Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "compassion"

Science and Religion – why are there so many conflicts between these two? Why do these two distinct feats of the human mind has not yet been able to join hands in the name of harmony? The answer is simple. The conflicts between science and religion still remain in this day and age, because though most people understand what science means, they do not have a clue what religion means – and they do not even have a clue that they do not have a clue.

I do not expect anything from those in the side of religion, or to be specific, from those who hail themselves as “fundamentalists”, because they are incapable of bringing the faculty of reasoning into action when it comes to the authenticity of their doctrines. In simple terms, the fundamentalists are mentally ill people. So when you encounter such individual, wear a smile on your face and simply say to them – “get well soon.” This would probably not turn them instantly into some sort of sentient humans, but at least you would know that you did your part in the name of sweet harmony.

Now let’s turn to the other side – the side that I think you are on. Those on the side of science, i.e. on the side of rational thinking, are the ones I have the most expectations from. They can think for themselves, unlike the fundamentalist patients on the other side. You do not even know my friend, even you are on the side of true religion. Rational thinkers simply are not aware of this fact, because of the definition of religion that has been imposed on all of us by our deluded society. Even the atheists would start to see religion as a positive element of the human society once they recognize what true religion really means. So, let me give you the simplest definition of religion which I proposed in my treatise on religious fundamentalism entitled “Illusion of Religion”.

“Religion is the process of internal growth, not a lifeless bag of foolish words.”

So, far from what we all have been taught by our ancestors, that when you follow your cultural scripture, you are being religious, real religion has never really been attempted to understand by most of the human population. You are religious when you care about your fellow humans influenced by your own conscience, not due to obedience to your scripture. That’s why, the atheists and agnostics are the greatest religious people on earth. Remember this my friend, true religion has to do with humans, not with books. And that’s the religion I advocate, and indeed that’s the religion which most of the prophets of human history tried to spread. But due to the human craving for a messiah and secure doctrines, those prophets became divine figures and their teachings combined with later incorporation, ended up being divine irrefutable gospel.

So, you see, religion has nothing to do with scriptures. Religion is what your conscience constructs as your baseline behavior in your society. As I have said in “Illusion of Religion” –

“Whether you call yourself a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu or an Atheist, if you have kindness in your heart and compassion in your act, you are on the right path of religion.”

So my dear humans, the true reformation of religion lies in your hands. You are the most capable people to do so, because the fundamentalists on the other side, are too deluded to think anything productive and healthy, that concerns all humanity. Their illness makes them concerned only of the exclusive survival of their dearest scripture. Hence, the fate of humanity lies in the hands of civilized, conscientious and compassionate humans.


Further Reading

Illusion of Religion: A Treatise on Religious Fundamentalism

[book; Principia Humanitas]

The name is Sapiens – Homo Sapiens. That’s what we are called in the scientific circle – in the intellectual circle. Homo Sapiens – the name given by humans to the humans – a name, that by the look of it, exudes a hint of wisdom, because the term sapiens means wise. So here’s the question – are we wise? Are you wise? Is humanity wise? And how do you know that you are being wise at a certain? What kind of behavior would be true measure for wisdom? Perhaps I am asking the wrong questions here.

It is easier to tell when you are not being wise, than to tell what the measures for wisdom are. For example, a fundamentalist who argues about his religious supremacy with a fellow religious person from a different religion, based on simply his own scripture, is as dumb in terms of wisdom, as a scientist who arrogantly boasts about the supremacy of reasoning over all kinds of sentiments and beliefs, both good and bad.

I am a scientist, and an educator of science and reasoning, yet, I do not advocate for the supremacy of reasoning. I advocate for conscience – and conscience is part reasoning and part compassion. To quote from my treatise on parenting, entitled “Human Making is our Mission” :

“Modern society is modern because of its mental cocktail of reasoning and compassion. Turn the compassion network in the brain off, and it will be a society of heartless robots. On the other hand, turn the reasoning network off, and it will be a society of dumb sentimental apes.”

So, being wise means, not talking about what you think is true, whether you are a scientist, a plumber, a trucker, or any kind of professional. A layperson can be a hundred times wiser than a young doctorate at times, because wisdom has less to do with information, and more to do with the ability to see through the information and look at the big picture. A layperson is more likely to be wrong about factual things than a scientist, but a scientist on the other hand, also runs the risk of becoming cognitively more blind than a layperson to the significance of human sentiments in human existence driven by his radically rational mind. Hence, wisdom is not an exclusive possession of the intellectual parts of the society. Being articulate is not the same as being wise. Truth devoid of conscience, is worthless in human existence.

A smart person speaks out the truth. A wise person doesn’t care about speaking it out, as much as he or she cares about utilizing that truth in the society, in a way that brings most progress – in a way that brings most human development. And that’s what wisdom is about. Wisdom is not simply about progress – it is about collective humane progress.

Now the question is – do the definition and characteristics of wisdom itself keep changing through time! Like all other cognitive processes, the mental process of wisdom goes through change as well. And this change is relentless. For example, more than a century ago, a wise man would be the one who would give his wife at home taking care of the household chores and children, the same amount of respect as he’d give himself. But, the norm of that time was that men were superior to women. So at that time even thinking about a housewife to have the same amount of basic dignity as the husband who was the guardian of the family, was a sign of wisdom. But today, we have crossed that boundary of wisdom, and taken wisdom a few steps ahead, by constructing or at least attempting to construct a society of gender equality, where women are equal of men in all aspects of not just private life but also social life.

Likewise, a century ago another wise movement was afoot – the movement of religious toleration, hugely carried out by the Parliament of World Religions. But in this case as well, toleration was the wisdom of the past. Acceptance is the wisdom of today. Nevertheless, “acceptance does not mean accepting those who disregard humans on the basis of race, religion and sexual orientation” (quote from Either Civilized or Phobic: A Treatise on Homosexuality).

So the point is, wisdom evolves, but one core principle in it does not. It is the principle of becoming better, by demolishing the shortcomings of today and building the benefits of tomorrow. And that’s what makes us a wise species. And as long as we are ready to recognize the shortcomings in ourselves, in our culture, in our traditions and in our ancestral heritages, we shall keep on deserving the title of “Sapiens” or “A Wise Species”.




Further Reading

Either Civilized or Phobic: A Treatise on Homosexuality

Human Making is Our Mission: A Treatise on Parenting

"Awake, O brave one! Arise, O lion-heart! Be the messenger that spreads compassion." Thus goes the statement in one of my works. Now, one of the close observers of my work mentioned the other day that one cannot spread compassion. And yes - "observer" - that's the word I choose to use in this context, nay, in all context of my work, because I distaste the word "follower", for the word "follower" indicates loyalty - and loyalty destroys the life in existence. I don't want loyalty from you - all I want is for you to think with me.

So, let's think together over the very nature of compassion and whether one can actually spread compassion. And I say think, not criticize or debate about - just think - as we always do - you and me thinking together, and perhaps learning some new things, about ourselves as well the world we live in.

What is compassion - is it kindness - is it sympathy - is it empathy! What is compassion! Bring your mind into action - bring all those thoughts out - make them work, right now and think. What makes us humans! We breathe air in from around us - we consume nutrition from mother nature, in the form of food and water - we copulate and reproduce to keep our genetic heritage alive through time - but is this enough to make us humans! Because, if breathing, eating, copulating and reproducing - these make us humans, then the dogs on the streets would be as much humans as we are - but surely we are not like the dogs - we are different from the dogs - and indeed from any other animal on earth. So, what does distinguish us, from other animals!

Technically we are animals, in terms of biological sciences - but we are not going into these technicalities - we are trying to go deep into the understanding of the very nature of compassion and what makes us humans. Think - why are we different from the animals! We are different from the animals because, unlike the animals we can recognize our errors - we can recognize our shortcomings - we can recognize our mistakes - and then think about them and act accordingly in order to eliminate them from our characteristics and become better (the animals do have traces of this trait but only enough to avoid danger and ensure survival). Now what would you call this very process of recognizing our shortcomings and mistakes and becoming better! Isn't this the thing we call "awareness" - "self-awareness". There is nothing mystical in all this - there's no mystical mumbo-jumbo is involved here - just plain ordinary awareness - awareness of ourselves - of our thoughts - of our emotions - of our behavior. And the more we are aware of ourselves - the more we get to be truly humans - because without that awareness, we are just the same as the animals.

That very awareness makes you think that when you are kind to others, it would create a humane world - perhaps not for yourselves, but for your children and their children. So, with awareness we begin - we take that first step towards eliminating the distance between two people - you and the other. So, in the truest sense of the term, when awareness rises from the human mind, the distance among the humans vanishes, thus rises oneness - in that oneness lies true compassion - in that oneness lies true union of all humanity. That union doesn't even need the word "compassion" to explain itself, because you would by your very nature, be kind to the other person, as you would not see that other person as a different person, but simply an image of yourself. All humans are images of your own self - once you recognize this simple fact, there would no longer be any hatred - there would no longer be any prejudice in the world - there will simply be compassion - there will simply be kindness. When that oneness rises - compassion will not need human efforts to be spread, because oneness is compassion - compassion is kindness - kindness is empathy - empathy is morality - morality is spirituality - and spirituality is religion - all these terms are created by humans without them even being aware of the fact that it all comes down to one simple sense of oneness.

Ain’t no good people we,
If goodness means blindness.
Ain’t no practical folks we,
If practicality means selfishness.
Ain’t no sane citizens we,
If sanity means indifference.
Ain’t no smart bunch we,
If smartness brings arrogance.
Ain’t no articulate minds we,
If articulation means mindless accuracy.
Ain’t no civilized society we,
If civilization means hypocrisy.
We are the force capable of mastering a planet.
Let’s live not as machines but conscience incarnate.

You asked, what's my nation,
I say it's humanity.
You asked, what's my language,
I say it's magnanimity.
You asked, what's my culture,
I say it's humaneness.
You asked, what's my tradition,
I say it's humbleness.
You asked, what's my gender,
I say it's fortitude.
You asked, what's my religion,
I say it's servitude.
You asked everything except my purpose.
I tell you now, it's to unite the universe.

Turning water into wine is no miracle,
It just means you are high on something.
Real miracle is to share your last drop,
With someone who is suffering.
To heal and to help are the highest miracle,
Even if it requires the self to be sacrificed.
A mortal who bears agony for others,
Is the real miracle personified.
So wake up and work O Miracle Human,
Rush to the helpless as monsoon rain.
Cast yourself at the feet of the forgotten,
There is nothing more noble and humane.
Prayers don't work for there's no merciful almighty.
Answer to all prayers is a human practicing humanity.

Forgive us Jesus, my friend,
We couldn't walk in your footsteps.
You asked us to love our neighbor,
Yet we found it impossible to be hateless.
You didn't hate those who hated you,
You loved them despite being mocked.
Yet we can't even talk without judging today,
We can't accept any difference in thought.
Forgetting all comfort and luxury,
You gave your life trying to erase bigotry.
Yet we made you fodder for our own prejudice,
And turned the crucifix into a badge of cruelty.
We used you my friend to deepen our division.
We prefer mindless worship over hearty compassion.

I am a Muslim, not a terrorist,
Just like not all whites are neonazi.
To hate, being an animal is enough,
Love is a sign of sapience and sanity.
Nobody is infidel to me,
For my faith is that of oneness.
Disbelief doesn't make one a kafir,
Only kafir is one without kindness.
No matter what we call water,
It quenches everybody's thirst equally.
I accept all religions to be true and equal,
For what matters is our common humanity.
I have but one message, love over all hatred.
Without love nobody's human, no matter our faith.

Jungle creatures look beautiful,
When they are in a habitat that's natural.
The human mind is beautiful when,
Mind and muhabbet are indistinguishable.
Don’t go about looking for your phone,
To google the meaning of muhabbet.
It's just a term for the timeless force of love,
The force at the core of all civilized sentience.
You can't force love, all you can do is,
Be vulnerable and reach out despite your insecurity.
Whether the person of your heart responds back,
Is not in your hands, but a matter of cosmic serendipity.
You may burn in the inferno of hate and fear all you want.
Bearing all snowstorm I stand unbent, ready to be loveburnt.

A new day starts with a new you,
And I ain't talkin' about born again nonsense.
A bigot baptized a thousand times is still a bigot,
A human helping another is Christ himself.
There is no second coming, there’s no reincarnation,
Except when we go from selfishness to kindness.
We are the messiahs and saviors of our people,
Nobody's gonna fall from the sky to lift the helpless.
The liquor store sells you the same divinity,
That the holy store sells you for even higher price.
We'll be born again when we abolish such divinity,
By baptizing the soil of society with our sacrifice.
The tears of joy someone sheds because of you,
Are the only holy water to build the world anew.