a dogmatic life

Perhaps, it has always been there but we tend to notice this of late because of the rampant media coverage in socio-political medium. I am referring to the intolerance that’s brewing within every one of us in response to various situations in our family, office, public places and various other institutions that we visit. Everyone has a right of opinion and that does not been that one set of opinionated thoughts can prevail over others. It’s a mixed society that we live in which should help flourish all kinds of views and expressions in an unmitigated manner. There should not be a reverence to one set of dogmas and impose it over others as if it’s the ultimate truth and way of life. But unfortunately, we are so predicated by our own enshrined doctrines that has been passed on over ages duly modified to suit the powers that be, this is prescribed as the real potion that would give deliverance. Any alternate reaction to it is considered as a revolt against the hallowed canons that’s been worshipped without questions. If we, humans, are to be considered as sane, having sixth sense, to think and to prevail over other forms of life, why do we have to follow the scriptures without understanding the underlying tenets and whether that’s applicable in today’s way of life. May be they were relevant a few centuries or even decades ago, but with the passage of time, everything changes. The way we live, dress, cook our food, eat, work, play etc., it’s not what it used to be even a few years ago, such is the rapid transformation that we see with the onset of technology into our lifestyle. Yet, we don’t change in the way we think, the power that was given and inbred into us since our birth. Because we are indoctrinated since birth.

We are proselytized into living a life that others deem is appropriate to live in our current society. And when I mean society, this could mean a family, village, district, town, city, metropolis and every other country. We need to obey the principles set in at each one of these places and if we were to break free, we are castrated and ostracized from each one of this place as a castaway. So in effect, we are forced to live a life that others want to live or if you wish to oppose the doctrines you face the wrath and the resultant retributions can be in the form of mild verbal abuse to severe physical punishment to comply with the given order. This dogma that I am referring to does not only pertain to religious thoughts and beliefs. This applies even to the way we live our day to day life. How we tend to bring up our children, who are the future order of life. And how they become programmed to lead life in a particular way and in turn how they indoctrinate future generations. When and how can we break this chain. Is it possible at all. Yes, it has to start within each and every one of us and share the common belief that like finger in our hand everyone is different and would want to lead a life vastly different from what we believe and want to. Yes, there has to be a common thread, somewhere, else it would result in utter commotion and disarray. However, that does not mean we are forced by rigidities and absurdities that has not real underlying meaning and veracity.

Just as an example, what I think is different from what my spouse thinks and my child thinks. Yet, somewhere something is superimposed over every one of our thought processes and that becomes the common thread that unites us to lead a common life. Does that mean it’s a happy life. It’s a life…a life that we have been evangelized into living as the right way to live. If we do anything that vitiates the prescribed notions, then we are morally corrupt and need to be castigated and chastised into concurrence. Else, you would be emasculated from this socio-political circle of life. Who is someone to decide what is right and what is wrong in my life. In my opinion, it is these teachings that are passed on from generation after generation that are the cause of all this malaise that is surrounding and eating us like plague. While we do realize and accept this fact, yet no one dares oppose this for the fear of being left out. Being alone in this heavily indoctrinated society. On top of this, there is this fight that one sect or religion is superior over the other and the resultant war that is perpetrated on the innocents that simply want to eke out a life. A terror that looms over the innocents since, it’s easy to be predatory and control the women and children who can’t fight the monstrous atrocities of man. A man who wants to superimpose and project himself as the omnipresent. A man who claims himself to be ubiquitous and all conquering over other humans. Is this not insanity. And humans as I see, would like to be led by a leader who can show them the right path. A path that would absolve them of all so called inbred impurities of life. Again a self-proclaimed mighty warrior who has had ablutions performed by the “God” himself so that he can liberate other poor, innocent souls from their miserable life. And this form of life has been constitutionalized in our day to day life, be it a family, village, district, town, city, metropolis, state and every other country.

I will be generic here, in a family the Man decides the course of life. In a village, the Panchayat head man or steering group decides on the dictum of life. In a district, town, city, it is the legislative council of members, duly elected in a democratic set up and appointed in a socio-communalistic set up, that drives the various legislative acts and pronounces taxes etc., In a state, it is the council of ministers, again duly elected by the general public by casting of vote for a particular party that drives the socio-economic policies for that state. And this goes at the Country level as well. Apart from this, we have various religious and non-governmental organizations and bodies that driver their own set of philosophies. The conundrum of what to listen to and follow confuses the human so much, that he starts to follow the majority rule. And there in comes the versatile political machinations that have been used across centuries and generations of divide and rule based on caste, religion, socio-economic status by the political parties that want to be in the driving seat in a democracy. Even that is not there in countries which are ruled by Kings and Socialists/Communalists who prescribe their own ideologies. All of this results in pitting one set of people against the other so that the majority can prevail over the minority and in most cases it could be the reverse because of the socio-economic power the minority enjoy over the majority.

The above results in disgruntled voices which erupt sometimes as a revolution but are muffled through sheer violence. Unfortunately, in the process it is the innocent women and children who get trampled upon so egregiously and audaciously they can never ever voice their opinion. In short, at every stage of our life, we are programmed to do what others want to do. We think what others want us to think. We are not what we are or what we want to be or what we set out to be. Rather, we are nothing but robots with a real heart and life strings, yet conditioned to live a life that’s predefined and canonized as the ideal life. What a shame. Anyone who wants to step out of this quagmire of life is labeled as intolerant. In reality, who is or what is intolerance. I would define intolerance simply as not willing to accept any form of violent indoctrination, especially to a child and woman as they invariably are dependent on a male dominated society. But in reality, the reverse is what is happening amongst us. The children, women and wishful liberated souls are being pummeled into subservience so that the power hungry minority male bastion can rule over the others in an irrational manner that has no substance or relevance in today’s so called modern life.

#Thoughts