The Limits of “Freedom”

Sweden has just allowed the burning of various religious books. This comes under the ambit of “freedom of expression”. Does a person or persons of a religion or sect openly disrespecting something different from their beliefs, mean the fundamental right to freedom? Is protesting against this so-called freedom yet another fundamental right?

Ancient societies had the tribal chief or the shaman give out a set of rules which particular groups had to abide by. Bringing in the “God” element made it easier to enforce these norms. One of the greatest reasons for the fear of death, is that there is absolutely no reliable knowledge as to what happens after that. There is an equal ignorance as to what happens pre-birth too. Fortunately, by the time one becomes aware of it, birth would have happened long ago.

Just a cursory glance at our primary five senses points out to the existence of an invisible power. It can be as mundane as gravity which keeps us all grounded on this earth. An aeroplane flying, itself is technology which balances the thrust of the aircraft against the ever present pull of gravity.

This invisible but tangible force is Godhood. Abandoned human dwellings get easily taken over by nature. This denotes the fact that while human beings need nature or prakrithi, the converse does not hold true. The existence and subsequent annihilation of dinosaurs prove that nature can be very matter-of-fact in its cycles of creation, sustenance and destruction. This is as unemotional and regular as the day-night patterns.

Human societies grew from small numbers of individuals who had probably equal chances as other creatures at survival, under the pitiless laws of nature. Elephants, one of the wisest, gentlest and most intelligent of species retain a clan memory handed over from matriarch to matriarch to lead the herd and provide them with adequate vegetation to feed off, as well as the copious quantity of water they need.

In the case of human beings, clan or group knowledge can be stored, retrieved and communicated among themselves. From runners, to smoke and mirror signals to telexes to boxy telephones to tiny mobile phones, this whole process has become very sophisticated. As each day goes by, this technology becomes cheaper and therefore more widely available. At the time of the advent of mobile phones, it was a matter of pride as to who carried the sleekest model, with the earlier ones, which looked like television remote controls! Now the washer man who collects and delivers clothes in housing colonies, daily wage labourers, vegetable vendors, auto rickshaw drivers, all have at least one, if not multiple devices. It has become a status symbol now not to own a mobile phone!

As the facilities increased, the best situation should have been a corresponding increase in the quality of life of human beings, flora and fauna. The survival of the fittest and the adaptation of species in nature to cope with changes, is just a method of survival. There is an active sense of cooperation at best, with indifference at worst, among species in the animal world. Except during mating season, when every male becomes a potential seed giver of the next generation, there is camaraderie in groups. Of course, as in all collections of beings, there are always a couple of rogues who are disruptive elements. Most often than not, the particular societies are very well equipped to handle them and protect their core selves. Killing, isolation etc are some of these very effective methods.

Capital punishment and imprisonment in human societies are a take off on this. Eating, drinking, resting, playing, reproducing and dying were the activities of an average animal. It was largely an instinct based map of existence. Human beings, however, by virtue of their own species quality, started diversifying and adding layers after layers to their basic animal activities. Enter agriculture and animal husbandry and pumped water for nourishment, dwelling places for repose, a huge variety of field, adventure, entertainment avenues for playing, elaborate courtship rules for reproducing and a gentle letting go at the time of death. Whether buried or cremated, human beings who have had sustenance from this earth, give it back as manure for future growth.

At the human level, the simple animistic life cycle was long gone from its collective consciousness. An environmental activist, living in a luxurious duplex flat is as much against the earth as carbon emissions. This is because human society is led more by ideas rather than practical experiences. Insisting that the selfsame flat builders incorporate rain water harvesting and greening of the area around by planting indigenous and economically useless trees would be a valid step in the right direction.

As facilities increase our inner connection with our planet diminishes almost in proportion. There are wide eyed kids from America who are entranced by a whippet thin man, squeezing out milk in a steel bucket which has just been cursorily washed. They go swimming in rivers that have spent their monsoon fury. They love stories told to them by grandfather whose age is near three digits. It is ironic that some of the most expensive resorts are the ones which make the guests experience primitive facilities, with just modern toilet conveniences, thrown in for good measure. People are willing to pay exorbitant prices because these places reconnect them, however briefly, to their roots. The importance of connected-ness and being rooted is shown in the presence of mangroves against the scary onslaught of the ocean.

Human beings are becoming almost incestuously close knitted. The idea of a global village, one world government is now very popular. Biology teaches that the fingerprints of every individual are unique. An unwritten code of behaviour is what is needed for the larger survival of human beings who sadly run this earth, however badly.

Wealth will create privacy and the ability to be whimsical within that privacy. The feel good dogmas which tout equality have to be guarded against! There is no equality in creation and it is stupid of humans to play at being super god.

Divinity exists whether human beings do or whether they are aware of it or not. Any other definition of this unknowable, indistinct energy has been created by fellow human beings and is thus in itself, faulty. The word religion in Sanskrit language is “Matham“. This also stands for opinion. When many opinions coincide it becomes a religion. Dīn-i Ilāhī, a movement founded by the Mughal Emperor Akbar failed as it did not have enough numerical takers.

It is ironic to note that materialism and religious fervour are on the rise together. What is needed is introspection. The word “Dhyanam“, sometimes taken to be meditation, has its roots in “Dhi” or brain. Any belief system, however popular and powerful, which aims at destroying the marvellous diversity in region to region, language to language, skin tone to skin tone, has to be carefully and completely reduced over time. Rather than reflect divinity, such mindsets are the breeding grounds of anti-nature, which is the greatest evil and potential threat to all.

About The Author

Lakshmi Bayi

Lakshmi Bayi loves travelling, books, films, and elephants. Writing is her way of muttering to herself