Nov 25, 2024
Nov 25, 2024
This is an age old controversy and a continuing conflict between acceptance and resistance. Are these two negative forces, contradicting to each other or are they mutually complimenting? Do these concepts affect every individual or household or the society at large, and if so, is it affecting temporarily, locally or globally or affecting independent of time and space? Should the intelligence ponder over these queries with unbiased, impartial, non-political and impersonal way? Should we not analyze the good and bad aspects of these concepts in depth and come to logical and practicable solutions?
Many theories come and go. New theories keep sprouting like mushrooms and annihilate by themselves. Some of them infect like epidemic and spread in a limitless way and annihilate the sanity and sanctity. They affect the human happiness and peace in the society.
A proper systems study and systems analysis is required before jumping to conclusions. Apparently much can be said on either side. But say it appropriately!
Acceptance is stronger with resistance. Constructive resistance and reaction are the basis for the Nature’s progress. A seed put in a soil with appropriate atmospheric conditions would sprout and come out as a plant breaking the soil which is its native residence. If the atmospheric conditions are not suitable the seed may not germinate. If the seed is infected before it is sown, it will die in the soil itself. If the soil is full of bacteria or fungus that kills the sprout, the germination stops. If the plant comes up in spite of circumstantial conditions, pollination by the natural agencies would cause natural fertilization. This leads to a progeny and continuity of the species. Any interference of any unhealthy and unnatural forces would seriously affect the progeny and consequently the genealogy.
Man interferes with nature to exploit nature. As the abuse of nature increases beyond a limit, the nature would react adversely. Nature too has tolerance limits. When the nature is forced to cross these limits the adverse effects would have devastating effect on all the species in the nature, man being no exception. This study addresses a small sample, to begin with.
Nature maintains pure strains of plants and animals. Animals have instinct to maintain their strains without getting polluted. They produce quality products maintaining their purity and sanctity. It is the interference of the greedy man that trains the plants and animals to tread a polluted path by favoring cross pollination of compatible species. Gradually the greed increases and breeds more quantity with least quality.
Man finds pride in making naturally incompatible species forcibly partially compatible exploiting the parts of the process of reproduction polluting in an indirect way using artificial pollination or artificial insemination and producing a hybrid variety. Once he succeeds with one experiment of hybridization, he masters the hybrid species and the original strains are lost in the hybrid world. Later, at a stage, no one would even know that they had a geniality from a pure strain. The memory is lost. Genetic mutations will go to the extent of becoming unfriendly with their parental systems. A day will come when the DNA itself is changed so that no species would inherit any qualities from its parents. That is when the nature becomes purposeless. Chilies would turn sweat! Lions would become lambs!!
How nice would it be if there is no destruction at all! Man’s dreams are great and devastating with his greed polluted thoughts. He is totally ignorant of the future effects of the present research, as he goes deeper against nature losing his own nature to live with nature. This is how he denies accepting nature. That is the beginning of resistance to nature.
Greed is the cause for the devastation occurring in a natural way leading to gradual annihilation or the ‘Pralaya’ where the nature loses its capabilities of self-correction and self-balancing mechanisms and grows wild, learning resistance from man (affected by man’s resistance to accept nature) causing total annihilation.
A man trains a monkey to be friendly with him to obey his orders to climb a tall coconut tree, which he by himself cannot climb and makes it select the mature coconut to pluck and bring it down for him. Man saves his effort and uses money to not to engage another skilled person. While this exploitation is monetarily beneficial to the mankind, we are losing on two fronts. One, the money produces such monkeys which are trained from their birth to climb trees to pluck mature coconuts by their parental training. They don’t mix with other monkeys who enjoy natural freedom.
Secondly, the skill of climbing a tall coconut tree, balancing himself at such a height and attending to the maintenance requirements at that level, which he usually does when he plucks a coconut, etc., are lost. Man becomes subservient to a monkey! If for some reason, the monkey refuses to climb the coconut tree, the man is doomed. He would put in a situation where he is helpless as he doesn’t have the skill and the skilled one refuses to work.
Thus a balanced exploitation would help but un-limitedness would cause greater problem. Side effects at times are more dangerous that the disease itself.
Man follows the path of least resistance. Though risky, he gets the kick of taking risk and enjoys it with pride forgetting that he is giving a wrong message to others that life is not worthy if you don’t take risks. Some limited risk taking may be necessary but shouldn’t become a habit to ultimately lose oneself. It is risky to swim but use it when you have no alternative.
Nature provides man with some natural instincts that are commonly provided to the plants and animals. The discriminative power is provided as an instinct in plants and animals whereas in a man, it is provided separately through his intellect. He can take decisions using his intellect whereas an animal would discriminate by its instinct. The animal by instinct knows which plant would cure its ailment, searches for it, finds it by instinct and cure itself. It doesn’t require a veterinary doctor. Since the pet animals are fed by artificial feed given by the man who prevents the animal from using its instinct, man needs veterinary doctors as we use human treatment modified to suit the animals as we feel it fit. Thus man, in his exploitation, pollutes the animals and plants. The health of a man depends on the health of fellow beings, and the plants and animals that support him. Animal don’t have intellect and so they have no greed too.
Greed is a blessing. It all depends on how a person uses his greed, anger and the associated qualities, appropriately as to get continued happiness. One who uses them for selfish ends suffers continuously. He would never be happy. The only way to feel happy always is to use these forces in a positive way to help others and the society. One should have the greed to help more and more. Bring more and more people together to make them happier, peaceful and contented. Such greed is positive. Similarly using anger to achieve higher heights mentally and spiritually would be a positive way of utilizing that internal force for the good of the society.
Any philosophy is acceptable provided it is for the continuous good of the society. Selfish ends are good if they don’t harm others. If one is selfish in attaining the everlasting bliss by utilizing the negative forces positively in a positive manner, it would be exemplary. One who learns accepting everything that comes to him for a progressive purpose he can never be discontented.
Most fights are based on the understanding the individuals as their logic is based on differing principles. One should analyze each principle testing its significance by the results it produces in the long run. One simple test is to apply the principle on oneself before his asking others to follow it. Try to keep yourself in the others position and see how you would react. Without proper understanding, everyone will be against even a good principle. So the basic requirement is to understand the principle and see whether it produces happiness forever. If it does, then why contradict it?
Acceptance and resistance are reflections of the understanding or otherwise of the principles and thus two situations. Even if the principle is good, resistance comes because of ignorance. The solution to ‘fighting’ is to make the ignorant knowledgeable. Clarifications of doubts or questions and suitable training will prove helpful in resolving conflicts. However, strong the ego be, an amount of openness will cure the infights which are responsible for human suffering.
Most unrest in the human beings is because of lack of proper understanding. Thus the divisions occur in a united society. Various sects sprout up from a single religion. Use resistance in a positive way to make acceptance universal. This comes up if one is internally contented.
Namaste Pedananna, A thought provocating discussion. Namaste Madhav |