S.M. Jain
Ideal Yoga
The objective of yoga is happiness, peace, tranquillity and harmony of one and all. Ideal yoga is that which ensures sustainable and lasting happiness and there is no individual happiness in isolation. One cannot be happy if others in family, group, society and even at national and global levels are suffering. Happiness of mankind is also depended and interlinked with that of other living beings big and small and also with myriad constituents of nature the air forms, water forms, soils, minerals etc. as the social environment of human beings and the natural physical environment are interdependent. The overall harmony depends on interactions, interrelations of all constituents of nature which are inherently symbiotic i.e. mutually beneficial. The disturbances in harmony and consequential problem sorrows, miseries, conflicts, pollution, diseases etc. are result of anthropocentric attitude of human beings that mankind is superb and supreme and all others are subservient for its unrestricted and unlimited use and pleasures. This has derailed the balance in nature. Ideal yoga is that which will put unbalanced, derailed process back on right track of mutualism. Symbiotic interactions constitute ideal yoga so that actions and interactions of individuals or groups do not harm any other constituent of nature both animate and inanimate.
The scenario, evolving and manifesting as of now is degrading continuously and more and more rapidly from bad to worse. All efforts and endeavours individual, social, political, economic, religious, spiritual and also so called yogic (pseudo-yoga) are not succeeding. This is because the gap or chasm between nature and humans is not being bridged and is rather widening. The very solutions adopted for problems are generating new problems and so on creating a vicious circle. Most of the technologies particularly in industries induct pollution and the technologies to ameliorate pollution are themselves polluting because their instruments are also manufactured by respective industries and also require material, thus putting more burden on natural resources. Newer and newer technologies bring with them newer problems and the vicious cycle is continuing. Atomic energy expansion is an exemplary case to illustrate this point. Another glaring example is current worldwide economic melt down which is result of unrestricted consumerism and the solution being adopted is to prop and augment the same consumerism which caused the malaise. It is the height of human folly. The same is happening in case of other problems. The solution is not in accentuating and accelerating the very cause but in decelerating and reversing the trend. It is unfortunate that same economic consumerist policies which miserably failed are being followed. There is mad race for suicidal development as the very index of development is higher and higher level of consumption which is depleting and diminishing natural resources. The economic theories, principles and practices being followed are suicidal and the so called eminent economists are agents of suicidal trends.
It is a paradox, a travesty that on one hand human beings sincerely wish their progeny, children, grand-grand-grand children to be happy but on the other hand simultaneously consuming and exhausting the resources at the speed that nothing of the most of the minerals after 100-200 years or so will be left for future generations and air, water, soil the basic resources for life will be so much polluted that even survival may not be possible. The yoga being practised and popularised by majority of yoga teachers is not yoga but a commercial enterprise mostly concentrated on physical and mental cures. The effects claimed are more psychological or hypnotic then factual and real as in case of faith therapy. Mostly the patients continue to take medicines and if medicines are stopped, their effect may manifest later during yogic practices. Even if there is curative effect of yoga practices, it will not be sustained for long if pollution of air, water, food continue increasingly more and more.
In U.S. patenting of 136 postures have been done and Indian yogis have been taken by surprise. The efforts are being made to prove yoga Asanas (postures) of Indian origin. A ludicrous form of yoga named “DOGA” is gaining popularity in U.S. it is called “DOGA” because it is practised along with the pet dogs. It combines massage and meditation with gentle stretching for dogs and their human partners. Kristyn Caliendo is a certified instructor of “DOGA” in Chicago. It is a perverted form of Yoga and will trivialize the 2500 years old practise of noble yoga and turn into a fad. Yoga teachers should take legal action against it also.
The ideal yoga is not the yoga being practised that treats only the symptoms and not the root causes. The ideal yoga is that which shall not only bridge but completely remove the gap between nature and mankind. The problems, their causes and remedies the pendulum swings, progress and regress, ups and down, happy and unhappy periods in various areas, societies and civilisations, can be comprehensively, logically and scientifically understood by studying and analysing the processes of progression and retrogression described in detail in Jain chronology. Study of Jain Cosmology particularly about the areas where the conditions do not change to bad and remain happy, peaceful and harmonies for all times is also important to understand the fundamentals - the yogic symbiosis with nature, for lasting peace and happiness.
In Jain cosmology there is mention of areas, may be some planets including our planet earth, as ‘Karmabhumis’ where there is continuous change from best to worse and then in reverse from worse to best. The change from best to worse is ‘Avsarpini’ and that from worse to best is “Utsarpini”. The best period in sequence is first Sukhma-Sukhma (Happiest), which gradually degrades to second sukhma (Happy), then third Sukhma-Dukhma (Happy-Unhappy), then fourth Dukhma-Sukhma (Unhappy-Happy). In the process of degradation happiness gradually declines and in fifth and sixth era there is no happiness. After sixth period the trend reverses and first sixth is repeated and then there is progression to fifth, fourth, third, second and first. Then first is repeated and downward trend starts and the cycle continues.
During first Sukhma-Sukhma (Happiest) period there is complete synergy in the interactions, interrelations of myriad constituents of nature both living (including humans) and non-living and all work in symbiosis, cooperating and helping reach other for mutual benefit. Even carnivores like tigers, wolves, jackals etc. were not killers but scavengers and lived on sufficiently available naturally dead bodies as the entire area was covered with dense forests and there were all sorts of wild animal in large numbers dying naturally and not hunted or killed. The bacteria or any other forms of microorganisms were also not harming any other life form and lived symbiotically. There was no pollution of any sort. Water was crystal clear in rivers, lakes and springs. Seasons and rainfall were normal without droughts and floods. There was no soil erosion. The society was not divided in masters and servants, rulers and ruled. There were no conflicts, wars, diseases, famines or any sort of miseries. Population of all life forms was automatically controlled as it lived on naturally available food from forests and not from agriculture. This has been proved by a recent study in Germany on wolves that fertility and the number of their off springs increased or declined according to available food. The pressure of population and their consumption levels were within the carrying capacities of natural resources. It was forest (Kalpvrikshas) based life-style and all requirements of food clothing and shelter etc. were met from products available in forests. The above ideal symbiotic conditions are described in Part-I, Chapter-IV of Tiloypamati by yati Vrishabhacharya:
The conditions started degrading very slowly in second and third Sukhma (Happy) and Sukhma-Dukhma (Happy-Unhappy) eras and then more and more subsequently with birth of agriculture and rapidly after industrialization. The degradation started first because of anthropocentric attitude that man is supreme and all others are for his unrestricted use. This attitude has been mentioned and encouraged in Rigveda, Yajurveda, Bhagavad Gita and others scriptures. It triggered consumerism beyond carrying capacities of nature. All natural resources air, water, forests, soil, minerals have their respective carrying capacities and if utilised within these limits there will be no degradation for example water sources rivers, lakes can take care of pollution i.e. waste in them and some pollution is necessary as there are living forms called Detrites who live on detritus (waste) and clean the water sources. Forests will never degrade if harvested to the limit of annual growth rate. Similarly air, soils, minerals remain, unpolluted and do not degrade if pollution is limited to their carrying capacities and rejuvenating time cycles which have been well researched, documented and their indices also established. Even minerals like coal, iron, crude oil etc. get generated with the help of naturally occurring bacteria. One such bacteria which occurs naturally and converts CO2 into CaCO3 have been found by Indian scientists at National Environment and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur (The Times of India, page 7 dated 17-02-09, Jaipur Edition). The consumption levels gradually increased beyond carrying capacity of natural resources and happiness declined proportionate to reduced capacities of nature. Unto third era the decline was very slow and population levels remained constant because it continued to be forest based.
During fourth era food supplies from forest (kalpvrikshas) declined leading to birth of agriculture. People started cultivating the seeds of some grasses available in forests. This increased food supply and population started increasing requiring more food and for that more land for cultivation, further increasing population, then more land was cultivated for more food and vicious cycle started and is continuing even now. For increasing demand for more and more land for agriculture extensive areas of forests were cut, burnt and cleared for cultivation. We read of “Khandavdah” in Mahabharat. Agriculture have been advocated and encouraged in Vedas also. Till recently only a few decades ago rulers and governments all over including U.S.A. and Europe gave concessions and rewards for cleaning forests for cultivation. Though there is now realisation of need to protect forest and stringent laws have been enacted to preserve forests and wild life but they are more on paper only than on the ground. In spite of the stringent provisions of Forest Conservation Act 1980 in India, encroachments on forest area are going on and with pressure of population increasing on shrinking forests, their density and quality is diminishing. Population explosion is so excessive that vast areas of even fertile agricultural land is being devoured by housing colonies, roads, power houses and industrial units. This will further degrade the shrinking agricultural land and accentuate food shortage and hunger. There was obsession to clean more and more forest areas so much so that it was incorporated in religion also. The highly eulogised religious practice of performing havans is reminiscent token of the obsession to cut and burn forests. Forests and wildlife were indiscriminately and mercilessly destroyed.
Land which is capable of producing edibles should be cleared of forests and be made cultivable.
- Yajurveda 11/56Wise undertake agricultural activities with the help of bullocks and the plough.
- Yajurveda 12/67With agriculture came the institution of individual or family or group property and this generated bad and evil emotions of selfishness, envy, vanity, hatred and greed etc. triggering sinful deeds of violence, untruth, stealing and ensued in miseries, conflicts and wars. Since then individualistic attitude went on increasing more and more intensely and at its peak presently. It is individualism now pervading in all sections and strata of society that is generating more and more corruption in every sphere. All moral concepts of social or natural welfare are vanishing fast. Politicians change parties not on the basis of principles, values or ideologies but solely on consideration of individual monetary gains. In almost all development projects including military equipment politicians and bureaucrats are hand in glove in corrupt practices. Some army officials even take bribes in supply of rations to Jawans. Inspectors inspect to collect their periodic bribes (Hafta etc.) and not to take action against violations of respective laws. Shamefully Border security force personal and even army officers connive with illegal immigrant smugglers and terrorists as admitted once by George Fernandez in parliament as a Defence Minister. Police generally side with culprits than victims. Even teachers impart knowledge on monetary considerations. Engineers and other technocrats utilise their expertise and intelligence in manipulating maximum monetary gains for themselves than on assuring quality. Even judges have started trading justice. Adulteration is rampant in all products, food grains, milk and even medicines. Most of the individuals are mainly concerned with their personal monetary gains without any considerations for others. They should get maximum money even if others suffer or even die. There is corruption, even in relief programmes during famines, floods, earthquakes, fires, accidents etc.
Mankind drifted away from nature. Initially it was rain fed but subsequently to meet more requirements of food and for that of more water, wells, tanks and canals were constructed. With invention of tube wells use of underground water increased and in many areas it has been totally exhausted. Such dark zones are increasing. There is already water famine at several places and even water for drinking is not available. The problem will further accentuate and in future there will be more conflicts and wars for water than for any other reasons. Population also started increasing exponentially. The excess pressure on land decreased its productivity which is being increasingly supplemented by chemical fertilizers. As a result of mono cropping the crops are susceptible to pest attacks requiring poisonous pesticides. The indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is one of most important factors for air, water and soil pollution. The remnant pesticides in water, food grains, fruits and vegetables are entering human system with increasing biological magnification and causing incurable diseases like cancer. In spite of innovations and high tech agriculture more than one third of world population and more in poor countries is still suffering from malnutrition and hunger. There will be no respite unless population explosion is checked and reduced to sustainable levels.
The industrial revolution with more and more industries coming up every year is adding fuel to fire. The already stressed environment as a result of pressure of increasing population is getting more and more burdened by increasing demands for water, power and minerals and industrial pollutants are accentuating the pollution levels of air water and soil to intolerable limits. The thrust of every industry is to increase the consumption of its products, thus enhancing consumption levels more and more putting more and more pressure on environment and adding more and more pollutants. For any industrial product even for manufacturing a needle there is need for water minerals and energy. The energy requirement of civilisation per capita in K. Calories–1 day–1 since Palaeolithic era have been calculated by E. Cook in 1975.
1.
Early Palaeolithic 106 years ago
2000 units
2.
Middle Palaeolithic 105 years ago
4000 units
3.
Early Neolithic 104 years ago
12000 units
4.
Middle ages 600 years ago
26000 units
5.
Early industrial 100 years ago
77000 units
6.
Modern technological society 1970 base year
230000 units
Presently it is around 300000 units and if population and consumption levels are not checked and reduced it will treble to 900000 units by 2050. This needs to be checked and reduced to sustainable levels.
The first steps for yogic (Symbiotic) union with nature is to gradually revert back to forest based life style. This is not difficult. Trees giving edible seeds, fruits, flowers can be planted in agricultural fields at a spacing of 5×5 or 6×6 metres so that cross cultivation can be done and agriculture crops can be grown till such time the trees start giving edible products. Author’s project “Food from Forests” was sanctioned by Department of Science and Technology and the Research Scholar Sneh Sharma has done Ph.D. on it. Within the available money and time only seeds of twenty species of forest trees could be analysed for their nutritional status-protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, fibres etc. It was found that forest seeds are more nutritious than cereals from agriculture. Forest once created and established are eternal if managed scientifically. There is no need for ploughing, seeding, watering, manuring etc. crop after crop. Forest conserve moisture and do not need watering and are self manured. There is no need for pesticides because it is polyculture and not monoculture and mixed species of trees should be planted. The burrowers like rats which are harmful in agriculture are useful and do the work of ploughing in forests. Birds, insects, animals do the work of pollination and dispersal of seed naturally. Average agriculture production is 1.25 tonnes per hectare per year whereas production of edible seeds only (edible flowers, fruits, beans, leaves, tubers etc. will be in addition) will be about 2 tonnes per hectare per year and that too without any recurring cost as in agriculture every crop. The input costs in agriculture are so high that it is not at all profitable without huge government subsidies all over the world. The Government of India waved agricultural loans of the formers to the tune of 72000 crores at one stroke this year, as a populist policy decision and a vote bank gimmick in the election year. This will further accentuate the inefficiency in agriculture. It will also seriously damage the economic stability by destroying the established norms of loan and its repayment. It is important to note that loans taken for agricultures are often misused in prevailing evils of dowry and ostentatious feasts on deaths. Such unconditional waiving of the loans to such an extent for political gains is a pernicious practice and is misuse of tax payer’s money. The forest crops will not be affected by vagaries of nature such as erratic rains in excess or drought. Agriculture crops can be raised only on one tenth of earth surface whereas forests can be grown over 90% of area on hill slopes, deserts, water logged areas as there are tree-species for all types of edapho-climatic conditions. Population will also be automatically controlled. The greatest benefit from forests will be freedom from droughts and floods and water shortage. It has experimentally been proved that in well forested area more than 90% of rain water is retained through filteration and less than 10% goes as run off thus checking menace of floods and retaining water underground for all the year round. Such a forest eco-system is by and large symbiotic where all constituents interact for mutual benefit.
By adopting symbiotic forest based life style the retrogratory degradation from good to bad to worse can not only be checked but reversed from bad to good (happy) and to happiest era and stabilised permanently at desired even in areas described as karmabhumis by Yati Vrishabhacharya to be prone to progressive and regressive changes. He has simultaneously mentioned that there are areas, may be some planets such as Harivarsha, Hemvata Uttarkuru Mahavideha etc. where there are no cyclic changes and conditions are stabilized:
In Harivarsh area the conditions always remain as in Sukhma era without any change | | 744 | |
In Hemvata area the conditions always remain same as in Sukhma-Dukhma era without any change | | 703 | |
In Uttarkuru, Mahavideh area the conditions always remain same as in Sukhma-Sukhma era without any change | | 104 | |
Such a phenomenon of arresting change in these areas may have been possible only by limiting population and consumption within the carrying capacity of nature. This can be explained by the phenomenon of succession unto climax (stabilised) stage in forest eco-systems which have been studied and documented in detail. Such progression is possible only by excluding human intervention and exploitation, cutting, grazing, fire etc. The reverse retrogression from climax stage to lower stages have also been studied and documented. There are numerous forest ecosystems according to varying edapho-climatic conditions. One example in plain in tropics in teak zone will illustrate the above phenomena of succession (progression) and retrogression. During floods many times the rivers change course leaving a stretch of land barren and devoid of any nutrition in soil. If such an area is protected from human encroachment, interference and exploitation by grazing etc., natural succession will start. Though seeds of various grasses, shrubs and trees will be brought and dropped in the area by air, birds, insects and animals only the seeds of inferior annual grasses will initially germinate because of very low nutrition in the soil. These grasses will add some manure and then better perennial grasses will grow, then hardy coloniser trees like babool, with improving nutritional status of soil higher species siris, shisham etc. and then valuable tree species teak will predominate the area. If uninterrupted succession is allowed to continue teak will be gradually replaced by higher climax species Jamun etc. which though higher in ecological succession but are not economically valuable as compared to teak. Climax stage is such that a perfect symbiotic harmony and balance is attained in all the constituents in the eco-system and it perpetuates but evolution continues and climaxes may change into alternate climaxes. In order to perpetuate teak further succession (progression) is stopped by introducing controlled burning, grazing and cutting. This is established practice under forest management. But if under pressure of population the burning, grazing and cutting is more than specified, then retrogression will start to same lower and lower ecological status and ultimately to grasses and eventually barren site. Thus progression and retrogression can be stopped at any stage. In the same way the upward or downward degradation of eras can be managed by standardising and limiting population and consumerism to carrying capacities of natural environment. This is not a fallacy or imaginary concept but a scientific reality. Even if the progression and regression in form of happy and sad eras and management to stabilise at a desired stage is scriptural mythology, human ingenuity can turn it into reality as done in case of forest management. If mankind can understand, realise its past and continuing follies and resolve to limit its population and consumption to carrying capacities of natural resources not only further degradation and unhappiness can be checked but the trend can be reversed also to the first happiest stage and can be stabilised perpetually as is the case in some areas (Planets).
It is interesting to note that in the first Sukhma-Sukhma (Happiest) era there was no religion, none of Avatars (god-incarnations), Tirthankaras, Bodhisattvas, Prophets, saints, emperors to persuade people or force them by laws for good conduct, yet the people were good, cooperative, happy, healthy without diseases, interacting for mutual benefit and without any of vices like anger, vanity, hypocrisy, greed and sinful and wrong activities like violence, untruth, stealing, acquisition, gambling, taking intoxicating substances, prostitution etc. Vices and sins are generated by environment. What thousands of saints and emperors could not do to establish and sustain good conduct it was possible by congenial environment which conditioned all its constituents (members including human being) for good symbiotic conduct. The only principle or religious precept edict or decree and whatever other nomenclature we may give, it was one single principle of symbiosis or mutualism that none should do anything that may cause any harm to any other. The precept of least possible harm is ambiguous as it can be interpreted differently by different people in different situations e.g. it will have different levels for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. No harm to any is the principle. This one precept covers or includes all other precepts of non-violence, truthfulness non-stealing etc.
This stability should not be misconstrued as being prisoner in time bereft of evolution and development. It means or aims at sustainability. It does not mean that mankind should remain in pedestrian or bullock cart age only. Development is must but it should be sustainable. There should be trains, cars, aeroplanes and more and more advances in science and technology but the exploitation of natural resources should be within their carrying capacities. If consumption level is high then population should be proportionately low so that utilisation of natural resources does not exceed their carrying capacities, resilience and rejuvenation time-cycles. In case the population is not controlled then the consumption level has to be commensurately low. According to a scientific calculation the requirement of land per person is four hectares to maintain a reasonably good living standard or consumption level. This would calculate sustainable population of only ten crores in India but present population of country is over one hundred and ten crores and this is main reason for glaring poverty, hunger, malnutrition, lack of sanitation, unemployment or under employment etc. if population is reduced to sustainable level of ten crores, the standard of living will be ten times better and problems will automatically vanish.
The fundamental principle of ideal or real yoga is symbiosis or mutualism. All life forms from smallest micro-organisms to biggest and also non living constituents of environment are inherently and intrinsically symbiotic. It is human encroachment and exploitation that is responsible for all the chaos. It is human kind that must amend and change its attitudes behaviour and life style. There are basic important ingredients, preconditions, prescriptions, efforts, processes and models necessary for mankind individually and collectively to resurrect, restore, achieve and sustain the pristine symbiotic happiness for one and all. These are:
1. Equality and Oneness:
Human beings must understand and accept that all other constituents of nature animate and inanimate play their respective roles in the intricate web of the composite environment. Smallest life forms, all non living constituents are important for mutual interactions, interrelations and harmony. Nothing even an electron functions in isolation independent of its ambient environment, its myriad constituents. In Jainism even the air, earth, water and other forms generally considered non-living or inanimate, are given the status of living beings to be respected equally as human beings.
Earth-forms, water-forms, energy-forms, air-forms, plant-forms are living beings as other life forms from smallest to highest all trasforms | | 4/3 | |
All these forms have been attributed possessing consciousness | | 10/5 | |
Earth-forms, water-forms, energy-forms, air-forms, plants-forms have consciousness | | 4/4-8 | |
All these should be considered as one’s own self | | 10/5 | |
All life forms desire to be happy | | 4/9 | |
- Dashvaikalik SutraAll these life forms desire happiness and detest pain and therefore killing harming them is like punishing one’s own soul.
- Sutrakritanga 7/2As the bhramar insect takes nectar from the flowers in very small quantity from each flower without causing any harm, in the same manner we (humans) should utilise the natural resources | | 1/4 | |
- Dashvaikalik SutraSuch a consideration of equality and respect for all will negate the anthropocentric attitude and behaviour of human beings. It is the first and foremost pre-requisite in ideal yoga.
2. Optimising population and consumerism:
The pressure and stress on natural resources is directly proportionate to these twin factors. If numbers and consumptions are more than the respective carrying capacities then the natural resources will deteriorate proportionately. The population and consumption levels have to be optimised commensurate with the carrying capacities, resilience and rejuvenation time-cycles of the natural resources. As a principle the interdependence should be symbiotic i.e. for mutual benefit.
What is taken should be compensated. For example in breathing oxygen (O2) is taken from the air and carbon dioxide (CO2) is exhaled. This CO2 is necessary for plants which with sun’s energy and water and nutrition from soil convert or recycle it by process of photo synthesis in various useful products fruits, flowers, fibres, chemicals, medicines etc. and give out oxygen to compensate the inhaled oxygen. But if population is in excess and CO2 exhaled is more than the capacity of plants or if the plants are not in adequate numbers as is the case now because of the indiscriminate destruction of forests, then the problems like green house effect will be created. If it is balanced then the interdependence is symbiotic. Same is case with other natural resources water, soil, minerals etc. Humans produce waste which is necessary for numerous micro organism, insects, animals, birds and other life forms which recycle the waste and balance the intake and off take, if numbers and consumption are optimised to the limit of carrying capacities. This is automatically regulated in all mature and climax eco-systems in which there is perfect symbiosis. The problems are only in imperfect, immature and succession and retrogression stages Humanity must endeavour to proceed and achieve maturity and sustain it. This will be idea yoga.
3. Realising Responsibilities and Duties:
Human beings individually and collectively should realise that they are responsible for their wrong and bad action which harm others any life from or natural resource and that it is their duty to rectify. People generally complain about dirt and squalor on roads, drainage and water systems and blame municipal workers only for the malaise. The fact is that all dirt, squalor and pollution is created by every human being. If they do not generate undue and excess waste and handle its disposal properly at individual, family and group level there will be no problem. Waste in every household should be properly segregated in biodegradable and non-biodegradable containers i.e. vegetables etc., metals, plastic, hazardous items such as syringes, medicines, poisonous substances should all be put separately and municipal authorities should then arrange to collect them like wise for recycling. The same waste which is problem will become an useful productive material. Even when there are big containers for waste collection people will not put the waste in them but through it helter-skelter on roadsides. There is only a blame game on each other. We in India are very irresponsible and undisciplined. People rearing milch cattle leave them on roads after milking to forage into waste, eat plastics, then suffer, die and also killing many innocents because many accidents are caused by stray cattle. Irresponsibilities are galore in almost every sphere, at every place, in every activity, in homes, villages, towns, cities, offices, institutions, schools, colleges, universities, courts and even in security establishments. It is we who have created problems of squalor and pollution. It is our responsibility and duty to rectify it. We should be responsible towards our future generations also. It is paradoxical that on the one hand we want our future generations to be happy and one the other hand we are overexposing oil and other mineral, forest, water resources etc that nothing will be left for them after two to three hundred years. We are also polluting air water, soil and other life supporting system to such an extent that life may not be possible. We need not wait for incarnation Krishna as promised in Bhagavad Gita (4/7) to come and rectify wrongs committed by us deliberately and carelessly. Realising responsibilities and duties is an essential component of Ideal Yoga.
4. Rationality:
Rational beliefs, attitudes, thoughts and actions are necessary to invoke and reinforce realisation of duties and responsibilities. It is antidote of superstitious, blind false imaginary and unrealistic beliefs, attitudes, thoughts and actions. Rationality implies proper understanding of the phenomenon of ‘Cause and Effect’. Bad actions and bad causes produce bad effects, creating problems miseries and conflicts. The solution is good or rational actions. There is no other solution. The god-incarnation Krishna or any deity or ritual or hymns (Mantras) or tantras (totems, weird practices or pacifying planets etc.) will not solve the problems created by us. We create problems by our irrational and bad actions and we only can solve them by rectifying our actions. It requires hard effort to change bad habits and actions into good and rational. People by habit and tradition shirk the effort. Wily people take advantage of this weakness and suggest and propagate false, irrational and infructuous measures for their own vested monetary interests. Even monks of almost all religions insist more on wasteful rituals than an moral conduct. Monks are escapists very likely because of fear of the household responsibilities. Many do not have experience of house holders’ hardships and therefore not competent to preach and advise. They are fully dependent on householders and are therefore almost parasites. The institutions of astrologers, tantriks, pandits, kathavachaks (story tellers) are all parasites and misguide gullible people to fatten their own purses by advocating irrational wasteful superstitious practices of performing havans (burning edible grains, butter etc.), rituals of various worships of inanimate ideals which can not protect themselves and can be easily stolen and in similar other rituals and lot of money and time is wasted. There are numerous instances of devoted pilgrims dying in accidents on way to the seat of their deity and at the very place itself. People sitting inside places of worship have also been killed by terrorists and deity could not protect them. Tantrik practices are worst as they prescribe drinking of wine, eating meat and sexual indulgence. In devotional (Bhakti) rituals it is suppressed sex urge that is expressed in form of titillating dances, songs under the garb of religion to please the deity. Dancing, singing are sensuous activities and titillate via senses of sight and hearing. It is strange that human beings even though highly evolved and with brain power yet subscribe to superstitions adore and adorn inert idols. Even after performing worship, ritual, propitiating any deity or planet one has to make efforts, take required activity to have desired result viz. have to go to shop or office to earn living, have to cook and eat food and no god incarnation or deity will come and do his work. A student has to study and write in the examinations and no amount of worship or singing devotional songs will be any substitute to his own appropriate action. A doctor has to diagnose and prescribe treatment and the patient has to take medicines. An engineer has to plan and construct. A farmer has to sow and nurture the crop. Similarly appropriate action is necessary in every field by persons themselves. All rituals, worships for one’s works are superstitions. Of course to make ideals of iconic personalities as an object of meditation only to realise their good deeds and instructions will certainly encourage to follow their idols. But the belief that we have not to make any effort and these iconic persons sitting somewhere will come and do needful for us is an ignominious superstition.
It is unfortunate that people though studying science and technology and witnessing directly the phenomenon of cause and effect, yet do not have scientific temper and by and large continue to indulge in unscientific superstitious beliefs and actions. Even scientists in prestigious science institutions, research centres, IITs, medical colleges, training and coaching institutes put on amulets etc. and perform superstitious rituals and their students are also increasingly succumbing to irrational superstitions. Superstitions have caused immense harm to individuals, societies and nations and natural environment. The glaring example is continuing nefarious practice of havans (burning and wasting of useful products) on almost every occasion of starting new project, construction of houses, bridge etc., marriages and even while launching a satellite. Not only politicians, traders or common men but eminent scientists are succumbing to such a superstitious practice. In any scientific programme success will depend on planning, fabrication and meticulous execution and not on any ritual like havan or propitiating a deity or planet. It is a fallacy that havans purify air and environment. As some aromatic substances are also burnt, they give out good smell for some time and this is misconstrued as purification. The fact is that things burnt including aromatic substances do give out CO2, methane and other harmful gases. There is no beneficial effect of havans like inducing rains etc. Had it been true there would not have been feminine in India because havans are being practised for several millennia. Havans are also performed for peace. It is commonsense that mere burning of useful things can not bring peace for which ardent efforts are needed to establish a symbiotic environment. Rituals for propitiating deities to come, do our work is stark irresponsibility and shirking duty. To ask non-existent deities to solve problems created by us is greatest folly. The problems created by wrong deeds can be solved by us only e.g. we have spoiled and polluted the environment and we, human beings, can certainly redress it by corrective measures. There are rituals like pouring milk, butter etc. on idols of Shiva, Jain Tirthankaras etc. while poor children suffer from malnutrition for lack of availability of milk, butter etc. They are wasted to propitiate stone or metal idols which are inert and cannot do anything and miracles spread about them are mere concoctions. There is cruelty also involved in rituals for propitiating deities as harmless animals, birds and even human beings are sacrificed. Real sacrifice is giving up bad habits, emotions and sensuous pleasures and not in mercilessly butchering helpless goats, sheep, camels etc. in the name of deity or god. Most of the religious rituals and functions involve sheer waste of money, material, time and effort which can be usefully utilised in other good creative and productive activities in new school, hospital sand in service to needy. These are not only wasteful but harmful to those doing them and also to others. Generally loud speakers with sound levels of over 90 to 120 decibels blared at all hours in day and also night disturbing and harming others particularly old, ailing and the students even during their examination days in spite of laws prohibiting use of loud speakers. The religions congregations and processions encroach public utility lands, block roads and cause inconvenience creating traffic jams and delaying even ambulance carrying serious patients and fire brigades needed quickly to extinguish fires. Religion should be for benefit of those who practice as well as for others. But it is not so and is more often harmful to practitioner and others. This is irrational and superstitious.
The widely prevailing belief in one almighty omniscient, omnipotent super power god as creator, controller and destroyer of universe and all its life forms and other substances is also not logical. If the so called god is good and kind then he should not have created such an imperfect and miserable world suffering from famines, droughts, floods, storms, earth quakes, wars, epidemics etc. If nothing happens without his will then no body does any thing wrong and terrorists also kill as desired by God. Lord Krishna has himself refuted the entity of such a God (Gita 5/14). Likewise the entity of soul as such has not been substantiated scientifically so far and the debate is continuing since ages. Most of the religions propagate fear of hell and reward of heaven and this may have also necessitated the concept of soul. It may be that man may have invented the concept of soul because of his obsession to be eternal or for his fear of death. Scientifically every life form, every person lives eternally through his genes in all future generations and mutations as genes continue to store and manifest all about a person. The recent phenomenal developments in neurosciences and genetics pose a serious challenge to the concept of soul. The phenomenon of reincarnation i.e. rebirth and memory of previous birth by some is cited as proof of soul as an entity. Professor Banerjee who headed the Department of Parapsychology in University of Rajasthan, in sixties of previous century, collected over 1000 cases of memory of rebirth in various societies including Muslims who do not subscribe to rebirth. All these were found false and concocted and Banerjee was disgracefully thrown out of the University. Similarly experiments were earlier done by Universities in US and were proved false. According to recent scientific studies by the teem led by Maarten peters of Maastricht University in Netherland have found that reincarnation belief is linked to memory errors and some have propensity to make such mistake and cling to implausible reincarnation claims. Such persons when undergo hypnosis and are repeatedly asked to talk about the idea of past life, it eventually gets converted into a full-blown false memory. Another evidence cited about soul is OBE (Out of body experience) which has also been proved to be because of illusory function of brain and can be induced experimentally by electric current delivered to the angular gyrus of brain’s temporal-parietal junction, responsible for integrating visual information and sense of spatial location (Dr. Olaf Blanks, Neurologist, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland). Likewise pleasure and pain and such experiences are chemical reactions in brain. All sensory perceptions reach nerve centres that are specific for a particularly sensory modality and hence the particular perception. It is posteromedial cortex in central brain hub that corresponds to person’s consciousness or sense of self (Mary Helen Immordino. Yang, a cognitive neuroscientist university of southern California). There is no other centre for consciousness. All that is attributed to soul can be explained by functioning of brain and genes. It is for the spiritualists to evolve answers to the challenges of evolving sciences. Once the existence of soul is established by scientific scrutiny the debate will end and this merging of spirituality and science will pave the way for long-sought harmony. Almost all religions entice respective followers by rewards of pleasures in heaven and frighten non-followers by punishment of excruciating pain and suffering from eternal burning fires etc in hell. No such places conceptualized and imagined as heaven and hell have been found by repeated space probes in our galaxy, the milky way and other galaxies studied. Such religious allurements and temptations have rather proved most dangerous indoctrination tools to create dare-devil, hard core, committed terrorists. Let there be god or no god, soul or no soul, heaven or no heaven, the mankind will enjoy happiness more heavenly than in real or imagined heaven, will live in peace and tranquillity and it will not be confined to human beings only but permeate to all living beings and there will be harmony in all other even inanimate constituents of nature if the rationalist symbiotic attitude is adopted.
5. Laws and their implementation:
Initially and in succession stage till climax is reached and perfect symbiotic balance is established between all the constituents of nature, there will be transgressions and violation of principles. Adequate laws against all irrational, unscientific and harmful activities are necessary. It is also necessary that laws should be enforced in letter and spirit by deterrent and exemplary punishment to wrongdoers. The crime is on increase mainly because culprits are generally not punished. This bitter pill is necessary to facilitate the march towards successive better and happier environment till climax or happiest stage is achieved.
6. Forest based life style:
It should be adopted as soon and as speedily as possible. This will be an important step to bring mankind close to nature in a very short span of time. This will steer clear the suffering humanity from vagaries of nature, the droughts, famines, hunger, water-logging, floods, epidemics and pangs of population explosion and spiralling consumerism. The institution of individual property which is responsible for majority of social evils of corruption, conflicts, wars etc. will also be abolished. It will replace individualism by social or community mutualism and harmonious interactions between all constituents of environment.
The mature forest eco-system, its climax stage is symbiotic. All constituents plants, animals, microorganisms, air, water and all are in perfect harmony. The environment both physical and social among species and also species to species is symbiotic. Each constituent develop, flourish and manifest its full potential. There are no harmful mutations and distorted behavioural patterns. Any individual and group is conditioned according to its environment. There are instances of human children brought up among animals, developing and behaving as particular animals by whom they have been brought up and it takes lot of effort to trains them as humans. Environment plays a key role in moulding individuals and groups. All vices and good deeds, good and bad emotions are also environment generated. Forest based life style will provide most congenial environment for one and all.
7. Dhyan:
It will be wrong to use the term ‘meditation’ as synonym for ‘Dhyan’ because meditation is restricted to very limited sphere of Dhyan. Meditation generally denote Dhyan for a very short period of a few minutes to a few hours and that too in a highly codified and ritualised way, loaded with implicit superstitions, imagination, hallucinations, and illusions. It is more an articulated and artificial technique. Dhyan is natural and essential for all interactions and interrelations. Dhyan is for every moment, every act, all the time. It is synchronisation of mind and body and concentration on the activity in hand. Everyone of us is familiar with the word ‘Dhyan’ since our childhood, parents, teachers, elders instructing us to do things carefully and skilfully ‘Dhyan-Se-Karna’, so that no harm is done to one self or to anyone also. Such a Dhyan is an important ingredient of Ideal Yoga. Acharya Mahapragya has emphatically stated that meditation and yoga do not constitute spiritual practice as such and one has to remain spiritually alert in whatever does through out the day (The Times of India 07-12-2007). It is easier fruitful and more effective to concentrate mind and stop it from wavering thoughts by practising synchronization of mind and body every moment, every act than practising concentration only for a limited period of a few minutes to few hours. Such a limited practice of concentration does not generally percolate during subsequent activities of mind, speech and body.
If these ingredients are imbibed and followed then mankind will start marching forward towards peace, tranquillity and happiness and by upholding and maintaining the fundamental principle of mutualism will certainly be able to stabilise and sustain the happiest (Sukhma-Sukhma) stage in perpetuity as is the case is some areas mentioned in Tilloy Pannati by Yati Vrishabhacharya.
