Thursday, September 6, 2007
Progress and evolution are the preconditions of framing a bias and the first principle on which progress is based is open-mindedness. Both bias and open-mindedness have their own values. The one cannot be replaced by the other.
Progress and evolution are the preconditions of framing a bias and the first principle on which progress is based is open-mindedness. Both bias and open-mindedness have their own values. The one cannot be replaced by the other.
Everyone speaks of Agraha (prejudice). If a citizen of India did not insist on the security of the motherland, the sovereignty of the country will not be safe.
The Bengali language would not have developed if those speaking it did not love it. The Jain religion would not have been a living religion, if those who practiced it had no faith in it. Those who do not love anybody are not loved by anybody.
Country, caste, language, etc. have no meaning for such people and will not be benefited by those who do not love them. Attachment to something or the other is, therefore, a practical necessity.
If Jinnah had not been attached to the political concept of a separate state for the Indian Moslems, Pakistan would not have been born. Another example of attachment to ideals was the war in Vietnam. The two opposing camps of communism are prejudiced in favour of their own principles.
Whether reconciliation between the two mutually opposed sects or groups can be brought about is a controversial question. It is equally difficult to decide which of them is correct. I do not wish to adopt a dogmatic viewpoint; still I feel that such reconciliation is theoretically possible.
In our search for truth we have to be open-minded. This does not mean that we should not accept whatever part of truth has already been attained and practice it. We can know truth but we cannot attain it without being open-minded.
We need to be prejudiced in favour of truth, if we are keen to solve our problems.