The content of this chapter of the series is entirely based
on the experiences of many who tried to make their lives a little more useful
than the others. The claim that is being made here is not the outcome of a
planned time bound survey or a structured study. That is the main reason why we
feel that the idea that is revealed here flows from the genuine efforts of many
who thought of doing a few things in their lives with intentions to delivering
some good to the others without any self-interest.
It is difficult to find people who have absolutely no feeling
of compassion. However, only a very few among us have been found to make at
least some sacrifices to help others. Interestingly, out of the lot who think
of delivering some good to others, the majority consists of those who are driven
by their ego, and think that they have the right intention and ability to
effect right changes in the world around. It has, however, been found that
‘thinking big’ never helps in bringing about a welcome change that is
sustainable. It has been experienced by many that an ‘oversized commitment’ to
provide some benefit to others suits neither the one who wants to do good, nor
the one whose benefit is thought of. It has been found that big changes need
application of big energy to counter the inertia of the existing state of
affairs. Further, it has also been found that bigger is the quantum of energy
needed, the smaller has to be the time for spending that energy so that a
sufficiently large impact is created. We need to view it in a different manner
also. The one who is committed to doing good finds it difficult to ‘hold’ large
energies for a longer period of time and the one whose good is being targeted
also finds it difficult to bear with large energies for longer times. The other difficulty many people have noticed
is that when some big change is achieved much too quickly (the probability
whereof, as such, being very low), the chances of the change reverting back to
the original state or its taking up an undesirable form also increase.
In the matters of bringing about changes in human life, the
one who takes up the job of implementing the change can help only by creating
conditions that are conducive to change; the actual changes can be brought
about only by those for whose benefit the change is thought of. The external
conditions that oppose the change need ample time and efforts before they can
be can be made sufficiently favourable to the change. Hence, working for a
change with large quantum of energy deployed for a short time does not produce
sustainable results.
Putting in large quantum energy for a small interval of time
never works in case of social changes or changes that primarily involve human
beings. We can think about the period after industrialization to understand
this. Fast industrial and technological changes necessitated quick changes in
the life patterns of human beings. The man tried to adapt himself to such
changes, but it is very difficult to say that the changes that have taken place
made the man more contended with his life. What is happening today is happening
more because of man’s compulsion than by his choice. All the talks about
individual freedom are neither based on theoretical considerations arrived at after careful experimentation in man's individual
and social life, nor are they based on the man’s conscious efforts to bring about changes to
improve his life.
If we put in small energies to change things and give
sufficient time to the process of change, the one who intends to change things,
the one whose benefit the change is being considered and also the external
environment so that all these elements can appropriately interact with one
another to make the change possible. Any efforts towards change that involve
human beings must possess energies that exceed the energies needed for
sustaining a life pattern of an
individual human being or some patterns
of human society, but it must not be awesomely big. The efforts have to be
continuous and never sporadic. They must be sufficiently spaced over the time,
giving all involved enough opportunities to internalize the desired changes.
The man is a unique creation of the nature. Changes occur in nature slowly
permitting all its components to take part in the change. If we have lost touch
with the natural rhythm of life, we must rediscover it and must get immersed
into it.
PROMOD KUMAR SHARMA
[The writer of this blog is also the author of “Mahatma A
Scientist of the Intuitively Obvious” and “In Search of Our Wonderful Words”.]
0 comments:
Post a Comment