ON CIVILIZATION

ON CIVILIZATION

We hate other people, other religions, castes, communities, faiths and languages! We cheat others, involve ourselves in frauds. We loot the properties of others, and are greedy for them. We murder others for gain. We are violent and have no tolerance for anything against our opinion! We do not respect the feelings of others or try to understand them. We have become slaves of the machine and worship Mammon, the God of wealth! We are ready to do anything for the sake of  money. We have forgotten the great values inherited from our forefathers!  Lust has overtaken most of us! We gloat over our city life and the tremendous advancement of science and technology! Rapes, abductions, robberies and other activities have become the order of the day! Yet we call ourselves civilized human beings! Are we really qualified to call ourselves a civilized society? That is the question that every single individual has to ask himself and pause for an answer!

“We wear clothes, and speak, and create civilizations, and believe we are more than wolves. But inside us there is a word we cannot pronounce and that is who we are”  says a renowned writer. According to another writer there is no such thing as civilization. The word just means the art of living in cities! “ Civilization is like a thin layer of ice upon a deep ocean of chaos and darkness” remarks Werner Herzog. Roy Bradbury says that our civilization is flinging itself to pieces!The great saint Ramalinga Swamigal commented that many wild animals have come as human beings! The Industrial Revolution ushered in a new era of comfort and convenience leading to the spectacular and incredible advancement of science and technology. In a craze for easy life and luxury, man has given up many of his essential qualities! He has begun to control and manipulate many things in nature but has lost control over himself! He has forgotten the true purpose of his existence and the values he should cherish!

Who are the civilized people? They respect human beings as individuals. They are tolerant, gentle, courteous and amenable.They do not make you feel they are confering a great benefit on you when they live with you and they don’t make a scandal when they leave. They cannot see scams and cases of bribery and corruption. Compassion for all including beggars and dogs and cats is the quality of a civilized human being. He will not throw puppies or kitten from the third or fourth floor of the building! Their hearts suffer the pains of what is hidden to the naked eye. They respect other people’s properties, and pay their debts and taxes. They don’t evade taxes and stash away their money in foreign banks and havens! They do not tread devious paths and fear lies as they fear fire! Even in trivial matters they speak the truth. They never put on airs. They do not show off  to impress others! They never try to elicit the sympathy of others.

Vanity is not in their blood. They are not elated by praises or ruffled by criticism. They regard praises as absurd. They know that empty vessels make the loudest sound! They are talented and value it the most. They are proud of their talent and realize their responsibility to exert a civilizing influence on others! They are fastidious in their habits. They work at developing their aesthetic sensibilities as Anton Chekhov puts it. They are mostly devoid of egoism which is the seed of greed, envy, anger, malice, conceit and a host of other tendencies that drag them down. “ A man without human qualities is like a  flower without smell, a fruit without juice and a cow that cannot give milk.” Says Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba.!

“Civilization is built on what is required of man, not on that which is provided for them.” declares a great writer!  Much of the present misery of society can be mitigated and overcome if there is a curb on desire. “ Reducing desires is the true mark  of civilization” says  Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba. The present day conflicts between nations is because of a desire for power and position.China desires to have all rights over the South China Sea!  America and other nations have a desire to have rights over it! The ISIS has a desire to convert the whole world to Islam! This unusual retrogressive desire has plunged the entire world into chaos! Terrorism has taken the toll of millions of innocent lives and there is no respite. Pakistan wants Kashmir and India has to bear the brunt of cross border terrorism because of Pakistan’s desire! Where is the end for this desire?  Unless there is a ceiling on desires among nations and individuals, society cannot remain peaceful! Civilization has no meaning and the world cannot be peaceful if the present situation persists! Let us remind ourselves that we should remain civilized and keep the society too civilized!!