food for thought

ISM

     Ism is an ideology held with such fervor by its believers that it leads them to forcefully oppose any system which differs from their own. History is replete with such ideologies and they are prevalent even today. The genocide of Jews that took place in Europe during the middle of twentieth century under Hitler's Nazism (belief in Aryan Supremacy) still makes our heart tremble with disbelief. Under Stalin's communist rule in Soviet Union, millions of innocent people lost their lives. During the campaign of collective farming enforced in 1950s under Mao's communism, hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation or systematic killing in China.

     We have witnessed the collapse of communist economic system near the end of twentieth century. We have also seen deep recession that occurred in U.S.A. in 2008, when capitalist market system was allowed to run without any checks.

     No one holds monopoly on truth. Mahatma Gandhi's life is an inspiration for many in the world but we do not need to wave a flag of Gandhism. You do not have to agree with his every position. Gandhi himself was against Gandhism. He entitled his autobiography 'Experiments of Truth'. It implies that he was not in possession of all truth. He considered his life as an honest search of truth.

     There are many religions in the world. When we hear the claim by preachers of one religion that theirs is the only true religion, it creates distaste in our mouth and unease in our mind, whether the claim comes from the preachers of Hindu, Islam, Christian or any religion for that matter. One should not keep oneself shut within closed interiors of his home. Let fresh air come in from open windows and stimulate the mind. Let us respect everyone's faith and cultivate the humility that we can learn something from any one and any place.

     Science begins with the attitude, "I do not know. I want to acquire knowledge of truth." Systematic observation and analysis of events in the world leads to a gradual discovery of truth. Whatever is going on in this world is not like a series of unpredictable miracles or like a sequence of strange events in a dream. Nature is governed by certain consistent laws and we humans are capable of acquiring knowledge of these laws.  We have to maintain the humility of being fallible, so that, if new facts show a need to change our old conclusions, we have to revise our book of knowledge without hesitation. Let us not blindly follow any scripture.