Has Knowledge Failed Humanity?

 

"ज्ञानम् हि  तेषामधिकम् विशिष्टम् ।" It is said that knowledge distinguishes a man from an animal. But how? What is the benefit of knowledge? How has knowledge proved to be useful for humans? What  is the role of knowledge in the life of a human being?

Humans boast of being the homo sapiens. They claim their superiority over other animals due to their knowledge. But, compare a common man with his dog and you will see the latter happier and more content than the former. "Sarvam dukham" which means all is sorrow, has been concluded by Buddha. Ask a person from any corner of the world, if he is happy and pat will be his answer " no." Why does it happen? Why the humans having the superior advantage of knowledge are less happier than their supposedly disadvantaged inferiors. How has knowledge benefited humans? Has it failed humanity? Let us find its answer. 

Knowledge helps humans survive better and longer, giving them power over other animals. Is survival a worthy goal? Yes, of course, it is. It's the opposite of dying, or ending life. Humans are living beings first, then anything else. Protection of life is the first natural and innate urge and worthy goal on which other goals depend. If there is life, only then there may be other things like pleasures, satisfaction, honour, patriotism, piety, religion, loyalty, development, pride and so on. 

But survival is not the only goal which is enough for living beings, specifically for humans and other creatures with the ability of sensory perceptions. If a slave is let to live but under a torturous condition, he may prefer death to life. Even a cow living in a dairy farm under cruel conditions wouldn't like to live, let alone the humans. 

Survival doesn't look like a worthy goal in itself. Though a pet or cattle do not need much, so  do not complain much and are satisfied with the little amenities, humans are a different case. Unlike pets, humans need a lot of things to live. No other animals are heard to commit suicides, but humans are more prone to kill themselves willingly after failing to get their coveted things. Some of such needs which are essential for a human being to be longing to live,are peace,pleasure, happiness, honour, pride and love. 

Food, water, clothes and shelter help a human being survive, but he is not ready to live in the absence of pleasure no matter how less or more frequent and peace. Though pleasure is addictive and produces incremental cravings, humans become involved in gathering more and more, which consumes most of his life space.

 Though peace may be disturbed by rivalry and hostility, he seeks to establish a system which may protect his peace and increase his pleasure. That system is made up of family, society, culture, religion and state etc. The basic goal of all these components is peace and pleasure. As humans want a stable and unbroken state of peace and pleasure, they needed and found knowledge. It helped them have a life of peace and pleasure which was less likely to be disturbed by other creatures. Humans protected themselves against other animals with the help of knowledge.

 But, they have pitiably failed in securing their basic goal of peace and pleasure due to their inability in protecting themselves against their own mind and their own fellow humans. Rarely a man or a woman is seen, living a life of peace and pleasure. 

Has knowledge failed in helping them then ? Yes and no both are the answers. Knowledge is nothing but a tool which can be used as per our desires. Emotions are the users. Feelings are the users. They have not changed since the beginning, though they have become more and more complex. Knowledge as a tool has served both types of emotions, good and bad ones. Knowledge is not the culprit, but emotions are. Feelings, emotions and cravings are the main drivers of the whole human affairs. Thoughts, reasons, science and knowledge are the servants or soldiers. The  latter have become much stronger. 

We need to focus on the feelings and emotions like love which needs to be promoted and hatred which needs to be eliminated. Knowledge is power, but only when it is put in good practice.  

Rationale for Myths

 Rationale for Myths

Many people oppose the construction of temples because they believe in the material reality and not in the existence of false things like gods and goddesses. They call them  myths. Myths  are false beliefs and therefore totally avoidable. Such false beliefs are propagated by religions, according to them, and therefore, they are synonymous with superstition. Religion asks for a kind of blind faith which makes us believe in the unreal and false things. Such beliefs are harmful because they develop in their followers a habit of believing in the unreal and untrue things. "But it gives me happiness." , you may say on which they would say," so does opium. Religion is like opium. It gives an artificial and temporary feeling of ecstasy." You may object to this offencive comparison. " Both  are the same in their effects as they cut off a man from his reality. Any pleasure which is based on an unreal and temporary mental stimulus is harmful as it will result in disappointments and frustrations in future." They will explain it to you. 

Let us consider this subject a bit more deeply and in detail. What is real? What is unreal? What is true? What is false? Is there  a connection between reality and goodness? Is truth always good? Must truth necessarily be good? What is the use of truth? Is it possible to live a good life by believing in the truth conceptualized by materialists?

In my opinion, which is not in contrast to the great idea of SATYAM SHIVAM SUNDARAM, the truth is what is good. Broadly speaking, truth is good forever and for everyone, or as much as possible. Testing on this standard, many supposed true things cease to be true anymore because they are limited in their effects and reach.

Myth is imagination. Though it may be false,It forms a kind of reality which may be called imagined reality. Its effect  is real and great. Its purpose is to fulfill the desire for knowing the reason behind natural events( gods and goddesses, legends, stories), the desire for self importance( tales about the glory of one's family, dynasty,  country,  religion and caste). If the myths are created by a generous and altruistic desire, it is good. But, it's bad if it's created by a desire for pettiness, ego fulfillment,  greed and selfishness and escapism.

"Myth is avoidable because it is untrue. It's untrue because it doesn't exist. It doesn't exist because I cannot perceive it through my senses. I call untrue those things which cannot be perceived by me through senses, though it may exist in my thoughts.", said a champion  of materialism. Here, there are two problems. First, it's incorrect to call true only that which is perceptible through senses because it excludes the mathematical laws and the laws of science etc which are known through reason. Second, even the ability of human perception is very limited and narrow.

If we call real and true only those things which are permanent and true everywhere and everytime, myths are more real due to their comparative permanence in the consciousness of a large society. They encompass, sometimes, a whole nation and sometimes the whole world. The myths like socialism, individualism, democracy, nationalism, equality and  liberty are present in more minds than expected. The empirical truths like the taste of some dish, smell of some flower, sound of some birds etc are more subjective than objective. Their perceptions vary from person to person. 

Many myths, though they are consciously created with some specific purposes, become real thanks to their popularity and effects. Myths of God, gods, goddess, ghosts, chastity, patriotism, loyalty etc are some of such myths.

There is no harm in holding such myths true, as long as they are not harmful. If they are doing good, there is no need to dig deep and try hard to prove them false. As there is nothing true in the world except the Vedantic concept of Brahman, everything is true and good ,if it does and results in good.

There is no society in the world which has lived without myths. Even today, we believe in some modern collective myths like humanity, money, state, and nationalism etc. Myths have been greatly successful in effectively uniting people to realize some common goal which would not have been achieved individually in fragmented efforts. Religions have been the most reliable sources of inspiration for billions of people to do good to their neighbors. They have, with their myths and stories, set billions of simple minded people on the path of goodness. Many myths have filled the lives of the billions with love and hope. It will be a completely illogical and extremely cruel and harmful act to advocate against myths. Let them keep guiding humanity towards love and happiness.