How can we get rid of or
overcome certain practices, beliefs etc?
And is getting rid of them
necessary?
If the answer yes, then how
can we do it ?
Yes
similar to above list there are many more.
Let us
make it clear at the outset that our nation is not alone in following such
stupidities does not justify continuing them.
We do many things ( even very meaningful and useful ones) blindly with a
mechanical and ritualistic approach without bothering to know their real
meaning and significance because earning brownie points for following (
considered as discipline) is valued more than learning the real import or
questioning to know ( considered as impertinence).
We get offended when some
outdated traditions which are not in sync with modern civilization based sophistication
are questioned.
Most importantly, most of us
have a very healthy public view and a filthy personal and private agenda.
We seldom acknowledge that
for mortal life there are no permanent taboos or trends.
We fail to realize the
however great, good and grand our region, religion, language etc that there are
similar, if not superior, splendors all over the world.
Pride of ancestry is the hope
for the future but succumbing to larger than life ethnocentric pride is counter-
productive.
As everything around us and
about us change, we fail to realize that we also must be willing to change or to
adjust internally.
Universal mantras are contextual relevance and
everything that provides comfort, convenience; begets benefits and
profits; ensures utility, happiness, pleasure and so on without hurting others and
evaluating everything or anything based on its inherent attributes/merits and
intrinsic value/purpose.
All wisdom and value systems must be woven
around these universal mantras or at least relevant to these. Otherwise
something else will replace all values, wisdom, principles, practices etc.
The most important wisdom is to make the
necessary adjustments to emerging changes and contexts.
Unfortunately most aspects of traditional practices, rituals,
customs etc are forced on us as social obligations [though initially no harm in
it]. But further energizing the inherently vulnerable hypocrisy and putting
forth vocal justifications for not only following them blindly but trying to
perpetuate them without any valid reason is bad.
Guy Murchie
declares, “Evolution itself is an open ended and indeterminate process”… “Given
the remarkable progress in our understanding of biochemistry, molecular
biology, and evolution as a whole … we have failed to develop concepts, ideas,
even a language that could capture the dance of this life”
I would like to add it is because of our intellectual reluctance
and religious impediments.
He adds, “Darwinism is agreed and uncontroversial: humans are an
accident of evolution, because everything produced by evolution is strictly
incidental to the process”.
But the whole malady started when certain
societies, already well connected, intellectually more advanced ones and
therefore got so well conditioned by their traditions and religiously
prescribed ways of life based on such sound base, obviously ended up, out of
lack of humility and refused to or blocked to accept alongside biological
evolution, evolutionary psychology and evolutionary sociology as well.
Greater the comfort with abundance of
resources and intellectual advancement providing a sense of or false notion of
intellectual superiority made them get insulated in their ethnocentric
arrogance and moved away from humility.
I think it happened to certain societies,
naturally so because of their great advancement when most parts of the world
were in dark ages.
Where there is no humility or lesser humility
there is less and less attempt to learn.
So they developed certain systems or practices
which were superior at that earlier point of time in human history compared to
the rest of humanity and hence they felt that such practices had no expiry date
at all.
While innards and inherent qualities are
inevitable and beyond our choice, at least, our utilization of strengths
/reactions to shortcomings can be sane and more sensible, that is what must be
the attempt of any subject be it philosophy, spiritual science or pure science.
Evolution goes about its jobs unmindful of
whatever we do or do not do, and this evolution decides and determines
everything including our birth and death as biochemical organisms- which are
bound to decay or to die or to reorganize or to be reborn or to recreate into
something else eventually.
What we must be actually be teaching to the present
generation is to expose them to the positive aspects of our great heritage
which do not contradict any rational approach or curtail any acceptance of
change or constrain seeing facts as they are and help them to address any issue
based on such premises.
Human psychology is more comfortable and conversant
dealing with premises, frames of references and observations rather than
through indoctrinations, conditioned prejudices which will collapse at some
point of time when the poor people will be left to suffer in a vacuous inanity
without a proud socio cultural and psychological identity and will also be very
vulnerable to adopt anything and everything irrespective of its long term
benefits or inherent value.
So, let us impart more importantly prioritizing humaneness,
rational approaches and humanitarian values along with our rich cultural
heritage.
