All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Capacity to think is an exclusive characteristic of man. This forms the basis of his ability to deliberate, imagine, analyse and take decisions. The ability of other living organisms to think is confined to food, survival and procreation. They cannot think beyond this on topics like better lifestyles, world order or the future of civilizations etc. Off and on some of them can be seen vying for a larger share and attacking each other on account of conflicts but that is about all. They somehow expend their lives and die in due course.

Man has been endowed with the capacity to think. He is capable of learning from his past experiences, making effort to meet his current needs and making the future more comfortable and pleasant. He attempts to follow traditions and rules that govern ethics, religion and society. Cooperation is his other special characteristic, on basis of which, he works for mutual benefit and does what is needed for development and enhancement of comforts and happiness. It is these mental characteristics that have in course of time lead him to his distinct abilities like desire, determination, courage, initiative etc. and elevated him to the highest pedestal in evolution ladder.

However, there is also an associated inadequacy in human beings. Man tends to emulate what he observes around him. He embraces the beliefs and actions of others in his vicinity. This tendency engulfs him to such an extent that he often loses his ability to discriminate between right and wrong. Imitation becomes a practice and this tendency overcomes all others. It soon becomes a habit and the urge to imitate becomes his second nature. Many a times this makes him so intransigent that he loses his inclination to see different points of view and, simply based on prejudices, tends to oppose them. These prejudices and failure to understand the other point of view leads to disputes. Wastage of human effort, labour and resources on such disputes and oppositions can be contained if discretion is practised instead of blind imitation.

Man has made numerous discoveries and inventions. He has drawn many intelligent conclusions and taken far-reaching decisions in various areas. But, all this progress has failed to check the growth of misconceptions. Man continues to base his conduct on convictions that are of hypocrisy or dubious veracity. So often, the wise man shows irrationality in his conduct.

Misconceptions of the Intelligent Mind:

If we analyse and classify human habits and beliefs, we find that man is more superstitious than he is discerning. He is wise and yet, more unwise. From certain perspectives, other creatures are better placed, as unlike man, they do not engage in the mess of right versus wrong and live their lives in harmony with nature.

There are so many prevalent misconceptions that one can hardly categorize man to be a rational being. It is difficult to believe at times how well-read people and those running large businesses can ever be so irrational. It is necessary to pick a few topics and deliberate whether the prevalent beliefs and practices are indeed correct.

When people think about themselves, their prime concern is their body. They associate their self-identity with the body. They continuously strive to assimilate more comforts for the body and make it strong, charming and gorgeous in all respects. But, this belief in supremacy of the body is misplaced. For if this was indeed true, why is it that nothing remains of the body after death? In spite of all preventive measures why does illness and old age take its toll on the body? How do some people retain memories of an earlier birth? Why some people are gifted with special talents right form the birth? Why even co-genital twins, brought up in the same ambience by same parents, have altogether opposite natures and personalities?

Answers to all these questions lie in the fact that body and soul are two distinct entities. Both mingle along well and it is also seen that upon separation the existence of both gets concealed from normal perception. That body and soul are separate entities, is an absolute fact. Unfortunately, most people either do not accept it or are unmindful of this distinction. Otherwise, they would not have been wasting all their time in pursuit of pleasures linked with the body. Attention would have also been paid to the responsibilities associated with development of the soul. Such lifestyles would have been adopted that would have liberated not only self but also others. Driven by sensual passions and false pride, man has instead been treading the road to decadence.

Had there been the realization that youth is the time for striving to rise to higher planes, why would anyone have spent those days in wasteful pursuits? Why wouldn't he have rather utilized those days better and lived an ideal life? Why wouldn't his life have been a model for others to follow? The confused perceptions about associating self with the body and not the soul, is what leads to the situation where hardly anyone lives a life that can stand the test of ideals. It is usually too late by the time one clears this perception and realizes that the life, which he had been living was misled or was a shear wastage of a rare, precious opportunity.

Mighty Enemy in Nearest Vicinity:  

One vice associated with human life is gluttony. Every living organism takes food in natural raw form. No organism spices up its food by cooking, roasting, frying, adding spices or sugar etc. Man learnt the art of cooking, preparing delectable meals and in the name of taste, started eating all that was unworthy of consumption. This gave rise to numerous disorders of digestive system, many diseases and the reduction in the lifespan. Instead of indulging in this vice, if proper vegetarian food habits were adopted, then consumption of food could have been cut down to half. Even the expenses and effort spent in cooking could have been saved. Digestive disorders could have been avoided, energies could have been conserved and an opportunity could have been created for living a longer life. But, man prefers to be a slave to this vice. He keeps indulging in gluttony and invites weakness, and untimely death. What else could one call this behaviour, but imprudence?

People live in houses but they do not care to construct them in a way that it is properly ventilated and sunlight can reach all corners. A simple hut makes sufficient provision for elementary human needs but it is seen that people who have riches instead prefer to live in huge, over-furnished houses lighted with artificial lights and kept closed for air-conditioning. Their avarice and grabbing of land deprives millions of others of even bare minimum space of living. Those who can afford adequate space too often live in houses that, especially in the urban areas, are dark and suffocating. As a result, they live in houses that are rotting with seepage, bearing children and accumulating filth around them. People long for lavish food, but sufficient attention is not paid to balance of vital nutritious elements and to cleanliness of food, water and air. Not only the external atmospheric pollution, people’s own houses, routing and eating habits too cause serious damage to their health.

Had man lived in harmony with Nature, had he not adopted abnormal diet, had he not restrained his exposure to clean air and sunlight, he could have avoided the torture resulting from varieties of health hazards.

Diseases are disconcerting as they bring along several hardships like physical pain, loss of working hours, increased load of expenses, inconvenience to other members of the family, chance of infecting others etc. Good health is natural. It is God's blessing that He has granted to all the living organisms of His creation. Man is the only unfortunate creature to have taken undesirable steps of breaking Nature's discipline and inviting host of diseases. It is said that one bears the fruit of one's Karma after death. While this may be true for other actions but disobeying Nature in one's lifestyle is a sin that certainly invites punishment in this life itself.

Intoxication is another sort of defiance against Nature. Those addicted to Tobacco, Cannabis, Opium, alcohol etc enfeeble themselves, fritter away their money, jeopardize the future of their family members, suffer humiliation and eventually become victims of diseases like cancer etc. They feel uncomfortable themselves and live a neglected and humiliating life of a ‘criminal’ amongst their friends and relatives as well.

In spite of the awareness about all that has been said so far, people neglect the laws of Nature. Is this their wisdom or their folly? Other living organisms do become victims of divine demur but can never be disgraced for treading the wrong path. But, the man's deeds seem to suggest that he has deliberately adopted this defiant position against Nature. In such a situation, it surely raises a question mark on his sagacity.

Failure to understand the importance, nature and meaning of life and draining this supreme resource for disdainful purposes also has far reaching consequences. Precious life is exhausted on futile tasks. Moreover the burden of sins resulting from the misdeeds (triggered by ego, selfishness and avarice) gets piled up. Consequently, one suffers the penalty of a downfall and eventual collapse in this life and beyond.