Love is not a business

 

Love is not a business

it doesn’t ask - what I get?

it asks - what can I give?

and the best gift a person can give

is their undivided time and attention

a flower offers its beauty, its fragrance

without asking anything in return

but like all beautiful things

it is fragile and prone to decay

it is not a logic of market

that thrives on calculation

it is a logic of home

that thrives on care and respect

if you want a society based on love

answer this question first

isn’t love exclusive?

does it not discriminate by definition?

how can you love a stranger?

you ask important questions

but you do not understand love

or love has not happened to you

truest love happen between strangers

you love not because you know

but because you don’t know

when something projects outwards from you

and is grabbed at by the stranger

and it doesn’t stop there

it moves from one to another

when the other was so strange and still love

then love can happen to others who are strange

but tell me what is love?

love is care, love is respect

love is a wish that the other thrives and flourish

love fulfils you without any reason

it gives without asking

without seeking acknowledgement

without expecting anything in return

it makes you blind to other’s faults

even makes you love the other’s imperfections

it may not seem to be wholly rational

but love has its own reason

its own vocabulary

it understands reason as a human construct

that is susceptible to revolution,

to paradigm shifts

i believe in love

because i know no better thing to believe in

and if you can see where I am coming from,

you too would see the ugliness of power

manifested in capital, machines and weapons

power sees human to be an appendage

to a machine, to a system

a mere automaton

that labours, eats and sleeps

but love is romantic at heart

it raises a person to exalted heights

it makes us humble, it makes us curious

and it is wholly human

it grows by giving

and giving is not a subtraction but an addition

and there is not a joy comparable

to the joy of reciprocated love

do you know what pains love the most?

what taints its sublime joy?

the state of the world

the poverty, the inequality

the fights, the wars

the neglect, the indifference

the utter absurdity of things

the folly, the stupidity of men

that those who work the hardest

are the ones who suffer the most

a group of women have to travel

long distances in the exhausting heat

just to fetch a pale of water

a farmer takes a loan to till,

fertilize, irrigate, protect his crop

only to find his work undone

by the weather gods

despairs and commits suicide

a child growing up in the village

learns the ways of his father and mother

only to learn that what he learnt is not enough

to lead a life of dignity and civility

it is not so that we do not know

we know this in plenty

but throw up our hands, mind-boggled,

saying what can we do?

such is the destiny, such is the nature

or even worse, knowing and still ignoring

surely, another’s problem is not my problem

living comfortably in our little bungalows,

travelling in our little cars

and working in our little offices

do you see the problem now

with the business as usual?

it is not a matter of resources

we spend them on cars and rockets

the latest gadgets and state of the art warfare

it is a matter of will

a river cleans itself if waste is stop being poured in

the villagers, the subaltern, the hard-working

will be better off, if left alone

the contact with state, the markets, the academia

corrupts them too and they too believe then

that money is the panacea of all problems

there are two opposing forces - money and love

and neither understands the logic of the other

money is restless, love is patient

money is insecure, love is sure

money is anxious, love is confident

money is boastful, love is humble

as long as the money is the business of the world

love will seem strange and out of place

since they do not understand each other

the one mistakes the other for insanity

in a society of love

there will still be problems

but they will be good problems

because love’s problems are after all love’s problems

and one will rather solve love’s problems

than contribute to the sickness of society

we are on a threshold 

and the clock is ticking

either we change our ways 

or nature will change it for us

a new world will surely arise

the only choice we have is whether

we want to be part of it or not?

Humanity

O Friend, my friend

Do not let your heart harden

i do not pretend to know

the consequences of your poverty

it must be exhausting

doing something you don’t want

to get through the day 

and barely survive

to go to sleep still hungry

to see your children grow up

without education, without a future

i do not pretend to know

i only know i cannot imagine

living the life you live

with no hope, with daily struggle

to barely make the ends meet

i would be angry at the Sun

that comes every morning mercilessly

bringing with it

more toil, more work

work that has no meaning

work that serves no purpose

i would be angry at the mountain

which stands tall and magnificent

never changing, reassured of its beauty

how it mocks me and my existence?

i would be angry at the human society

wonder at its hypocrisy

which has reached the moon,

but has not reached the poor

which pretends to be progressive

but fails to protect the vulnerable

it is a profoundly sick society

that respects the cunning

but abhors the simple

because the powerful and the rich are insecure

so they imagine the whole humanity as insecure

they are the controller of destinies

and are ruthless and efficient in their functioning

the only right they know is the right to exploit

the courts and the police act as their henchmen

the law of the jungle has become the law of society

where the wild and immoral rule by fiat

and the weak and obedient are made to suffer

still i would urge to not loose the heart

for it is your labour, your work

that makes the world go around

the struggle is incessant

the toil is back-breaking

and every new technology disrupts

whatever security you may have found

we are all culprits and responsible

for the misery and destitution you suffer

i cannot change the situation overnight

so i do not promise you the moon

for i am too but a drop in the ocean

but i can commit to you one thing

that i will never sleep content and with peace

as long as there is oppression

and unnecessary suffering

i urge you to take the heart

the hour is dark with no glimpse of light

i am at a loss to find how to change the world

i promise that I will expose society’s complacency

in wilful participation in an unjust world

the people defeated feudalism

so they can defeat capitalism

and there are still voices that advocate your case

take heart and do not despair

for the darkest hour is also the most restless

and from this may spring a glimmer of hope

to a world where humanity becomes a world religion!

Emancipation

Emancipation will bring joy

not only a freedom from exploitation

but a freedom to create

like two elements cross a barrier

to be in loving communion

so can humans bridge their differences

to participate in each other’s freedom

when the law of the market will loose its grip

and the law of human happiness will replace it

when someone working in Sun will be valued

as much as the one working in a posh office

when the struggle for survival is overcome

and replaced by a striving for shared flourishing

when Earth is no longer a warehouse of resources

but a fragrant abode dancing with joy

when free citizens will make power irrelevant

when love will guide justice

when differences will not be feared

when there is no asymmetry or hierarchy

when the human neither suppresses desires

nor does he over indulge the passions

when society attains a golden mean

not crossing ecological boundaries

and poverty and want will be history

this is not a romantic dream of an idiot

this is not a denial of human fragility

what it is - is a denial of a certain cynicism,

a certain wickedness, a certain pessimism

of what good is our birth if we cannot create joy,

if we cannot love, if we cannot do justice?

existence will then appear to be absurd

something without meaning, something terrible!

isn’t a child’s smile, its first steps

an evidence against such nonsense?

We cannot change the fact of oxygen, food

and digestion, respiration and circulation

but we can change the facts of society

the world is a human creation

and the humans can change the human laws

with our commitment, with our dedication

with our unwavering faith in the good and the beautiful

it is a call to break the chains of pain and sorrow

and awaken to the joy of the good and the beautiful

for long we have been sold the myth of scarcity

for long we have been afflicted with greed and meanness

what more does a human need than protection and shelter,

freedom from hunger and freedom from pain?

The Earth may not have enough minerals and oil

for everyone to have a car, a plane or a yatch

but the Earth has enough for everyone

to have a home, food, protection from elements

and when we have everything we need,

aren’t we free to create, share and thrive?

and so it is a dream of a new world

a world devoid of conflict and competition

but one of shared effort and cooperation

a new relationship, a new understanding

where domination and exploitation do not rule

where there is freedom and there is responsibility

where members of a same species are not divided

by race, gender, caste and nationalities

where a new religion of humanity reigns

where new friendships are forged

and old enmities are forgotten

where technologies do not enslave people

where they do not surveil, control, exploit or kill

but enhance the human capabilities

and reduce the human toil and effort

it is a vision of an emancipated world

where instead of a war of all against all

there is a friendship of all with all

and so unburden your mind

and lighten your heart

and let yourself be guided by love and justice

if the times seem dark have the courage,

have the sense of humour to laugh at the human folly

for it is really a folly to fight and destroy

when the existence is abundant and bountiful

it is a folly of an insecure mind that hoards

and tries to bind and control the human spirit

and know that 

however much the madmen try

the victory belongs to the free-spirited and light-hearted! 

Towards an ethics of love

There is no God. By God I mean an all-powerful force that rules over the fates of all beings. The only force that rules all beings are the laws of science. But science is limited to the physical world. It cannot explain what is truly important for human beings - their consciousness and their conscience. This difference between matter and mind is a huge schism which the contemporary world is struggling to come to terms with. But there is a possibility that the difference between matter and mind is only apparent. The difference may not hold in the final analysis. The fundamental physics is pointing to a world in which matter is not fundamental. It is pointing to a reality in which fields - the distribution of energy over stretches of space and time - are fundamental. In this view, matter arises through the interaction of different fields. The concept of fields may finally reconcile with the fact of consciousness. Consciousness in this view can be part of fundamental reality. The human body (particularly the nervous system) taps into this fundamental consciousness and gets amplified into self-awareness. This would reconcile matter and mind. This would also mean a vindication of the world-view of some religions and philosophies which sees monism or non-dualism as the fact of the world.

But such science is in the future. The unfolding of such science requires commitment to truth without prejudice either in favour of matter or in favour of mind. But to reach to that state requires that humans survive to that stage in the future. This may not be possible in the circumstances that privilege one dogma over another. Humans have developed means to annihilate the world. And the world powers are engaged in a constant struggle to dominate the Earth. This is most often masked in the language of evolution.

Evolution as envisaged by Darwin is a struggle at the level of different species and how they survive through competition and struggle. The use of this language to justify accumulation of power to safeguard oneself is a dangerous idea that can destroy the Earth. In the struggle of species, humans have won the battle long ago. Humans dominate the world. They are capable of changing the world as they seem fit. They can flatten mountains or raise the ground to build sky-towers. All of this is in their control. Yet they continue to fight. This fighting is inspired by the forces of nationalism, race, class and caste. All of these ideologies have at its core the idea that one human or a group of humans are better than others and therefore have the right to dominate and govern others. This is a fatal mistake.

This mistake is the result of exaltation of science, as it exists today with its limited scope of applicability, to an extent that it comes to govern all life. Science cannot lead us to values. Values are forged in the human consciousness. They cannot be derived from the motion of electrons or interaction of chemicals. Also, values cannot be derived from observing animals in their habitats. Humans have capacities that are not present in animals. They are self-aware and they can reason. That puts humans in a category of their own. The use of the law of the jungle to settle differences between humans is a reflection of how little human dignity is valued. All societies on Earth have their share of goons and saints. The goons are obsessed with power while saints are under the grip of the good and the beautiful.

Power has lured humans since as long as civilisation existed. The brute form of power which enslaves people into following its command has a long history. It is borne out of a belief that privileges might over good. It asserts that might is right. And the might is measured in terms of the physical damage one can exert over another. It is measured in terms of military strength. It assumes whoever is most capable of doing violence has the sanction to govern others. This is a view which is borne out of deep nihilism. It sees no intrinsic good in human life and measures human worth in terms of what humans can do for it. Once this obsession with power takes root it shapes the knowledge systems and institutions like the bureaucracy, the judiciary and the military. Disputes are settled not by virtue of the people concerned but by their ability to influence the system. This can be seen in the imperial domination of the world. And closer home it can be seen in how brutally people’s movements are crushed by the State. This is nihilism went rogue.

The only solution to this trenchant nihilism is a return to ethics. But ethics is handicapped by science because the success of science is interpreted as the demise of God. But there is no point in returning to a false idea. We must move forward. And we can only move forward when we know exactly where we stand. We stand at a place where human power has taken over human dignity. Empty ideologies rules us because we have lost our moral compass. The calculative rationality rules us, not that unbounded rationality that is borne out of deep love. The love of the world, including the human world taking note of all its imperfections, is the only anti-dote to nihilism. One who has loved and has found love in the world does not bow to any nihilism. Their love is enough to make them care and respect the world. Therefore, they open a window in the dark room of nihilism and become a living example which upholds the idea of the good, the true and the beautiful.

Hence today there is a need to recognise where we have come after centuries of thought into the real and the ethical. We cannot rely on the consolation of religion and neither can we expect from science what it cannot provide. We must take our humanity seriously and the greatest and the most beautiful fact of human life is love. We must develop an ethics of love to guide ourselves forward.

Values and beliefs shaping our acts and thoughts

 This is a caricature of my understanding of how humans make decisions and take actions. This is my contention that everything we do is subtly and unknowably influenced by various values we imbibe or create in our course through life. This is a broadening of this line of thought.

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All of the following is with respect to the diagram below.

Sensory Input (1)

The first part of the diagram consists of the pair - noumenon (a) and phenomenon (b). Noumenon is specified as the thing in itself, that is reality as it is, independent of our senses or judgements. While phenomenon is our perception of the noumenon i.e. something which is presented to us by the senses.

For example, consider the statement ‘Cat is on the mat’. This statement is our judgement of our immediate environment. To see that this is only a judgement which may or may not correspond exactly to the world, we just need to understand that both the cat and mat are made of infinitesimal particles with huge voids in their structure and also that it may not be so recognised by someone who lacks linguistic expression like a child or another animal.

For a second example, consider a video clip of the quidditch game being played from the movie - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone. Now we know brooms don’t fly and certainly humans do not fly with the broom, so what is it that our eyes are telling us? Undoubtedly they see Harry Potter flying on the broom. But we are not fooled by this for we know it is just a visual effect or VFX which produces such an image.

So, we need to understand what has happened here - the world is presented to us in a certain way and then we use our judgement, using our value systems to interpret the world in a certain way. This is clearer in the second example but is not so apparent in the first one but the situation is similar in both the cases for in the first as well we need our faculty of language to make a judgement about the world.

Critical thinking (2)

Now, the phenomenon that is presented to us in this way is raw data which is processed in the next part of the diagram. This raw data of phenomenon is further judged by our value system to be either of relevance or not. If it is irrelevant then it is rejected and we do not consciously act on it - though we may register it through our unconscious faculty and this may affect future judgments but this does not happen in so clear a fashion as conscious processing. If it is relevant then it is considered as information (c) which can be defined as anything that is valuable to us and is of immediate concern.

This then forms the input for the next stage which is the intelligent (d) faculty of our brain. Here, the information aggregated over time is used along with our value system to make an intelligent conclusion.

This conclusion is presented to the institution (in case information is gathered by a group or a society, which acts as a unit) or to the individual (e), which again based on their moral judgments either decide to act or not to act.

Acting and forming values (3)

This brings us to our next stage where an action (f) is performed. These actions are the new noumenon for the world. Also, it is these actions, along with feedback from our environment, which reflect, reinforce and update our value systems (g) which are used as feedback in the original process.

Several notes are in order for the above simplified account of our voluntary actions:

1. The motivation to study this pattern was from the need to identify the source of our values. Normative ethics point towards norms which are reflected in our past actions and values as it comes out in our analysis. Descriptive ethics point towards belief systems which too come out from our system as beliefs inevitably lead to actions.

2. At every stage, we are using the feedback of our values to move onto the next stage. The chain can break at any one of the stages when the input to the stage is judged irrelevant.

3. This is a description of our voluntary acts and beliefs. It does not apply to involuntary actions where no thinking may be involved.

4. For most of the time, for individuals, these processes can be too fast to be registered as separate events as is shown here. But this seems to be the logical way a decision and a rational action is made. Also, in case of a group this may apply as is presented here more exactly.

5. For social units, the link provided here only works when the organising principle of the society is taken as ‘Intelligence is in cooperation”. Cooperation is embodied in the institutions which take actions on behalf of the society.

6. The axes - the vertical axis is considered the fast time axis, for here time is considered as continuous and changing from one moment to next at an incredible rate and hence the noumenon is getting renewed at the same pace at least while human thought processing is obviously very slow compared to this. So the horizontal is represented as the slow time axis.

7. Also note the role of feedback from the environment in this. For if an action is not liked by the environment it is punished in an informal or formal manner which is incorporated into our sense of values.

8. Action is any action performed by our active agencies including speech and writing.

I am presenting this as an informal discussion of the concepts here involved. The most significant aspect of this is that we are constantly using our value (moral or ethical) systems as feedback for actions whether we know this as such or not. This reasoning comes to the conclusion of the primacy of values in every human action.

Heuristics

 

1. Honesty is the best policy.

2. Experience is the best teacher.

3. The journey of a mile starts with a single step.

4. Nani teri morani ko mor le gaye, baki jo bacha wo chor le gaye.

5. Practice makes a person perfect.

6. Karat karat abhyasa ke jadmati hot sujaan, rasri aawat jaat te sil pad padat nisaan.

7. Kal kare so aaj kar, aaj kare so ab. Pal mein parlayi hot hai bahuri karega kab.

8. Suno sabki karo manki.

9. Atman is Brahman. Secrets of self are secrets of universe.

10. Time for justice is always always now.

11. Ex nihilo nihil fit. Nothing comes out of nothing.

12. Neki kar dariya mein daal.

13. Love solves all problems. Has great strength.

14. Strength is in unity. Intelligence is in ccoperation.

15. Karma kar phal ki chinta mat kar.

16. Namaste - I bow to the divinity in you.

17. Excess of anything is bad.

18. Knowledge is power.

19. Respect strength, not power.

20. Nothing that exists is valueless. Everything that exists has value.

21. Nature is abundant in resources.

22. Money is a means not an end.

23. Money is dust of hands.

24. Every person has natural talents that need to be cultivated.

25. Beauty brings stillness, calmness and makes you wonder.

26. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

27. Kill the crime, not the criminal.

28. Ahimsa parmo dharma. Non-violence is the supreme duty.

29. Pleasure knows no malice.

30. Ab pachtaye hot kya jab chidiya chug gayi khet. Gather your rosebuds while you may.

31. Its better to do something and regret than not do something and regret.

32. Swatantrata is my birth right.

33. Pen is mightier than the sword.

34. Life is yagya, aim of life is yoga.

35. Every child is born equal. Deserves nutrition, care and education.

36. Behaviour is the ornament of the person.

37. Saada jeevan uccha vichaar, sadachaar bina sab bekar. Simple life and noble thoughts are futile if not followed in interpersonal behavior.

38. I may not agree with you but will fight with all my life to uphold your freedom to express yourself.

39. Necessity is the mother of invention.

40. A person cannot experience true and lasting happiness as long as there is a single suffering soul in the world.

41. Do not be reckless, frivolous, mean and hateful.

42. Work for the salvation of one and all.

43. When in doubt, listen to heart.

44. Reason can take you from A to B, imagination can take you everywhere.

45. Slow and steady, the journey must be performed.

46. Nurture goodwill.

47. When demands of goodwill are enormous, seek help.

48. Respect time. Respect currents of time. Time and tide waits for nothing.

49. Sun is the source of all surplus energy on Earth.

50.  Water cleans all filth. Water supports all life.

51. Self-disciple is another name for total freedom.

52. Determination, resilience, persistence and conviction are keys to success.

53. Chase excellence and success will chase you.

54. Shuddhosi, Buddhosi, Niranjanosi - You are pure, conscious and taintless.

55. Trust is the foundation of all relationships.

56. Responsible life is a prayer.