Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "truth"
Mission of The Scientist
What is the purpose of a scientist? It is the search for truth of course. But is it all that a scientist is supposed to work for! The question that I shall be addressing in this article is what is the purpose of a humanist scientist? Now, here you may wonder, what the heck is a humanist scientist? Aren’t all scientists humanists?
A person can be a humanist in his or her personal life, but in professional life the sole identity of a scientist is a scientist. Now in this case, there is a small proportion of scientists, whom I call “humanist scientists”. The goal of a scientist is to dedicate himself or herself to the search of the raw, unfiltered, pure truth. Here comes the twist. The purpose of a humanist scientist is to discover the purest form of truth possible, and then apply it to the human society in a way that brings most positive outcome in the path of global progress.
For example, the idea of God which has been imposed on us by our society, has nothing to do with the reality. God is not an Supernatural Entity watching over earth and its inhabitants. God is exclusively a part of human consciousness. Without the humans there is no God. Without us, there is no God, that any living creature should be concerned of. However, I never attempt to take away people’s God from them, because that God is associated with a lot of human sentiments in the human psyche that act as fuel in daily survival. If you try to take away some hungry man’s stale bread, he would fight back, but if you give him something healthier and more substantial than the bread, then he would throw away the bread himself and accept your better food. The same is for God. So, instead of adamantly trying to demolish that God, I rather attempt to channel those sentiments associated with it in the human psyche towards something more productive and humane.
My mission is to make the external God of human society obsolete in front of humanity’s internal Godliness.
As a humanist scientist I focus on giving humanity something rejuvenating, healthy and productive, instead of wasting my energy on the negative elements of the man-made God. Remember, negativity cannot be destroyed with negativity. Fill the humans with positivity and the negative elements would eventually become powerless. Darkness cannot be repelled with darkness. It takes light to do that.
Being a scientist does not mean simply saying the hard truth. You can do that in your journal publications, for later scientists to have the raw data to scrutinize and then draw conclusions from. But other than that you have another important job, that is to represent the truth to people beyond the bounds of journal articles, in a way that brings most positive outcome in the society. And that’s where you turn from a run of the mill scientist into a glorious humanist scientist – a thinker by all means.
Humanism itself is the basic quality that defines us humans. And every human who gives humans preference over everything else is a humanist. And when a scientist turns this simple internal character into an important part of his or her work, that scientist becomes a humanist scientist. Then on, his work is no longer purely about the discovery of truth, but also to mould that truth in a proper fashion before presenting it to the humans. Mind you o brave scientist, your job may be to find the truth, but the purpose behind that finding is to take the human civilization a few steps forward. You are a scientist, which means, you have the most effective tool in the entire world, that can actually shape the world, both literally and metaphorically. So, use that tool called science wisely. Science is like religion – in the wrong hands, they both do more harm than good.
So, make sure that your hands are the right hands. The world is filled with scientists, yet it is suffering from the agonies caused by its people. It’s because the world lacks courageous humanist scientists. What the world needs today my friend, is not yet another researcher of science, but a conscientious scientific researcher of humanism. Now, my question to you is – are you that person whom the world is desperately searching for? Are you?
Remember, as long as you deem science and philosophy merely as your work, such work shall only be a drop in a giant unfathomable ocean. You need to make science and philosophy your life, and only then you shall give rise to a tsunami of humanistic progress. It is a tsunami waiting to happen. It’s only a matter of time that you realize the true purpose of your life and make that tsunami manifest, first within and then without. Become the tsunami of practical optimistic truth and wash away all the weaknesses and horrible stains of the human world.
Further Reading
Principia Humanitas
Love, God & Neurons: Memoir of a scientist who found himself by getting lost
A person can be a humanist in his or her personal life, but in professional life the sole identity of a scientist is a scientist. Now in this case, there is a small proportion of scientists, whom I call “humanist scientists”. The goal of a scientist is to dedicate himself or herself to the search of the raw, unfiltered, pure truth. Here comes the twist. The purpose of a humanist scientist is to discover the purest form of truth possible, and then apply it to the human society in a way that brings most positive outcome in the path of global progress.
For example, the idea of God which has been imposed on us by our society, has nothing to do with the reality. God is not an Supernatural Entity watching over earth and its inhabitants. God is exclusively a part of human consciousness. Without the humans there is no God. Without us, there is no God, that any living creature should be concerned of. However, I never attempt to take away people’s God from them, because that God is associated with a lot of human sentiments in the human psyche that act as fuel in daily survival. If you try to take away some hungry man’s stale bread, he would fight back, but if you give him something healthier and more substantial than the bread, then he would throw away the bread himself and accept your better food. The same is for God. So, instead of adamantly trying to demolish that God, I rather attempt to channel those sentiments associated with it in the human psyche towards something more productive and humane.
My mission is to make the external God of human society obsolete in front of humanity’s internal Godliness.
As a humanist scientist I focus on giving humanity something rejuvenating, healthy and productive, instead of wasting my energy on the negative elements of the man-made God. Remember, negativity cannot be destroyed with negativity. Fill the humans with positivity and the negative elements would eventually become powerless. Darkness cannot be repelled with darkness. It takes light to do that.
Being a scientist does not mean simply saying the hard truth. You can do that in your journal publications, for later scientists to have the raw data to scrutinize and then draw conclusions from. But other than that you have another important job, that is to represent the truth to people beyond the bounds of journal articles, in a way that brings most positive outcome in the society. And that’s where you turn from a run of the mill scientist into a glorious humanist scientist – a thinker by all means.
Humanism itself is the basic quality that defines us humans. And every human who gives humans preference over everything else is a humanist. And when a scientist turns this simple internal character into an important part of his or her work, that scientist becomes a humanist scientist. Then on, his work is no longer purely about the discovery of truth, but also to mould that truth in a proper fashion before presenting it to the humans. Mind you o brave scientist, your job may be to find the truth, but the purpose behind that finding is to take the human civilization a few steps forward. You are a scientist, which means, you have the most effective tool in the entire world, that can actually shape the world, both literally and metaphorically. So, use that tool called science wisely. Science is like religion – in the wrong hands, they both do more harm than good.
So, make sure that your hands are the right hands. The world is filled with scientists, yet it is suffering from the agonies caused by its people. It’s because the world lacks courageous humanist scientists. What the world needs today my friend, is not yet another researcher of science, but a conscientious scientific researcher of humanism. Now, my question to you is – are you that person whom the world is desperately searching for? Are you?
Remember, as long as you deem science and philosophy merely as your work, such work shall only be a drop in a giant unfathomable ocean. You need to make science and philosophy your life, and only then you shall give rise to a tsunami of humanistic progress. It is a tsunami waiting to happen. It’s only a matter of time that you realize the true purpose of your life and make that tsunami manifest, first within and then without. Become the tsunami of practical optimistic truth and wash away all the weaknesses and horrible stains of the human world.
Further Reading
Principia Humanitas
Love, God & Neurons: Memoir of a scientist who found himself by getting lost
Only you can save yourself
I am Lord the savior - I am the God of all gods - I am the messiah that the humans have been desperately waiting to come - I am the messiah, the prophet, the Son and the Holy Father. And through me you shall find salvation in life. Your life will never be holy and religious unless you submit to my all-pervading radiance of divine supremacy. Submit o petty little sinner, for you have sinned, and it is I who can save you from your sins. Only I am pure and absolute, and you are a born sinner.
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You heard everything I just said. Now I have a question of real significance. Do all these statements make you question my psychological sanity! Do they? If yes, then we can proceed with this brief piece, otherwise, there is no use of this entire article filled with a bunch of words. So, I am assuming, the statements that I just made, make you doubt my mental lucidity.
Wonderful - they should. That's exactly what I intend them to induce in your mind - a sense of skepticism about me and about everything I have previously said and written. Are you skeptic of me? Good that you are. Good for both you and me. Now here is the second question. If these statements make you doubt my sanity, then why aren't you bothered with those countless other statements made by various religious institutions that are exactly similar in their narcissistic nature.
Why don't you question the church, the bible, the vedas, the quran, when they relentlessly boast about the indisputable, supreme authority of their own prophet, messiah, image of god over all humanity! How dare an institution claim authority over the humans! Why aren't you shaken at this? How can you sleep so sound, when the whole world, or at least most of it, is basically obsessed with the divine supremacy of these self-glorified institutions and organizations.
Also, there are other organizations that talk relentlessly about religious harmony, tolerance and freedom, and yet they never really address the real reasons of all the harms caused in the name of religion. They never pick up a bible or a quran and point out the verses and instructions that are basically sign of megalomania, xenophobia, misogyny and many other barbarian evils. Yet these organizations call themselves progressive and free from prejudices.
Harmony shall never be installed in the world, especially in the domain of religion, as long as, the people radically attached to those religions are unwilling to recognize and eliminate the evils in their own organized structure of so-called religion. I am saying so-called religion, because, organized religion is an immature attempt to understand religion and be religious. Real religion lies in freedom from all organizations - be it religious, spiritual, or non-religious.
Ask yourself this my friend? Are you free? Are you free from labels? Are you free from conformities? Or even if you are not completely free in all these aspects, are you at least aware of the fact that you are not free? If yes, then only there is hope for you. Only then there is hope for real religion, peace and harmony manifesting in the human world.
I am not the hope, neither is any other historical, imaginary or mythical savior. What am I! Nothing. As far as your life is concerned, I am no more valuable and holy than the particles of dust under your feet. So, I have nothing to give you. Only you my friend, can define, understand and manifest religion within yourself. Only you can save your self.
To quote from my new book 'A Push in Perception'
"Ultimately, beyond the primordial, brutish labels of man-made institutions, true practical religion of the civilized society must bring oneness. This very process of unification without bigotry is what makes religion, religion, for the word religion comes from the latin "religare", which means "to bind", that is to unify humanity."
Further Reading
A Push in Perception
Rowdy Buddha: The First Sapiens
.
.
.
.
You heard everything I just said. Now I have a question of real significance. Do all these statements make you question my psychological sanity! Do they? If yes, then we can proceed with this brief piece, otherwise, there is no use of this entire article filled with a bunch of words. So, I am assuming, the statements that I just made, make you doubt my mental lucidity.
Wonderful - they should. That's exactly what I intend them to induce in your mind - a sense of skepticism about me and about everything I have previously said and written. Are you skeptic of me? Good that you are. Good for both you and me. Now here is the second question. If these statements make you doubt my sanity, then why aren't you bothered with those countless other statements made by various religious institutions that are exactly similar in their narcissistic nature.
Why don't you question the church, the bible, the vedas, the quran, when they relentlessly boast about the indisputable, supreme authority of their own prophet, messiah, image of god over all humanity! How dare an institution claim authority over the humans! Why aren't you shaken at this? How can you sleep so sound, when the whole world, or at least most of it, is basically obsessed with the divine supremacy of these self-glorified institutions and organizations.
Also, there are other organizations that talk relentlessly about religious harmony, tolerance and freedom, and yet they never really address the real reasons of all the harms caused in the name of religion. They never pick up a bible or a quran and point out the verses and instructions that are basically sign of megalomania, xenophobia, misogyny and many other barbarian evils. Yet these organizations call themselves progressive and free from prejudices.
Harmony shall never be installed in the world, especially in the domain of religion, as long as, the people radically attached to those religions are unwilling to recognize and eliminate the evils in their own organized structure of so-called religion. I am saying so-called religion, because, organized religion is an immature attempt to understand religion and be religious. Real religion lies in freedom from all organizations - be it religious, spiritual, or non-religious.
Ask yourself this my friend? Are you free? Are you free from labels? Are you free from conformities? Or even if you are not completely free in all these aspects, are you at least aware of the fact that you are not free? If yes, then only there is hope for you. Only then there is hope for real religion, peace and harmony manifesting in the human world.
I am not the hope, neither is any other historical, imaginary or mythical savior. What am I! Nothing. As far as your life is concerned, I am no more valuable and holy than the particles of dust under your feet. So, I have nothing to give you. Only you my friend, can define, understand and manifest religion within yourself. Only you can save your self.
To quote from my new book 'A Push in Perception'
"Ultimately, beyond the primordial, brutish labels of man-made institutions, true practical religion of the civilized society must bring oneness. This very process of unification without bigotry is what makes religion, religion, for the word religion comes from the latin "religare", which means "to bind", that is to unify humanity."
Further Reading
A Push in Perception
Rowdy Buddha: The First Sapiens
More Important Than Truth (The Sonnet) | The Pastor Who Never Was
In the beginning even I was,
Bedazzled by the concept of truth.
It took me some time to,
Step across the lure of truth.
That is when I realized that,
Every brain creates its own truth.
So we’d never achieve harmony,
With the heartless pursuit of truth.
Understanding the definition of truth,
May differ from person to person.
But the virtues of basic goodness,
Need no divisive interpretation.
Always place love first, truth second.
Humanity first, intelligence second!
Bedazzled by the concept of truth.
It took me some time to,
Step across the lure of truth.
That is when I realized that,
Every brain creates its own truth.
So we’d never achieve harmony,
With the heartless pursuit of truth.
Understanding the definition of truth,
May differ from person to person.
But the virtues of basic goodness,
Need no divisive interpretation.
Always place love first, truth second.
Humanity first, intelligence second!
Esperanza Impossible Sonnet 2
Truth is the pandemic,
Truth is the terror.
My truth versus your truth,
Your truth versus another.
We speak of truth as if it’s a constant,
We chase it as antidote to our insecurity.
Most of our truths bring not understanding,
We cook up truth to fan our self-centricity.
Truth, in truth, is the opposite of stagnation,
Contraction repels all hope for understanding.
Truth is not a fixed point, but an act in motion,
Truth is the courageous act of a mind expanding.
Hence, to seek security one must not seek truth.
To seek truth, with security you must cut all truce.
Truth is the terror.
My truth versus your truth,
Your truth versus another.
We speak of truth as if it’s a constant,
We chase it as antidote to our insecurity.
Most of our truths bring not understanding,
We cook up truth to fan our self-centricity.
Truth, in truth, is the opposite of stagnation,
Contraction repels all hope for understanding.
Truth is not a fixed point, but an act in motion,
Truth is the courageous act of a mind expanding.
Hence, to seek security one must not seek truth.
To seek truth, with security you must cut all truce.
Burn so bright that the sun gets fried! Abhijit Naskar | Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets
Burn my friend, burn,
Burn so bright that
the sun gets fried!
Shine my friend, shine,
Shine so bright that
Rudolf goes blind!
Smile my friend, smile,
Smile so pure that
flowers shy away.
Love my friend, love,
Love so drunk that
Rumi himself lays the way.
Fly my friend, fly,
Fly so fearless that
Tagore himself honors you.
Live my friend, live,
Live so unchained that
time makes gospel of you.
Burn so bright that
the sun gets fried!
Shine my friend, shine,
Shine so bright that
Rudolf goes blind!
Smile my friend, smile,
Smile so pure that
flowers shy away.
Love my friend, love,
Love so drunk that
Rumi himself lays the way.
Fly my friend, fly,
Fly so fearless that
Tagore himself honors you.
Live my friend, live,
Live so unchained that
time makes gospel of you.
Miracle Mejnu (The Sonnet) | Abhijit Naskar | World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets
I reveal policy to politicians,
I write the law for lawyers,
I unfold order to the coppers,
I light the psyche to shrinkers.
I am justice to the activists,
Common sense to the scientists,
I’m illumination to philosophers,
I am existence to existentialists.
I am poetry to the poets,
Bridge of culture to linguists.
I am good news in seminaries,
I am the human part of humanists.
Who am I – or better yet, what am I?
I am the heartquake to all halftruth.
What am I, or just the same, who am I?
Refugee of love, I am Miracle Mejnu.
I write the law for lawyers,
I unfold order to the coppers,
I light the psyche to shrinkers.
I am justice to the activists,
Common sense to the scientists,
I’m illumination to philosophers,
I am existence to existentialists.
I am poetry to the poets,
Bridge of culture to linguists.
I am good news in seminaries,
I am the human part of humanists.
Who am I – or better yet, what am I?
I am the heartquake to all halftruth.
What am I, or just the same, who am I?
Refugee of love, I am Miracle Mejnu.
Better Kind than Right | Abhijit Naskar | World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets
Better kind than correct,
Better idiot than arrogant.
Better ignorant than bigoted,
Better exploited than indifferent.
Better broke than bent,
Better naive than narcissist.
Better mistaken than mindless,
Better broken than a cheat.
Better wrong than cruel,
Better ridiculed than rigid.
Better shattered than shallow,
Better ignited than idjit.
Better idiot than arrogant.
Better ignorant than bigoted,
Better exploited than indifferent.
Better broke than bent,
Better naive than narcissist.
Better mistaken than mindless,
Better broken than a cheat.
Better wrong than cruel,
Better ridiculed than rigid.
Better shattered than shallow,
Better ignited than idjit.
Cup of Coffee (The Sonnet) | Abhijit Naskar | World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets
A cup is just crockery
till there is coffee in it.
A head is just a skull
till there’s a mind in it.
Clothes are just fabric
till there’s a character in ’em.
Shoes are just footwear
till there’s a journey in ’em.
Chest is just a bunch of bones
till there’s a heart in it.
A body is just a bag of flesh
till there’s a being in it.
till there is coffee in it.
A head is just a skull
till there’s a mind in it.
Clothes are just fabric
till there’s a character in ’em.
Shoes are just footwear
till there’s a journey in ’em.
Chest is just a bunch of bones
till there’s a heart in it.
A body is just a bag of flesh
till there’s a being in it.
Beyond the Nature of Truth (The Sonnet) | Abhijit Naskar | Himalayan Sonneteer: 100 Sonnets of Unsubmission
Do you realize how serious the situation is,
Are you aware of the lives ruined by cruelty?
Because if you stay aloof in your cloud castle,
All talk of humanity is but a tale of fantasy.
Can you tell the real from the unreal,
Can you tell facts from fantasy?
I am not talkin’ in terms of neuroscience,
I am askin’ you as a human, of human responsibility.
We can argue about the nature of truth all we want,
But that won’t alleviate the suffering of society.
So the question is, do you know the worth of life,
How far will you go to preserve another’s serenity!
Does human welfare overpower your insecurity?
Or is the self still separate from society?
Are you aware of the lives ruined by cruelty?
Because if you stay aloof in your cloud castle,
All talk of humanity is but a tale of fantasy.
Can you tell the real from the unreal,
Can you tell facts from fantasy?
I am not talkin’ in terms of neuroscience,
I am askin’ you as a human, of human responsibility.
We can argue about the nature of truth all we want,
But that won’t alleviate the suffering of society.
So the question is, do you know the worth of life,
How far will you go to preserve another’s serenity!
Does human welfare overpower your insecurity?
Or is the self still separate from society?
Afterlight Sonnet | Abhijit Naskar | The Humanitarian Dictator (First Drop)
Forget about afterlife,
focus on afterlight,
light that is left behind,
by your deeds of life.
We need to paint the world human,
not red, blue or red, white and blue.
We need to stretch our mind unchained,
if the human is to ever come true.
Lever of life is believer of life,
Fever of love is fervor of love.
Speak truth where truth is needed,
but to those in pain give a little hug.
Never give a lecture unless you’re asked,
Encyclopedias bear facts, not meaning.
Measure of truth is the good it does,
Truth without heart is bigotry supreme.
focus on afterlight,
light that is left behind,
by your deeds of life.
We need to paint the world human,
not red, blue or red, white and blue.
We need to stretch our mind unchained,
if the human is to ever come true.
Lever of life is believer of life,
Fever of love is fervor of love.
Speak truth where truth is needed,
but to those in pain give a little hug.
Never give a lecture unless you’re asked,
Encyclopedias bear facts, not meaning.
Measure of truth is the good it does,
Truth without heart is bigotry supreme.
