insisted on solid proof for every hypothesis, Indian Shastra was content with intuition and faith in profound theories. That is one of the main reasons why Indian Shastras have gone much beyond the frontiers achieved so far by modern Science. Modern scientists realized this difference only when Newtonian physics gave way to its Quantum version in the twentieth century. It is no wonder that almost all physicists of the modern era look so reverently towards Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) ideology.
Despite the dubious efforts of our colonial masters and Islamic invaders, a sizeable part of Indian works on various Shastra is still intact and available to us in its original forms. Distrustful commentaries and sinister interpretations by Christian missionaries and colonial experts have not succeeded much in their intentions. It is ironical to note that some of the most virulent proponents of HSD ideological literature in modern times are the present generations of the very same colonial masters. HSD is beginning to flourish in its pristine beauty once again in the West rather than in its land of origin. Almost all of the major works have been digitized and a mere cursory look though them can tell us the vast expanse of knowledge that has been covered. For anyone impartially interested it would be a great surprise to note that HSD literature covers almost all the current frontiers of Science, most of it allegorically in the least expected forms of stories and mythology.
Advaita Again
Truth of Big Bang is bound to re-emphasize many beliefs in Hindu Sanatana Dharma and dismantle with greater intensity the concept of God in all the Semitic religions. If the cause of everything that we can think of is the single big bang, humanity has no choice but to accept the theory of Advaita. A final seal of authenticity on Big Bang will mean that consciousness, energy and matter are all interchangeable and in fact one and the same. This is nothing but a blunt statement that all matter (me, you, animals, planets, stars etc.), all energy (light, sound, heat etc.), all concepts (God, science, shastra etc.), all ideologies (religions, isms etc.), all ideas etc., in fact everything that we can think of, are essentially one and the same, because everything has emanated from the same source. All the so-called creations have taken place from a single source and quite possibly will go back to the same source, for the cycle of bang and collapse to repeat.
Another offshoot of Big Bang is the authentic seal on the Theory of Evolution, which Hindu Sanatana Dharma has always supported on all planes of thought. There is the shade of evolution in everything connected to HSD ideology. God evolves in various forms and Man is always on an evolutionary path to reach God. Since everything has its origin in the same source, the evolutionary path connecting the minutest organism to the loftiest ideal of God makes perfect sense. All those who prophesied creation of Man by a separate entity called God can roll back their theories and accept defeat in the best traditions of a philosophical debate. All theories of creation will prove to be absurd and shall stand exposed as made up theories aimed at subjugation of Man by Man. There can be no sons or messengers of God, but only incarnations of God in various forms. A majority of humans will stand revealed of their mistake and their leaders exposed of deception.
It is possible that after-shocks overdo the original earthquake in their intensity. The after-effects of Big Bang will be in this fashion. A purely scientific discovery is going to upset the entire world of religious faiths and beliefs when it is getting the final seal of authenticity by the year 2012. Centuries old unfounded theories of creation and prophesy will stand completely exposed with no more followers but the uninformed, illiterate and those with vested interests. The entire scientific community and those with scientific temper will have only one choice. Claims of Vedanta as the eternal truth with no beginning and no end will stand completely vindicated. And Advaita which has always expounded the basic oneness of God and Man will take over the entire humanity to lead us to a world of knowledge, peace and complete understanding. All of us will see only one thing encompassing the entire universe – Brahman, made up of Brahmons (http://www.pseudodictionary.com/brahmons).
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tharoor Tangle
The Tharoor Tragedy (3T) is of great significance for the polity of Indian nation. After years and years of suffering substandard politicians, Shashi Tharoor’s surprise contest from Thiruvananthapuram (TVM) came as a whiff of hope in Indian politics. Since 1960s’ the biggest curse in Indian politics has been the advent and growing control of good-for-nothing politicians (including family members) over the parliament and government. The new breed of career politicians, who are fully dependent on politics for their livelihood, has become the real retardant that is holding back India. Democracy is no doubt the most civilized form for human governance, but it will blossom only if there are well meaning politicians with brilliance and calibre. Whatever be their background, those who decide to be in full-time politics immediately after completing their formal education can never do anything good for the country. The present state of India, especially its most literate Kerala state, is the best example for this. Career oriented leaders in the Communist and Congress parties of Kerala have literally brought down the God’s Own Country to a zero-development state.
Career politicians, who make up 95% in all the major political parties in India, are definitely not doing the country any good. Given their complete dependence on politics, it is not at all surprising to note that all such politicians are at all times striving for the next higher post in their party or government hierarchy. An ordinary member wants to become a panchayat member, then a district panchayat member, then an MLA and so on. Side by side they want income to take care of themselves and their family. Naturally the desire grows with age and so also the monetary requirements. In the process the only sure thing that can happen in the fixed tenure in any elected capacity is a frenzied scramble for amazing wealth for the entire future because of great uncertainty that underlines any political life. Another sinister offshoot is their determined attempts to cut down all prospective competitors while in power. In any case one thing is cent percent guaranteed – any elected career politician will never do anything good for the society at large and the nation. Those who plotted 3T from within Congress party are sad examples of this curse on Indian democracy.
Welcome Change
The entry of Shashi Tharoor in Indian politics was a welcome change because of so many reasons. First of all, he is not one of those career politicians. He volunteered to join politics at a time when all politicians with some ‘transfer value’ were running away from politics which was getting murkier day by day. The quality of debate and law making process in the Indian parliament had come down to ridiculous levels in the recent past. In the age of globalization, there is not even a single Indian parliamentarian who is well known and quoted in other world parliaments. None of them have produced nor have the potential to produce any significant work that will enhance the working of democratic process of governance. Very few had the moral authority to command respect among their peer group for educational qualifications and erudite achievements. Most of them were respected out of fear or for their oratory gimmicks. In such a scenario, Tharoor’s decision to contest for Lok Sabha rather than seeking a back door entry into Rajya Sabha was nothing but a miracle in Indian politics.
Dr. Sashi Tharoor had achieved almost everything that an ordinary middle-class Indian could in his entire lifetime when he decided to enter politics. He was already on top of the world with his foot firmly on Indian ground when he decided to take the plunge in the most politically sensitive state of Kerala. He needed a platform and he chose the Congress (supposedly because of his admiration for Nehru). Many were unhappy with his choice of the political party but all democratic Indians were happy to welcome his refreshing entry into politics. Many were unhappy with his writings but few doubted his erudition and calibre. Many disliked the foreignness in his words and looks, but nobody had any reservations about his intentions. Tharoor was the best that could have happened to Indian politics and all the political parties envied Congress when they offered the TVM seat to Tharoor. And the fact that he won it by over a lakh votes in a four-cornered contest shows the democratic resonance he could establish with the aspirations of ordinary Indians.
Unwanted Fall
Though Tharoor’s name cropped up in so many controversies in the past one year, it was always victory for him at the end. He had the integrity and intention to succeed against all types of allegations and efforts to get him out of the ministry, parliament and politics. Career politicians in all political parties were mortally afraid of the new trend he has set. All of them were afraid of the entry of bright and educated Indians into politics after having achieved something in other fields. If Tharoor succeeds in Indian politics, the consequences can be devastating for the entire system of career politics. Tharoor was using Twitter and speaking on TED platform. It was too much for the street smart dirty politicians who are interested only in electoral victory based on their family name or vote manipulation. None of the career politicians would have slept properly for the last one year because of anxiety. The BPL (Below Poverty Line) addicted communists and BPO (Bofors Pay Off) addicted congressmen are really no match for the likes of genuinely talented Tharoors.
Tharoor’s South Indian background is a major factor that has contributed to his current downfall. Power structure in Indian democracy has always been dominated by Hindi politicians (rather than Hindu politicians), thanks mainly to demography and volume of business in the North. Tharoor touched the wrong nerves when he could snatch an IPL slot from the powerful North lobby. In the past, it was considered almost impossible for any consortium representing a state like Kerala to have raised USD 333 million and beat the competition from the North. Only a Tharoor could have raised so much confidence for anyone to bet so much money on behalf of Kerala. Whether he has any direct monetary participation in the IPL bid is for the enforcement agencies to find out, but to have triggered the confidence and won a competitive bid is no crime at all. And personal relation between Sashi and Sunanda is not for Congress Working Committee or Polit bureau to decide.
It is unfortunate that 3T happened at a time when politicians and bureaucrats from Kerala are supposed to in dominance at Delhi. There has been no time since 1947 when Kerala had so many ministers and powerful bureaucrats in the government. Yet no one came to defend Tharoor for a Kerala cause is something that must not go unnoticed. And the moral credentials of the core committee itself that asked him to step down are highly suspect. It is like a set of shameless pots calling the shining kettle black. It had only the shame of India at the helm and a few family retainers who have entered the parliament through the back door. They have shown it is easy to bring down a Tharoor, but many of them have inadvertently contributed to the premature death of an Indian dream for rapid development through democracy with intelligent leadership and informed consent. And Kerala could have achieved a paradigm change in its development if only it had nurtured talents like Tharoor in its politics. Democratic Indians have failed once again in promoting genuine democracy in India.
Career politicians, who make up 95% in all the major political parties in India, are definitely not doing the country any good. Given their complete dependence on politics, it is not at all surprising to note that all such politicians are at all times striving for the next higher post in their party or government hierarchy. An ordinary member wants to become a panchayat member, then a district panchayat member, then an MLA and so on. Side by side they want income to take care of themselves and their family. Naturally the desire grows with age and so also the monetary requirements. In the process the only sure thing that can happen in the fixed tenure in any elected capacity is a frenzied scramble for amazing wealth for the entire future because of great uncertainty that underlines any political life. Another sinister offshoot is their determined attempts to cut down all prospective competitors while in power. In any case one thing is cent percent guaranteed – any elected career politician will never do anything good for the society at large and the nation. Those who plotted 3T from within Congress party are sad examples of this curse on Indian democracy.
Welcome Change
The entry of Shashi Tharoor in Indian politics was a welcome change because of so many reasons. First of all, he is not one of those career politicians. He volunteered to join politics at a time when all politicians with some ‘transfer value’ were running away from politics which was getting murkier day by day. The quality of debate and law making process in the Indian parliament had come down to ridiculous levels in the recent past. In the age of globalization, there is not even a single Indian parliamentarian who is well known and quoted in other world parliaments. None of them have produced nor have the potential to produce any significant work that will enhance the working of democratic process of governance. Very few had the moral authority to command respect among their peer group for educational qualifications and erudite achievements. Most of them were respected out of fear or for their oratory gimmicks. In such a scenario, Tharoor’s decision to contest for Lok Sabha rather than seeking a back door entry into Rajya Sabha was nothing but a miracle in Indian politics.
Dr. Sashi Tharoor had achieved almost everything that an ordinary middle-class Indian could in his entire lifetime when he decided to enter politics. He was already on top of the world with his foot firmly on Indian ground when he decided to take the plunge in the most politically sensitive state of Kerala. He needed a platform and he chose the Congress (supposedly because of his admiration for Nehru). Many were unhappy with his choice of the political party but all democratic Indians were happy to welcome his refreshing entry into politics. Many were unhappy with his writings but few doubted his erudition and calibre. Many disliked the foreignness in his words and looks, but nobody had any reservations about his intentions. Tharoor was the best that could have happened to Indian politics and all the political parties envied Congress when they offered the TVM seat to Tharoor. And the fact that he won it by over a lakh votes in a four-cornered contest shows the democratic resonance he could establish with the aspirations of ordinary Indians.
Unwanted Fall
Though Tharoor’s name cropped up in so many controversies in the past one year, it was always victory for him at the end. He had the integrity and intention to succeed against all types of allegations and efforts to get him out of the ministry, parliament and politics. Career politicians in all political parties were mortally afraid of the new trend he has set. All of them were afraid of the entry of bright and educated Indians into politics after having achieved something in other fields. If Tharoor succeeds in Indian politics, the consequences can be devastating for the entire system of career politics. Tharoor was using Twitter and speaking on TED platform. It was too much for the street smart dirty politicians who are interested only in electoral victory based on their family name or vote manipulation. None of the career politicians would have slept properly for the last one year because of anxiety. The BPL (Below Poverty Line) addicted communists and BPO (Bofors Pay Off) addicted congressmen are really no match for the likes of genuinely talented Tharoors.
Tharoor’s South Indian background is a major factor that has contributed to his current downfall. Power structure in Indian democracy has always been dominated by Hindi politicians (rather than Hindu politicians), thanks mainly to demography and volume of business in the North. Tharoor touched the wrong nerves when he could snatch an IPL slot from the powerful North lobby. In the past, it was considered almost impossible for any consortium representing a state like Kerala to have raised USD 333 million and beat the competition from the North. Only a Tharoor could have raised so much confidence for anyone to bet so much money on behalf of Kerala. Whether he has any direct monetary participation in the IPL bid is for the enforcement agencies to find out, but to have triggered the confidence and won a competitive bid is no crime at all. And personal relation between Sashi and Sunanda is not for Congress Working Committee or Polit bureau to decide.
It is unfortunate that 3T happened at a time when politicians and bureaucrats from Kerala are supposed to in dominance at Delhi. There has been no time since 1947 when Kerala had so many ministers and powerful bureaucrats in the government. Yet no one came to defend Tharoor for a Kerala cause is something that must not go unnoticed. And the moral credentials of the core committee itself that asked him to step down are highly suspect. It is like a set of shameless pots calling the shining kettle black. It had only the shame of India at the helm and a few family retainers who have entered the parliament through the back door. They have shown it is easy to bring down a Tharoor, but many of them have inadvertently contributed to the premature death of an Indian dream for rapid development through democracy with intelligent leadership and informed consent. And Kerala could have achieved a paradigm change in its development if only it had nurtured talents like Tharoor in its politics. Democratic Indians have failed once again in promoting genuine democracy in India.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Faith Formulations
It was an eye-opener when someone told me that I am in a world of my own creation. Though he was taking me to task for a questionable doing, I realised that he was cent percent true. All tangible and intangible items in my world are my own which I have acquired through my own five senses and same is the case with all living beings. Anything can make sense to me only if I am aware of it in the first place. And everything in my world cease for me when I am no more. The tangibles include the entire physical world around me including my own possessions, relatives etc. And my own knowledge, concepts, languages and thoughts make up the intangibles. The crux of this irrefutable argument is that each and every one of us is living in a different world, each of our own making. And we make sense to each other only when the commonalities amongst us are substantially high. We should be happy that such commonalities do exist and are increased over a period of time due to accumulation of knowledge from the surrounding environment. If a new born child could be brought up in a completely isolated environment, the world that it will progressively develop will be highly revealing to all of us who take many things for granted.
The isolated child (let it be a male) will survive only if it is cared for till it can manage of its own and let us assume that it shall be arranged. The first impression that he will develop about the world will be his self-primacy - that everything else exist for his use. He seeks no further explanation about why it is so. He feels superior, intelligent and happy. He becomes a truly atheistic Marxist communist. In the next stage he starts bothering about the other things around him, especially the living ones. Invariably he sticks to his own primacy and concludes that other living beings are something lesser and everything is created for him by some unknown Creator. He feels no qualms about harming and even killing others. He becomes a true follower of an all powerful but formless and merciful Creator who rewards and reprimands. He attributes more qualities like compassion and forgiveness to the Creator who can also speak and instruct in human languages. He develops the concept of sin and starts to believe in pleasing his Creator for achievements. But as he grows into more wisdom, he realizes that there is nothing else other than what is already within him and surrounding him that makes his own world. His irrepressible urge to understand the omnipresent God (not Creator) overpowers him. He begins to indulge in faith formulations to achieve the same and becomes worthy of being a human being. My own faith formulations may be of interest to some.
My God
If we are alone in this world we need no culture and no God. When we have one more to share this world with, we need to confront, adjust and compromise in order to live on. Our culture begins at this point and the need arises for a formless, indifferent and an all powerful, super intelligent impersonal entity (God) that can explain everything and for us to fall back on. Though many of our saintly leaders claim to have seen, heard and even talked to God, nobody could ever demonstrate it convincingly to another person. The nearest we have heard of is arranging a feel of God, like what Ramakrishna Paramahansa did for Swami Vivekanand. The underlying truth is that God is not someone who is compassionate, merciful etc., who is directing our actions, keeping a log of everyone’s activities and ever vigilant about what all of us are doing. God has no rewarding mechanism for sending us to heaven or hell after our death. God is something that exists among everything in this entire universe which neither cares nor bothers about what we do. But its very existence must definitely mean something to each one of us. It is entirely upto each individual to reach out and realize God.
Our failure to clearly define something which cannot be defined is not a failure at all. The nearest we can reach in terms of defining God is by analogies. One such wonderful analogy is that of God with Electricity. In today’s world, there is nowhere that is out of reach for electrical and electromagnetic energy. It is invisible, all powerful, but only when used or misused, to each according to their intentions. To me, God is something like this. An all pervasive and all powerful energy that can be used for our own good (misused for our own bad). It is estimated that the number of electric impulses generated in a human body on a single day is much more than those in entire telephone network in the world. In a similar fashion, the energy or logic of God is all pervasive and all our actions call for a reaction that fits into the overall logic of the universe. We are all born with a piece of that logic and what we achieve individually and collectively are based on the fuzzy logical results of all those in interaction. I believe that we are all like metal tops rotating on a magnetized environment. It can collide and fall off or it can rotate till the starting energy gets exhausted.
My Religion
Religions have already been defined as paths to reach God. Having agreed on the existence of God and its nearest analogies it is inevitable to look for a way to understand and reach it if possible. If we analyze the available world history, we can find several ideas, suggestions and concepts for approaching God - some rational and some others purely irrational based on the perceived notions of few individuals. There are those who claim to have heard from God and given us revelations that makes no meaning to ordinary folks. And that bred a set of interpreters who are attempting newer and newer versions of their interpretations of these words, each suiting their own private agenda. The do’s and dont’s in these commentaries exposes their real intentions most of the time. The political and powerful aspirations hidden in these interpretations are making today’s world a very dangerous place to live in. It is time we ignored these doubtful interpretations and each one of us attempted to define a path of our own. The desire to know God is instinctive in every living being, but as humans who are endowed with more intelligence we should create our own paths.
God has always been there and will continue to be there. Given such a nature of God, how can we approve of any suggested paths that contain gibberish words from some olden days making no meaning to many of us. If God can utter words, it must be meaningful, never ending and must continue at all times. It should be theoretically possible for any living being to interact with God at any time without any mediators and agencies. This is exactly what happens in the case of those who demonstrate miracles and unexplained capabilities. Those who desire and strive to establish such contacts with the immense energy reservoir can always look forward to success at some time. The techniques of praying, sacrifices, rituals and practices forming part of the established religions are nothing but some of the ‘proven’ methods to achieve this contact. All may not work for all and it is upto each of us to select the methods best suited to one’s character.
During these long years of attempting formulations about God and Religion, one thing became crystal clear to me – that there is no easy way. Those who are selling easy formulae of just believing in a few words, doing a few rituals, living in particular ways etc., to reach or realize God are only taking themselves and their followers for a ride. Making contact with the vast resource of (God) energy, that is least concerned about us and our affairs, is a rigorous, skilful and intelligent one-way act. Only intense, systematic and sincere efforts (termed ‘upasana’ in Sanatana Dharma) can take anyone nearer to God. And only by a progressive process of approaching God can anyone achieve anything of their needs. All other happenings in our lives are purely on account of the fuzzy logic of constant interactions with others (living and non-living) surrounding us, which we believe as our own destinies. Only a miniscule percentage among us can establish the contact with God and dissolve in it by realization. If the contact can indeed be made, the advantage of divine outpours can be enormous. But those who are unsuccessful continue to be born and re-born again.
The isolated child (let it be a male) will survive only if it is cared for till it can manage of its own and let us assume that it shall be arranged. The first impression that he will develop about the world will be his self-primacy - that everything else exist for his use. He seeks no further explanation about why it is so. He feels superior, intelligent and happy. He becomes a truly atheistic Marxist communist. In the next stage he starts bothering about the other things around him, especially the living ones. Invariably he sticks to his own primacy and concludes that other living beings are something lesser and everything is created for him by some unknown Creator. He feels no qualms about harming and even killing others. He becomes a true follower of an all powerful but formless and merciful Creator who rewards and reprimands. He attributes more qualities like compassion and forgiveness to the Creator who can also speak and instruct in human languages. He develops the concept of sin and starts to believe in pleasing his Creator for achievements. But as he grows into more wisdom, he realizes that there is nothing else other than what is already within him and surrounding him that makes his own world. His irrepressible urge to understand the omnipresent God (not Creator) overpowers him. He begins to indulge in faith formulations to achieve the same and becomes worthy of being a human being. My own faith formulations may be of interest to some.
My God
If we are alone in this world we need no culture and no God. When we have one more to share this world with, we need to confront, adjust and compromise in order to live on. Our culture begins at this point and the need arises for a formless, indifferent and an all powerful, super intelligent impersonal entity (God) that can explain everything and for us to fall back on. Though many of our saintly leaders claim to have seen, heard and even talked to God, nobody could ever demonstrate it convincingly to another person. The nearest we have heard of is arranging a feel of God, like what Ramakrishna Paramahansa did for Swami Vivekanand. The underlying truth is that God is not someone who is compassionate, merciful etc., who is directing our actions, keeping a log of everyone’s activities and ever vigilant about what all of us are doing. God has no rewarding mechanism for sending us to heaven or hell after our death. God is something that exists among everything in this entire universe which neither cares nor bothers about what we do. But its very existence must definitely mean something to each one of us. It is entirely upto each individual to reach out and realize God.
Our failure to clearly define something which cannot be defined is not a failure at all. The nearest we can reach in terms of defining God is by analogies. One such wonderful analogy is that of God with Electricity. In today’s world, there is nowhere that is out of reach for electrical and electromagnetic energy. It is invisible, all powerful, but only when used or misused, to each according to their intentions. To me, God is something like this. An all pervasive and all powerful energy that can be used for our own good (misused for our own bad). It is estimated that the number of electric impulses generated in a human body on a single day is much more than those in entire telephone network in the world. In a similar fashion, the energy or logic of God is all pervasive and all our actions call for a reaction that fits into the overall logic of the universe. We are all born with a piece of that logic and what we achieve individually and collectively are based on the fuzzy logical results of all those in interaction. I believe that we are all like metal tops rotating on a magnetized environment. It can collide and fall off or it can rotate till the starting energy gets exhausted.
My Religion
Religions have already been defined as paths to reach God. Having agreed on the existence of God and its nearest analogies it is inevitable to look for a way to understand and reach it if possible. If we analyze the available world history, we can find several ideas, suggestions and concepts for approaching God - some rational and some others purely irrational based on the perceived notions of few individuals. There are those who claim to have heard from God and given us revelations that makes no meaning to ordinary folks. And that bred a set of interpreters who are attempting newer and newer versions of their interpretations of these words, each suiting their own private agenda. The do’s and dont’s in these commentaries exposes their real intentions most of the time. The political and powerful aspirations hidden in these interpretations are making today’s world a very dangerous place to live in. It is time we ignored these doubtful interpretations and each one of us attempted to define a path of our own. The desire to know God is instinctive in every living being, but as humans who are endowed with more intelligence we should create our own paths.
God has always been there and will continue to be there. Given such a nature of God, how can we approve of any suggested paths that contain gibberish words from some olden days making no meaning to many of us. If God can utter words, it must be meaningful, never ending and must continue at all times. It should be theoretically possible for any living being to interact with God at any time without any mediators and agencies. This is exactly what happens in the case of those who demonstrate miracles and unexplained capabilities. Those who desire and strive to establish such contacts with the immense energy reservoir can always look forward to success at some time. The techniques of praying, sacrifices, rituals and practices forming part of the established religions are nothing but some of the ‘proven’ methods to achieve this contact. All may not work for all and it is upto each of us to select the methods best suited to one’s character.
During these long years of attempting formulations about God and Religion, one thing became crystal clear to me – that there is no easy way. Those who are selling easy formulae of just believing in a few words, doing a few rituals, living in particular ways etc., to reach or realize God are only taking themselves and their followers for a ride. Making contact with the vast resource of (God) energy, that is least concerned about us and our affairs, is a rigorous, skilful and intelligent one-way act. Only intense, systematic and sincere efforts (termed ‘upasana’ in Sanatana Dharma) can take anyone nearer to God. And only by a progressive process of approaching God can anyone achieve anything of their needs. All other happenings in our lives are purely on account of the fuzzy logic of constant interactions with others (living and non-living) surrounding us, which we believe as our own destinies. Only a miniscule percentage among us can establish the contact with God and dissolve in it by realization. If the contact can indeed be made, the advantage of divine outpours can be enormous. But those who are unsuccessful continue to be born and re-born again.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Landless Indians
How can we call any Indian an Indian unless and until he or she owns a piece of Indian land? The question is very relevant both in philosophical sense as well as materialistic. Anyone who professes a sense of belonging to a largely emotional concept like a nation must necessarily have at least one tangible connection with the same. What can be a better choice for this than a piece of land that he or she cannot part with during their lifetime, unless of course one chose to lose the citizenship (like Hussain)? All living Indian citizens must necessary own a minimum piece of land and it should be his or her birthright to own it. If all Indians are going to have a Unique Identity Number each in the not-so-distant future, we should also be thinking of enacting progressive and revolutionary laws that empowers them with a minimum piece of land (and also one bank account). India can truly belong to all Indians only if each Indian alive has atleast a piece of its real estate to set foot on.
Equal distribution of a nation’s wealth among all its living citizens at all times is the most idealistic situation that we can ever think of. No nation has ever achieved this and never can it be achieved. But even when we are fully aware of the impracticality of an ideal setup, we should be definitely trying for working towards its optimum levels of achievement. The food, shelter and clothing formula of Indian politicians for getting votes in elections is now completely outdated. The next promise of electricity, road and water has also become another casual electoral slogan that raises fewer heads nowadays. All these items promised are very basic for any human being in this twenty first century and the act of being promised sounds atrocious. No body likes a promise to be provided with what is legitimately his or her own. The ruling dispensation and politicians in India must be thinking of promising innovatively in the coming elections. Any political party promising drastic land reforms will have tremendous advantage in a country like India with an agrarian economy is a lesson never learnt by many of them.
Land for Living
The very basic use of land is for food cultivation and building shelters. All other uses like commercial buildings, commercial crops, hotels, airports etc., are secondary. Every single individual in this planet who is willing to participate in food cultivation must have access to land. Air, water and food being the only three essential requirements of any living being, it should be the top most priority of any governing body to ensure availability of facilities for their production to anyone who is willing to. In countries like India and China, which are clearly overpopulated, the role of farmers can never be overestimated. Ultimately, every nation has to provide food for its people from within its boundaries and use of land assumes greatest importance in these countries. Land for living must take precedence over land as a ‘real estate’ commodity for trading. Millions of poor people are struggling for food in India when millions of acres of land are lying locked up as tradable commodity. The two realities in simultaneous existence do not make any sense at all in a civilized nation.
All farmers need not have hand under their ownership for cultivation. As far as food production is concerned, land is just one of the essential ingredients and it must be easily available to those who want to cultivate. Unlike tools and manure, land cannot be bought and disposed as and when required. The farmer must either have it in his ownership or must be available on lease or loan. The concept of land banks becomes very relevant in this regard. If agricultural loans can be provided by commercial banks, why not have land banks providing land for cultivation in a systematic and legalized way? Any farmer (or a group of them) must be able to get land and loan for utilizing his or her specialized knowledge for food production. It might sound yet another idealistic situation, but the reality is that unless we have clear cut ideas for highlighting its importance and thereby boost food production, India will again slip back into famines and abject poverty once again. Minimum land must be available under everyone’s ownership for shelter and maximum land must be available to anyone who is willing to cultivate. That is the best policy to prevent any poverty and any revolution.
Land for Investment
In the age of globalization, real estate has truly become one of the most attractive investment areas and it is almost impossible to reverse the trend. Frequent collapse of commercial banks and stock market has made this new area highly lucrative and sensible. With the land area remaining same and the world population exploding, there is bound to be shortage of land at all times to come. Any progressive dispensation for national governance must provide avenues for investing surplus funds. But all such avenues must be regulated from outside if not self-regulated. With increasing greed for profit, power and pleasure, we are witnessing unimaginable attempts to corner more and more of land by individuals even if it meant throwing out human beings from their only shelters. Man’s innate urge for natural justice is tested most at the sight of such atrocities of Man against Man. Minimum land for shelter is everyone’s divine birth right and any one trying to snatch it away can only be inhuman.
The role of governments in regulating land for investment comes in here. In every city and every village it must be possible to calculate the land area available in surplus of the minimum shelter requirement of its population. Even if we provide for ten times this figure as provisions for future requirements, it must still be possible to fix the area available as surplus. The overall limit for investment in land must be limited to only a fraction of this surplus land area. Let those who can afford have the best and most of such real estate depending upon their capacity to generate surplus wealth by legitimate means. But the vast majority of the surplus land available must be reserved only for cultivation. There can be scope for investment in this area as well for those who are willing to operate land banks. Almost in line with other commercial banks, these land banks must be offering land loans to any farmer who is self interested in cultivation. His or her return to the bank must be nominal amounts for land use for specific periods with no destruction of the land.
Indian nation is in dire need of drastic land reforms in order to achieve a more just and fair distribution of its national wealth. Land is an inalienable right of all living human beings and it is high time progressive secular nations like India showed the way to the world by assigning ‘un’transferable rights to all Indians alive at least 5 cents (40.468 m2) of land each at the nearest neighbourhood available. The right to such UMSL (Untransferable Minimum Shelter Land) must be registered in the boy’s or girl’s name when they are assigned a Unique Identity Number (UIN) and must cease when the individual is no more. In addition to such USML, any Indian who is willing to cultivate for food production (for self or others) must be assured of availability of land on lease or loan. Then only can we really call ourselves a progressive sovereign socialist democratic republic nation as claimed in our constitution.
Equal distribution of a nation’s wealth among all its living citizens at all times is the most idealistic situation that we can ever think of. No nation has ever achieved this and never can it be achieved. But even when we are fully aware of the impracticality of an ideal setup, we should be definitely trying for working towards its optimum levels of achievement. The food, shelter and clothing formula of Indian politicians for getting votes in elections is now completely outdated. The next promise of electricity, road and water has also become another casual electoral slogan that raises fewer heads nowadays. All these items promised are very basic for any human being in this twenty first century and the act of being promised sounds atrocious. No body likes a promise to be provided with what is legitimately his or her own. The ruling dispensation and politicians in India must be thinking of promising innovatively in the coming elections. Any political party promising drastic land reforms will have tremendous advantage in a country like India with an agrarian economy is a lesson never learnt by many of them.
Land for Living
The very basic use of land is for food cultivation and building shelters. All other uses like commercial buildings, commercial crops, hotels, airports etc., are secondary. Every single individual in this planet who is willing to participate in food cultivation must have access to land. Air, water and food being the only three essential requirements of any living being, it should be the top most priority of any governing body to ensure availability of facilities for their production to anyone who is willing to. In countries like India and China, which are clearly overpopulated, the role of farmers can never be overestimated. Ultimately, every nation has to provide food for its people from within its boundaries and use of land assumes greatest importance in these countries. Land for living must take precedence over land as a ‘real estate’ commodity for trading. Millions of poor people are struggling for food in India when millions of acres of land are lying locked up as tradable commodity. The two realities in simultaneous existence do not make any sense at all in a civilized nation.
All farmers need not have hand under their ownership for cultivation. As far as food production is concerned, land is just one of the essential ingredients and it must be easily available to those who want to cultivate. Unlike tools and manure, land cannot be bought and disposed as and when required. The farmer must either have it in his ownership or must be available on lease or loan. The concept of land banks becomes very relevant in this regard. If agricultural loans can be provided by commercial banks, why not have land banks providing land for cultivation in a systematic and legalized way? Any farmer (or a group of them) must be able to get land and loan for utilizing his or her specialized knowledge for food production. It might sound yet another idealistic situation, but the reality is that unless we have clear cut ideas for highlighting its importance and thereby boost food production, India will again slip back into famines and abject poverty once again. Minimum land must be available under everyone’s ownership for shelter and maximum land must be available to anyone who is willing to cultivate. That is the best policy to prevent any poverty and any revolution.
Land for Investment
In the age of globalization, real estate has truly become one of the most attractive investment areas and it is almost impossible to reverse the trend. Frequent collapse of commercial banks and stock market has made this new area highly lucrative and sensible. With the land area remaining same and the world population exploding, there is bound to be shortage of land at all times to come. Any progressive dispensation for national governance must provide avenues for investing surplus funds. But all such avenues must be regulated from outside if not self-regulated. With increasing greed for profit, power and pleasure, we are witnessing unimaginable attempts to corner more and more of land by individuals even if it meant throwing out human beings from their only shelters. Man’s innate urge for natural justice is tested most at the sight of such atrocities of Man against Man. Minimum land for shelter is everyone’s divine birth right and any one trying to snatch it away can only be inhuman.
The role of governments in regulating land for investment comes in here. In every city and every village it must be possible to calculate the land area available in surplus of the minimum shelter requirement of its population. Even if we provide for ten times this figure as provisions for future requirements, it must still be possible to fix the area available as surplus. The overall limit for investment in land must be limited to only a fraction of this surplus land area. Let those who can afford have the best and most of such real estate depending upon their capacity to generate surplus wealth by legitimate means. But the vast majority of the surplus land available must be reserved only for cultivation. There can be scope for investment in this area as well for those who are willing to operate land banks. Almost in line with other commercial banks, these land banks must be offering land loans to any farmer who is self interested in cultivation. His or her return to the bank must be nominal amounts for land use for specific periods with no destruction of the land.
Indian nation is in dire need of drastic land reforms in order to achieve a more just and fair distribution of its national wealth. Land is an inalienable right of all living human beings and it is high time progressive secular nations like India showed the way to the world by assigning ‘un’transferable rights to all Indians alive at least 5 cents (40.468 m2) of land each at the nearest neighbourhood available. The right to such UMSL (Untransferable Minimum Shelter Land) must be registered in the boy’s or girl’s name when they are assigned a Unique Identity Number (UIN) and must cease when the individual is no more. In addition to such USML, any Indian who is willing to cultivate for food production (for self or others) must be assured of availability of land on lease or loan. Then only can we really call ourselves a progressive sovereign socialist democratic republic nation as claimed in our constitution.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
“Historiphobic” Indians
True history has become an oxymoronic concept desired publicly by all but censored privately by the rulers. Though everyone wants to know the real truth about our own history very few show the extreme courage of wanting to record truthful history as such in black and white. Nobody and no nation can have cent percent glowing history and invariably the undesirable periods get distorted or unrecorded in the official versions. Quite surprisingly this is not the case with post liberation India. Almost all the ‘official’ historians of India exhibit a mysterious desire to record only the distortions, disasters and debacles of our nation. Aryan Migration Theory, Hindu Way of Life (not a religion) and Indian Pluralism (not tolerance) are some of the pet theories of these official historians who show no signs of professionalism or patriotism. A nasty phobia for history (let me call it ‘historiphobia’) seems to have afflicted a large section of Indians.
Professional historians must have no agenda other than pursuit of truth. They must be unaffiliated and must be willing to accept and record history as it is revealed while deciphering archaeological excavations and literature. But many of Indian historians and India’s historians do not fall into this category. Almost all of them are affiliated and their mindset is mortgaged to vested interests. They want history of India to reveal in a particular fashion and hence unwilling to record anything that does not follow the script. But far more damaging than their unwillingness to record undesired discoveries is their mysterious fear for exploration. More and more of evidence is piling up that calls for a re-writing of Indian history. But India’s official historians are afraid of any further explorations to confirm the revelations for fear of antagonizing a political leadership that is steeped in political correctness.
Afraid to Dig
There are vey few civilizations in the world that can boast of a longer period of history of any sort when compared to India. Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Iran and China are just a few of them. While the native and foreign archaeologists in Egypt are busy digging out the useless mummies in dozens, their Indian counterparts are ever afraid to dig. It is now confirmed by way of clues from literary works and some pilot excavations that the whole of India is a priceless archaeological marvel that is to be dug out. Under each of the monuments and victory memorials erected by the imperial and occupational forces, there lies buried several structures of antiquity that denotes a glorious history of India. Be it Ayodhya or Dwaraka, the layers of such historical evidences will no doubt overturn the currently official history to a large extent.
Max Mullers, McCaulays and Mughals had their own reasons to do what they did with Indian history. All of them have contributed their might to spin out a version of Indian history that suits their own personal interests and that of their masters. But why should a liberated and free India stick on with those versions? We know for sure that Ramayana and Mahabharata are written by our own ancestors and almost all the places referred therein are in existence even today. Then who is preventing us from digging and unearthing the archaeological evidences that will establish our history once for all. There is no need of any conjectures and mythologies to keep us guessing always. And there is no need to defend all those illusionary atrocities that are attributed to our forefathers who are depicted as illiterate and uncivilized in current versions of our history. Some Islamic historians are even propagating that Indians were once followers of their Moosa Nabi!!!
Dig to Glory
The single excavation that can seal India’s glory once for all is that of Saraswati river which has now gone underground. Satellite imageries and pilot excavations have already established the existence of such a river and all that is now required is a determined task force to dig out the glorious past of our nation. A large amount of our Vedic literature has been put together in the fertile banks of this great river. Any archaeological excavations along its course have the potential to change even world’s history drastically. What is now claimed by many others as their own heritage can fall and the ‘Marconi-to-Bose’ change can happen in many other fields as well. The twenty first century can truly belong to India, if only our rulers show the determination and courage to dig. If ‘Chandrayaan’ has taken us to new heights, ‘Underyaan’ can take India to still greater heights.
It is said that there is nothing that we can invent that is not available in the Vedic literature. Aeroplanes, satellites, nuclear warheads etc., are just a few of such prominent references. The whole world is in praise of our ancient rishis who are supposed to have developed these ideas and concepts in their mind and imagination alone. But are we cent percent about it? Can it be imaginary ideas that are found only in literature? We can be sure only if we explore history very much below the ground level. All previous civilizations got destroyed by earth quakes or tsunamis or similar natural disasters. But traces of glory and achievements of every civilization are left intact somewhere for someone to discover again. Our story may not be any different from this. The long years of our heritage could have saved some very useful information for our future survival as well.
India’s greatest achievement in terms of history & heritage is its uninterrupted continuance in the path of Vedic Dharma ever since its origin. While its contemporaries like Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Mexico have been weighed down or inundated by foreign religions, language and culture, and China by its own internal misguided revolutions, India has sustained its own religions and culture for the last several millenniums. The combined might of foreign occupiers could capture the minds of only less than a quarter of its human resources. India’s strengths and weaknesses as witnessed during its long history shall remain its unique features forever. But what will sustain our nation is the unbeatable strength of logic, rationality of concepts and allowance for reforms within Hindhu Dharma, despite the degeneration of ‘historiphobic’ Indians who constitute a vast majority among its followers.
Professional historians must have no agenda other than pursuit of truth. They must be unaffiliated and must be willing to accept and record history as it is revealed while deciphering archaeological excavations and literature. But many of Indian historians and India’s historians do not fall into this category. Almost all of them are affiliated and their mindset is mortgaged to vested interests. They want history of India to reveal in a particular fashion and hence unwilling to record anything that does not follow the script. But far more damaging than their unwillingness to record undesired discoveries is their mysterious fear for exploration. More and more of evidence is piling up that calls for a re-writing of Indian history. But India’s official historians are afraid of any further explorations to confirm the revelations for fear of antagonizing a political leadership that is steeped in political correctness.
Afraid to Dig
There are vey few civilizations in the world that can boast of a longer period of history of any sort when compared to India. Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Iran and China are just a few of them. While the native and foreign archaeologists in Egypt are busy digging out the useless mummies in dozens, their Indian counterparts are ever afraid to dig. It is now confirmed by way of clues from literary works and some pilot excavations that the whole of India is a priceless archaeological marvel that is to be dug out. Under each of the monuments and victory memorials erected by the imperial and occupational forces, there lies buried several structures of antiquity that denotes a glorious history of India. Be it Ayodhya or Dwaraka, the layers of such historical evidences will no doubt overturn the currently official history to a large extent.
Max Mullers, McCaulays and Mughals had their own reasons to do what they did with Indian history. All of them have contributed their might to spin out a version of Indian history that suits their own personal interests and that of their masters. But why should a liberated and free India stick on with those versions? We know for sure that Ramayana and Mahabharata are written by our own ancestors and almost all the places referred therein are in existence even today. Then who is preventing us from digging and unearthing the archaeological evidences that will establish our history once for all. There is no need of any conjectures and mythologies to keep us guessing always. And there is no need to defend all those illusionary atrocities that are attributed to our forefathers who are depicted as illiterate and uncivilized in current versions of our history. Some Islamic historians are even propagating that Indians were once followers of their Moosa Nabi!!!
Dig to Glory
The single excavation that can seal India’s glory once for all is that of Saraswati river which has now gone underground. Satellite imageries and pilot excavations have already established the existence of such a river and all that is now required is a determined task force to dig out the glorious past of our nation. A large amount of our Vedic literature has been put together in the fertile banks of this great river. Any archaeological excavations along its course have the potential to change even world’s history drastically. What is now claimed by many others as their own heritage can fall and the ‘Marconi-to-Bose’ change can happen in many other fields as well. The twenty first century can truly belong to India, if only our rulers show the determination and courage to dig. If ‘Chandrayaan’ has taken us to new heights, ‘Underyaan’ can take India to still greater heights.
It is said that there is nothing that we can invent that is not available in the Vedic literature. Aeroplanes, satellites, nuclear warheads etc., are just a few of such prominent references. The whole world is in praise of our ancient rishis who are supposed to have developed these ideas and concepts in their mind and imagination alone. But are we cent percent about it? Can it be imaginary ideas that are found only in literature? We can be sure only if we explore history very much below the ground level. All previous civilizations got destroyed by earth quakes or tsunamis or similar natural disasters. But traces of glory and achievements of every civilization are left intact somewhere for someone to discover again. Our story may not be any different from this. The long years of our heritage could have saved some very useful information for our future survival as well.
India’s greatest achievement in terms of history & heritage is its uninterrupted continuance in the path of Vedic Dharma ever since its origin. While its contemporaries like Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Mexico have been weighed down or inundated by foreign religions, language and culture, and China by its own internal misguided revolutions, India has sustained its own religions and culture for the last several millenniums. The combined might of foreign occupiers could capture the minds of only less than a quarter of its human resources. India’s strengths and weaknesses as witnessed during its long history shall remain its unique features forever. But what will sustain our nation is the unbeatable strength of logic, rationality of concepts and allowance for reforms within Hindhu Dharma, despite the degeneration of ‘historiphobic’ Indians who constitute a vast majority among its followers.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Religious Banking
Organised religions are becoming dangerously keen on meddling in everything and anything that is remotely connected with God. The newly evolving trend of religious banking (viz. Islamic Banking) is one such unwanted tendency with far reaching implications. Ever since we started witnessing competitive marketing of religious ideologies with a view to maximize converts and thereby capture political power, many such unhealthy tendencies have raised their heads. For the organized religions it is far more difficult to appeal to the rationale and spirituality of freedom loving human beings and hence the need to conjure up innovative ideas that may appeal to their basic instincts. Eating more food, seeking more pleasure, making more money and reserving their place in the paradise by heinous deeds are some of the catchy appeals that is drawing more of the lazy and lethargic. Nothing succeeds like success and the organizers are never tired of trying new avenues for religious conversion.
If religion and God are inseparable, religion and money must be immiscible if not repelling. There is no doubt that money is equally important as belief in God in today’s world but anything that attempts to see God in money is not only distasteful but unworthy of being propagated. Each intelligent freedom loving individual is trying to define the concept of God in his own way and mixing it up with money is the best way to spoil such laudable efforts. God who deals with money and talks about it is Man’s nemesis and not savior. How can an omnipotent energy that is spurring Man’s spiritual quest make him even think of one of the major causes of human worry? Making money, saving money and spending money are solely related to our mundane existence and it is much better to keep God away from such necessary evils.
Collapse of Dubai Banking
One of the best tragedies of mixing God with money is the collapse of Dubai. For quite some time, Dubai has been trying to achieve in a decade what others could do in a century. Be it the tallness of buildings or reclamation of land from the sea or increasing the number of tourists or organizing the biggest & best of events or announcing the biggest of projects, Dubai wanted to beat the world just by its desire and daring. The fact that it lacks human and natural resources did not deter Dubai from aiming for the very top at the fastest pace. It learned very early that tapping money from wherever it is available has got limits. The vast potential of Islamic Banking was a natural discovery in its further efforts to explore all avenues for keeping its money inflow open. A good number of rich but gullible individuals and institutions fell into the trap is something that all of us have learned now, though unbelievingly. Boost up bubble can only burst and Dubai banking bubble has finally burst.
The obvious way to ensure development in any system is by nurturing its positive growth trends. Many forgot the simple fact that the only ways to make money grow is by drawing interest or making profit by putting it to productive use. In an institution dealing with money viz. financial institutions, it is naturally by lending money for productive use of adding value to raw materials. The profit thus generated adds onto the principal and thereby generates growth. The only other age-old principle of money growth is by levying interest on it for keeping it dynamic. Stagnant money indicates death and no country or society can tolerate a dead economy. The concept of interest on money is definitely not anything evil but a time-tested noble method to guarantee growth of money even if it is not put to any productive use. Inflation is a necessary evil in any economy and interest is the natural protection against it.
Need of Dharmic Banking
Like in all aspects of life, anything that is unbridled and uncontrolled can lead us to the graveyard faster than due. The case of interest on money is another good example where moderation can sustain and excess can ruin. And more importantly, lack of it can also ruin. So interest on money is inevitable and indispensable, but must be applied on moderation. The concept of dharmic banking becomes very relevant in this regard. One of the four duties (and privileges) of Man (the other three being Artha, Kama and Moksha), Dharma has been defined as “that which sustains” and banking institutions based on dharma can make a lot of difference in a world full of inequality. As an example, imagine a system where A can get an agricultural loan at 5% interest and B can get the same loan only at 10% interest based on their inequalities. Interest rates in a dharmic banking industry can become instruments for closing the inequality gap in our society.
Many of our puranaas and scriptures contain reference to such a banking industry that once existed in our great nation. The concepts of gold loans, chitty kuries, pledging land for loans, farming on loaned lands etc., are remnants of a highly innovative and dharmic financial system that once prevailed. Money on interest was easily available in our country at varying interest rates for various applicants depending upon their status and purpose. That is why we could control upto 40% of the world’s GDP at one stage in the not-so-distant past. Money lenders were an integral part of our society carrying out their dharma in the best interests of the society with reasonable rates of interest. Then what went wrong was the intervention of a foreign value system that considers interest in anything as sin.
The concept of dharmic banking is not to be confused with that of any religious banking. It is not on the basis of any instructions from God or on the basis of do’s and don’t’s related to religious rituals. Financial institutions that follow the concept of dharmic banking must be capable of lending according to need and charging interest on loans according to the current economic status of the taker. Current economic status of the loan taker must be a definite criterion while deciding on the interest charges on his or her loan. It is by judicial and dharmic use of the best financial tool mankind has ever invented namely interest on money that we should bring in economic equality in the present world. Avoiding it and trying to bring in more returns by undue profiteering is definitely not intended by an omnipotent God. Such concepts are only part of some other sinister agenda being pushed on by imperialist forces.
If religion and God are inseparable, religion and money must be immiscible if not repelling. There is no doubt that money is equally important as belief in God in today’s world but anything that attempts to see God in money is not only distasteful but unworthy of being propagated. Each intelligent freedom loving individual is trying to define the concept of God in his own way and mixing it up with money is the best way to spoil such laudable efforts. God who deals with money and talks about it is Man’s nemesis and not savior. How can an omnipotent energy that is spurring Man’s spiritual quest make him even think of one of the major causes of human worry? Making money, saving money and spending money are solely related to our mundane existence and it is much better to keep God away from such necessary evils.
Collapse of Dubai Banking
One of the best tragedies of mixing God with money is the collapse of Dubai. For quite some time, Dubai has been trying to achieve in a decade what others could do in a century. Be it the tallness of buildings or reclamation of land from the sea or increasing the number of tourists or organizing the biggest & best of events or announcing the biggest of projects, Dubai wanted to beat the world just by its desire and daring. The fact that it lacks human and natural resources did not deter Dubai from aiming for the very top at the fastest pace. It learned very early that tapping money from wherever it is available has got limits. The vast potential of Islamic Banking was a natural discovery in its further efforts to explore all avenues for keeping its money inflow open. A good number of rich but gullible individuals and institutions fell into the trap is something that all of us have learned now, though unbelievingly. Boost up bubble can only burst and Dubai banking bubble has finally burst.
The obvious way to ensure development in any system is by nurturing its positive growth trends. Many forgot the simple fact that the only ways to make money grow is by drawing interest or making profit by putting it to productive use. In an institution dealing with money viz. financial institutions, it is naturally by lending money for productive use of adding value to raw materials. The profit thus generated adds onto the principal and thereby generates growth. The only other age-old principle of money growth is by levying interest on it for keeping it dynamic. Stagnant money indicates death and no country or society can tolerate a dead economy. The concept of interest on money is definitely not anything evil but a time-tested noble method to guarantee growth of money even if it is not put to any productive use. Inflation is a necessary evil in any economy and interest is the natural protection against it.
Need of Dharmic Banking
Like in all aspects of life, anything that is unbridled and uncontrolled can lead us to the graveyard faster than due. The case of interest on money is another good example where moderation can sustain and excess can ruin. And more importantly, lack of it can also ruin. So interest on money is inevitable and indispensable, but must be applied on moderation. The concept of dharmic banking becomes very relevant in this regard. One of the four duties (and privileges) of Man (the other three being Artha, Kama and Moksha), Dharma has been defined as “that which sustains” and banking institutions based on dharma can make a lot of difference in a world full of inequality. As an example, imagine a system where A can get an agricultural loan at 5% interest and B can get the same loan only at 10% interest based on their inequalities. Interest rates in a dharmic banking industry can become instruments for closing the inequality gap in our society.
Many of our puranaas and scriptures contain reference to such a banking industry that once existed in our great nation. The concepts of gold loans, chitty kuries, pledging land for loans, farming on loaned lands etc., are remnants of a highly innovative and dharmic financial system that once prevailed. Money on interest was easily available in our country at varying interest rates for various applicants depending upon their status and purpose. That is why we could control upto 40% of the world’s GDP at one stage in the not-so-distant past. Money lenders were an integral part of our society carrying out their dharma in the best interests of the society with reasonable rates of interest. Then what went wrong was the intervention of a foreign value system that considers interest in anything as sin.
The concept of dharmic banking is not to be confused with that of any religious banking. It is not on the basis of any instructions from God or on the basis of do’s and don’t’s related to religious rituals. Financial institutions that follow the concept of dharmic banking must be capable of lending according to need and charging interest on loans according to the current economic status of the taker. Current economic status of the loan taker must be a definite criterion while deciding on the interest charges on his or her loan. It is by judicial and dharmic use of the best financial tool mankind has ever invented namely interest on money that we should bring in economic equality in the present world. Avoiding it and trying to bring in more returns by undue profiteering is definitely not intended by an omnipotent God. Such concepts are only part of some other sinister agenda being pushed on by imperialist forces.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tragedy of Political Correctness
One of the major offshoots in USA from the recent shooting incident involving a Muslim Major in an American base is the raging debate on political correctness. If we analyse the incident and the issue involved we will be surprised about the lack of such a debate in India where such terrorist incidents are of far greater dimensions and that too when it has been happening for so many decades now. Except for the last few months, it was becoming far more easy to predict serial bomb blasts in India that kills hundreds of innocent people than making weather predictions. At one point of time many of us even believed that Today’s Terrorist Toll (TTT) will become an integral part of all news bulletins like Exchange Rates and Gold Prices. But Indians have become far more disposed to pain and sufferings than our American brothers thanks to our inclusiveness and the special brand of secularism (aptly termed pseudo-secularism) that we have developed in modern India.
In a democracy, being politically correct is far more important for politicians to attract votes in elections. Each and every politician is important in a democracy and capturing power to rule is the foremost goal of political parties. Each political party has a declared objective, but it is hardly of any use when it comes to electoral battles. Hypocrisy is the hallmark of parties and politicians in any democracy and political correctness is the height of hypocrisy. For example, no Indian politician will dare say candidly that religious conversion is nothing but silent terrorism. He or she knows for sure that electoral victory is lost forever if it is said so. The highly powerful organized religious outfits will ensure that such a honest politician never sees the state assembly or central parliament. Thus political correctness is such a treacherous and harmful attribute that runs in all democracies. To reflect its negative quality more markedly it should have been termed as political ‘corruptness’ rather than political correctness.
Political Corruptness
Most of the politicians and autocratic rulers are ultimately concerned only about their own seats. Getting more support than their equally adharmic competitors, capturing and clinging on to power by any means have become the sole intention of those who come to rule. Irrespective of the size and scale, this is the actual situation in any country where elections are held. They always tend to side with their support available enbloc just like the organized religious minorities in India and America irrespective of whatever misdeeds they indulge in. Be it miniscule groups planting bombs and killing innocents under the name of Jihad or religious poachers attempting subversion by demographic conversions, the rulers always tend to side with them because of the solid support base they can command. Politicians in a democracy always forget the fact that enbloc votes are assured from such groups only because of the lack of democracy within them. But only those who can appear politically correct can be assured of victory in today’s elections, especially in democracies having universal adult franchise.
Anything truly correct must pass the acid test of being fair, just and sustainable. This is exactly what is covered under the term of dharma in Sanatana Dharma. Being dharmic is to be associated only with fair, just and sustainable deeds and words. If we can accept such a correct definition for correctness, the correct stand in politics must always be one in support of dharma. Repeating untruth in order not to offend the few who are always offending us and not taking stands that can nurture the positive elements in a society are definitely not part of dharma or correctness. Politicians who go on to become rulers in a democracy must be siding with dharmic forces if their ultimate intention is betterment of society, nation and the whole world. Unfortunately that is not always the case. The real tragedy in all democracies is that political correctness has become an unavoidable pre-requisite for attaining leadership.
Dharmic Politics
Unquestioned political correctness is the single most reason for the fast degeneration of democracy into a not-so-preferred option for governance. If the essence of democracy is rule according to majority will it must support and nurture the dharmic aspirations of the majority. This should always be the case, irrespective of whether it is to the like or dislike of those in minority. Present day phenomena of majority will always yielding to the more organized unjust demands of those in minority may be political correctness but morally adharmic. Electoral systems in most functioning democracies are failing to come up with ideas to defeat the organized might of those in minority wanting to impose their unreasonable demands. Instead of ensuring a rule according to majority will, democracies have become majority rule according to minority will. Practicing dharma in politics is the only way to bring back the losing legitimacy for democratic governments.
Beauty of dharma lies in its applicability in each and every aspect of our life. If something is dharmic it means it is the best option. In politics too it is the best option to rekindle the spirit of democracy that is inbuilt in every human being. Being dharmic in political activities means the words and deeds are for the betterment of society. Those which are required are sustained and those which are blocking our dharmic progress are to be destroyed. This principle of dharma is equally applicable in the case of concepts and individuals. Kauravas and their organized unjust activities were equally adharmic for the betterment of human society at that time and both were eliminated without any other consideration. It is time for considering the same option in the case of democracy and politics as it is practiced today.
India and USA are considered as the biggest and strongest democracies in the world. No wonder that the tragedy of political correctness has taken its biggest toll in these two countries. If it is difficult in USA to get Congress approval for send more troops to crush Jihadi terrorism, it is far more difficult in India to get any law passed in Indian parliament for a complete ban on religious conversion by coercion or a uniform civil code. Both the issues are destroying the very basis of these secular nations, but the will of the majority is unable to do anything because of the pressure on elected representatives to appear politically correct to those holding minority opinion. A totally wrong notion is preventing the duly elected and authorized setup from doing what it is supposed to do. The only way for genuine democracy to flourish is by arranging a deep burial for the abhorrent concept of political correctness.
In a democracy, being politically correct is far more important for politicians to attract votes in elections. Each and every politician is important in a democracy and capturing power to rule is the foremost goal of political parties. Each political party has a declared objective, but it is hardly of any use when it comes to electoral battles. Hypocrisy is the hallmark of parties and politicians in any democracy and political correctness is the height of hypocrisy. For example, no Indian politician will dare say candidly that religious conversion is nothing but silent terrorism. He or she knows for sure that electoral victory is lost forever if it is said so. The highly powerful organized religious outfits will ensure that such a honest politician never sees the state assembly or central parliament. Thus political correctness is such a treacherous and harmful attribute that runs in all democracies. To reflect its negative quality more markedly it should have been termed as political ‘corruptness’ rather than political correctness.
Political Corruptness
Most of the politicians and autocratic rulers are ultimately concerned only about their own seats. Getting more support than their equally adharmic competitors, capturing and clinging on to power by any means have become the sole intention of those who come to rule. Irrespective of the size and scale, this is the actual situation in any country where elections are held. They always tend to side with their support available enbloc just like the organized religious minorities in India and America irrespective of whatever misdeeds they indulge in. Be it miniscule groups planting bombs and killing innocents under the name of Jihad or religious poachers attempting subversion by demographic conversions, the rulers always tend to side with them because of the solid support base they can command. Politicians in a democracy always forget the fact that enbloc votes are assured from such groups only because of the lack of democracy within them. But only those who can appear politically correct can be assured of victory in today’s elections, especially in democracies having universal adult franchise.
Anything truly correct must pass the acid test of being fair, just and sustainable. This is exactly what is covered under the term of dharma in Sanatana Dharma. Being dharmic is to be associated only with fair, just and sustainable deeds and words. If we can accept such a correct definition for correctness, the correct stand in politics must always be one in support of dharma. Repeating untruth in order not to offend the few who are always offending us and not taking stands that can nurture the positive elements in a society are definitely not part of dharma or correctness. Politicians who go on to become rulers in a democracy must be siding with dharmic forces if their ultimate intention is betterment of society, nation and the whole world. Unfortunately that is not always the case. The real tragedy in all democracies is that political correctness has become an unavoidable pre-requisite for attaining leadership.
Dharmic Politics
Unquestioned political correctness is the single most reason for the fast degeneration of democracy into a not-so-preferred option for governance. If the essence of democracy is rule according to majority will it must support and nurture the dharmic aspirations of the majority. This should always be the case, irrespective of whether it is to the like or dislike of those in minority. Present day phenomena of majority will always yielding to the more organized unjust demands of those in minority may be political correctness but morally adharmic. Electoral systems in most functioning democracies are failing to come up with ideas to defeat the organized might of those in minority wanting to impose their unreasonable demands. Instead of ensuring a rule according to majority will, democracies have become majority rule according to minority will. Practicing dharma in politics is the only way to bring back the losing legitimacy for democratic governments.
Beauty of dharma lies in its applicability in each and every aspect of our life. If something is dharmic it means it is the best option. In politics too it is the best option to rekindle the spirit of democracy that is inbuilt in every human being. Being dharmic in political activities means the words and deeds are for the betterment of society. Those which are required are sustained and those which are blocking our dharmic progress are to be destroyed. This principle of dharma is equally applicable in the case of concepts and individuals. Kauravas and their organized unjust activities were equally adharmic for the betterment of human society at that time and both were eliminated without any other consideration. It is time for considering the same option in the case of democracy and politics as it is practiced today.
India and USA are considered as the biggest and strongest democracies in the world. No wonder that the tragedy of political correctness has taken its biggest toll in these two countries. If it is difficult in USA to get Congress approval for send more troops to crush Jihadi terrorism, it is far more difficult in India to get any law passed in Indian parliament for a complete ban on religious conversion by coercion or a uniform civil code. Both the issues are destroying the very basis of these secular nations, but the will of the majority is unable to do anything because of the pressure on elected representatives to appear politically correct to those holding minority opinion. A totally wrong notion is preventing the duly elected and authorized setup from doing what it is supposed to do. The only way for genuine democracy to flourish is by arranging a deep burial for the abhorrent concept of political correctness.
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