Written Messages

Paris 

5.8. 2020

 

 

This message summarizes the Chapter 7, 8, 9 of Professor Yuval Noah Harari’s third excellent book stated above.

Chapter 7

 

Here the global problem of ‘Nationalism’ has been considered. At the outset, let me mention that Indians usually refer to their nation as ‘Bharat Mata’ (Mata means mother). This is not seen anywhere else. There is no such thing as ‘Japan Mata’, France Mata’ or ‘UK Mata’ or ‘Sweden Mata’! Someone’s love for own mother, automatically includes natural love and respect for all other mothers. Thus an Indian consciousness cannot make itself available to narrow, bigoted nationalism which was the cause of many nasty wars. Ultimately,  good sense prevailed by organizing United Nations. Still, tensions continue unabated, under this or that pretext. Global answers, not merely national, are needed. No American ‘Capitalist’ answers or North Korean or Chinese ‘Nationalist’ answers! Not even silly slogans ‘make love, not war’ of hippies, can bring harmony and peace among the nations! Capitalists’ pleasure of acquisition and ordinary nations’ fear of annihilation — are to be seen, understood and thus overcome in order to usher in a global community of humans, inspite of natural love for one’s own motherland and mother-language.

Humans have to face nuclear challenge, and bring an end to wars in Syria, Ukraine and several other hot spots; but fewer people perhaps died from violence than from obesity, car accidents and suicides! Meditative process, that is, non-action of ‘I’-ness generating the highest action of comprehension and compassion, is the way to save mankind from disaster! Let there be a robust system of international co-operation to protect the world from nuclear destruction, global warming and ecological disaster. Let us look at things from a global or even a cosmic perspective, not merely a nationalistic view of silly vanity and vulgar vested interests.

 

Chapter 8

 

Here the problems emanating from ‘Religion’ has been elaborately pointed out. The word ‘religion’ has the ancient Greek root ‘religos’ which means gathering of energy to see ‘what is’. Unfortunately, religion now provokes us to indulge in all kinds of ‘what should be’s as fantasised and promoted by priest-crafts to keep us heavily conditioned and confused.

 

Can religions help us to solve the major problems that we face such as : —

 

1)          Technical problems such as global warming etc..

2)          Policy problems such as what measures should governments adopt to tackle the problems.

3)          Identity problems such as ‘our’ problems and ‘your’ problems.

 

Traditional religions are largely irrelevant to (1) and (2). But these religions interfere too much at the level of our identities as priests and gurus interfere  to make all kinds of excuses and justifications to keep people amused in their belief-systems and bigotry.

 

But these beliefs too become quite controversial in the long run even though Rabbis, Ayatollahs, Christian Priests, Sunni Mullahs, Veda Pundits never stop interfering. Mahatma Gandhi also recommended certain policies regarding self-sufficient agricultural communities, spinning their own khadi clothes, exporting little and importing even less. He made the humble spinning wheel as the symbol of Indian nationalist movement. Now, not much has remained of it, except Mahatma’s radiant image on India’s billion & billions of  rupee-notes! Religions do not have much to contribute to the policy debates of our time. There can be no such things as Christian economics, Muslim economics, Jewish economics or Hindu economics.

Human power depends on mass co-operation, mass co-operation depends on manufacturing mass identities, based on fictional stories known as ‘religions’. There are no such things as Shiite bureaucracy, Sunni capitalism or Jewish physics. All kinds of horrible practices and traditions are maintained under the banner of ‘religion’. Japanese ‘’Shinto’’ is mind-boggling.

 

The North Korean regime indoctrinates its subjects with a fanatical state religion called ‘Juche’! This is a mix of Marxism-Leninism, some ancient Korean traditions, a racist belief in the unique purity of the Korean race, and the deification of Kim Il-Sung’s family line. Kims are considered as descendants of a ‘sun goddess’ and they are worshipped with more fervour than any other ‘god’ in history! Traditional religions or the shared fictions, ensure mass co-operations. These are humanity’s problems —- not a part of the remedy! Religions consolidate national identities and can  even ignite the third world war! These religions do not solve the global problems of 21st Century.

 

 

Chapter 9

 

Here the problems, arising from Immigration, have been discussed in detail. It has been suggested that immigration may happen on the basis of the following terms : —

 

1)         The host country allows the immigrants in.

2)         In return, the immigrants embrase the core norms and values of the host country.

3)         When the immigrants assimilate sufficiently they are full members of the host country. ‘They’ become ‘us’.

 

There are pro-immigrationists and anti-immigrationists, arguments and counter-arguments, objections and rejections galore, in favour of and against. A lot of injustice and exploitation continue unabated in the name of ‘we’ and ‘they’’ - especially in Arab countries like Qatar and other Gulf states. Israel wants to allow in only Jews. Poland agrees to absorb Middle Eastern refugees on condition they are Christians. Is this not distasteful — to say the least ? But Israeli or Polish voters assert that this is perfectly within their rights!

 

There is strong scientific evidence : — Biological differences between Europeans, Africans, Chineese, Native -American, Arabs, Indians, Mongolese, Aborigines of Australia - Newzealand, South Africa etc, etc are just negligible, inspite of the contrary stupid claims worldwide. According to ancient Indian understanding (stated in Bhagavad Gita — at least ten thousand years ago) — natural traits and tendencies of human beings are to be classified in four groups:

 

I - Those who have hardly any initiative to take any risk due to lethargy. So they do jobs under employers to make a living. In Sanskrit language, this group of people is called ‘Shudra’.

II - There are people who refuse this attitude and remain independent by making money through enterprises or business. They are called ‘Vaishyas’.

 

III - There are people who would like to protect other people, the society and the country by joining police or army or the security forces. They are known as ‘Kshatriyas’.

IV -  There are those who like only learning and teaching in a simple life-style. They have been called ‘Brahmins’.

But mind and its mischiefs have created the nasty ‘caste’ system in India and a heirarchy of the worst kind, instead of understanding the basic wisdom of all these discoveries of ancient sages.

 

Let humanity rise above racism and comprehend fully, the sacred significance of Culturism, automatically & effortlessly, to emerge as citizens of the world despite the sabotages being attempted by fanaticism and terrorism of some stupid human brains. Let there be global perfection in understanding each other, rather than narrow perversions of selfish undertakings.

 

Jai All Humans of our planet.