folly of the wise - authored by acharya shriram sharma

7/29/2019 Folly of the Wise - authored by Acharya Shriram Sharma

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Folly of the Wise

Contents

1. Folly of the Wise2. Wealth: the unnecessary accumulation and misuse3. Why Ignore Education?4. The folly of ever increasing load in the boat5. Not richness but greatness6. Women: the need for independence7. The agonizing walls of divisions and discriminations8. Fatalism and Astrology9. Divisions and discrimination would not stay for long10. This much, the wise must understand


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Folly of the Wise

Capacity to think is the exclusive characteristic of humans. This capacity is the basis for thought,

imagination, analysis and specific views on subjects. The other living creatures are concerned primarily

with survival and procreation. They cannot think about a world order or the future of civilization etc.Creatures other than men are consistently involved in attack or procuring a greater share of their

personal needs. They lead a pre-determined cycle and die as they become incapable of surviving in

their environment.

Man has been endowed with a mind that has the capacity to think. He is capable of deriving

conclusions from his past experience and making plans for his future. He makes efforts to make the

future more comfortable and better organized than the past. He lays down rules of conduct, personal

as well as social, based on some value system and tries to abide by them. Cooperation is his exclusive

characteristic (although not common among developed animals) and based on this, man develops

unique basis for give and take in the society leading to increased avenues for comfort and happiness.It is these urges that have in course of time lead to special mental faculties like determination,

courage, initiative, etc. Man stands on a much higher pedestal in the evolution ladder.

This development has also brought in its trail an undesirable feature. Man is tempted to do what

others around him are doing. Often he is so much imitative that the pressure of the values being

practiced around him (or their violations) overpowers his discrimination between good or desirable

and bad or undesirable. The imitation becomes blind, devoid of any rational thought. Soon this urge to

imitate what others around him are doing becomes his second nature. His prejudices leave no scope

for his trying to understand the other point of view. He becomes a victim of misunderstandings and

even follows and practices violence to establish or enforce his prejudices on others. Much of the

wastage of human efforts, knowledge and resources can be checked if discretion is allowed to have

the better of opposition and violence based on prejudices.

Man has discovered and invented so many things. He has drawn numerous inferences and conclusions

in various areas of knowledge. He has brought about changes in the natures schemes of things. But all

this progress has failed to check the growth of misunderstandings. Men continue to base their

conduct on convictions that are doubtful of veracity. The rationals can be proved irrational in their

everyday conduct so often.

It is surprising that if we study human nature and beliefs we find that notwithstanding the thought

process which is Creators exclusive gift to him, blind faith and superstitions not only survive but

influence so much of human behavior. He is wise and yet unwise in so many areas of human behavior.

It appears as if other creatures are better placed to the extent that they do not have any value system

that discriminates between desirable and undesirable. They just live on the instinctive plane.


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There are so many prevalent convictions among men that one can hardly categorise him as the

rational being, if these were analysed. It is difficult to believe at times how such a developed creature

can be so irrational in some areas at certain times.

When men think about themselves, their prime concern is their body. They continuously strive to

make it powerful, beautiful and great in all respects. But this belief in the supremacy of the body is

misplaced for if the body were the ultimate truth worth striving for, why is it that nothing remains of

it after death. Inspite of all preventive measures, illness and death do take their toll. The emphasis on

body does not explain how some people retain memories of an earlier birth. Similarly the mysteries

of life after death which we come across in life cannot be explained if the body is accepted as the

ultimate of all goals.

All these phenomena, for which there are no physical explanations, lead us to the thought that apart

from the body) there exists something else also that makes the body living. There is a soul as

distinct from the body. In the living organism, the body and soul exist in the equilibrium with each

other. In the dead, the two are separated and as such we have to accept separate identities of the two

a body and a soul. Unfortunately, most people either do not accept it or remain unmindful of this

distinction. If the distinct identities of both the body and the soul were recognized, men would at least

make equal efforts for the development of both.

Man rarely recognizes that he is endowed with a soul that is the projection of the infinite life that

pervades all around in this and other universes. He does not accept that as the Creators superior

manifestation, he has certain aims to be achieved and some responsibilities exclusive to him among

other species on this planet. He is required to strive for yet higher states of evolution. If men realized

this responsibility, they would not have been wasting at their time in the pursuit of comforts for the

body. Responsibilities that arise from the special status of being a man would also have found a place

in the lifestyles.

Efforts to rise still higher in the evolution ladder would have given rise to things that enable man to

get over the mundane and also steer along other persons in contact. Unfortunately, such an urge and

consciousness have been lacking with the result that instead of rising to higher plans of conduct, men

have been following paths that lead to dark alleys and ignorance. There is little realization that youth

is the time for striving to rise to higher planes. If such a realization existed, no one would spend

youthful days in wasteful pursuits. They would have rather lived a life of ideal excellence. Youth could

be a model for others so far as personal and social conduct is concerned. But very few realize the

importance of youth. Most people realize only after they are no longer young and do things rarely

beyond involvement in petty affairs of doubtful utility.

Taste of the tongue is one area where men seemingly proud themselves as an area they have

developed over the centuries. Now in nature, every living organism needs food for survival but it takes

and accepts it in naturally existing forms. No living organism or creature cooks, bathes, fries or spices

his food. In the name of Cookery man started consuming things that are not even good for his system


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and all in the name of progress and civilization. This unnaturally has led to so many diseases that other

animals never suffer from. Life spans of men have been reduced from what they were when he was

not so civilized. It is an accepted fact, that but for the development of culinary arts, mankind could

survive on much less naturally available food stuff. Cooking and making food tasty involves so much of

human effort and waste of food material.

My making himself a slave to taste, man has exposed himself to a variety of diseases. Vegetarianism

would have made it possible for the entire human race to be fed only with the existing output.

Lifespan would have been longer with the use of natural and raw food stuff. But man has been

consistently increasing the urge for taste which is so different from the urge for food to satisfy hunger

a natural phenomenon with all living creatures. Disease, disability and a shorter life span caused by

food that is not in its natural form, is a typical example of rational beings involved in an obviously

irrational behavior the wise acting foolishly.

All of us need shelter. Now houses are made not to live in a hut to look at. A good house should have

provision for fresh air and sunlight as the basic requirement. The simplest hut makes provision for

these elementary human needs. But men choose to live in slums or in buildings that are very beautiful

to look at but where artificial light is necessary every time and where fresh air is shut out at extra cost.

We build houses that are expensive but in violation of the basic needs i.e. fresh air and sunlight and

then spend more on correcting eye sights and curing diseases of the lungs. Good health is the first

casualty in such living conditions. Observation of simple rules of good health that is living close to

nature, eating naturally existing food and using sunlight as far as possible with ample scope for

availability of fresh air would have saved mankind from loss of good health.

The situation is amazing. Man is afraid of diseases. They cause suffering, loss of working hours,

expenditure on treatment, inconvenience to other members of the family, and infection. Good health

is the natural state of body while disease is unnatural. Good health is a blessing while to be sick is a

curse. It is unfortunate that man, the superior of natures creation has invited trouble for himself by

leading a life away from nature. One may or may not believe in the theory of punishments being

awarded after death for acts done during life time, but the punishment men suffer during their life

time for distancing themselves from nature are much too obvious for each one of us to see.

Drugs and intoxicants are yet other abnormalities exclusive to human beings. Smoking, drinking or

drug addictions lead to horrible consequences in terms of poor health, economic destruction and

depravity moral corruption all around. Incurable diseases like cancer are a direct outcome of these

vicious habits. The total consequence is that everyone concerned and related suffers the agony of the

addict.

How come that knowing all these consequences of living an unnatural life, men ignore the simple rules

of good living. Is it just wisdom or just folly of the wise? Other creatures also suffer from pain but it is

not self-inflicted. Not so in the case of man, who knowingly and deliberately does things that cause

misery and pain. That part of his conduct puts a question mark on his wisdom.


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If one does not realize the real purpose and importance of human existence and wastes all efforts and

energies in trifling matters, the consequences in the long run are destined to be disastrous. Precious

years of life are spent in activities that have no significance to the real purpose of human existence.

Men live in sin and lead a life of depravity carrying their sins to their next birth. How unwise and

irrational for the one whom God created as the wise and the rational being?


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Wealth: the unnecessary accumulation and misuse

Man is a wise creature. There is hardly any doubt about his position and status in the evolution ladder.

His wisdom reflects in his endeavors to produce material goods. Where he fails to earn by honest

endeavors, he resorts to dishonesty. It is just a chance that some men do not always succeed due to

unfavorable circumstances or lack of competitive skill, but then, whenever a chance comes up they do

not desist from foul means to be the riches tin the shortest possible time.

How should the created wealth be used, for whom and in what manner? Mans decision in these areas

is not always free from doubts. The wealth that has been acquired through unethical means and the

wealth that is spent without thought and wisdom, both lead to disastrous consequences. One keeps

on lamenting for the consequences. One keeps on lamenting for the consequences much later.

All this happens when wealth is accorded an importance that is disproportionate to its due share in

the life of man. Where wealth becomes the ultimate goal or is looked upon as the prime source,

capable of delivering happiness, misery invariably follows. The entire existence becomes devoid of any

worthwhile purpose. There is no time or energy left for other useful pursuits. As a result, all other

aspects of human development and evolution remain neglected. Loneliness pervades and even the

sole aim becomes gradually difficult to achieve. The simple reason for such a situation arising is that

there are limits to how much wealth can a person acquire. There is competition and as a result

everyone consistently tries to pull things to his advantage. Some succeed, most fail to grab a major

share. If the competition were based on some ethical rules, the situation probably would not have

been so dismal. But success in acquisition of wealth depends so much on being clever rather than

wise. So often the wise are left behind while the clever succeed. Often, success in acquisition of

wealth is determined by sheer chance with no reference to ability.

One must introspect to find an answer whether wealth is really that importance that all other aspects

of life could be ignored for its sake? Do riches alone make life worth living? All of us need a certain

minimum of wealth to be able to survive and function efficiently. But these needs are very modest and

can be met with honest efforts as well. Food, clothes and shelter for self and family are worth working

for. It is also an important responsibility that the children are helped to the extent they become self-

relying. If all members of the family choose to live a simple life, living can become possible in much

less than what every one of us seems crazy to earn.

Saving for the future is like trying to tie up the sky. If during our youth we create in our family a value

system in which the old are respected and the weak cared for, that in itself would be insurance for old

age. Old age presents problems when we do not make provision for it in our youthful days. If one has

to depend economically on others in his old age, misery is unavoidable. Yet another situation for a

miserable old age would be when the younger generation has not been imbibed with correct values of

respect for age. It could be that the uninitiated youth is greedy and keen to usurp the old mans

savings. For that situation too is the old who are responsible.


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So the provision for old age has to be a balanced figure. Neither too little that would lead to economic

dependence nor too much that would tempt the younger to kick out the old man. The very idea of

living on unearned income is to be abhorred. Children have to be told this when very young, they must

have before them models of self made persons. If children grow up with a feeling of self respect

through self earned advantages, they will hate the idea of usurping the old mans savings.

Children need to be told that the money spent on their education and upbringing is in the nature of a

social loan which they repay partly by maintaining their own family t whom they have a similar

responsibility and partly by supporting the aged who enabled them to come to this earning stage. If

this can be appropriately instilled, there is no need to fear the old age or amass a fortune for the

period of retirement. There is enough on Earth for every mans need but not enough even for one

persons greed. If some people insist on amassing huge and disproportionate wealth, some people

would have to be poor. This inequality in distribution of wealth would invariably lead to social

conflicts. Excess wealth is invariably spent on luxuries, often a vulgar display of wealth. Some of the

activities indulged in by the very rich are drinks, wasteful expenditure on false status symbols and the

like. Gradually more and more money is needed to live in style and indulgence in vices. Then there are

no holds barred so far acquisitions of wealth are concerned. It becomes the very purpose of existence.

Envy is the direct outcome of the situation where some people are very rich and most people very

poor. The violence and other crimes in the society are often a direct outcome of the social conflicts

generated by inequality of income distribution. The poor want to imitate the life style of the rich and

for them it is possible only through resort to dubious means. Thus excessive accumulation of wealth

by some is the man cause for a number of social evils.

Living within a restricted budget has its own pleasures. Where all members of the society live

modestly, social peace is easier to attain. Uniformity in economic status encourages co-operation

among neighbours. They love to live together and enjoy the simple and ordinary things of life.

Economic living ensures cordiality within the family and between different sections of the society.

There is scope for better values to germinate and develop in an atmosphere that has not been vitiated

by greed and envy caused by some people being very rich while the others remain poor.

A social order, in which families can live with modest incomes, ensures that there will be time for

other healthier pursuits for introspection, for mutual exchange of ideas and experiences, for group

recreations and social for social cohesion. In such a social order there is the possibility that each

member of the community can rise to his maximum potential for the would be looking for many more

things beyond the mad race for material acquisition.

Co-operation and self-less service are the means to a fuller development of human personality apart

from pure knowledge. These qualities create avenues for raising the status of the deprived in the

society. The deprivation may be physical, mental or just circumstantial. The expression of these noble

qualities affords bliss that is superb. Man becomes great by practicing these virtues. Service to

humanity is possible only by those who have learnt to live modestly and save time and energy for


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other worth while pursuits that distinguish men from other animals. For those who are always in the

mad race for more money, there is no time or energy left for anything beyond greed and self-service.

All men should devote time and attention to gain good health, a balanced state of mind, a happy

family and yet have time for self-less service. If all efforts are singly directed towards material

acquisitions, there would neither be time nor energy left for higher pursuits of life. If material

acquisitions become a craze, it leads to nothing except madness. It is possible to budget our time in a

manner that there is enough for family needs and yet time for better things of life. Family

maintenance or efficient survival is not the problem. The problem is greed which knows no bounds.

It is very foolish to believe that money can buy everything. The truth is that money can buy only items

of entertainment. The real thing is not the object but the happiness that can come out of it. Where

thought and actions are coordinated and directed towards the common goal of bliss, real happiness

becomes a distinct possibility. If such a balance exists one can accumulate the love of mankind. If a

person has attained that respect from humanity, he can achieve everything that is worth achieving on

this earth. And for achieving this, one does not need immense material wealth.

It is gain a folly of the wise that men crazily run after material acquisition to the extent they get

deprived of real happiness a typical case of missing the end for the sake of means.


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Why Ignore Education

Education is needed to be able to get a job or a service. That is what most people believe to be the

purpose of education. During their student days, children look upon their schooling as the means to

seek some employment or service after they have passed the school courses. Parents too, look to

education as the means for enabling their wards to get foxed into some career. Business and

enterprise are hardly in their mind for they seek the security of a job that brings regular monthly

income with minimum effort. These career dreams have one thing in common a cushy high paid job

with an official status and the perquisites attached to high positions. Other sources of income that

would open up consequent to the official position are also in the focus. All this is great dream stuff.

But the hard realities are different. It turns out to be no more than a pipe dream for all but few

students who come out of schools and colleges. There was a time when there were few educated

persons in the country. Those who had the benefit of English education immediately got jobs under

the British government who had use only for such people.

Ambitions were modest and most education people got fixed up in government jobs at some step. The

situation is radically different today. Millions of students go to schools and thousands come out of

colleges and even professional institutions every year. It is just not possible for each one coming out of

the school to get a job or government service. Vacancies occurring as a result of retirement or

creation of new posts are out in the employment market seeking jobs. Educated unemployment at a

massive scale is the resulting outcome of this situation. Thousands apply where the jobs are just a one

digit number. The rejected keep on trying till they are overage for government jobs. Then they start

running for jobs under private employment. Even in this area, the competition is stiff and it is the

employers market. So the job seekers have no option but to accept the wages and other terms and

conditions of work that the private employer offers. The greatest problem that arises from the

mismatch between the demand and supply for jobs the resulting frustration among the youth. A high

paid government job was their only dream and with this shattered they feel the future holds no

promise for them anymore. They have no skills and hence incapable of any entrepreneurship or self-

employment.

The problems they face at this stage had neither been visualized by them nor by their parents who set

the career plans for them. No one knows how to come out of this situation. The result is total

frustration and feeling of helplessness.

This is the problem of not one but millions of youth in the country today. The problem can be solved

only by evolving alternate plans and strategies. It has to accepted in the first instance that every one

cannot get a government job, more so a high status position. Once this is accepted, alternative

solutions can be thought at and worked out.

In the case of man it is many years later that he becomes physically and mentally capable of being

gainfully employed. Childhood is the age most suited for development of mind and body to its


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maximum potential. As such, education is necessary for a fairly long period. All the same, it has to be

constantly kept in mind that once education is over, there can be no guarantee of a job. The other

alternatives should be explored and kept in mind while framing plans for education. It is possible to

earn honestly by many more means besides a service. Keeping in view ones special circumstances,

the decision should be taken early and not deferred till frustration arising out of frequent rejections

has set in. Self employment and entrepreneurship should be given due consideration as alternative

strategies for earning. There is infinite scope in the country for production at various levels and in

various fields. Cottage industries have a definite role even in competition with production on a large

scale in big industrialised units. Manufacturing costs may be low in large scale production but

supervision costs are high. Wastage, transport, stocking, marketing are all very expensive propositions

and add up to high costs. Where production is on a small scale at the cottage industry level, such

expenses are avoided and waste is minimal due to close personal supervisions. If we once again

propagate and accept a social order in which the products from cottage industries e.g. Khadi are

looked upon with respect, demand for home made good will increase providing unlimited scope of

earning through expansion of self-employment units all over the country.

Mostly people think of business as distribution. Now the scope for distributive enterprises is limited.

Shops and commercial establishments provide very limited employment. More over their,

employment scope is determined by what and how much is being produced for distribution among

the consumers, the emphasis has to be on production rather than distribution. The base for creation

of National wealth in our country is agriculture. Cottage industries and ancillary production units that

are linked to agriculture offer tremendous scope for earning opportunities. Science and Technology is

available for agriculture linked enterprises and simple things like carpentary or blacksmithy can now

be taken up in a manner that would give good returns. Similarly traditional village crafts if operated on

scientific lines can give products that has national and even international acceptability.

Education is aimed at full and integrated development of personality, an opportunity for optimum

growth of the innate talents. Through education, it should be possible for the educated to resolve

social conflicts and promote all that is good in human nature. Educational institutions owe it to the

society and the students under their care to frame their programmes in a manner that the education

imparted would cultivate a respect for social values, apart from development of the individuals

potential for productive work.

The parents must also accept this as the basic function of a good education system. Preparation for a

career as the sole objective of school programmes is an idea that needs to be discarded. Transfers are

frequent in government jobs. Families make and break friendships and neighbourhoods. Housing is a

problem in big cities. Transportation and dislocation of family including childrens education are other

problems that arise consequent to new postings and transfers. People from villages have to migrate to

cities since most jobs exist only in the cities. Keeping all these in mind it is worthwhile that parents

plan the education of their children in a manner that there would be less clamouring for service jobs

that involve movement from established homes. Earning opportunities are possible even without

exposing children to hardships that go with jobs in big cities. If it is possible to find earning


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opportunities while continuing to live with known neighbours and relatives, these possibilities should

be explored, expanded and utilized.

In such a scheme of things, the educated will continue to live in their villages and towns and indirectly

their stay would bring about a number of changes in the living and working patterns of those around

them who did not have the benefit of higher and professional education. The village boy in a big city is

a bundle of conflicts and the city would never own him at least for one generation. On the other hand,

in his old surroundings, he would get respect being more educated than the rest around him. Thus,

family happiness would be much more, if the educated from the village explore and create earning

opportunities while continuing to live in their traditional homes. It is surprising that while so much is

being made of a few thousand intellectuals migrating to foreign countries, little is being done to retain

the local talent among the villagers to their traditional surroundings. The former is a loss that can be

quantified but the latter is immense in terms of social disharmony that is plaguing our cities.

In the ancient system of education as practiced in India, bookish knowledge was limited to all that a

man need to know for success in life outside the Gurukul. Knowledge is infinite and it would take

many births for a man to be able to gather pebbles on the shore while the vast ocean would still

remain unexplored. Education, to be related to life, has to put in a secondary place all that is rarely

needed in life. The time and resources available for education are strictly limited and within these

constraints, the efforts should be to stick to the essential, discarding all that is just load, unrelated to

the demands of life outside the educational system. The present scheme does not even offer enough

that would enable the student to be able to support himself independently after his education is over.

Hence the need for a fresh look at our educational aims, course contents and methodologies.

Education should enable a person to be confident even if he does not get the job or service for which

he is a candidate like thousands others. In case the present system is incapable of generating that

confidence, we may have to scrap it in parts or even in full. On the one hand we have not enough

resources for universalizing education while on the other we are wasting them on a system that is

producing educated persons that are not even employable. There is need for incorporating some of

the essentials of the Gurukul system in our existing educational order so that education becomes an

instrument for creating abilities through which the educated can get gainful self-employment. While

continuing to live in their village homes, skills should emerge out of school education and all facets of

real life situations should be included in the courses.

Students learn at school and also from their environment at home and in the neighbourhood. Often

the environment at home is not conducive to growth of a good value system. If that be the case, there

is need for special hostels (as in the case of children of criminals or other sections of the society

involved in illicit trades).

It is unfortunate that we have been neglecting that one aspect which significantly influences the

happiness of our children, their education. If the system is not delivering the goods, we should be

anxious to make changes. Our indifference and willingness to tolerate an educational system that we

accept as irrelevant to our childrens needs is yet another example of the wise acting foolish.


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The folly of ever increasing load in the boat

Ships have a Plimsoll Line. They should be loaded only to the extent the ship sinks in water up to a

specific point. If the load exceeds that limit the ship is exposed to the danger of being wrecked on the

high seas, if there is a storm. If we have to travel uphill, we can do it conveniently if the load on our

head or shoulder is light. Everyone wants to travel light through the long march of life. If the load is

bearable, there is scope left for thinking about new goals and also lead a happy life.

The responsibility to maintain a family is a much long drawn process. It is expensive and the expenses

range over many years. The child is born, educated, employed before the parental responsibilities are

over. In between there is sickness, other contingencies and marriage that have to be catered for. Since

all this is spent over many months, one can afford it. If all this were to be totaled, it would be a mind

boggling figure. Producing a child is like borrowing a lakh rupees payable in installments spread over

two decades.

The bigger the family size, the greater is the burden of maintenance. There is no remission possible in

this loan so far as repayment is concerned. May be one has to resort to illegal gratifications to be able

to buy all that is due from him. The matter does not end with maintenance till children become self-

reliant. Some people even want to leave a big inheritance for their children. Honest earnings rarely

suffice in that case. It is only resort to dishonesty that makes such provision possible in an average

persons life.

The physical and mental strain that one must undergo in his lifetime is determined by how much

liabilities one has incurred in the above stated manner. The normal man is totally exhausted in this

exercise and has neither the time nor the patient left for anything like spiritual uplift or self-

realisation. Even if the urge is there, the resources are just not spare.

There is so much to be done for improving ones health, charity or self-improvement, but none of

these becomes possible. Procreation and maintenance take every minute of ones existence. One

enters the world with closed fists and departs with open palms. The worries of a big family are too

numerous to leave any time or scope for anything great. Like the ox tied to an oil expeller, one runs

around and round moving all time yet reaching nowhere.

It is only appropriate that we look after the elders who have enabled us to become self-reliant

ultimately. But it is no wisdom to invite liabilities for which the entire life would have to be staked.

Every child expects maintenance, means of recreation, good education, decent standard of marriage

and then a job from which he would be able to maintain a standard that his parents achieved after

long years of toil. If one cannot afford all this, where is the point of inviting more and then being in-

different to their needs. If the parents are not in a position to afford a decent maintenance they have

no justification in begetting them. Unwanted children get that feeling of neglect right from their

childhood. They are frustrated even before they enter life. The parents are unable to muster enough


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resources and feel frustrated too. The result is an inner conflict in both the children and their parents.

Both keep on feeling unwanted or guilty.

Often this inner conflict erupts violently in the family. Children revolt and leave their homes. Others

get into bad company and learn wasteful vices. Their future becomes dark and in this process they

also bring shame to their parents. Children who have not been looked after well do not respect their

parents. Neither do they accept any family discipline. Total chaos prevails in the family. The birth of a

child in the family adds significantly to the fathers responsibility economically. The mother bears the

brunt physically. For 40 weeks, the child derives nourishment from the mothers body and then come

the labour pains. Breast feeding causes further strain on the system and all this tells upon the

mothers health. No time is left for personal care or advancement. Soon the mothers feel they have

become hollow, sick and irritable. The father slumps under the economic strain. Both parents suffer

immensely, when children are born to families where adequate resources do not exist.

Procreation assumes an undesirable dimension when one take into account the economic conditions

prevailing in the country that are incapable of taking any extra load. With limited inputs, there is limit

to how much a given plot of land can produce. That would be enough only for a limited number. If

there are extra numbers, they will have to remain deprived and victim of malnutrition and all that

follows. Then there are problems like education, transport, public health facilities, housing,

employment and a host of others. Additional facilities are being created but the rate of population

growth far exceeds the provision of facilities leaving the number of deprived unchanged and in some

cases even increasing with years. As long as we do not get over the problems of illiteracy and poverty,

progress is neither possible nor meaningful. This balance cannot be established until the population

growth is effectively checked. In the absence of facilities for personality growth, the additional

population will remain inferior leading to fresh social strains.

Unbridled sex desires, unconcerned with its consequences lead to birth of children who are just not

desirable to have at this stage. So immense is the folly, yet the parents do not for a moment pause to

think what would be the fate of the off-springs of their intense sex desires. Such parents increase the

load in the boar exposing it to new dangers. Their children are destined to a very uncertain future. It is

a case of wise men acting foolish when under the influence of sex desire they produce children that

they are in no position to maintain foreboding for their progeny a dismal future. Bogeys like, how will

the family name continue or who will perform shradh after death are propogated by the ignorant

and accepted by even the educated in the society. These considerations are devoid of any logic and

have no relationship with the realities of life.

The marriages are aimed at providing partnership in the onward struggle towards progress. Progress

has many dimensions. An individual feels handicapped and lonely trying to achieve it. In the present

context, family earnings mostly come from men. They provide sustenance to the family.

Unfortunately, school education provides no opportunities for learning all that is needed for an all-

round development. The individual has to find ways and means for such development on his own.

Some works like social service, acquisition of knowledge, self-improvement, learning of new skills etc.


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have to be continued althrough ones life. The family is a micro state. It is the foundry where

excellence is moulded. Family is the cradle of human virtues but only if there are conditions in which

the husband and wife can find time for leisure and relaxation, both physical and mental.

The talented in the society need to have opportunities for special guidance. Now if everyone has many

children in his own family, there is no possibility of children of talent in average families being guided

by specially talented adults. Each one would be too pre-occupied with his own children.

There may be persons of eminence in the society but if they spend all their time looking after their

own children, there is no hope of their guidance being available to other children in the society who

may have the potential but not the right exposure in their own family. Where the society is deprived

of guidance from the exceptionally talented; directed toward the upcoming generation, rot sets in and

the quality of population keeps on becoming inferior. Replacements for the talent do not become

available for future use in the society. If the highly talented also insist on producing children to the

extent they would have no time left for other children in the society needing their guidance, it would

be indifference on their part to their social responsibility.

Its not necessary that everyone must have his own children to bring happiness to the home. This

happiness can also be sought through adopting (not necessarily legally) other children and making

them a part of ones family. Our own children may or may not feel grateful for the facilities afforded

to them, but if such facilities are extended to some other deprived children, they will always remain

grateful. Their gratitude would be more rewarding than the doubtful recognition by ones own

children.

Such happiness would result in inner happiness and also social recognition. The generous have

always been, respected in every society and people who extend their area of operation far beyond

their own family always earn the respect of the society. Honour and prestige follows them.

Often one pampers his own children to the extent that they get into bad company and start moving on

the wrong tracks. In such cases they become a liability to the parents even when grown up. Too much

fondling and show of concern can often prove counter-productive. But if this show of concern is

directed to children outside ones own family, the results would always be happy and encouraging.

There are problems when adoption is resorted to in the legal sense. Succession rights get involved

making the process more complex. But if adoption is restricted to extending facilities for better

education, it would be national services of the highest order.

It behoves the wise not burden their wives with too many children. She should be left free to

contribute her share to the society in terms of extension of educational or just tuitional facilities to the

relatively under privileged children in the community or neighborhood. The husbands should provide

the support necessary for such a programme.


15/35


16/35

Not Riches but Greatness

Every talented person has the ambition to establish and publicise his exceptional ability or

achievement. All living creatures satisfy the hunger of the body, but men also crave for satisfaction of

their hunger for fame. Ambition is common to all men irrespective of whether the talents are

exceptional or not. Very few people would content themselves with just the fulfilling of their basic

needs for survival and make no attempts to show off a bit. A few meters of cloth is all that is needed

to cover the body and make it socially acceptable and be able to stand the rigours of weather. But

fashion decrees a hundred varieties in every garment. Women use jewelry to adore the various parts

of their body. There are so many hairstyles both for men and women. All these are just attempts to

keep one attractive. This attraction is even becoming a passport to exclusiveness. Women far exceed

men in this area. How much time and resources are spent in these pursuits to look attractive could be

anybodys guess. Dress styles and designs are changed frequently so that the person in the latest is

taken note of as he or she then stands out of the rest. Art and money, both are put in service so that

the wearer catches the attention of everyone else. This is sheer craziness.

The rich build houses that are far in excess of their personal needs. The furnishings are lavish.

Servants are engaged with no relationship to their actual need for the family. Dinners and banquets

are held to establish superiority in the social group. All this is aimed at proclaiming, Look I am higher

than you. Normally all this show off business is confined to the rich. But for their expenditure on

show off, there I would have been enough surplus which could be put to other productive uses or in

the use of the relatively, poor section of the society.

Competitions are organized in so many fields every day. There are motor car races and vintage car

rallies. Horse races and mountaineering are popular because achievements in these areas put the

winner in a different and a higher class, the one talked about in the society. How much effort people

make to establish records? Similarly many hardships are endured just to get into the book of records.

Why do people put so much in this sort of competitive activities? Just to be able to stand out among

the rest. The ambition to be known is at the back of all this fame and gaining activities. Not everyone

can excel in these activities. If one has money, but no exceptional talent to get into records, he

engages yes men around him who keep flattering him with tales that have no relation with reality.

Many people just live by flattery as profession. They surround people with money or power, dish out

stories creating the illusion of greatness for their master, and make handsome money in the bargain.

Wars are so often an extension of personal ambition. Serfs, slaves and servants were all engaged to

proclaim a certain status among the nobles and the commons. The expenses on marriage that are

totally disproportional to the economic status of the families are also incurred because on such

occasions the modest get a chance to become talk of the community. Dogs and even wild animals are

tamed as pets (personal zoo) just to proclaim that this person is different.


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A little consideration makes it obvious that all this is born out of individual ego. It rarely happens

that as a result of all this expenditure others accept as someone superior. Everyone is busy in ones

own job. There is hardly any time to take note of what the other person is wearing. And besides

there are so many manifestations of the individual ego that no one really cares for what the other

person is trying to show off. So often the only remark others pass at such ostentatious living is that

the person must be resorting to corrupt ways to be able to afford such a living style. People only

decry what was meant to establish social superiority. The truth ultimately shows.

The poor too indulge in such actions and all that seems so childish often stupid. Attending marriages

in borrowed clothes appears so funny to all those who know the borrower and his usual status. Many

people get into permanent debt as a result of such artificial living which is not keeping with their

normal income. People squander the wealth inherited by them in such show business. If the poor get

into the habit of always trying to look rich, they start taking recourse to illegal and unethical means.

Extravagance leads to dishonesty. Ultimately such people are exposed. As more and more people

come to know of the reality, they start despising the person who insists on living artificially. They lose

friends, for no one likes to be branded as their companion in the evil deeds.

Often the ignorants pretend to be wise. They are destined to fail. Very soon the realities are known.

Moreover, the era of feudalism is over. No one bothers about how much money one has, unless he

has any designs to get any part of it by flattery or deceit. No one bows before the rich as was once the

custom. People living on unearned increments are not respected; they are rather despised. They are

criticized and branded dishonest. Only those indifferent to human sufferings can amass wealth.

Anyone who is sensitive to human misery would share part of his surplus wealth trying to ameliorate

their conditions.

People who are indifferent to human suffering around them and insist on wasting surplus money on

luxuries or personal show of businesses are now being increasingly looked upon with contempt in the

society.

The urge to look big is childish. It is unacceptable as an adult quality. Mature thinking demands that

men equip themselves with more knowledge, higher ideals and act nobly and generously. Simple

living and high thinking are ideals worth aspiring and living upto. If the rich lead a modest life, they

would have enough to put to charitable uses. Anyone who is seeking greatness or social recognition

through a vulgar display of riches or extravagance is bound to be disappointed in the long run. One

cannot earn the respect of his peers by fear either. It is possible that there may be intense hatred

within but compulsions to flatter. But this hoax cannot go on eternally. At the earliest opportunity,

the truth will be out. What is mean remains mean and cannot be camouflaged as great for long. The

corrupt and the selfish cannot gain fame for lasting popularity. All these are known facts and yet

people keep on pretending. They continue to live under the delusion that fame and popularity can be

acquired through frauds and even maintained by artificial devices: If this misconception would have

been removed, may be people would have worked for real greatness rather than imitating the rich or


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appearing to be great. May be they too would have worked to gain fame based on solid social

concern. The artificially erected tower of fame ultimately comes down like a house of cards.

Real greatness is both universal and stable. If a personality is fired with ideals, it would be accepted as

great universally. For stable greatness, the thoughts and deeds have to rise above the average and

excellence has to be achieved through consistent hard work and devotion. These qualities alone

provide the basis for self satisfaction, social recognition and cooperation in all affairs. Wisdom lies in

modulating our actions to honesty and responsibility untempted by greed, never bowing before

insolent might.

Personally someone may be rich, learned, strong, talented, clever, or endowed with any other natural

gift. Such a person can easily establish that he is different from the common people. Once that is

established there will always be the possibility of arrogance growing up, or jealousy arising among the

peers. The flatterers may surround such a person leading to his ultimate downfall. All these

unfortunate possibilities will continue to exist. These are some of the dangers inherent in greatness.

Anyone of these can lead to disaster. As such the talented need not always declare or publicise their

greatness. Publicity can lead to any of the above stated undesirable situations even though the great

person may have committed no fault.

The way out of these risks is that greatness be tempered with generosity. Such a combination will be

extremely self satisfying and beneficial to the society. Excellence combined with social concern

provides an ideal for others to follow. Such examples become a source of inspiration to those who

may not be that fortunate in being endowed with natural gifts leading to exceptional excellence.

It is not that only the rick or the learned can be great men. Cleverness and great capacities are also

not an essential or basic requirement for achievement of greatness. Everyone of us can be gentle in

behavior. If a person is pure in heart and brimming with generosity occasions for practicing charity

keep on arising in everyday life.

It is possible to be of service to others even of one has only time as a resource and is willing to put in

voluntary work. Through benevolence a model can be put before others that existence is possible

even within social rule and discipline. Others may or occasionally may not respond. Even ex-parte

good behavior has its influence in society. While it gives happiness to the one practicing it, others do

get influenced by it to varying degrees.

Ambitions are like a leaping horse. They must be bridled. The urge to be useful to the society is the

control that must accompany the power of personal ambition. Anyone can be great. All that is

necessary is to realize the difference between great and being rich or wealthy. It is a folly that people

run in a wild goose chase looking for status while greatness lies well within everyones reach.


19/35

Women, the need for Independence

So much of Gods creation is bi-sexual the male and the female. Both sexes work together for

existence. Each one has a role from making nests to protect and feed the young ones. No partner

hesitates in doing its part towards raising the family responsibilities.

Man is higher on the evolution ladder. In his case such co-operation should be yet more. Natural

attraction for each other brings men and women together. The underlying objective of such attraction

is that the two will there-after work together and be complementary to each other. Women are

embodiment of all that is soft in human nature. Man symbolizes strength and courage. The two

together complete human personality. If that is so, there is the need that both partners distribute the

responsibilities among themselves and then each on discharge his or her assignments with sincerity. If

the two move in co-operation like the wheels of a chariot, lifes journey can be a pleasure in itself.

Nature must have created men and women, the male and the female among species with such co-

operation in mind.

As long as this balance was maintained in the society, everything worked well. Both partners were

happy. Social responsibilities were discharged in an efficient manner. The trouble started since the

time man was overtaken by his sensuality and accepted sex not as means to procreation but

something to be enjoyed and trifled with. The male thought of exploiting the softness in women. The

softness, with which women had been endowed by nature to be able to nourish the newborns, was

treated as her weakness and women came to be regarded as something to be enjoyed. A social order

was gradually established in which women were to lead a subservient existence, a source for sex

gratification and in return for which she could expect maintenance. She was not be ambitious and not

to claim equality. It was argued that nature had created her for reproduction and she should be

content with the performance of that function.

The social order based on this hypothesis was in course of time stratified. Women were reduced from

the status of partners to something that belonged to men. Purdah the veil was put on her face.

Restrictions were placed on her movements. A woman who could not produce children was cursed.

Sati and practices like forsaking the widows were introduced. The males were thus relieved of the

responsibility of maintaining the widow and at the same time shoe could not claim share in the

property of the deceased husband. Many other measures completely destroyed her self-confidence

as a Gods creation in her own right.

She was tempted to stick to activities that made her look attractive to men. She was withdrawn from

hard work so that she remained soft and beautiful. Resources were put at her disposal for decoration

of body. She started enjoying looking like a doll, all set for the pleasure of her husband.

Once entrapped in these, women became totally dependent on man. Traditions and conventions put

her at a place in the male dominated society where she had no business or scope to differ or disagree


20/35

with the role assigned to her. The situation was very favorable to the male. He had someone to work

for him day and night for just minimum sustenance cost. Women had no choice since by the time they

were young, there were children to be looked after. She was in position to maintain the children

through her own efforts. Thus started a way of life that is continuing up to date. Like a domestic

animal, women lead an existence of dependence on men for their needs with no option to have

desires or discretions of her own. She cannot even talk of self reliance. She is just entitled to be

maintained and for that too she must work day and night. Self respect or individuality are words alien

to her position. The dependent has no self respect. What business she had to talk about affection as

long as she was being maintained to live.

There are significant differences in the status of men and women in developing and developed

societies. But there are hardly any basic differences in their status in the family or even the society at

large. In developing societies, the subjugation of women is total. In developed societies, she has the

freedom to dress, decorate and look sexy. She has been given the freedom to show her body in

manner that would tempt men. This permissiveness has created a situation in which modesty and

feminity have just become dictionary words. This is not progress. It is just subordination of a different

kind. In both societies developer or developing, the women have a place that is to be pitied.

Pushing women to such a state has benefited none. Women have lost their freedom but man too has

not gained. Deprived of social rights, the women today is no longer the partner, God had created for

men. She is a stone in the neck, a total liability that man must carry all his life. The tragedy of the

situation becomes obvious when the husband dies leaving behind children to be raised. The family

savings are spent during illness of the male supporter. The widow is no more wanted in her in-laws

house or at her parents house. Children are treated like orphans by everyone. They live through

deprivation and humiliations and develop into abnormal personalities. The mothers agony has no

limits. She lives because children have to be brought up. The story is common to all villages all

localities. The situation is a logical outcome of the social set up that did not allow women to be grown

up as an individual self reliant identity. If she had been allowed to develop like men, she could have

looked after the welfare of her children as independently as in the presence of a husband.

It is social paralysis of the worst kind, for half the population has been incapacitated and the other

half is required to carry its burden. In such a situation neither the healthy component can be happy

nor the one that can only carry the drag. This is the wise mans folly that out of sheer male ego he

created a situation in which he stands deprived of much help and assistance in his way to progress

that nature had originally created for him. As a matter of fact women are not inferior in intelligence,

skills or other capabilities. Maternity is often forced on her and then she is branded weak because of

this physical state. This burden can be regulated. With smaller families, so many couples lead a richer

and complete life. If both the wheels are equally strong, the chariot can go much farther and even at

higher speed. Both can have individual achievements and also a family where maternity is not a

burden forced by the husband but a well thought decision by both partners.


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Given an opportunity, women have established their excellence at par with men in many areas. Girls

have been showing better academic performances in relation to boys in so many boards and colleges.

Education, medicine, fine arts are all areas where they have competed and excelled. Even in industry

they have made their mark. There is nothing backward or weak about women inherently. The

handicaps are forced on them. If the degree of freedom is same for boys and girls, maybe the girls

would achieve better for they are not so easily tempted by distractions. In all species, there is

distinction between the male and the female but none of the two is made dependent or incapable of

an independent existence. Both have their characteristics and exclusive qualities. When they join,

one and one make eleven. It is not possible to quantify how much we have lost by keeping our

women at a dependent pedestal but one thing is certain man has been a loser in the bargain. He has

to carry the burden of someone who was created to share his burden. The intense sensuality that

forced him to push women to a servile position has deprived him even of the sex pleasure. A forced

sex is molestation and not natural in which both partners share an ecstasy. Pleasure lies in

partnership and partnership demands concern for each others progress. Good will and affection are

possible only in an atmosphere of free interaction.

The women symbolizes Goddess Laxmi but only where she has been nourished with respect and

equality. The disharmony between male-female roles has continued for too long. Mankind has

suffered immensely on this account. The time has come when dis-balance should be remedied and a

new social order established. The anomaly was started by the male. The rectification also has to

come on his initiative. The males in all societies should provide avenues and encouragement for self

reliance and independent status to women in their area of influence. Side by side, efforts should be

made to ensure that women grow with self respect, capable of holding responsibilities and playing

their role as equal partners in human progress.


22/35

The Agonising Walls of divisions and discriminations

The world is inhabited by people of different races. Their physical features are distinctive depending

on the area of their residence. Yet all of them basically belong to one family, the family of man.

Elephants, horses, donkeys, bullocks, pigeons, peacocks, ducks, cranes are known not by individual

groups within the species but bracketed together as one. A snake, scorpion or ant many belong to any

subgroup but each one of the subgroup constitutes the same biological classification. In the same

way, man is one of the species. Whatever the place of residence, language spoken or colour of the

skill, he will still be regarded as man. All men have similar biological features. Skin colours may be

different but that would be only a difference within the species.

All species mate with their own species only. If two different species are crossed, the chances are that

they will not match and they will be no procreation. If men from different regions had belonged to

different species, international marriages would have failed to produce any progeny. But no such

thing happens in inter-religious, inter-caste or inter-racial marriages. This alone is proof enough that

the Creator had no differences in mind when he created men with varying physical characteristics in

different parts of the world.

Geographical regions, climate and heredity make variations in the shape of the nose or the colour of

the skin. It could be white, black or yellow. But none of them can be classed out. And yet mankind

has created divisions based on country of origin, region, language or even religious beliefs. Within the

country the distinctions may take the form of a Punjabi or a Bengali depending upon the spoken

language. On the international place, the distinctions take the form of Chinese, Japanese etc.

depending on the country of origin. But all these are only man made classifications.

India has a peculiar division within its population based on caste. It had its origin in the vedic days

when there was a social division of labour. Whatever occupation one followed determined the caste

to which he was supposed to belong. There was freedom to choose occupations and people could, if

competent, freely move from one occupation to other and then from one caste to other. The castes

symbolized professions. Classification by occupation exists even in developed societies. The farmers

have their own unions and the teachers are a different class. If the farmer switches over to teaching,

he would also be changing his class. On retirement the teacher may take to business. This his class

would change once again. But even with all these changes, he will continue to belong to the same

biological species the man. The change from one occupational class to other will make no difference

to family ties. A person may change his occupation and class any number of times but there will be

continuity so far human relationships are concerned.

This was so apparent in the beginning the unity of man as a species irrespective of the colour of the

skin, physical features or spoken language. But later came the complications in human society. In

India, castes got stratified and branded with heredity irrespective of what one did by occupation. May

be even this could have worked but the division did not stop at this stage. Within the castes came the


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sub-castes and then even smaller groups that fragmented the society into groups, some considered

superior while the others regarded inferior.

The classification based on occupation, was understandable. But this new groupism that emerged on

the basis of heredity had no rationality behind it. The labeling of some groups as higher and the

others lower made matters worse. Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras were the original

Vedic classifications based on occupation. But now with the passage of time, this stratification has led

to further sub-divisions. For example, some groups among the Brahmins started considering

themselves superior to others, who though Brahmins, belonged to some other artificially created sect.

The superior and inferior regarded sects did not inter-marry or even dine together on special

occasions. The marriage party mostly consisted of people from the same sect. Social interaction was

restricted to a small group.

This narrow divisiveness has even entered into business and political circles. Voting is resorted to on

community considerations. The ability and the competence of the candidate for election remains no

consideration. This disease of divisiveness into very narrow groups has entered even the castes

considered as relatively inferior. They also restrict dining together and marriages among their very

narrow group or sect. The savarnas and those considered untouchables by them, both are moving

on similar lines. The untouchables have a grievance against the high caste or the savarnas but within

their own group they practice similar prejudices. That is something astounding.

This divisiveness and discrimination has caused great damage to our society. We were already

plagued with groups and communities based on language, religion and provinciality and to this has

been added the caste and the savarna and untouchable factor. It is the tragedy of the leper getting

scabies. His plight has become worse. We remain Indian just for the name sake. The emotional

divisiveness amongst us is destroying whatever strength we had as a nation. Like the orange, only a

thin skin binds us together. Inside there are slices and within each slice hundreds of smaller bits, each

bit crying and craving for a separate identity. The situation is pathetic. Casteism is only adding fuel to

the fire of divisiveness. Fundamentalism and narrow loyalties are dividing the country into very small

sects. The strength that we had, out of sheer size is getting frittered by factors that threaten our

integrated identity.

It is becoming customary to ignore and be indifferent to those with whom we are not communally

aligned. This narrow minded ness has very far reaching consequences. In business and job selection,

each person tries to promote candidates from his own community. This is a chain reaction. Others

react and the gulf keeps widening. This mentally subsequently leads to social conflicts often erupting

in violence. Justice and fairplay get a good-bye. Caste and communal fundamentalism overtakes all

actions and all this has a parasitic growth in the society. Matters do not rest here. The next target of

the fundamentalists and the intolerant groups or communities is political power through their own

caste voters. Family welfare considerations are set aside. The emphasis shifts to increasing the

number of a particular community so that it has more voters in course of time and a greater share of

political power when voting takes place on caste or community lines.


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More voters would lead to more representatives and these, when elected on caste and communal

considerations, could be expected to be partial to their own group in the distribution of favours. If a

particular caste or community succeeds in this strategy in one region, the other community would

react similarly elsewhere. It will be an eye for eye leading to a free for all in which there will be still

more divisions in the society.

The power of unity is something that everyone accepts. Unity is strength is taught through stores at

elementary levels in all languages. The common examples are the sticks in a broom, the bundle of

sticks that no individual could break, or the strength of cloth woven out of thin yearns etc. The world

has before it the example of a small yet united Israel, a country no one can dare take liberties with.

Through unity among ranks, even small nations can achieve much. But when there is disunity, all

energy and resources are frittered away in mutual bickerings and group fights. There are mutual

jealousies, attacks and counter attacks, all leading to steep deterioration in the strength of the society

and its ultimate downfall.

In our country caste is a prime factor in matrimony. Marriages are restricted to boys and girls within

the same community. Then there are subcastes and Gotra considerations. Thus the field of choice is

very very restricted. Suitable matches are not always available within small groups. The choice being

restricted, the eligible ones command a premium in the matrimonial market. Even unsuitable

matches have to be accepted. If the field of choice were large, there would have been no need for

large scale dowries to the few in the community who may be suitably placed. Suitable matches could

be found even in the neighbourhood. Everything about such boys and girls would have been known to

each other and no third party enquiries about the antecedents or the real status would have been

necessary. But in the present scenario, the search extends to far flung area and persons about whom

not much is known except that they belong to the same community. This search is expensive and

often many facts do not come to light till after the marriage has actually been performed. There after

it is socially an irreversible process and the damage is immense.

Marriages based on caste or sub-caste considerations are becoming a very difficult and tiresome also

expensive proposition. If caste considerations could be avoided much of the prevalent dowry system

would die a natural death. Inter caste marriages would also lead to a better appreciation of the wide

variety of culture that we have in this vast country. National as well as emotional integration would

come so naturally.

In our country backwardness has also got associated with certain caste divisions. Not only individuals

who are poor, ignorant and conservative, the whole community follows the same age old and

conservative practices that other communities have long discarded. Even the educated among the

backward classes are compelled to behave the way majority of the illiterate in the community do.

The scheduled and the backward classes and tribes continue with practices that are obsolete and

symbolize backwardness. If they had opportunities for social inter action with groups or communities


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that are relatively more progressive or educated, the division between backward and progressive

would have gradually diminished. The scope to move ahead and progress would have been open to

all depending on merits. Caste divisions have side-lined a vast proportion of our population in our

march to prosperity. They continue to feel inferior and out of the main stream. That is the limit of

social injustice. The constitution of India does not accept social discrimination against any castes and

tribe. Political measures have been taken for the upliftment of the backward and their integration in

the mainstream. But state action alone in not enough. What is needed is a change in social attitudes.

Some of the prevalent prejudices will have to be condemned and discarded. Anything that promotes

a feeling that some communities are higher while others are lower will have to be shunned and

banned.

It is a folly of the wise that they created such divisions and discriminations in human society. These

divisions have come in the way of progress of large sectors of human population. This is the most

appropriate time to remedy the situation. This folly on the part of Hindus has driven so many

members of this community to other folds where probably they feel more accepted. If the situation

does not change, matters will deteriorate further. As social discriminations increase, more and more

people will out out of Hindu religion. And who would be responsible for the consequencesthe wise

through their folly.


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Fatalism and Astrology

Action and its reward are interdependent. The worker works for the day and gets his wages. Banks pay

interest at the end of the deposit period. Businessmen make profits. The farmer reaps the crop at the

end of agricultural operations. Students study and become scholars or attain degrees and qualifications.

Some others exercise regularly and become wrestlers. The same is true for artists who attain perfection

through long periods of practice. Action leads to its reward. All this is too obvious. If we take the

inedible, we will get deceased. On the other hand of we lead a healthy and disciplined life, we live

happily for a long period. If we are gentle and polite in our behavior, people like to meet us and we

acquire popularity. On the other hand where people are curt, they are criticized and have more

enemies than friends. Thus actions have their own reactions. The reaction may appear immediately or

after some time but every action does have reaction. Every effort gets a reward.

How we act today is going to determine what shall be our fate tomorrow. What is milk today will turn

into curd the day after. Only the shape would change. We cannot have curd unless there was milk

earlier. Similarly, it is our good and bad deeds today that change into good or bad fortune after some

time. This is the universally accepted law of action and reaction. Sometimes the reaction does not

occur simultaneously with the action. There is a time gap. The impatient lose faith in the university of

law if there is slight delay in the results of their efforts. This loss of faith is philosophic atheism. Religion

and prayer aims at convincing ourselves that God is omnipotent, omnipresent and judicious. Nothing is

hidden or unknown to him. He rewards each one according to efforts and actions. The rewards may be

material and tangible in terms of spiritual progress. Where the actions are evil, the outcome would be

grief and agony, maybe after a little longer time.

There is time gap between the sowing and the harvesting period. Similarly, trees bear fruits years afterhaving been planted. They take time in maturing. Some trees like the banyan take a very long time for

full maturation. But this long gestation does not discourage any farmer or planter. None leaves the job

or faith just because the crop or the fruits are not immediately available. Some ignorant people do not

understand this simple phenomenon and instead propound the myth of fatalism. They argue that it is

some other agency or power that writes fates determining the outcome of human efforts. To them, this

writing of faith is discretionary and not necessarily based on any logical principle. Such belief cuts at tile

very root of the religious concept of God being just. If he decides as He pleases, there would be no

relevance for actions performed by men or their scrutiny as desirable or undesirable.

If the theory of fatalism is accepted, the credit or discredit for all that man does should go to God. Whowill do what? What shall be the consequence? If all these are to be determined only by God at his

discretion, the responsibility for someone getting fame, pleasure or pain would be that of God alone.

Man is reduced to a puppet. It is only the manipulator who gets praise for the performance of his

puppets. The puppet is incapable of any performance. It moves the ways the strings are manipulated.

Murders are committed by guns and swords. Yet the man wielding them is punished. The gun or the

sword is incapable of acting on its own. If God is accepted as the only doer, he alone is answerable for


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all that is happening around us in this world. No man can be called noble or ignoble irrespective of what

he does. He does it because it is so destined by God. He can neither be praised nor blamed. If that is so

no one is entitled to any reward or remuneration for effort.

The belief that God determines destiny has no basis. At best it could be argued that we carry our good

and bad actions with us even after the physical body ceases to exist and this carryover also determinesthe result of our actions in a particular lifetime. In that case too, man remains the ultimate factor

responsible for actions and their rewards or consequences. It is just similar to some plants bearing fruit

early while others taking longer periods. But the principal factor remains man and his actions. His

efforts bear fruit sooner or later. God and his discretion should not be interpolated in this process to

put human efforts at a secondary position.

The belief in good and bad results following out of planets and their influence is still more illogical. The

planets are far away from Earth and are non-living matter. Rahu and Ketu are not even planets.

Similarly moon is only a satellite of Earth and no a planet as regarded by astrologers. There is no life at

least on moon. These planets revolve within their orbits according to well known laws of physics. The

moon does influence the oceans. Others have their own characteristics. There are many more systems

like the solar system of which earth is one planet. Then there are millions of stars. There are

constellations and so much more. How come that the planets, the moon, the dragons head and tail are

continuously involved in targeting individual persons whose number is hundreds of crores and awarding

them rewards and punishments as they please. And if this argument is extended, the millions of other

system and stars would also be exercising their influence. And why only on us, even on the animals and

millions of other creatures. Such an exercise is simply impossible for any living being, leave aside the

dead and non-living planets. On the top is the condition that the influence continues for periods that

may extend to many years. That makes the whole proposition so stupid that one can only pity the

ignorance of the believers in astrological predictions. Millions of children must have been born in thesame Rashi or zodiac sign.

There are only twelve zodiac signs. As such, children born all over the world could have just one of the

twelve patterns of fate and future. But this never happens. The tribals have a lifestyle so different

those living in developed societies. Children of the poor live so differently from children born in the rich

families. There is obviously no logic in life events being determined by time of birth for if that were true

everyone born under the same sign should become similarly famous, criminal, rich or poor.

And these planets that are supposed to determine all our fate can be pleased through offerings and

worships when they would amend their evil influence. This is corruption of the worst order. If that is

how gods could be influenced to grant favours how could we condemn bribery on the part of lesser

mortals. If the gods and planets are so amenable to offerings and flattery, they are as low as men who

resort to bribery or dishonesty in their every day conduct. The rich would always be at advantage in

such a scheme of things being in a position to make offerings. The poor will always suffer at the hands

of Shani (Saturn). The planets and the gods who act in such manner cannot be regarded as heavenly

or judicious. That would be degrading and demeaning also for those who insist on putting them at a

pedestal much higher than that occupied by men. If the planets change their scheme of things


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according to offerings received from the affected persons, there is nothing to be appreciated or

worshiped about them. It is disgraceful for them and more so for those who tempt the ignorant and

unfortunate into believing in the power of the stars.

As a matter of fact nothing like that exists. The planets must be too busy in their own functions to be

free to work their wrath and pleasure on crores of mortals on this earth. There was a time when manwas ignorant about the sun or other planets and starts in the sky. He could not understand their

movements. So he put them at par with other powerful natural phenomenon that affected him but

about whom he knew nothing. Indra, Varun and Sun were similarly given the status of gods for they

influenced human life on Earth and could not be controlled by men. So they were the super-powers of

that period, raised to the pedestal of gods. But now that man has been to moon, it is foolish to class it

as a super power influencing our destinies and simultaneously being amenable to offerings and flattery.

The same applies to other stars and planets. Astronomy has enabled us to know all about their

movements. Analysis of rays and radiations coming from various planets give information about their

structure. They are no longer the gods they were many million years ago when lived in caves.

It is possible that forces like gravitation of mutual attraction influence planets individually. But such

influence could only be of a physical nature like moon affecting tides. The influence would be the same

for everyone residing within the affected region. It just cannot be selective. The faith that some people

are the planets favourites while others are out of favour is not only ridiculous but an insult to human

intelligence. Some boys or girls are declared Mangli since Mars finds a specific place in their

horoscopes. The belief is that the girl born under such circumstances is destined to be a widow and the

boy a widower. So the remedy suggested is that the Mangli boy be married only to the Mangli girl.

Now Mangal is synonymous with welfare. How can Mangal which is responsible for welfare lead to

the death of the husband or the wife making the other partner widow or widower. There can be no

rational explanation for such belief. Even the deadliest creatures attack only when their survival isthreatened. The snake or the tiger would not attack except in self defence. The Manglik are in no

position to threaten the existence of Mars. So why should Mars be out to destroy their happiness unless

they agree to an arrangement that both the cursed shall be matrimonial partners. The entire

assumptions and beliefs are devoid of any sense.

Many a good boys and girls get into this manglik trap and are deprived of suitable matches. It takes

years before two Mangliks, in the same community and of marriageable ages are spotted and then

other considerations that really matter in matrimonial harmony are pushed to the background. Why

and how would Mars come all the way to earth to disturb the married life of some individuals. It is

beyond logic and beyond comprehension for any person even of modest intelligence. It is just a myth

perpetuated.

As it is, dowry is making matrimony a very difficult job. Matching horoscopes only add to the worries of

match making. The great seer Muni Vashisht matched the horoscopes of Lord Ram and Sita. And yet

they never had matrimonial bliss for greater part of their life.


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Crores of people following religions other than Hinduism do not bother about horoscopes. There is no

evidence that all of them suffer or enjoy life more than us who spend so much time and money in

matching horoscopes. Even among the Hindus, so many people are discarding match making through

horoscope. They suffer no worse. As a matter of fact it is among that this practice is more prevalent

and they suffer althrough their life in any case. Match making through horoscopes rarely diminishes

their miseries. It is only when the wise act foolish that complications arise in what is otherwise a

straight union of two persons.


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Divisions and

folly of the wise - authored by acharya shriram sharma

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