Spirituality must co-exist with rationality
Fundamentalism and hidebound sentiments must not destroy modern creativity says DR JOE D’SOUSA
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In present times, the greatest threat to biodiversity and the inherent stability of our planet is the evolution and the emergence of Man and Mankind. Early man worshipped Nature, but with time, he looked for support beyond natural forces.
Later man ‘evolved the concept of God’, as he was confused and baffled by everything around him. Whatever he was unable to understand and explain in scientific or social terms, he attributed to a supernatural force, an all knowing creator, who sees but cannot be seen, who we relate to through our inner voice or prayer.
In time and with his growing intellectual power, Man started assuming that the Divine had created him in his image and all other life on this planet was created for his exclusive use. Man assumed that he was the master of all that he surveyed.
In the garb of offering sacrifice, Man destroyed other animals and plants. He also initiated the process of physically as well as mentally exploiting and dominating other societies and civilizations, and the concept of slavery was born.
The concept that the all-knowing God was unable to control famines, disasters, enemies, earthquakes was not easily digestible, so he created a ‘Devil’. So even to this day the concept of God and the Devil is used to exploit and subdue the intellectually weaker sections of the society by those who are rich, powerful and shrewd; to retain societal hold and domination.
The evils of caste and class system is felt even in modern times causing divisions among people exploitation and humiliation. Sweepers, scavengers and the labour class are ostracized and prevented even from entering places of worship.
Interestingly, as centuries rolled by, the God which was initially conceptualized by Man to be his protector and a powerful force which could be manipulated by prayer, sacrifice and acts of humility or love, slowly started assuming a figure which requires protection and appeasement.
In the world of today, those exploiting in the name of God and religion, swear by religious sentiments using caste, creed, or acts of terrorism. In the process the man of today has assumed the role of ‘Protector of God’ or his Word. Large sums are spent on seeking and invoking blessings. Not does Man build concrete structures to protect God, but also bestows the choicest deities with ornaments, jewellery, cash commodities articles of utility, while fellow human beings are left only to gaze in the night sky hoping against hope without even roof over their head.
Great men who founded religion lived and died in penury but today preachers are rich and powerful. They buy and sell properties and live in palatial luxury.
All religious founders showed utter disregard for the acquisition of wealth or materialism. Religion was meant to unite, and give dignity to life. Religion, just like a surgeon’s knife, instead of being used for healing, is increasingly employed today for killing, torture and undermining creativity.
Ancient books and art of centuries have been protected by fundamental zealots in the name of religion. These have been accepted as the words of God in the form of Divine Books or Scriptures as a matter of faith. The world today is full of holy places, holy structures, holy images or pictures, holy books, holy art forms. However holiness which traditionally existed in sacred groves, sacred animals and divinity placed in forces of nature is rapidly receding. Religious fundamentalism is killing nature and creativity.
Modern man’s creativity is questioned and dubbed devilish and evil if the new art form differs from the ancient or tradition images and concepts. Traditional images of Sita, Ram, Jesus and Mary were carved by creative minds of the past. Who really knows how Ganesh, Jesus, or even the prophet Mohamed really looked like?
It is distressing that creative minds of Hussein, Laxman, Kerkar, Dan Brown, Taslima Nasreen, Jose Pereira, etc are sought to suppressed and subdued as if art in religion is restrictive and fixed as ancient creation. Modern thoughts must be allowed to blossom and grow and not be suppressed or nipped in the bud in the garb of religious utterances or traditional sentiments.
Just as our ancestors were in the past responsible for carving out an image of God, Goddesses and the formulations of numerous scriptures using the immense power of their human mind; modern thinkers, artists, writers, historians should be allowed continue to use, modify and create new religious temper.
The new scientific or societal value system must be allowed to grow keeping fundamentalism at bay. The government and judiciary must be proactive to ensure the creative freedom of modern day thinkers, artists and spiritual gurus. This will help the growth of tolerance and a good quality of life for all.
Does God require wealth in the name of religious sentiments? No wonder dacoity in places of worship is routine today. It is paradox that those in governance allow grains to rot in the open and drape idols in jewellery in places of worship, instead of feeding and caring for the poor and the needy.
It is time for using the essence of religious thought for improving the quality of life and ecological sustainability. Goa in particular has forgotten the concept ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness’. Haphazard mining has destroyed agriculture, increased respiratory diseases, depleted the water table and made Goa susceptible to floods, maybe even famine.
Many Goans wrongly believe godliness will usher cleanliness, when pilgrims die of road accidents, epidemics due to poor sanitation or eased of their belonging by thefts during pilgrimage, they question the will of the Almighty as to why a family on pilgrimage had to suffer!
Fundamentalists conveniently forget that God helps those who help themselves. While spending hours praying, they conveniently ignore the fact that work is the best form of worship, especially selfless service.
The growing garbage menace due to lopsided tourism, which has destroyed our rivers, forests, hills and mangroves, indicates that is high time for us to protect ourselves instead of pretending to protect God and neglecting our environment. We must remember God helps those who help themselves. Scientific temper, spirituality and rationality must coexist to usher sustainability and quality living.
No prophet or creative soul has ever been respected or accepted his own people. Great thinkers have been harassed, exiled or killed for they were far ahead of their times – be it Hussein, Jose Pereira, Kerkar, Dan Brown, remain today as victims of the modern era just as Galileo was during his time. We have to learn tolerance and appreciate creativity and respect art. Let us not allow future generations to condemn us and ridicule our narrow mind set just as we despise and belittle those who murdered the likes of Jesus, Gandhi or Socrates.
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The Farmer and I
By Sajla Chawla
On a whim, I attended the Kisan Swaraj Yatra meeting, just to see what activism is like. The only stint I had with activism was, in college, as a member of the AISF, a CPI backed student organization. And there I was in Grace Church Hall, which was dusty, had old plastic chairs and reminded me of a surrealistic dream. I saw some uncouth people around me and I felt tremendously out of place. I could not be one of those, my super ego screamed. I do not belong here. I could never relate to them.
The farmers started speaking one by one and soon I had no earth to stand on and no sky to shield me. My journey in life, my problems and my concerns seemed miniscule and frivolous compared to the hard core realities of their lives. I sat there defenceless, shorn of all class equations. And I was just a human being who could feel the utter pain and helplessness of the community that brings food to our table. Because of them we have something called “life”. They hardly have one. And I felt responsible for it.
The wiry middle-aged farmer from Punjab, a state known for the Green Revolution, told us how the Green Revolution which promoted the growth of crops through fertilizers and pesticides had actually poisoned the soil and environment. Nothing really grew properly on that very soil which had been the most fertile since the Indus valley civilization. He told us how the multinationals were selling products that were banned in their own countries to Indian farmers. He spoke of so many children in Punjab born with congenital abnormalities. He told us how our government was forcing us under the aegis of economic imperialism even after we had driven the British out.
Another farmer from Maharashtra spoke about the amount of debt the farmers were under and how many of them had committed suicide. We learned how the very profession which sustains all humans earns no respect in our society.
And yet I live comfortably in my plush house and do my corporate job and live in a capitalist bourgeois world untouched and indifferent. But am I not dependent on this very farmer who is killing himself out of desperation and life threatening loans? Was my great grandfather not a farmer just like him? Was that uncouth, badly dressed man, speaking tremulously on the microphone, any different from what I would be if I were in the same situation? Do our clothes and our class, rule our sensibilities? Does the death of the man who puts the grain on my table mean nothing to me?
A nation which neglects the Farmer is a nation that does not think. Visiting temples and churches without ever really thinking of our fellow beings is pure sham. The economic boom is a myth unless it reaches the farmer. As long as the farmer commits suicide in this country, none of us even have a right to smile or sleep easy because with our food we are consuming the death cry, desperation and helplessness of the farmer. If you want to make a difference, log on to and sign the signature campaign which is led by the Kisan Swaraj Yatra, that constitutes of farmers from all over the country, who are travelling to each state of India and culminating the yatra at Sonia Gandhi’s house on December 11.
In a society, none of us can exist in isolation. We are all interdependent on each other, whatever caste, class, state, occupation or religion we might belong to. Let us all become sensitive to the plight of the farmer and please let us look at people, beyond their class, accents and clothes. Look deeper… they are just like us.
