Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 1
P.R.Sarkar
Prakrti or the Supreme Operative Principle, the authoress of multiplicities, has been carrying on Her endless creation or diversity. The beauty, the sweetness and the wonder of this diversity is manifest in every place, in every stratum of creation. Human beings have emerged as the highest beings at an evolved stage of Her creation along Saiṋcara and Pratisaiṋcara. And there are a great many diversities and apparent distinctions within humanity itself.
The people of some countries have dark skin, tall bodies, black irises, black hair, thick lips and flat noses, while the people of other countries have a fair complexion, medium height, blue irises and aquiline noses. There is a remarkable difference, a wonderful diversity, in regard to physiognomy – hair, eyes, skin, nose, lips, etc. – among the inhabitants of the different parts of the world. In fact, this difference between human beings is so staggering that sometimes people are wrongly led to believe that the white people are perhaps superior to the black population, and that the blacks are only a little higher than our animal ancestors on the scale of evolution. As human beings were not able to unravel the mystery of this diversity, they wrongly preached the doctrine of racial supremacy, resulting in hated of their fellow human beings and heartless cruelty, and indulged in savagery and bloody warfare – these were the darkest and the most lamented chapters in human history. Even today in Europe, particularly in Spain and Portugal, and in the USA, South Africa and Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe], one unmistakably notices the curse of this ignorance.
But is racial supremacy a scientific concept? Is it humanly justified? What does ethnology say? What is the origin of humanity? Did the ancestors of human beings of various colours belong to the same stock, or were they different? According to ethnology the human ancestors were the same. From them originated the Aryans, the Austrics, the Mongolians and the Negroes of today. Those first forebears of the human race have been termed Australopithecus in ethnology. On an auspicious day in the remote past, say 1,000,000 years ago, the first human being saw the light of this verdant earth. The Australopithecus group branched out into two categories of creatures – chimpanzees and orangutans on one side, and human beings on the other side.
The first human beings were born in the vast geographical area between the Java Islands and Palestine. The Australopithecus gradually transformed themselves into human form but this great transformation did not take place overnight, nor even in one century, but by slow degrees. Ethnologists, to be more precise, have conceived of an intermediate stage of beings – the Homo Erectus – who are neither Australopithecus nor exactly human beings in form and nature. The fossils of these creatures have been found in different parts of Java, China, and East and North Africa. These creatures of the Homo Erectus species emerged in the unknown past, chiefly during the Pleistocene Age of the earth.
Everything on this earth is subject to the rule of change and progress. Eventually there came about enormous changes in the environment and natural conditions of the earth in subsequent ages, and consequently thousands of species entirely vanished. Because of the immutable law of nature, these species also had to leave this earth forever, without leaving any trace behind.
But before their extinction they left behind their descendants – Homo Sapiens were the first ancestors of humanity.
The different groups of Homo Erectus spread out in different directions. Some of the groups were doomed to extinction in the face of the fierce onslaught of hostile nature, while other groups had the advantage of congenial environments and gave rise to a higher species. Those who were responsible for the advent of the human race could not maintain their survival because they could not adopt themselves to the enormous changes in the natural environment of this earth.
The first Homo Sapiens did not remain tied to one place. In quest of greater ease, comfort and safety in life, they spread out from Eurasia to the Arctic Ocean, from the Bering Strait to Melanesia, and from there again they moved in other directions, to find new homes in unexplored horizons.
Thus the single species of Homo Sapiens scattered itself over different parts of the world. At first the colour and physiognomical differences between the scattered Homo Sapiens were not very prominent. But with the passage of time, as they passed their lives over long periods amidst diverse geophysical conditions, differences in their physical structures became more and more apparent. Thus the apparent diversity in the human world today is the product of natural conditions.
Geographically this planet of ours is divided into a few distinct zones: the snow-covered poles; the hot, sandy and dreary deserts; the roaring and ruffled seas and oceans extending up to the distant horizons; and the silent and motionless, high and intractable mountains. In some places rivers cut vast plains into two; at other places high waves break upon the banks of great lakes with a thudding sound.
Human beings, since their advent onto this earth, found themselves confronted with these types of conflicting natural environments. They had to fight tooth and nail against those particular adverse circumstances to preserve their existence, and that process brought about marked changes in their outward physical structures.
The greater the heat of the sun, the greater the amount of ultraviolet rays in the sunlight. A study of geography tells us why there are differences in the degree of heat of the sun�s rays. Where the sun�s rays fall on earth obliquely, there is less heat of the sun, and where the sun�s rays fall straight on the earth, the heat is greater. In very hot countries white-skinned people find it very hard to live, because their skin, having less of the chemical substance called melanin, is unable to stand much heat. Body skin with a great quantity of melanin in it turns jet black, and obviously a lesser quantity of melanin makes one�s skin white.
If ever white people are forced for some reason to live long in a hot climate, their colour turns brown. In 1939-40, when British soldiers came to India for war purposes, their colour became brown due to the great heat. Naturally, as the skin of these soldiers had to adjust with the hot climate of India, there were some necessary changes in their skin to effect acclimatisation.
In hot countries the irises of people�s eyes are generally black, because more melanin is required to protect the eyeball from the scorching rays of the sun.
The nostrils of people in hot countries are comparatively large and the front of the nose is extended. Why does this happen? Because external heat makes the internal air heated. The body temperature having increased, the internal heat tries to force its way out rapidly. As a result of the rapid exhalation of heavy, hot air, the diameter of the front portion of the nose increases.
People who live in cold countries develop fatty tissues in their bodies. These tissues are particularly helpful in maintaining body temperature. And though their noses are high, their nostrils are comparatively small because if a large amount of chill air enters the body it will inevitably affect the lungs and vocal chord. That is why nature has made the constitution of the inhabitants of cold countries so ideally suited as not to allow a greater than necessary amount of air to enter the body at the time of breathing.
In the same way the variation in natural environment and climate has variously effected other changes in the physical structure of human beings. Some people are jet-black, some reddish white, some yellow, while others are brown. The one species of Homo Sapiens has become divided into four distinct races (living under different circumstances), but basically they all originated from one and the same source – from Australopithecus to Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. The same stock is divided into various so-called races – white, black, brown and yellow. These races are as different from one another as the rivers Ganga, Meghna, Padma and Bhagirathi, which spring from one common source, the Gangotri in the Himalayas.
There are four main races in the world today – the Aryans, the Austrics, the Negroes and the Mongolians.
The Aryans first moved from West Asia and migrated to different parts from the Black Sea to the Danube Valley and then to Central and West Europe. They advanced and settled in Iran, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa and Spain, and along the Mediterranean coast. They spread out from West France to the British Isles, and later spread to Afghanistan, the Indus Valley, the Red River Valley, and Korea and Japan in the Far East.
The Mongolians had China as their main homeland. Later they spread out from the Arctic Ocean to the Bering Straight and to the White Sea. They could not move westward because of the obstruction of high mountains in Asia. So they advanced eastward and southward and reached Burma, Siam (Thailand), Indochina, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Philippines and Japan, and joined the original inhabitants of those places.
The Negroes lived near the equator in Africa and New Guinea, near the southern coast of the Indian Ocean. Their descendants are found in South India, the Andaman Islands, the Malayan Peninsula and the Philippines.
Human society comprises these various branches of various races. There is no reason whatever to recognize one race as superior to another race. The external differences in constitution among these human groups cannot alter their basic human traits – love and affection, pleasure and pain, hunger and thirst. These basic biological instincts and mental propensities equally predominate in human beings of all complexions in all countries and in all ages. A mere rustic, unlettered, half-naked tribal mother of an unknown hamlet of Chotanagpur Hills (in Bihar in India) bears deep maternal affection for her young children; in the same way, a well-educated mother of a locality of New York pours out of her heart a great love for her own children. The subterranean flow of love and affection exists in all hearts alike. Every person cries out in pain, everyone feels pleasure when there are occasions of joy and happiness. In different geographical, cultural, social and other environments the lifestyles of different human groups may vary – a few special psychic traits of some of those groups may assert themselves – but fundamentally their mental existence flows along the same channels of ideas and consciousness. Containing the same cosmic momentum and under the same cosmic inspiration, they all have set out for a tryst with the same destiny.
From the unknown past until this day, the various branches of the human society have given rise to different civilizations. The Alpines and the Mediterraneans (two branches of the white race) produced the Hellenic, Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations. The Nordics and the Dravidians were responsible for the Indus Valley civilizations. And the yellow race produced the Chinese and Japanese civilizations. The Red Indians built up the American civilizations.
Black people did not lag behind either. True, compared with other races their contribution to human civilization is less impressive, not because of their racial inferiority, but because the so-called civilized races (for their selfish political interests) deprived them of sufficient scope in their development. Furthermore, the hostile natural environment did not allow introversion of their psychic potentialities. There is still the burning desert of the Sahara right in the heart of Africa, surrounded by sea on most sides, and there is still the deep and impenetrable forest thwarting any easy human communication. This unfavourableness of nature prevented the Africans from looking within and that accounts for their failure to build any civilization in the past. In spite of that, there are immense human potentialities lying dormant in them too. And for that the most pressing need is to develop those possibilities by creating a congenial environment.
There is an admixture of blood of different races. In India, all the four prominent races – the Aryans, the Mongolians, the Austrics and the Negroes – have been inseparably mixed up. The present Filipinos are a mixture of Negro, Mongolian and Aryan races, though the Mongolian elements are predominant. Ethnological research has proved that the present Philippino race grew out of a heterogeneous mixture of people from India, Indonesia, Malaya, China, Africa and Arabia. Similarly, the Japanese race was evolved out of a blood mixture of the Aynus (a sub-branch of white people) hailing from the banks of the Amur River, a sub-branch of the yellow race from Korea, and a hybrid community of browny-black coloured people who migrated from Malaya and Indonesia. The Chinese people are composed of people from South Russia and Central Asia. The population of Great China is a mixture of those different communities.
Only recently Hitler fed the German nation on the spurious notions of Aryan supremacy and incited the vain and arrogant Nazis to fight a horrible war. He raised his arrogant slogan – “The Aryans are not to be ruled but to rule”. But is this chauvinistic and blind concept of Aryan supremacy supported by the science of ethnology? No, this science holds that the modern Germans are not a homogeneous race. They are a mixed race. Thus, if analysed, it will be found that none of the existing human races are free from admixture of the blood of other races. Therefore the talk of “purity of blood” of a race is meaningless, for there cannot be any purity of blood of a particular race. Rather, blood is always pure.
In India, the maximum mixture of blood has been in Bengal. The Bengali race evolved out of the Aryans, Mongolians, Austrics and Negroes. The people of Bihar and Orissa and the Kayastha (a high-caste Hindu community of East India) belong to this Bengali race. In southern India, too, Negro blood came to mingle with the Austric blood, and a new race, the Dravidians emerged.
Thus in the dim past of unknown history, different human groups came in one another�s contact. There was unavoidable intermingling of blood, and ultimately there arose many so-called new races after gaps of long periods. The innate migratory nature of human beings has goaded them to journey from one horizon to another, from one hemisphere to another. For more than one reason, human beings have broken narrow geographical boundaries and set out for other lands and associated with other communities. The direct and indirect causes of their association with other races are roughly as follows:
(1) To preserve their existence, fighting collectively against hostile natural forces.
(2) Through wars, victories and defeats of warriors, and expansion of kingdoms.
(3) For inner attraction because of common religion.
(4) Because of geographical proximity.
(5) For reciprocal trade and other communications.
(6) Through linguistic and cultural exchanges.
The above-mentioned factors brought the various human groups in close contact with one another. And goaded by an innate instinct, they freely mixed among themselves. This contact and close relationship among various groups gave birth to the many so-called races of today.
Ultimately this close association amongst themselves culminated in marital bonds. Many small races were fused into a new race through inter-racial marriages. For instance, in South America, as a result of constant intermingling of the blood of the Negroes, the Europeans and the Indians, a new race has emerged. Similarly, in Colombia and Mexico, a new Mestizo community has come into being as a result of interracial marriages between the Europeans and Indians. That is why it is not proper to attach much importance to differences in respect to noses, eyes, hair, height, etc.
Human society is continually striving to arrive at a synthesis through analysis, some sort of unity through diversity. The natural obstructions of small clans, narrow communal interests, geographical distances and intractable customs and usages – none of these obstacles could hinder the steady and silent movement towards a supreme goal. That is why the policy of apartheid, the vanity of racial superiority, national chauvinism or regionalism – these relative doctrines or social philosophies – could not thwart the progress of human society. The outdated ideals of nationalism are crumbling to pieces today.
The newly awakened humanity of today is anxious to herald the advent of one universal society under the vast blue sky. The noble and righteous persons of all countries, bound by fraternal ties, are eager to assert in one voice, with one mind, and in the same tune that human society is one and indivisible. In this voice of total unity and magnanimity lies the value and message of eternal humanism.
Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 2
P.R. Sarkar
The starting point of the origin of human beings and the culminating point of their movement is the same. It is the natural law for any entity to originate from the same source and to merge in the same source. The fundamental stuff of all the humans of this world is the Macrocosmic Consciousness. All are the children of the Supreme Immortality (Amrtasya Puttŕah). Fundamentally all human beings are equal. Therefore there should not be any discrimination. In the external world, however, we notice numerous conflicts and strife among human beings. The poet Rabindranath Tagore said,
Hiḿsáy unmatta prthvii nitya nit́hura dvandva
Ghora kut́ila pantha táhára lobha jat́ila bandha.
[Mad with violence is the world,
Cruel are the battles which [[rage]] each day.
Crooked indeed are the ways of the world
Bound by the noose of greed.]
The various races and countries have been plagued with clashes and conflicts due to petty, selfish interests. Every house is shaken with conflict. How many wars have plagued the world? How much blood has flowed into the rivers of the world? So can we truly say that there is no difference between people? Where is the unity which creates a common bond among human beings? To get the proper answer, one has to go deep into human psychology because true unity lies in the realm of the human mind. The extroversial mind of human beings, due to inherent Saḿskaras, becomes obsessed with and influenced by the external environment. A person influenced by the imposed Saḿskaras of the society may start to hate another person, but this hostility, this enmity, is something external. Internally, all human beings feel a deep attraction for others. This attraction is the natural wont of living beings. Had there been no balancing force among the objects created by the Macrocosmic Mind, then the entire cosmological structure would have shattered into pieces. The cosmological balance is maintained due to this attraction amongst the different objects and entities. From atoms and molecules to human beings with developed consciousness, all entities feel attraction for one another. He keeps all the finite entities bound to Him by His inscrutable Cosmic Love. All entities drift in the vast divine flow as the minute manifestations of the Supreme Lord. They are entitled to Cosmic Love by birth. That is why one should remember that attraction is the law of nature. Attraction is not negative repulsion, rather repulsion is negative attraction. The so-called differences we notice amongst human beings in the external world are nothing but the expressions of negative attraction. For differences to occur people must enter into some sort of relationship with each other. Without close proximity there cannot be any friction. A serious difference of opinion today may be changed into friendship tomorrow.
Ábád kare vivád kare suvád kare tárá.
[The same people who quarrel today may rejoice together in common friendship tomorrow.]
In the past, people who remained engaged in bloody battles over religious issues reunited after the battles were over. Similarly, on language issues also there were numerous clashes, but after some time, the mutual bickerings were forgotten and as result of synthesis, a new mixed language emerged. Thus, instead of reacting to apparent differences, one should seek internal unity. The various differences which split society must be removed in the interest of collective welfare. In order to do that, one must look for the common link, the points of affinity, in the multifarious lifestyles and diverse expressions of life. The points of affinity have got to be encouraged by all means and the differences must be discouraged. If the various differences such as customs, manners, food, dress, language etc. are given undue importance, the clashes and conflicts will increase. And if those differences are made to unite forcibly, that involves risk. That�s why we will have to adopt a positive approach rather than a negative one. Thus, our policy should be, “Aspects of unity should be encouraged and aspects of disunity should be discouraged.” If this principle is strictly followed there will be an increase in human unity and a corresponding decrease in the degree of disunity. I have already said that no difference lasts long. So if the aspects of disunity are discouraged, the human society will gradually find a universally acceptable link through mutual association and attraction. One should always remember that in the interest of social welfare and unity, fissiparous tendencies should never be encouraged. Whenever differences arise, it would be wise to ignore them. If at all something should be said, then one should say that this is not the proper time to bother about petty differences. Take the case of the national language. There is a group of people who are very vocal about the national language. But is it the proper time to fight over the language issue? Thousands of Indian people still live precariously below the subsistence level suffering from hunger, famine, disease and financial hardship. This is the time to fight against socio-economic exploitation. Those who are creating new problems by overemphasizing unimportant issues instead of solving the immediate social needs are the enemies of humanity. They are dividing the country into battlefields of conflicting interests in the name of national unity, causing severe damage to humanity. In order to establish unity and welfare in the country, the common points of affinity must be found in the following three spheres:
socio-economic sphere,
psycho-sentimental sphere,
spirituo-sentimental sphere.
To unify society we must first remove social and economic disparities. In a society where one person wallows in luxury while another gradually starves to death, the bondage of friendship is inconceivable. Similarly, if there is hatred in the social sphere, such as the hatred an upper caste person may have for a low caste person, one can hardly imagine an atmosphere of fraternity. Those who have wealth may try to buy others to serve their purposes but one cannot have unity with a slave.
Táká diye shudhu máthá kená yáy
Hrday yáy ná kená.
[The mind can be bought with money, but not the heart]
To experience the warmth of another�s heart one will have to give up the false sentiments of artificial human-made differences. For that we must first wage a ceaseless fight against poverty. Poverty is a common enemy of all the Indians. When a severe blow is dealt against the common enemy, all the interested parties will become united out of their own selfish motivations. This campaign against poverty will have to be carried on step by step. The first step is to arouse an anti-exploitation sentiment. Each and every person should be convinced that the entire wealth of the world is the common patrimony of all. To utilize that wealth is the birthright of everyone and no interference in that birthright will be permissible.
Tomár deoyá ei vipul prthvii sakale kariba bhog
Ei prthiviir náŕii sáthe ache srjan diner yog.
[We will enjoy this vast world given by You,
We are connected to this earth from the very moment of birth.]
Each and every person should be guaranteed the minimum necessities of life by providing everyone with sufficient purchasing capacity. It is not enough to provide the minimum necessities of life – simultaneously, the wealth of the country should also be increased. If sufficient wealth is not generated to meet the growing demands of the people, seeds of discontent will settle in their minds. So the increase in population should also be accompanied by an increase in the generation of national wealth. Unfortunately, the so-called leaders of modern India do not pay attention to this. Through various development programmes, the shortage of national wealth can be removed to a great extent. Take the case of the Indian province of Orissa. Agriculture, particularly summer crops, is still totally dependent on monsoons. Had artificial irrigation been introduced, Orissa could have achieved a three-fold increase in yields. Orissa today provides food to only fifteen million people. Had agriculture been properly developed, Orissa could be supplying food to forty million people. Orissa is also very rich in mineral resources such as coal, chromium, bauxite, manganese, etc. The present Indian leaders export those mineral resources to overseas countries. If those raw materials were utilized for indigenous industrial production, then four big steel plants can easily be put into operation. This would substantially raise per capita income. But the leaders, instead of paying attention to those things, have been framing five-year plans whimsically. Ultimately, these plans neither remove the economic disparities nor increase the collective wealth. To achieve these twin ends the present economic system is to be thoroughly overhauled. At the very outset, to facilitate socio-economic development, the country should be divided into socio-economic zones. If state boundaries are demarcated on the basis of political and linguistic considerations, then socio-economic plans can never be properly drafted and various economic problems are not given due attention. That is why economic zones are indispensable for expediting economic progress. At the moment, there are various economic units with different economically problematic areas within the same political zone. For instance, in Chottanagpur hills of Bihar, there is an acute problem of irrigation, whereas in the plains of North Bihar, there is a problem of drainage of water. In the same way, Royal-Sima, Shrii Kákulam and Felangana areas have been annexed to the same political province – Andhra – although their economic problems are different. That is why, considering the economic problems, in the interest of those people different socio-economic zones should be created. It may be that converting these different political units into a single economic zone right now, if implemented for administrative purposes, may lead to complications. So one economic zone may be divided into two political units (even one if necessary). There can be more than one economic zone in a political unit. The formation of linguistic states is meaningless: national unity can never be achieved through the creation of political linguistic states. To think that if the exploiters, capitalists, industrial proprietors and labourers speak one language, then unity among them will be maintained, is sheer foolishness.
Human beings, who are predominantly sentimental by nature, establish some kind of relationship with many objects of this world through day-to-day activities. If the sentiment for a particular favourite object is adjusted with the collective sentiment, then that sentiment can be utilized for establishing unity in the human society. Sometimes the human sentiment for many objects runs counter to the collective sentiment and as such creates greater disunity. Hence, those sentiments which are conducive to human unity should be encouraged, rejecting the sentiments which create a rift in human society. Take the case of the Saḿskrta language. Each and every Indian has a common universal love for Saḿskrta because it is the origin of most of the Indian languages. There was a time when human feelings and sentiments were exchanged and official activities were conducted in Saḿskrta, from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin. The influence of Saḿskrta on all modern Indian languages is easily discernible: 92% of Bengali, 90% of Oriya, 85% of Maethilii, 75% of Malayalam and 3% of Tamil has come directly from Saḿskrta vocabulary. Obviously no one can oppose the Saḿskrta language. Had national solidarity been the main purpose, then the leaders could have tried to establish national unity by advocating Saḿskrta as the national language of India.
Besides language, people have a natural weakness for their glorious national heritage. Every person loves and respects the past national prosperity and the nation�s glorious traditions. This love for one�s glorious heritage is clearly a psychic sentiment. This psychic sentiment can be utilized to consolidate the national unity. Take for instance the Mohangedaro and Harappan civilizations. The glorious heritage of a country should not be kept confined to school curricula or research scholars. Rather, it should be presented to the public. This will create a sense of confidence and glory in the people�s minds and thus strengthen the bonds of fraternity.
Likewise, the glorious history of a country strengthens the sense of unity among the population. The Saḿskrta term “Itihása” and the English word “history” are not synonymous. History means Itikathá, a chronological record of past events. Itihása means the description of past events to inculcate moral teachings in people�s minds. It is not a mere chronological record, but a work of immense educative value. For instance, the Mahábhárata is Itihása as it has been a source of inspiration for people since its creation. Even today village people, sitting around a kerosene lamp in the evening, read and discuss the Mahábhárata, each one cherishing a universal attitude of love for the book. The propagation of the Mahábhárata will have a beneficial influence on people�s minds. Many of its passages may be quoted to enlighten people about their glorious past, and offer solutions to their worldly problems. Biographies of great saints, sages and personalities of the past should also be presented to the common people to foster unity in them. There is a subterranean flow of love and devotion in people�s minds for those sages and saints, as those saints rose above narrow sentiments to propagate the ideals of unity and fraternity. Their writings create a stir in people�s minds. So the popularisation of these personalities is essential to inspire unity among the masses.
The contemporary leaders do not try to give a practical shape to any of the aforementioned human qualities. They merely deliver high-sounding lectures. Those great personalities of the past provide good opportunities for them to organize bicentennial and anniversary celebrations. They consider that by merely uttering a few well-rehearsed sentences, they are paying a wonderful tribute to those great personalities. These leaders do not realize what an important contribution the great personalities can still give to further the country�s welfare. Thus the great ideals are disappearing from social life and disunity is increasing among the people.
To establish lasting unity in human society, besides the above two sentiments, the spiritual sentiment is indispensable. The unity that grows from the collective psychology in the social, psychic and economic spheres, is the first step towards a greater unity. This can lead to the formation of a nation or greater internal unity in a country. But once the problem out of which the sentiment grew is solved, the common link is broken. That is why for permanent unity a spiritual outlook is necessary. Every human being has a spiritual thirst. Knowingly or unknowingly, human beings are searching for the Supreme Entity. Yet, ignorant of the right path, they remain confused. One of life�s great tragedies is that so many people do not find the object of their search. Their entire life is spent searching everywhere, but in vain. If people are shown the right way, the entire humanity will converge on the same path. As fellow travellers on the same journey, they will move towards the same supreme goal with unison, with a single rhythm. So for the unity of the entire humanity, the indispensable factor is spirituality. This supreme treasure teaches human beings that Parama Puruśa is the Supreme Father, Parama Prakrti [[the Supreme Operative Principle]] is their Supreme Mother, and the entire universe is their homeland. They will sing in joy:
Sab tháiṋ mor ghar áche ámi sei ghar mari khuṋjiyá,
Deshe deshe mor desh áche ámi se desh lava bujhiyá
Parabásii ámi ye duyáre yái,
Tári májhe mor áche yena tháiṋ
Kothá diyá sethá praveshite pái sandhán lava bujhiyá
Ghare ghare áche paramátmiiya táre ámi mari khuṋjiyá.
[My house is everywhere.
How desperately I search for that house of mine.
Every country is my country.
I shall surely discover that country of mine.
I may be a foreigner, but to whichever house I go,
I find my own abode.
I will find the right door to enter the house.
In every house live my dearest relations.
I am desperately searching for them.]
[[So “Cosmic sentiment alone can be the unifying force which shall strengthen humanity to smash the bondages and abolish all narrowistic walls of fissiparous tendencies.”]]
The reason is that this cosmic ideology is based on the absolute truth, which is not confined to time, space and person. When the limited mind accepts that unlimited entity as its object, the mind goes on expanding to a full 360 degrees. The method that brings about psycho-spiritual progress is called spiritual practice. When human beings bring the entire universe within the range of their minds through spiritual practice, the result will be one universe, one universal society. As long as the feeling of nationalism remains alive, mutual conflicts are inevitable. Human welfare depends on the degree of psychic expansion. When nationalism cannot embrace every human being, that nation cannot attain perfect well-being. When the welfare of some individuals remains outside the scope of the limited mind of the nationalists, their sorrows will never be felt. That is why a group of nationalists may attack another group of national ists just to establish their national ego. Not only nationalism, no “ism”, not even internationalism, attains the highest degree of psychic expansion. Who can say that human civilization has not been established on other planets of the universe. The thought of other planetary civilizations remains outside the minds of those who only think about the various nations of this planet. It is not possible for such internationalists to establish universalism. When inter-planetary conflict begins, then internationalism will assume the same role as nationalism does today. The only way to establish universalism is to bring about mental expansion through spiritual practice. The inculcation of the spiritual outlook will not strengthen the boundaries between nations but will lead to the establishment of a universal state, a global nation, with a common thread of unity and aspiration. That nation will be known as the human nation.
Jagat juŕiyá ek játi áche se játir náma “mánavajáti”;
Eki prthiviir stanye pálita, eki ravishashii mather sáthii.
[Throughout the world there is only one race:
Its name is the Human Race.
All are nourished with the same milk of Mother Earth;
The sun and the moon are the companions of all.]
With the help of the previously mentioned factors it would be easy to unite the human race. At the same time, however, it should be remembered that there are certain differences in the society which should be taken into proper consideration. These differences are usually removed through natural fusion. It is not possible to eradicate them by force. When human beings come close to each other with a genuine feeling of unity, when they share the common joys and sorrows of life, those external differences gradually vanish as a matter of course. In the human society there are four main types of external differences: food, dress, language and religion.
Around the world people eat different types of food. There are many differences between the dietary habits of East and West for example, due to different environments and food production. People become accustomed to eating the particular type of food grown in their own countries. In India, for example, there are four food zones each with its own distinctive food production and resultant dietary habits. In one zone mustard oil is used, in another coconut oil, in another rapeseed oil, and in the fourth, ghee. The people of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in Northwest India are accustomed to eating bread, whereas the people of eastern and southern India mainly eat rice. Thus, people�s staple food is determined by variations in climatic conditions. The different dietary habits of the people of the world should never be made uniform by force. It would be unreasonable to declare a certain food as the national food and then force everyone to eat it. Besides that, everyone has his or her own likes and dislikes. In those countries where the commune system prevails, everyone is forced to eat the same type of food in the name of collectivism. People do not dare to speak out against such imposition out of fear, but internally they are not happy. Food is the most important of the primary necessities of human life. If people are not satisfied with their food there will be a simmering discontent in their minds which will seek an opportunity for an explosive expression.
Like food, there is a great diversity in the dressing habits of the people of the world. This is also a result of environmental differences. For instance, many people in Arab countries live in deserts. In the scorching heat of the midday sun the burning sand is blown up by the harsh winds. To protect themselves from these sand storms the people there wear clothes which cover their entire bodies from head to foot, even their face and ears. They live underground to protect themselves from the hostile elements.
If the people of northern Bihar in India were to wear such clothes they would be greatly inconvenienced. Due to excessive rain there is an abundance of rivers and lakes in this area. In such an environment to wear clothes covering the entire body would be extremely impractical. Thus these Biharis wear a Dhoti which can easily be lifted up while crossing a river. People living in cold countries use woollen clothes, which the inhabitants of hot countries would never use. As with food, the differences in dress cannot be removed by force.
There is an almost unending number of languages in the world. Not only do people of different countries speak different languages, but people within the same country use different tongues, too. These linguistic differences are due to raciocultural influences. The different cultures of the world have been responsible for the creation of different languages. Human beings formulate words with various types of sound. This sound is produced by exhaled air which flows over the vocal cord and emerges through the mouth and nose. The sound is modified with changes made in the shape of the mouth, lips and nose. Generally, these linguistic differences are due to the cumulative effect of six main factors: blood, nose, hair, skin, eyes and body height. Differences in these characteristics are also reflected in the four main races of the world: Aryan, Austric, Mongolian, and Negro. Aryans have a reddish white complexion and hair, warm blood, eyes like a cat, an aquiline nose, and tall bodies. Negroes have black skin, slightly colder blood, curly hair, blackish eyes, thick lips and tall bodies. There are also remarkable differences in the physical structure of the Mongolians and Austrics. There are three branches of Aryans: Nordic, Alpine and Mediterranean. In physical appearances the Nordic Aryans have the same characteristics as mentioned above. The Alpine Aryans have a reddish complexion, black hair, blue eyes, and slightly colder blood. The Mediterranean Aryans have yellowy-white complexion, black hair, dark eyes, ordinary noses, slightly colder blood, are of medium stature. People living in southern France, northern Africa and the Balkan states belong to this category.
There has been a lot of admixture of blood amongst the different races scattered throughout the many countries of the world. But the physiological characteristics of those groups who have been living in a particular climate since their beginning are more discernible than in the case of those who have migrated to different countries. These differences have also resulted in differences in linguistic expression.
The main races in India are the Mongolo-Tibetans, the Mediterranean Aryans and the Dravidians. The Mongolo-Tibetans include the Ladhaki, Kinnari, Gaŕhwali, Nepali, Sikhimi, Newari (including the Misoes and Garoes), and Bhutani groups. The Mediterranean Aryans include the Brahmins and other people of Kashmir whose complexion is reddish white. And the Dravidians include the people of Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The present North India, that is the area lying north of the Bindu mountains to Tibet, was submerged under the oceans of the prehistoric past. The area south of the Bindu mountains which now includes South India, the present Arabian sea, the Polynesian Islands, the Malaysian archipelago and southern Africa formed a vast region which was known as Gondowanaland. Austrics inhabited the north of Gondowanaland and Negroes the south. The central part was inhabited by both Austrics and Negroes. The present Dravidians are the descendants of that Austrico-Negroid population.
Not only different races; different languages also blended together on the soil of India. The Indo-Aryan languages include Márát́hii, Rajasthanii, Gujrátii, Punjabii, Kashmirii, Kharáhivalii, Brajabhásá, Bundelkhandii, Avadhii, Chattrisgarii, Bhojpurii, Angika, Maghadhii, Maethilii, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Gáŕhowalii, Kumáyanii and Gorkhalii. The Austric languages are Muńd́á, Ho, Santhal, Khaŕhia, and Momkhám. The Tibeto-Burmese languages include all the languages of Assam except Assamese, Mańipurii and Naga. And the Tibeto-Chinese languages include Ladhakii, Kinnarii, Kirátii, Lepcá, Yiáru, Gáro, Khaśiya, Mizo and Newari.
Languages are also influenced by culture. The culture of one community influences the culture of another community. The rule is that the culture with the greatest vitality has the strongest influence. Sometimes the weaker culture is even absorbed by the more powerful one. When different cultural groups live side-by-side there is a lot of mutual exchange. The members of the weaker cultural group accept everything inherent in the dominating group, including its language. In spite of the tremendous differences between the Aryans and the non-Aryans, the non-Aryans accepted the Saḿskrta language of the Aryans, and the Aryans assimilated the introversial spiritual practice of the non-Aryans into their religion.
Saḿskrta has influenced all the languages of northeast India. Even the southern Indian languages were influenced to a certain degree. Of all the southern languages, Málayálam has been most affected by Saḿskrta. This is because many people migrated from the north through Madras to Kerala. That�s why the root-verbs of Málayálam are of Tamil origin while its vocabulary is by-and-large of Saḿskrta origin. 75% of Málayálam is Saḿskrta based.
The Aryan influence was felt as much in the lower stratum of life as in the upper stratum. In some places this influence was so dominating that people are reluctant to speak their own languages outside their family environment. The Saha community of the Austric group, for example, speak their own dialect [[in their homes, but speak Bhojpurii outside. In the same way the Singmund́á and the Sharan people and the Tipras of Tripura state speak Bengali and not their own ancestral tongue. The Garhwaliis have long stopped speaking their own Tibeto-Chinese dialect]] and have adopted Indo-Aryan languages.
Thus, there are differences in language due to racial traits and cultural influence. These linguistic differences cannot be forcibly suppressed. But a close analysis of history will reveal that many attempts have been made to suppress various languages of the world.
Each of the many languages of the world is equally important. No language should ever be discarded for being inferior. The very idea to suppress one language in favour of another should never be supported. But in modern and ancient India, and in some countries of the West, attempts have been made to suppress language. Such attempts have never proven beneficial. For example, in ancient India Saḿskrta scholars tried to suppress the Prakrta languages, and Vedic Saḿskrta scholars tried to overwhelm the Dravidian and Austric languages. When Lord Buddha started propagating his new philosophy in Pali, the language of the people, the scholars tried to pressurize him into using Saḿskrta. But, ignoring their demands, Buddha continued to use Pali. In medieval India Saḿskrta persistently exerted its influence on other languages. The people�s language was derisively called “bhákhá”. The saint Kabir, objecting to this maltreatment, said:
Saḿskrta kúpodaka, bhákhá bahatá niira.
[Saḿskrta is as stagnant as well-water, whereas bhákhá is as dynamic as the flowing water of a stream.]
Nor did the Saḿskrta scholars give any importance to Bengali: it was considered nothing short of blasphemy to translate the religious scriptures from Saḿskrta into Bengali. The Nabab Hussein Shah personally tried to develop the Bengali language. With his active support Krttivása Ojah translated the Ramayana, Káshii Ram Dash translated the Mahabharata and Máladhra Vasu translated the Bhágavata from Saḿskrta to Bengali. This caused a furore among the community of scholars. They tried to brand Hussein Shah as a saboteur of the Hindu religion because, according to them, to translate the holy scriptures into Bengali was to defile the Hindu religion. Máládhra Vasu had to bear the stigma of being a Moslem convert and was widely ridiculed as Guńaranjiṋa Khan. So incensed were the Saḿskrta scholars over the translations of Krttivása Ojah that he was declared an outcaste for committing an act of sacrilege. All this took place only 450 years ago.
In Europe Latin scholars tried their best to suppress other languages. The Arabic scholars of the Middle East wanted to suppress Persian. And in recent years the people of Wales and Quebec in Canada have protested against the imposition of the English language. They preferred to use their own languages as the medium of expression. In modern India, too, due to selfish political influences, important languages such as Bhojpurii, Maethilii, Mágadhii, Chattrisgaŕhii, Avadhii, Bunddkháńd́ii and Marwarii are being suppressed. Their speakers will certainly not accept this silently, but will surely protect against this unjust domination. Recently there was an open revolt against the imposition of Hindi as the national language of India. That�s why, it is better to brings people speaking different languages closer to one another than to suppress their languages. As a result, people will feel inspired to speak other languages. The arbitrary imposition of any language invites trouble.
There are a variety of religions in the world formulated by different propounders. But instead of enhancing the spirit of unity in the human society, these religions have actually increased disunity and mutual conflict. How many wars have been fought in the name of religion? So, far from being a unifying force, religion should be seen as a cause of disharmony.
One thing should be remembered: Dharma and religion – or “Imán” and “majhab” in Arabic – are not synonymous. Throughout the ages, Dharma or Imán has been propagating teachings to unite humanity. Religions are many, but Dharma is one, and that Dharma is Manava [[Human]] Dharma – a system for the attainment of the Supreme. Based on practical wisdom and logical faith, Dharma is a rational approach for the realization of Absolute Truth. External paraphernalia are not required for the practice of Dharma: the only prerequisite is a unit mind. Within Dharma there is no room for exploiting people entrapped in the snare of blind faith, and no scope for self-aggrandisement or the pursuit of group interests. Love, freedom and equality are its foundation stones. As Dharma is beyond time, space and person, there is no scope for Svajátiiya [[differences within a species]], Vijátiiya [[differences between species]] or Svagata [[differences within the same unit being]]. Dharma is inchangeable.
Eka eva suhrd dharma nidhane�pyanuyáti yah.
[Dharma is the only real friend; it follows one even after death]
Religion is the exact opposite. It is based on the following three factors:
(1) Psycho-sentiment
(2) Physico-ritualistic observance
(3) Tradition
Behind the origin of a religion lies the inborn fear psychology of human beings. Human beings started religious practice to appease the different natural phenomena – the hills and mountains, the rivers and oceans, the forests, thunder and lightening, the morning and evening, and so on. Such religious practice was based on the instinct for self-preservation: the only intention being to propitiate the gods and goddesses of diverse moods. Some kind of imaginary faith worked in the back of people�s minds. Such psycho-sentiments arose after human beings came in contact with the different natural phenomena. The roots of most religions lie in the worship of a particular natural phenomenon. Some religions centered around the moon, some the sun, and others a stone image. Later on people created an improvised philosophy to support the worship of that physical phenomenon. They advanced the philosophical argument that it was possible to attain the unlimited by worshipping its limited form. They declared their temples, mosques and churches made of bricks as sacred places. A strong sentiment developed for the worship of different deities. So blind were their sentiments that they refused to listen to rationality. Take the case of cows: Hindus worship cows as something holy, apparently because they give us milk. But if cows are revered as mothers for giving us milk, shouldn�t buffaloes be given a similar status? Actually, buffaloes give more milk than cows. Unfortunately, the blind religious followers refuse to listed to logic as their religious sentiment for cows has taken root deep in their minds. People are fed these ideas since childhood, so later on it becomes impossible for them to discard them. Science students understand the reason for a lunar or solar eclipse. They know that the eclipse does not occur because the sun or moon has been devoured by the mythological demons Ráhu and Ketu (Umbra and Penumbra). Yet due to the deep rooted Saḿskaras in the mind, they rush to take a holy bath in the Ganges during the eclipse. This is the result of blind faith.
When the wave of physical sentiment becomes stronger than the wave of logic, we call it blind faith or religious bigotry. This leads to the view:
[[
Vishváse miláy vastu tarke bahu dúr.
[In faith you get something substantial, but in logical arguments it is far away.]
]]
Majhabme ákkál ká dakhal nehi hyey.
[In religion there is no room for logical argument.]
India did not see the frenzied expression of religious bigotry evident in other religions, which was the cause of intense religious feuding. How many lives were sacrificed over a single strand of hair? It is very difficult to persuade religious bigots to follow the path of logic because according to them even to listen to others is a sinful act. This is nothing but mere sentiment. According to some religions beef eating is forbidden but the killing of deer and goats is permissible. This is totally irrational.
Out of sentiment arose different ritualistic observances such as the way a lamp should be lit and held and the way one should kneel down in prayer. No logical arguments can be found to substantiate these rituals. Moreover, during the rituals, the mind always remains preoccupied with diverse objects. If it remains obsessively associated with such objects, how can it move towards Parama Puruśa?
Many people consider their temple to be the only sacred place of worship. But the funny thing is that the builders who construct temples are unholy people or untouchables, and are thus barred from entering their premises. Each religion has its own scriptures. Some scriptures are worshipped with such reverence that they are treated as deities. But the paper on which the scripture was written, and the printing and binding of the book were perhaps done by people of other religions. But once the book is complete it is transformed into a holy scripture and those who made it will not have the right to even touch it. In fact, not only the holy scriptures, but all books are considered as a symbol of the goddess of learning. To pay obeisance to the book by repeatedly touching the forehead with it is apart of religious observance. Many people spend huge sums of money to make an idol of clay only to immerse it in a river with pomp and ceremony to conclude the religious festival. But if the people of other religions happen to break even a finger of that idol terrible bloodshed will ensue. Thus, those who advocate the formation of countries on the basis of religious faith will cause irreparable damage by fragmenting human society.
Human beings readily accept traditions without seeking the reasons behind them. Since ancient days the semitic people have been observing the practice of circumcision. Moses and Mohammed accepted this system which today has become tradition. The ancient Austrics used to worship the Sun. Their purpose was to please the Sun God and be blessed with heavy rainfall and bumper harvests. In the social system of the Austrics, women had a predominant role. Thus, in the system of worship and other religious ceremonies, the priest had no significant role. Even the Sun God was looked upon as a female deity and the Moon was a male God. The Sun God was addressed as “mother” and the worship done in her honour was called “Chat Puja”. Even today in Magadh Chat Puja is held twice a year during the harvest time. The sentiment of Chat Puja was so deeply rooted in Magadh that their system of worship is in vogue even today even after such tremendous Aryan, Buddhist and Moslem influence. Of course, in the external rituals of worship some changes have taken place, but the system of worship has not yet become extinct. Even the Moslems participate in the Chat Puja. In some areas they themselves organize the ritual and in other places they get the puja performed through the Hindus. This Chat Puja has now become a tradition. There was a time in Bengal when the Moslems used to worship Satyanáráyańa or the Oláicánd.
From the above discussion it is apparent that religions engender hatred for others, blind faith, etc. in the minds of their followers. Through such religions it is next to impossible to establish unity in the society. Religious differences should be minimized as much as possible, but it should be remembered that blind faith in a religion cannot be forcibly eliminated. To strike at any type of sentiment will only cause that sentiment to grow stronger. Psychological methods will have to be employed to make people realize the irrational nature of blind religious faith. This requires a rational interpretation of philosophy through enlightened intellect. When the human mind is gripped by the fear psychology it gives indulgence to blind faith rather than logic and reason. If human fear is removed through logic and reason, the very basis for blind faith will be weakened. That is why human beings will have to be taught philosophical doctrines in a rational way. Furthermore, to remove the psycho-sentiment for a particular physical object, either the object itself should be removed or, by changing the very outlook through scientific and humanitarian reasoning, the person concerned should be separated from that sentimental object. For example, those who perform religious ceremonies in worship of the moon will find it difficult to continue their practice once, due to scientific advancement, they actually get the opportunity to walk on the moon. Blind faith must be removed through the application of science and humanistic appeals. People will have to be united under the common banner of one religion.
In the absence of knowledge of common psychology, people of different religions try to destroy other religions. This has resulted in the spilling of rivers of blood. In ancient India the Aryans tried to impose their own Vedic religion on the Austric community. In the Buddhist era, particularly during the reign of King Bimbisára, Buddhism was imposed on other religions. Later, the followers of the Sanátana Hindus forcibly converted the Buddhist and Jains into Hinduism. During Moslem rule Islam was imposed on India, Persia and Egypt. Similarly, countless Jews were converted into Christianity. During the British period attempts were made by Christian missionaries to subvert Hinduism and impose Christianity on the indigenous population. All this led to mutual animosity in the world of religion.
Those who indulged in vain criticism and slandering instead of trying to remove the factors diving the human race, created even more problems for society. That�s why there is more disunity than unity in the human society today.
It is the Sadvipras who must take most of the responsibility to remove the disunity. Sadvipras will not give any importance to the points of difference, but will continuously inspire and encourage the common bonds of unity and thus strengthen humanity. Only then will the human society become one and indivisible. Only then will it be worthy of being called a “human society”.
Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 3
P.R. Sarkar
17 June 1979, Calcutta
I have been saying for a long time that human society is a singular entity, that human society is indivisible. Human beings, because of their petty interests, prefer to remain oblivious to this truth. But one should remember that to forget altogether and to remain forgetful are not the same. So many near and dear ones, so many kith and kin, whom you had loved so dearly in the past are no longer in the world. Have you forgotten them? No, you have not. You remain forgetful of them.
Bhule tháká, se to nay bholá,
Vismrtir marme pashi�
Rakte mor diyeche ye dolá.
[To remain forgetful is not to forget altogether. If a thought enters my blood or the core of my memory, it stirs up an inspiring vibration.]
Human beings remain oblivious of many things and events because if one remembers everything one�s life becomes unbearable. Judged from this viewpoint, such forgetfulness is a blessing to human beings. It is not necessary for human beings to remember the dark days of sorrow and misfortune, the calamitous nights of violent thunder and lightning. If all these images are stored in one�s memory, life will become almost unbearable.
One does not forget the fact that human society is one and indivisible, but one may remain forgetful of it. In most cases, forgetfulness is caused by the spell of selfishness. It is evident that the behavioural patterns of selfish people are the same everywhere.
People tend to classify human beings as rich or poor, educated or uneducated, etc. Those who are rich today may become poor tomorrow and conversely, those who are poor today may become rich tomorrow. To permanently divide humanity on the basis of poverty and affluence is therefore neither possible nor feasible. People whom I hate today as exploiters may deserve that hate. Under the influence of inauspicious stars, however, the same exploiters may fall to the level of the exploited. Did the same people change overnight? No, that is not the case. It is only a reversal of roles. They changed from the role of the exploiters to the role of the exploited. Conversely, those who are exploited today may become the exploiters tomorrow. So to divide the human race on the basis of such a frail classification is not feasible. The exploited have the same value as the exploiters. The only line of demarcation between them is exploitation. If we remove exploitation from society there will be neither exploiters nor exploited. The fundamental disease is exploitation, and once it is removed, there will be no further demarcation on that basis. The opportunists who utilize a situation to create rifts in the society will not get any scope to do so when exploitation is removed. That is why intelligent humans keen to promote the well-being of humanity will try to eradicate exploitation from the human society. Consequently, the struggle between the exploiters and the exploited will come to an end. Human beings will realize the supreme truth that all of humanity is bound together by common ties of fraternity.
At various times, we come across ideological conflicts among human beings. What does this ideological conflict really mean? Let human beings follow the path, the ideals, which appeal to them. If a particular theory or ideology is acceptable to some people, let them follow that ideology. Why should there be a conflict between people? Such conflicts should never occur. If anyone wants to drive a wedge into the one and indivisible human society on the basis of some ideology or theory, then this is nothing but a totally mischievous plan. Human beings can easily co-exist despite mere ideological differences.
Suppose there are four brothers in one family. Surely all of them can hold different ideas and views. Of course, these ideas and ideals should not be detrimental for human beings. Those ideologies which are harmful for the human race should never be tolerated. That would be suicidal. Different theories and doctrines with their numerous interpretations and connotations should be developed. No one should object to that, because intellectual clash and cohesion cause the human intellect to progress. Why should we keep all the doors of the human intellect closed? Let sufficient light and air enter the intellect for its overall enrichment.
Let us consider the case of race. Many people identify themselves with a particular race. If we look deeply into the subject we come to the conclusion that the human race is one. Some people have black skin, some people have yellow skin, and some people have white skin. Does it make any difference to the inner human being? No, none whatsoever. The same mother may have two children of different complexions, one fair, the other dark. Will she launch a racial fight over that difference? Will one child join the black community and the other the white community? Of course not. That would be nonsensical. The inner person has nothing to do with the colour of the skin. Differences created on the basis of caste are also pure deception.
Brahmańosya mukhamásiit váhurájanyo�bhavat;
Madhyatadasya yadvaeshyah padbhyáḿshúdrah.
[Brahmans came out of the mouth, kśatriyas were born out of the arms,
Vaeshyas came out of the trunk of the body, and shúdras were born out of the legs.]
This is the interpretation given by supporters of casteism. The true fact is that every created being in this universe longs for shelter at the feet of Parama Puruśa. The shúdras who are also born out of the holy feet of Parama Puruśa certainly deserve to be revered by all. Hence, the system of casteism is totally baseless. The so-called scriptures which are based on casteism are equally baseless. What was the motive behind this? The only motive was individual interest. Later on, the totality of individual interest took the form of collective interest.
Next comes religion. On the basis of religion human beings group together and indulge in internecine feuds. Such religions are responsible for spilling the blood of innocent men and women. I don�t want to single out any religion as most do not follow the path of logic. Instead they prefer to inject a certain type of cheap sentiment into the human mind to cripple the intellect and impair rational judgement.
Majhabme akkalká dakhl nehi hae.
[In religion there is no room for logical argument.]
In actual fact it makes the clear thinking of the human mind turbid. Religion has always commanded its followers to abide by its tenets. Those who dared show any logic were injected with a kind of fear complex. Moreover, the followers of the religions declared that their teachings were the revelations of God and had to be dutifully followed. Out of fear people submitted to this mandate. This is the basic defect of religion. On the basis of this hundreds of so-called scriptures were written in ambiguous language. Anything that destroys free thinking should not be called a scripture at all. Only that which develops the spontaneous development of human beings deserves to be called a scripture.
Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástra parikiirtitah.
“That which disciplines human beings, that which inspires human beings to follow the path of spirituality, the path of supreme benevolence, that is scripture.”
Anything else is not scripture at all. Religions create undue fear complex in the human mind. Utilizing the lure of heaven and the dread of hell they destroy nationality and humanity. Motivated by their own petty interests they create artificial divisions in the human society. Should intelligent people be bound by the serpentine nooses of such religions? No, they should not; they must not. If at all people allow themselves to be bound by nooses, it should be understood that they are intellectually bankrupt. In all countries of the world such people form separate communities. Perhaps religion has done the most damage to humanity. After all, it is in the name of religion that most human conflicts have occurred. Now the time has come to put an end to the conflict over religion forever.
There is still another thing which sounds a little harsh when clearly described, yet all intelligent people realize its malevolent influence from the depths of their hearts. It concerns the barriers of so-called nationalism. One day, Jessore and Bongaon were in one country [India]. Suddenly, a few people arbitrarily decided to put these two towns in two separate countries. Illiterate people living in Jessore heard one fine morning that they were Pakistanis, while the people of Bongaon, equally ignorant, suddenly, as they cultivated their fields, heard that they were citizens of India. This decision was enforced from the top without the prior knowledge of those at the bottom. Common people could not know anything about the crime which forced them to desert their ancestral homes forever as helpless refugees. They were unable to identify those who made them refugees.
What is the value of nationality when it changes overnight? Is it ever feasible to draw a line of demarcation between one human and another on the basis of such superficial considerations? Or is it wise? Such distinctions, imposed as they are from above, are mere figments of some people�s imagination. They are not supported by developed mentality and do not enjoy the sanction of higher human conscience. On such a basis we should never divide the human race. I repeat again, human society is a singular entity. It is indivisible.
It is often found that people who speak different languages co-exist peacefully within the same nation. Conversely, it is also found that people speaking the same language are divided into different nationalities. So it is quite clear that the question of nationality is completely meaningless and something devoid of rational judgement. One can safely conclude that anything not supported by rational judgement is prompted by selfish motives. Some people enjoy top positions without taking any responsibility or risk. They fulfil their own whims while countless common people have to carry their load, getting nothing in return. Once I said, while quoting Rabindranath Tagore, that the common people who are tortured, neglected, humiliated and exploited are just like the lamp stand, while those at the helm of society are like the lamp. Everything is illuminated by the lamp except the lamp stand, which remains obscure in darkness. Moreover, the lamp stand has to endure the burnt oil from the lamp which trickles down its side. Nationality is something like this. There is no logic behind it, nor, indeed, within it. It, too, should not be the basis for the fragmentation of the human society. Again I repeat, human society is a singular entity.
Next comes the question of language. Language is only a vehicle of expression. How does it occur? There are six stages to the expression of language: Pará, Pashyantii, Madhyámá, Dyotamáná, Vaekharii and Shrutigocará. Pará Shakti, the seed of all expression, lies in the Muladhara Cakra, but the seed is not transformed into language. It is just the seed of the idea. This is called Pará in Saḿskrta. Pashyantii, the stage where the seed of the idea sprouts, lies in the next higher Cakra, that is the Svadiśthána. In the next stage, Madhyámá, the idea is consolidated to give a picture to it. That is to say, people visualise the form of the idea they want to convey. In the Mańipura Cakra there is an urge to transform the idea into sound form. In Bengali we sometime say that such and such word is in my mind but I cannot articulate it. That is, the flow of the expression has reached Mańipura Cakra but it is not transmitted through spoken words. The memory, due to distortion, has become a little old so the picture of the word is hazy. That�s why it is difficult to transform the idea into language. In the next stage, that is Dyotamáná, the idea acquires the form of language. Dyotamáná means vibrational. In this stage there is some vibrational expression but the exact word is not formed. In the fifth stage, when the vibration reaches the vocal cord, the idea gets transformed into language. This is Vaekharii Shakti or the transformation of ideas into language. The last stage is called Shrutigocará and occurs when the word gets vocalized with the help of the tongue. These are the six main stages of the expression of language. In all languages Pará, Pashyantii, Madhyámá and Dyotamáná are uniform. Only in the fifth and sixth stages is the expression different.
So, on the basis of language, how is it possible to divide human beings? If an English-knowing boy is brought up in a Bengali family from his childhood, Bengali will become his natural tongue and he will develop total affinity for the Bengali language. Having listened to Bengali from the beginning of his life, the Vaekharii and Shrutigocará are adjusted with the Bengali language. Suppose his brother is brought up in a German family, then German will become his brother�s natural tongue. Would these brothers fight a fratricidal war on the basis of language? At the same time I will also unambiguously say that no language should ever be suppressed. If anyone tries to suppress any language the result will be disastrous, because human beings will not tolerate any undue pressure on their Vaekharii and Shrutigocará. No injustice against any language can be allowed. All languages must be given equal respect. One should remember that all languages are the languages of Parama Puruśa. I may master perhaps one, two, three or maybe 100 or 300 of these languages, but it does not mean that the languages I do not know are not the languages of Parama Puruśa. Hence, it is absurd to divide humanity on the basis of language.
In this case, as in the case of nationalism, I will sound a word of warning. Petty nationalism is detrimental to human civilization and those who seek the collective well-being of human civilization should abolish the system of passports, visas, permits, etc. The consequences of such a system are not beneficial for humanity. In the same manner I will sound a word of warning that there should be no attempts to suppress any language. The same amount of freedom that was granted to languages during British rule in India has not been granted in post-independence India. Attempts have been made to throttle a few languages, and the result has not been good. Those who have perpetrated this sort of injustice should be cautious in the future.
So we cannot divide the human race on the basis of the rich or the poor, the educated or uneducated. Nor can we divide it on the basis of ideology. It is natural that there should be minor differences of opinion, but we must see to it that the differences do not obstruct human progress. If they do, they must be resisted with an iron hand. If they do not, they should be tolerated. Let human beings follow their professed ideals as that will develop human intellect.
Again, on the basis of race we should not divide humanity into black and white, into Aryans and non-Aryans. All human beings are equal. There are only differences in the colour of people�s skin. And as I hae already said, religion is almost a non-entity. It rests on quicksand. Spirituality and religion are not synonymous; rather they are totally separate entities. Spirituality is an endless endeavour to link the microcosm with the Macrocosm, and this endeavour in individual life will stop when individuals come in closest proximity to Parama Puruśa. Human society will never attain Samadhi collectively. It is never possible to attain liberation or salvation collectively. So in individual spiritual life what is important is the feeling that human beings move collectively and help one another. In religion the feeling is that everything of mine is good and everything of yours is bad. While fighting over this people lose their natural judgement. Humanity should never be divided on the basis of such things.
Next comes nationality. The idea of nationality is so absurd, so nonsensical, that it changes its form overnight. The people of Jessore became Pakistanis in one night, and the people of Bongaon became the citizens of India overnight. So the whole idea is useless.
Finally, language. In connection with language I mentioned six stages of expression. Of the six there are differences only in the last two. The other four are all equal. Furthermore, one should remember that all languages are the languages of Parama Puruśa.
Intelligent people should never try to suppress any language. The result of suppression can never be worthwhile. Intelligent people must avoid these aforesaid factors on the basis of which some selfish people try to create rifts in human society. Wherever there is an excess in this regard they should try to integrate the human society, because the process of disintegration of the human society does no good to individuals, society or to any part of society. The more human beings live in unity, shoulder to shoulder, the greater the welfare of the human race will be. Let no one try to suppress others on the basis of nationality, language, religion or anything else in any sphere of life. Let the path of full expression of human intelligence be kept open forever.
17 June 1979, Calcutta
