The human being is multi-dimensional in his
structure carrying with him a body, a mind and a soul. While the soul is hidden equally within all
of creation, the potential of the mind to express varies among the various creatures
of the biosphere and is highly evolved in man compared to other creatures on
planet earth. Even among human beings,
the potential of the subtle body comprising of the mind-memory-intelligence
complex is evolved variedly leading to different levels in one’s ability to
comprehend, assimilate, articulate and express.
This varied potential in the subtle body of the human being can find
expression in infinitely innumerable ways.
As human awareness comes down from an
integrating intelligence into the realm of the mind it is split into two –
making up the duality of the manifest universe – space and time, matter and
energy; the male and the female; the right and the left; light and darkness,
sound and silence, motion and stillness and so on and so forth. While duality in nature is essential to the
constitution of form and for the three unending processes of creation,
sustenance and destruction, this apparent duality is always unified by an
underlying integrating principle. The
duality of the mind is akin to the dicotyledonous seed from which the sprout of
life emerges. The mind is a product of
this duality in nature and as such carries at once the two twigs required to
strike the fire of human expression.
While we express an opinion, an identity forms
simultaneously and tends to carve a place for itself and as the same identity
is retained and expressed repeatedly, it gives rise to a false identity called
the ego. Having no roots in the core of
the human spirit, the ego is a shadow personality that everyone carries. In some it is almost transparent while in
others, it is dark and almost opaque.
This opacity shields our awareness from crossing the ego barrier and prevents
us from reaching into the depths of our personality, into the realm of the soul
which is untouched by human opinion or identity.
It is therefore important for us to consider
the quality of our expression. The most
common characteristic of the ego is the assertion of its opinion as superior
and its tendency to draw a false strength from its disagreement with the
viewpoints of others. This quality of
the ego comes from its insecurity because of its lack of connection to
something that is timeless.
While we express, we are actually in search
of a truth, in search of a common core, in search of an explanation for life
and its conflicts that will set our mind at rest and allow us peace and
contentment. This quality of our search
is hidden and being unexpressed is overcome by the expressions of an ego, of an
unnatural sense of self that seeks to survive on its own through physical
force, numerical majority and through the influence of divisive
ideologies.
Divide and rule – is a motto of the ego – not
a natural principle. While the natural
principles of ‘survival of the fittest’ and ‘principles of natural selection’
are at play in the biosphere and in the human world, the value of the culture
of a human community or society arises from a true understanding of what
constitutes the ‘fittest’ and what constitutes ‘natural selection’. The ego tends to interpret that the fittest
are those that are physically and financially the fittest; and natural
selection is assumed as one’s birth right and position. And it takes pride in expressing one’s outermost
nature with unfettered vocalization of every thought without care, concern or
any kind of educated filter.
The mark of a cultured human being does not
lie in his ability to merely express what he thinks. It lies in being circumspect about the same
expression. It lies in being
deliberately reluctant to express anything without due consideration to the
feelings of those who will be subjected to it, of those who will fall within
its influence. This is what constitutes
culture – it is the appropriate degree of consideration for all dimensions of
influence of an expression of communication between two sides, wherein the
disagreeable is expressed in a subdued manner; the agreeable is expressed in a
manner that carries an element of sincere appreciation; and the integrating
root of that which unites the two sides is expressed with the most honestly
felt intensity and a hint of gratitude for the unmistakable existence of
oneness within the innermost heart of every relationship. At every level the aspect of culture carries
with it the exalted fragrance of non-violence.
And a lack of culture is the opposite of
it. It fails to find at the outset that
which unifies any two sides and see this evidence or proof that no unity exists
at any level. It fails the test of
decorum in expressing that which is agreeable and instead expresses the same
with loudness and unbecoming wild cheer that eventually is bound to leave a
sour aftertaste. And that which is the
cause of disagreement is vociferously spelt out and the protestations are seen
as an expression of right. The world of
swearing and cursing arises from this non acceptance of disagreement and results
in acts of discord, hate and violence.
It stems from the inability to raise our consciousness from the divisive
mind field to an integrating field of a larger, more durable underlying
objective that remains unseen and unfelt amidst the mental noise of
disagreement.
In fact we seem to utterly mistake what our
rights are and what our privileges are.
We think we have the right to speak anything we want; while what we
really have is the privilege to express what ought to be truly expressed. We think we have the right to work, while
what we really have is the great privilege of contributing to the wellbeing of
our fellow citizens, our community and our country, and gratefully take our due
share in it. We think we have freedom,
but what we do very often with this is that as a result our thoughtless action we
get caught up in its web of repercussions.
We pride ourselves that we are doing some
good, while all it is - is that we are awarded this great privilege of being of
some use, some service to someone or some cause. We pride ourselves that we love somebody or
something while all it is - is that we have realized the source of love within
ourselves and found a person to share this precious gift with.
This confusion in mistaking privileges for
rights arises from a lack of understanding of the nature of the human mind and of
the truth of our physical, mental and spiritual dimensions. The mind is a slave by its very nature. No matter what you think through your mind
and say or act, there is a governing ideology that is driving it. Inherently the mind needs a master. This gives rise to an entire world of
competing idea structures struggling to govern and control the mind. The entire field of human psychology stems
from a study of these mind structures and their power over the human
being. And none of these structures that
arise in the mind field are capable of putting the mind to rest. It is like trying to find the smartest child
to control the other children in a class.
It can be done temporarily but sooner or later it is bound to collapse
and the children will be about their tricks again. It is only when the parent who knows what’s
best for the child arrives at the scene and with an assured look makes a sign,
that the child will keep its mischief down and obediently do the right
thing.
And what is the right thing? The right is that which is in the best
interest of the child’s wellbeing in all its dimensions and that which will
nurture the child’s ability to reach its fullest potential as a human
being. And we must teach the child to
handle disagreement with care and a cool approach of strength and wisdom. If someone is bullying it, we must teach it
to stay away from such kids and out of trouble.
If someone is using bad words and ranting uncontrollably at someone else,
we must teach the child not to mimic such expressions. If someone is using swear words, we must
teach our child to rise above the temptation to use them.
Parents and teachers must teach the child
from the lessons of life that they have learnt and impart the truth about life
and the wisdom of living from the writings of the great masters. It is not the role of a teacher to allow the
child to express what comes to a child’s mind and then make a lesson from
it. As we grow we must become wiser and
this wisdom must carry a value, and bring about a weight into our
expression. While expression is natural
in children, as we grow into adulthood, our expression must carry the wealth of
strength and assurance that comes from a life well lived.
In adult life also, our thoughts are like our
children and they need the same kind of disciplining. As we moderate and express our thoughts with
care and concern, we become more and more cultured, more sophisticated in our
manner of response. And yet this
sophistication betrays a simplicity that is a reflection of the simplicity that
accompanies the greatest truths of life.
The more cultured we become, the more soft spoken and poised we
become. A large number of events in our
lives get resolved on their own. They
merely need a nudge in the right direction – a direction that unifies us in the
long run and suppresses that which divides us.
Disagreement is the sprouting field for
violence and therefore the absence of culture in disagreement results in
violence. And the presence of culture in
the quality of disagreement is marked by a deeply felt presence of
non-violence. This was the basis on
India’s philosophy of non-violence in its struggle for freedom. Mahatma Gandhi recognized the violence
perpetrated by the colonial rulers and disagreed strongly with that
position. And yet our disagreement was
expressed through the instruments of non-violent protestations and ultimately India
won its freedom without resorting to violence.
This is a cultured manner of disagreement.
Thus the manner of expression of disagreement
is a distinct marker in our test of the presence of culture or the lack of it. One ought to realize that though our bodies
may be different, our minds may often look different ways, there will always
remain a deeper spiritual self which is common to our existence and that we
emerge out into the numerical many from a unified core.
May expressions that divide our society
reduce and dwindle by the hour and may expressions that incite violence find no
takers in a world marked by true culture and timeless wisdom. May a deeply felt love and respect for that
which is deeply shared amongst all of us be reflected in a culture that is
tolerant of the journeys and life stories of others, appreciative of the
strengths, valour and wisdom of many, and encouraging of the expressions of
innate peace and wellbeing of a mature and considerate society; of a
hardworking and sincere work force and of a happy and celebrating family, community,
nation and the world.
