The blunder we make while trying to improve the
quality of life is to begin with our superficial problems and errors; and, not
to be courageous enough to attack the fundamental errors fearing that the
superficial progress achieved by us will get hindered. The result is that
superficial progress achieved transforms in a new fundamental error.
The
idea of religious rituals and social and cultural traditions has the intention
of dissuading the man from becoming much materialistic in attitude and
violently selfish in conduct; but, more often than not, it starts interfering
with the freedom of thought the man must have to think about his intellectual
and spiritual good so as to prevent him from becoming slave of his unbridled
desires.
Similarly,
the idea of democracy comes from man’s efforts to protect him from the despotic
rule of individuals. However, the rule of the representatives of many for the
benefit of many often makes them sow the seeds of mutual hatred among people to
win the support of a larger number of people to be accepted as representatives
of the majority. Such hatred may become the cause of continued violence and endless
discrimination between religious sects, classes, castes and distinct groups
divided on the basis of languages, cultures and creeds. Man has seen the ugliness of discrimination on
the basis of religions, gender, class and caste. Perhaps, he has yet to see the
ugly face of democracy.
The
man has always been active in protecting him from the evil that he sees outside
him, but not from the evil inside him. Any social system, whether religious,
political, educational or whatever that is for the collective benefit of the
man must include the process of helping the man in protecting himself from the
evil inside him. There is no reason to think that it is impossible. We know the
smallest social system that we have is the system of the families we have; and,
it works on the principle we are discussing about.
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”.]
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