Ideology and human goodness

Anything which makes us more human, more awakened is good. If religion makes us more broad-minded and more humane then it is good. If what we read makes us more understanding and cognitive of democratic virtues and humane vales then our reading is in the right direction. But if our religion or studies make us more narrow-minded and tradition-bound then what good can come out of it? To become an educated fool cannot be the end of a really worthy life.

The spirit and the letter of a book, that too ancient books, are always different. The letter belongs to an age which is archaic. But if understood in the best of human interests, the spirit of the book may still be inspiring. When you try to understand the spirit, the 'authorities' of the letter become tense and expect you to apply for their sanction, nod and approval. According to them, preferably, you get the whole sense of the text from them. Generally people who are meek and who want easy ways to wisdom prefer to toe their guidance. But it need not be like that, especially if you prefer to retain your freedom of thinking and self-autonomy. Your sincere efforts and meticulous study are guidance enough to make you arrive at any essential and meaningful concept of any path. So don't load any 'authorities' over your head, when you are quite sufficient as a human being.

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You see, we take to reading to gain knowledge and expand our awareness. The immediate help are the books. Thank God, not like the olden days, when to read or study a work you have to devote a considerable part of your time to get the work from others in any form. Then aids to understanding are another task in those days. If you are fortunate you may get something. But our age has crossed all such miasma. Now chances for knowledge are plenty and free. Only thing is you must have that passion and need.

But while reading there are subtle games played by us, by society and by who not and by what not. When we are deep into any subject we tend to appreciate great people who have very clearly explained things. And we feel extremely grateful when we read the original masters who have given us various theories in various subjects. But so far so good. But the matter does not end there. Slowly we idolize the authors we like in our minds and develop what is called 'hero-worship'. Any worship makes you blind to the aspects of criticism in the person or the field. We tend to attribute only great and sweet things to our idols. That is either we must eulogize or spew hatred. These extremity-addiction is another virus that slowly gets into our mind. But all these show that we possess a bad self-confidence. If we are confident about ourselves we should be more creative in our reading and that too in our reading of very ancient masters to whom we think nothing but salutations should be in our minds.

Another thing, just because we identify something wrong in what has been said by a person contemporary or old need not disturb our general attitude of like or respect to that person. Perhaps we must be more realistic and compassionate both to that person and to us.

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