We Don't Require Divided and Cerebrally Fractured Humans
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
20 October
2022
Expand Your Wings Wide and Fly Beyond
Firmament;
Don't Remain Stuck In Things Petty And
Impermanent
Persian poet Anwari, translated by the writer
There was
once a candy maker who made candies in the shapes of animals and birds of
different colours and sizes. When he sold his candies to children, they would
begin to quarrel with words such as these: “My rabbit is better than your
tiger.....My squirrel may be smaller than your elephant, but it's
tastier..." And the candy maker would laugh at the thought of grown-ups
who were no less ignorant than the children, when they thought that one person
was better than another.
Enlightenment
knows that it's our culture and conditioning, not our nature that divides us.
We are indeed no less than the children in ignorance and follies. We are
constantly conditioned and indoctrinated to liking and disliking a person,
object or a different culture from ours. It's because of our conditioning and
cultural influence that we tend to generalise that all blacks (I should be
using a morally more correct term like non-white) are criminals and even begin
to erroneously believe that they are sub-humans and Neanderthals. We never take
into consideration that three of the most sublime human beings in the last
century have been coloured: Dr Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and
Bishop Desmond Tutu (you can include India's M K Gandhi as well).
It's our
cultural conditioning that an average Maharashtrian labours under the belief
that all Biharis and North Indians are inferior people and Bengalis
fallaciously think that they have a genetic hold over literature and fine arts.
The followers of one religion (esp. Muslims) think themselves to be superior to
the followers of other faiths and this nonsense goes on. This conditioning and
slow indoctrination create differences, discrimination and divisions.
It's
because of our cultural upbringing that we still follow the caste system and
proudly proclaim that we are Brahamins and others are shudras or untouchables. We are still so conditioned
that father and brothers rape a poor girl before hacking her to pieces because of her ' unpardonable crime ' of
eloping with a boy of a lower caste. We were basically created without any
distinction of colour, class, creed, culture, civilization and country. It's
what's inside that makes us rise. When I was a child, I read a beautiful story
that has always stayed in the depth of my conscience and consciousness: A
little black boy was watching the balloon man at the Country Fair. The man was
evidently a good salesman, because he allowed a red balloon to break loose and
soar high up in the air, thereby attracting a crowd of prospective young
customers. Then he released a blue balloon, then a yellow one and a white one.
They all went soaring up into the sky until they disappeared. The little black
boy stood looking at the black balloon for a long time, then asked, “Sir, if
you sent the black one up would it go as high as the others? " The balloon
man gave the kid an understanding smile. He snapped the string that held the
black balloon in place and, as it soared upwards, said, " It isn't the
colour, son. It's what's inside that makes it rise."
'Man is
known by his inner essence,' wrote the US President Abraham Lincoln to his
white friend who was in favour of retaining the abominable practice of slavery.
When that inner essence is realised and empathised, we start looking at
everyone equally. 'Har Zarra Chamkta Hai Anwaar-E-Ilahi Se/Har Shai Ye Kahti
Hai Main Hoon Toh Khuda Bhi Hai' (Every particle is effulgent with the
Almighty's pulchritude/everything says that I exist. So does god).
Human
existence requires sublimity of vision, munificence of emotions, generosity of
ideas and broadness of sensibilities. Then only the whole world can become one,
sans any difference and discrimination. Though it seems and sounds a tad
un-pragmatic in this violently debased world, it ain't impossible. Allama Iqbal
so succinctly said, 'Haqeeqat Ek Hai Har Shai Ki, Khaaki Ho Ya Noori/Lahoo Khursheed
Ka Tapke, Agar Zarre Ka Dil Cheerein' (The truth of all things is same,
whether ordinary or extraordinary/A tiny particle will ooze the blood of the
sun when its heart is cut open).
The
egalitarianism in heart enables us to see the world as our extension. We all
need to keep stoking and stroking that innate sense of equality all human
beings are imbued with. The world will soon be a paradise. We don't require a
mosaic of countries, religions, sects and their imaginary gods. Rather, we need
a uniformity and seamlessness in humanity. We don't need divided and cerebrally
fractured humans. We need transformed and evolved souls.
Do I sound
too utopian? Sorry, no condescension, but those living in the cesspool of
differences and discriminations for ages and generations, will never comprehend
me and my all-encompassing and liberal vision.
-----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul
is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He
has contributed articles to world's premier publications in several languages
including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/divided-cerebrally-fractured-humans/d/128220
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