Mind: An Enigma

Readiness to kill others for attaining certain political ends is understandable. But readiness to kill oneself while killing others is difficult to understand. Incidents of terrorist attacks as suicide bombers are increasing. I feel very bad whenever I read news of suicide bombers killing others and themselves also. Readiness of suicide bombers to blow themselves up along with their enemies simply cannot be understood. Similarly how can killing others and oneself to attain any religious ends or for furthering religious dogmas fit in any religious philosophy? It is astonishing to note that religious fanaticism can overpower the mind of the human being so as to lose all fear of one’s death? Minds of human beings are motivated to engage in terrorism at the cost of one’s own life! Human mind has become so vulnerable, so pliable as to be convinced to die also. Life is precious. There is natural urge in all species to save one’s life at the cost of anything else. When a person dies in suicide bombing, what does he get as a result, as a reward? What happiness, what contentment can he get when he is no more? How a person can be made to believe that he will go to heaven or achieve bliss in paradise, which nobody has seen, nobody has experienced.

Really, mind is enigma, impossible to be solved.

Money

Money is undoubtedly the backbone of our existential life. Without money man becomes valueless, neglected, ignored in social life. Money is required to fulfil all basic human needs of food, clothing and shelter. Lot of money is required in the treatment of modern illnesses. Lakhs of rupees are required for construction of our house, education of our children, and marriage of our daughters. Money is required as a security, solace in our old-age; that is an assured support when our limbs and body gradually become incapable to work and earn money. Man’s worth is known by his money. Man is duly respected when he has money and wealth. Wealth is nothing but transformation of our labour in money, which can be saved for the future exigencies. However, sometimes wealth is mainly inherited from ancestors and one’s own contribution to it may not be to substantial extent. Whatever it may be, man should have sufficient money in his life. ‘Arth’ is one of the ‘Purusharthas’. Man should work hard in life and earn as much money as possible and make his life comfortable.

But, today man is running behind money like a mad person. He wants to have a car, not because he needs one, but because his neighbour has one, his colleague has one. Man is earning money to have money power, to dominate others. He knows money can cover his mis-deeds. He thinks that if he has wealth, he can do anything, even any crime like rape, murder with impunity; he hopes he will bribe and purchase witnesses, police officers, judges with his money. As a general rule, a person with lot of money tends to be arrogant and a potential threat to others. A person who has amassed huge money has disregard for others, does not care for the others. He has superiority complex. Black money is abounding with politicians, industrialists, actors and actresses. But can we assume that these rich persons are happy in their life. Not necessarily. I think happiness really does not depend upon the wealth; it depends upon the attitude of mind. Money brings with itself its own unique problems: fear to be raided by income-tax officers, fear to be robbed, fear of being killed by the underworld dons if their illegal demands, in crores of rupees, are not met. A man with huge wealth has to do excessive work to maintain that wealth. Wealthy man cannot get good sleep; and consequently loses his health. He also loses his peace of mind. He dies prematurely.

We should avoid, in our life, avarice, excessive greed for money. We should have some satisfaction, contentment with whatever we have. I have seen many poor persons happy, and many rich persons distressed. I would like to quote following few lines in this connection the source of which is unknown to me:

With money you can buy a beautiful house, but not ‘home’.
With money you can buy a clock, but not time.
With money you can buy an expensive bed, but not sleep.
With money you can buy a book, but not knowledge.
With money you can buy delicious food, but not appetite
With money you can see a doctor, but not good health.
With money you can buy a position, but not respect.
With money you can buy blood, but not life.
With money you can buy sex, but not love.

Education

Why do we take education? Idealists claim it is for the purpose of knowledge or enlightenment. Is that the real purpose of today’s education?

Children at the age of 3 or even less are admitted to nursery, then lower K.G., then K.G. Is the purpose of ‘education’ behind this? Or is the purpose to get rid of a child during working hours of employed parents?

Primary education and even secondary education is the real need to obtain basic minimum knowledge about languages, arithmetic, science and civics.

Why for college education? Is it for enlightenment? Never. It is pursued with no other object than making oneself eligible for some job or for gaining know-how for starting a profession or business. Are not majority of the college students wandering without any destined academic path or purpose? Are not many students just taking admission in the college because they get some maintenance allowance or free-ship or scholarship? How many of these students are really serious about college education? Lot of precious time is wasted in youth in taking college education which afterwards may prove useless. Students do not know the proper avenues which suit their capabilities and intelligence. Parents are not fully aware and studied in current situations in education and job opportunities. Sky-rocketing fees for certain fields of education may be a stumbling block. Rat-race in education is crushing the finer, subtle feelings and spirit of the students. They are becoming simply a part of the machine. The ship of the education is navigating without a captain in control and also without a rudder. No doubt, the number of degree holders, post-graduates and even doctorate degree holders is increasing at a very fast speed. But how many of these college educated students settle comfortably in their life? Number of colleges is increasing, number of Universities is also increasing, number of degree holders is consequently increasing. But what is the end-result relevant to life? It is far from being satisfactory. Should we call this state of education-in-the-blowing as a sign of growing health of education or growing oedema of the education?

Dimensions of Love

There is no real love in the world except mother’s love to her infant child. Even this love continues till the child becomes grown up and independent. I have seen a hen showing courage and guts to fight with a great animal like bull to save its small chicks. I have also seen mothers who hate their sons after the sons are married. Love of mother gradually wanes as the child grows up and walks the steps of independence.

All other instances of love are not of real loves. The so called love of a lover and beloved in youth is simply a biological, physiological natural attraction for the other sex generated by the hormones in the body. This is need-based love. Really it is a bargain, a business- You help satisfy my needs; I help you satisfy your needs!

Even the love of the friends is also need-based love. But it is not biological but ‘vyavaharic’, based on the principle of symbiosis, a mutual co-operation.

Love for the God, Bhakti for the God is also not real love towards God. That is also need based love. That also evidences only the bargain, the business attitude. Man knows his limits. He finds that something is there which cannot be understood, which cannot be perceived by senses but which must exist. He fears for the unknown, fears about his destiny. He finds that few things happen in his life which cannot be explained by any reason, logic or even science. Then he wants some protection, an assurance, some solace from the unknown power. He starts praying God, worshipping God, spending hours in worshipping Gods and doing lots of rituals. This he does not out of love for the God, but out of fear for the God. It is really appeasing almighty so that the man would be secure in his worldly life and also in after-death life if it exists.

People are shy to accept these naked facts. They put a false layer and cover of ‘love’ to their business deal consciously or unconsciously struck between two parties. We all put masks. Our real faces are different. And sometimes by chance or otherwise this reality is revealed to the other party; and it becomes very difficult to accept and face the stark reality of a human being!

Family

Family is like a circle. Circle covers and gives protection to the inner content. Circle has a centre. There cannot be two centres in a circle. If there are two points claiming to be equal in status and claiming to be centre of the circle, then it has lost the shape of the circle. It has lost its identity. It has lost its uniqueness. If a family wants to be happy, man should have central authority; husband should have main authority, father should be the controller. If wife also wants equal authority with man and freedom to do whatever she likes, she is claiming to be second centre in the circle of family. In the quest of equality with the husband, she and the family will have to sacrifice the ‘happiness’ which is more valuable and long-lasting in family relationship. In the world-wide race of wives claiming and asserting equality with the husband, they are ignoring the happiness of the family. Whatever the Constitutions of the Nations, political and gender justice activists say; man and woman are not equal in nature. Male is always dominating partner in living animals, in all creatures made by God. This fact has to be understood in its correct sense. We should rethink coolly. By conferring equal status on woman are we not going against nature? This is artificial equality. If a woman tries to become husband, she will neither remain wife, nor can she be a husband. If a wife really wants to be happy she should accept the husband as the centre. If husband is centre, the whole inner content of the circle inside the periphery, except the circle, will belong to the wife. Just like in any Industry only employers will not do, only employees will not do; but there should be employer and employees. One superior, other subordinates; then only business will run. There is nothing wrong or need of inferiority-feeling in being employees and working as subordinates. Crores of employees are working as subordinates of somebody else and still happy with the job. The same analogy may be applied to a family. Crores of wives would be happy if they accept their husbands as centre of the family and do not feel bad in being subservient to the husband. Otherwise circle will be broken and families will fragment into pieces. And exactly that is happening now a day. Divorces have increased in number. Marital incompatibility is increasing on a large scale due to wrong, so called modern notions of ‘gender equality’.

Three Seasons

Decision