Horizontal & Vertical Societies
How do you cut
across a philosophy or an idea which you are not in favour of? Not with sly
ridicule, I’m sure! Every stream of thought has been formulated for the
well-being of Man and Nature. Certain thought systems are so inclusive that
Multiverse itself is encompassed! Such an expanse! Even otherwise, one should
treat every philosophy with respect. After all, they are reflections of some
noble minds for the betterment human condition.
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| jyothi basu k- oil on canvas- "order breaks from within" |
See how Osho bares his dislike towards Communism.
Have you seen a
pond? Osho asks. The water needs treatment, at least agitate it to prevent contamination.
Stillness is against growth. If everybody becomes equal, the society gets
stagnant. No winners anywhere in sight. No success stories. The driving force
to get ahead is absent. Only poverty gets shared equally! One gets some solace
in seeing that all are equally poor—no first among equals! The status-quo will remain, resulting in
stillness, like the water in the pond. Socialism has got an inherent drawback. It
can’t be installed in a dynamic society.
Oddly enough, he
explains, the pre-condition for progress is inequality. There is an urge to surpass
and outstrip others. In a society where everyone is placed in uni-sized slots,
people lose the drive and under-utilize their human potential. Equality is not
inherent in Nature. The idea is thrust upon humankind.
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| jyothi basu - invasion - oil on canvas |
Not at all. Osho
is wrong. The idea is as old as the hills! The cornerstone of Vedanta is
samabhavana or abhedachinta where one does not differentiate between oneself
and other beings. No discrimination of any kind. In my (plebeian) opinion,
mechanical equality is impractical and bizarre. Its ridiculous too. Equality in
society should be based on a normalised scale. (Think of the normalising
process when you convert your State Syllabus, CBSC, ICSC scores into a
level-playing base).
In Communism,
everybody puts in whatever s/he can. No targets and Q-reviews! In return, one
is fully taken care of! His/her requirements are fulfilled. Not requests,
please note. Needs do matter, not wants. Discrimination in terms of
religion, caste, race and wealth is banished already as a pre-requisite. Most importantly, all are given equal
opportunity for quality up-gradation. This idea is the most effective equalizer one
can think of. Communism is spiritual of course, though God is
not anywhere in the picture. For the simple reason that spirituality is nothing
but the practice of Selflessness and cultivation of Love.
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