Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "one-humanity"

Today we are going to talk about perhaps the most significant element of human existence - the most significant part of human life - that is religion. You know about religion - you have heard about religion - perhaps you have been taught by your traditions to be religious in a certain manner through various rituals and various methods - yet all those rituals and methods vary throughout the world - they are not exactly universal - yet they talk about something universal - they talk about something ultimate - they talk about reaching an ultimate truth. All of the so-called advocates of religion talk about different religions being different paths to the same truth. I'm afraid they are not exactly right on this - they are partially right. I wonder whether they have any idea of what religion really is!

Now before we continue I need to ask you something - I need to ask you to at least try to turn all those predominant ideas, notions and perceptions about religion off, because none of my statements is going to make sense if you try to find meaning in them by using your own predominant perceptions, notions, ideas, thoughts and opinions about religion. Traditions throughout the world have distorted religion - they have dismantled the very fundamental basis of religion - they have distorted it to such an extent that today's humans deem rituals, orthodoxy, dogmas, doctrines, set of ideals, beliefs, imaginations, illusions, prejudices and stereotypes to be synonymous with religion. As a result the whole world is being burnt in the fire of religious violence. Perhaps most of the terrible violence on planet earth are actually occurring in the name of religion - it's not my opinion - you know it as well as I do.

Now one wonders why? Let's go deeper into this why. It is because, apparently devout religious people think by standing true to their own dogmas, traditions, orthodoxy, beliefs, ideals and set of doctrines, they are actually walking on the path of right religion. But that's not right religion - that's precisely the wrong religion - be it Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or anything else. Any religion that has to do with dogmas and doctrines, and does not evolve with time is only the most immature form of religion - it's only the most barbarian form of religion. Now I'm not specifying any religion. I'm not going to say Christianity is barbarian - Islam is barbarian - Hinduism is barbarian. You can look at it yourself - we don't need to conclude anything - we don't need to belittle one religion and glorify another. All religions one way or another have committed great evils because they wanted to stand true to their doctrines - because they held their doctrines and dogmas to be more significant, valuable and holier than life itself. This has caused immense bloodshed.

So, now we must inquire - what is religion? The term religion means to unite - it refers to something that unites all of us. Now let's look at it - don't conclude - don't be hasty please! I urge to you - don't be hasty - let's think over it - what is it that makes us unite! Is it our dogmas! No - because various regions of the world have their own unique dogmas - they have their own doctrines - they have their own scriptures - and because all of those scriptures came from humans, (yes they came from humans - no God gave them to humans - humans created the scriptures) all those scriptures have both good and bad elements just like their creators the humans do - we all have good and bad elements in us.

So books, scriptures, dogmas and doctrines cannot - just cannot - unify humanity. They can unify the humans of a certain region, which was probably the feasible and productive thing to do in the ancient times when humanity was not a global species, but now we have advanced a lot - we have come a long way since our ancient times. When we were barbarians, we needed to stay in groups, but that's called "tribalism" which proved effective in the jungle - in the desert, but now is it necessary? Since, this tribalism is no longer necessary, why should we just give it a pompous name such as "religion" or "nationalism" and glorify it - and be proud of something like that - which is basically an over-glorified tribalism!

So what makes us unite - the whole humanity - not just a group of people thinking that they're modern yet in their mind they're so barbarian and foolish that they want to stay cooped up in their tiny little tribes! Humanism makes us unite - humanism as in the quality of being human - the fusion of all human elements - goodness, kindness, empathy, sympathy, love, compassion, strength of the mind and all these vivacious fundamental elements of civilized humanity - these are the elements that unify us - these are the elements that unite all humanity and these are the elements that can - that do - and that will - construct the foundation of right religion. That religion has no label - it's not a Christian religion - it's not a Jewish religion - it's not a Muslim religion - it's not a Hindu religion - it's just the religion of humanity - "humanity" which is defined and unified by one quality, that is being human. And being human is the right religion - it doesn't need any name - it doesn't need any label - it doesn't need any over-glorified title of an uncivilized barbarian tribalism. Being human is what makes us a civilized species and being human is our religion - the religion of whole humanity.

Recommended Reading
Illusion of Religion: A Treatise on Religious Fundamentalism

"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.

I have no nationality except humanity,
I have no tradition except compassion,
I have no religion except liberty,
I have no god except a family of 7 billion,
I have no belief but only awareness,
I have no creed but only acceptance,
I have no messiah except the self,
I have no scripture except my conscience,
I have no gospel except godliness,
I have no sermon except thought,
I have no philosophy except oneness,
I have nothing to give you except love a whole lot,
I demand no obedience, nor do I desire worship and offering,
For there is death in worship, and freedom is life's mainspring.

O My Mother Earth,
I am your stubborn child,
I may fall again and again,
Rising right back up I smile.
I come from different religions,
Different colors though my skin reflects,
At heart I am one o mother,
At heart I am beyond all sects.

O My Mother Earth,
Never turn your back on me,
I may be arrogant sometimes,
But I always need thee.
I'm full of pride rather often,
Often I'm blind to necessities,
But fret not o my loving mother,
Sooner or later I realize my atrocities.

O My Mother Earth,
I may act greedy sometimes,
But if my neighbors are in pain,
To help them my heart chimes.
I make mistakes o mother,
And that too quite often,
But even the scorching sun,
Can't make my zeal disheartened.

O My Mother Earth,
I may or may not have riches,
But I am not poor my dear,
For I have compassion that never glitches.
You have given me all,
All that I'll ever need,
With it I'll win the universe,
And to my agonies I'll pay no heed.

O My Mother Earth,
You've given me tongues many,
But I promise to not let languages,
Cause in your home disharmony.
Love has no gender,
Compassion has no religion,
Character has no race,
In acceptance I seek salvation.

O My Mother Earth,
I am your stubborn child,
I may fall again and again,
Rising right back up I smile.

Together we are humans, separate we are apes.
Together we are life, separate we are dust.
Together we are tools, separate we are weapons.
Together we are a boon, separate we are a curse.
Together we are power, separate we are insects.
Together we are sanity, separate we are lunacy.
Together we are serenity, separate we are misery.
Together we are harmony, separate we are catastrophe.
Together we are diversity, separate we are phobia.
Together we are purity, separate we are pollution.
Together we are savannah, separate we are a desert.
Together we are family, separate we are desolation.
Together we are to grow as beings of conscience and character,
Or else our lives are futile and will fade away in time's murmur.

O My Dear Earthling open your doors,
For the supreme festival has arrived.
The whole wide nature is rejoicing in love,
Step outside cultures and celebrate life.
The sky is engulfed with billions of smiles,
Smiles that know not pettiness of society.
Open your soul O Mighty Earthling,
The wind of amity is here bearing unity.
No more bounds on love, race and religion,
Prejudice suits not a species of sapiens.
Value we must character over conformity,
It’s time we throw away all our allegiance.
On guard we stand against differentiation,
Hear all peddlers of hate – we are all one.

On the other side of this sonnet,
There is a land most bright.
In that land of inclusion and unity,
People are strolling without fright.
They walk, speak, run and play,
Without being accused of difference.
They celebrate life with love and delight,
In someone's need they rush in alliance.
Plenty though their paths may be,
Their sense of community has no label.
They have their differences surely,
Which makes them a species most able.
Now that we've arrived at the other side,
It’s time we become that people forthright.

Emotion first,
Attire later.
Simplicity first,
Sovereignty later.
Friendship first,
Faith later.
Goodness first,
God later.
Morality first,
Nationality later.
Peace first,
Patriotism later.
Let nothing be a hindrance to humanity,
Fulfilment of life lies in universality.

You keep calling me a poet,
I embrace the sentiment but not the title.
I may have some power over words,
But the words themselves are nothing valuable.
It's the world behind the words that matters,
A world where all walls collapse and wither.
Once you wake up to that world,
Save human, all other titles disappear.
In that world of oneness you shall discover,
My words are not the real poetry.
My true poetry is your own humanness,
I am but a reflection of your struggling humanity.
So let's get rid of this poet and reader business!
You be my poetry, I'll be your pages.

Hudson, Thames, Nile and Sindhu,
All are now red with the blood of the innocent.
Who is to blame for such catastrophe,
Everybody who accepts arms race as upliftment.
Suited savages have seduced them to believe,
That bigger the military greater the pride.
It’s necessary for politicians to sell nationalism,
Or else their loyal subjects will all get untied.
Acts of national security only breed insecurity,
Which forces people to seek comfort in weapons.
True, lasting stability and serenity of a nation,
Comes only from a universal desire for union.
Let the politicians sell war in the name of peace.
Why must the citizens buy it like rats chasing cheese!