Dichotomic Being

Human being as we live together have created values, norms and standards which members of the society have to adhere to it. These innovation is the thread that holds the society together and gives meaning in living with one another. But through-out the history of mankind, human creativity has not only been used for creating viable environment but also have used for taking advantage of the prevailing situation. Some human being have created a very foxy (cunning) and deceiving way of scapegoating the existing status qua in a manner like adhering to it. Where many naïve citizens may hardly comprehend and in sire ignorance may assist the predator to hunt it well. All this values, norms and standard might have been evolve era after era with evolving necessity. Thus ‘necessity’ is the precedence of all this creation. Which means there already exist the problems where members of society could not live together in harmony like a society and common values, norms and standards are just an effort to restraint from society being consume up by those problems. So, in order to sustain society man has evolved like in the poem ‘the two face’ where we appear acceptable and meantime have our own wicked way. No wonder when the world is celebrating for match won, crying for match lost in World-Cup at the same time people of Iraq was haunted, murder and kidnap by some extremist. Cities around the world is a place for the richest and the poorest. We have adapted and are used to all this contradiction. So, here below are few dichotomic drama laid out in our society.

The best way to rob is to preach against it and you will be least suspected.

Go to war in the name of peace and you will be least condemn.  

Fight war in the name of the good against the evil and you will be assisted to become monster in the name of the former (goodness). But the fact is war is always fought between one from of evil against another form of evil.

Love two enemies and let them fight your own war.

Divide in the name of unification and you and you will be divided sooner.

Conquer in the name of liberation and you will find admirer.

To lead is to rule is to divide and rule, you can still called it a fare game. 

Be democratic if you want to control dissent and you will be least watch.

Strive for public good if you have ambition for private good and you will get opulent quick.

Try for your best smile if you are going to deceive someone for you are deceiving anyway.

Seek justice to conceal your unjust act and you will earn some sympathy.

Preach equality if you have intention of oppressing someone and you will find no Nemeses.

Taking opportunity by not taking opportunity in opportune time, you capitalize your stake at someone’s faith.

To insult Just praise more than necessary, a clear massage will be send as we already live in sarcasm. 

Practice austerity sometimes so that you live flamboyantly all the other time and you will be least envy of.  

Preach nobility and conceal your hedonism and you will find followers who will never leave you alone in your hedonist persuade.

Just get bold without any elements and you will earn some good critics.

Indoctrinate in the name of education and they will make sure they get blind with all their efforts and investment.

Strenuously voice for justice seekers overseas and for stranger thousand miles away so that you don’t have to move a toe for justice seeker in your own backyard.

Believe and practice charity and so your dominance will last and will be felt in dread.   

Discourse harmony and raise of GDP and that’s the best way to disguise/mislead the mammoth disparity within.  

Say you detest power and richness only when you occupy in power and dwelt in richness and your job is half done. Saying so you have conned many.

First disempower and promise empowerment and partially empowered them, in long run partial empowerment will be taken of real empowerment like promising a car and giving a bicycle and thrusting successfully into believing that bicycle is a car.     

Lastly and the least, like in the old story of ‘fox and grapes’ we may still claim grapes are sour if you cannot deceive anyone.

Education in search of a philosophy by Marjorie Sykes

‘Education in search of a philosophy’

The author writes in a very simple language and very much resonate to the kind of ideology our organization believe in. The book give a good historical background of various approach mention in our present progressive educational policies like NCF. The argument and justification of those ancient thinkers are also mention clearly with very rich relevant quotes.  The book starts by trying to answer the quest, why history repeats itself? The answer to it is vividly given by Vinoba as ‘history repeats itself because people never learn from history’. NCF-2005 and all recent education policies spoke about every child as unique, Active learner and Activity base learning but all this concept has be propounded as early as Socrates and Plato in ancient Greek, in Vedic age, Quintilian in ancient Rome, Rabindranath Tagore, Quintilian, Vittorino, Comenius from Poland, Pestalozzi, Froebel, Nunn, British philosopher Alfred North whitehead and Eric Formm social philosopher besides other thinkers. But still today in 21^st century we are struggling against rote learning, against child as an empty vessel, bookish learning wordy and lecture mood teaching. So this reality totally affirms that man never learn from history.

Reading this book will surely come handy when we try to dialogue with teachers during our engagement with them. The misconception or misappropriation of the meaning of education was dealt in the book.   The origin of the school which means leisure derive from Greek word “skhole”  and does not mean idleness but a place of  pursuit of intelligence and justice (by Plato) and Vignanam (understanding) and Anand (joy) (as inherent of human being in Taittiriya Upanishad). But the current education under the influence of education as instrumental (utilitarian) purpose was totally the antithesis of its origin. It has become a place where school is a place of pressure, burden, mechanical excellence, competition without understanding and cramp in a small class room and student seated in a most painful position.

As the author summaries about human being in the following ways it was a reality check our educational approach in what we try for and the mess it has created:

1) Human being is an intelligent animal he is also a creature who does not live by bread alone but by understanding and by joy

2) Therefore education for livelihood and education for living are both necessary, but both must promote growth in understanding and in joy if they are fully to satisfy human needs.

3) The education system in India fails to provide satisfactory either for livelihood or for living because

a.      It is a highly competitive process of selection for only one form of livelihood, Viz the clerical occupations

b.      competitive pressure leaves no leisure for disinterested pursuit of knowledge or skill for its own sake

The book dealt in detail about the purpose of the education as it talks about education where ‘thoughts are provoke’ like the one put forth by Gandhi and in the ‘thinking school of Buddhism’ and the current education system where there is no space for thinking as a child have to memories so many figures and facts. Socrates ways of reasoning and questioning for transforming present system has scope in current education. The current educational sickness is clearly pointed out by quoting  Heraclitus of ancient Greek who said that much knowledge does not teach understanding where our education encourage acquisition of factual or verbal knowledge rather than independent inquiry which leads to understanding. The book help you to understand a balance approach (idealistic and realistic) when the author dealt about the debate of spinning for Swaraj between Gandhi and Tagore.

Another very interesting topic is on issue of ‘discipline’ in school. The nature of discipline that should be rejected and the nature of discipline that should be promoted in order to facilitate children development are dealt effectively. The author lament about education which does not promote the joy of understanding, the desire and curiosity for excellence but mediocre base on pass mark and percentage base examination.  She talk about the danger of society who wanted to exploit nature and own it rather than living in reverence with the nature.

When the author talk about consumer society it would be prick our conscience more than the target group we are engage with.  It may sound an alarm ring if you introspect as the author speak about the greed, the wanton, and nasty destruction of environment around us all facilitate by educational process. All her argument are supported by metaphoric expression done by various thinkers like Tagore, Gandhi and Vinoba (Indian Thinkers) so her outside identity has less factor in relevance of the book.  The author help you to differentiate vocational education from education effective from the argument of its motives.

In the second chapter ‘Education for citizen’s’ dichotomy about state made for man and man not for state over the idea that every man does not belong to himself but to state and each every part of state was dealt with. The author rise the question societal responsibility or state responsibility in education. The conflict of individual freedom, real liberty, freedom of speech when education is totally control by state was discussed with very interesting references. The author asked some important question such as, Are teacher accountable to state or society? The author question our society if individual worth, personal freedom and dignity has been compromise in the name of conformity, class consciousness, materialism or nationalism? Are we celebrating the diversity and are we unified by our common belief? Does our school reflect democratic nature or thus it represent hierarchical or authoritarian experience among the children?  Are our education promoting socialist democratic society? Does our education teach us that physical labor is below the dignity of an educated man?  The materialistic emphasis and negligence of values in public education is a serious threat to democratic and socialist character of our nation. The author therefore express ‘education for individual’ as equally important as ‘education for citizens’. The vigilant, critical and concern citizens are the need of the nation and not a blind nationalist or ignorant citizens.  The above question is equally important for us as teacher’s educator and citizens as well. The book would help us to think of ourselves as universal being not bind under a mere Nation, state, culture or religion Etc. The book may have done justice to its title in search of Philosophy but if it argument are substantiate more by her class room teaching experience the problem of Praxis may be minimize. The book may also fine more reader in that case.   

It’s time to ‘let’

Dazzling ‘truth’ buried

Humanity blind of humane

Destiny detested and confine to defined gory

No gain but learn least,

‘Wisdom’ calls out and yet few care

Few come but fewer last

Meekly and lowly lies her lover

But her spirit waits undying so,

It’s time to let-

Miser in mercy redeemed!

Kindness kindles far and wide!

Joy joins the journey of the laden!

Revel, rave and rejoicing revive!

Little Ode to Love

I knew not much, but not least I see

I knew where thee is, so the quest is how much of you 

I cannot foresee far, but will never forsake thus far

               Foster may your love on me, will not my heart feast?

              Grace me with Novelty and Nobility you own

              Ink a little link between us, shall be my Queen 4ever

‘Bella’ shall be your name: romance of Romeo shall be yours

Odds of life will douse up with you by my side

Spring shall session our voyage and VIBGYOR ring shall witness it

           Words may cease, breeze may stand still but not our tale

            Piously will I subsume to the fragrance of your likeness

            Whence you wind up on me you will still find me un-whack

Everlasting shall be my oath and abundant shall be my Love

oh!Wisdom come and raise my up from my ignorance

I shall embrace you. I will swear by your astute

‘Non Violence’ or ‘Not Violent--’

If somebody strike you suddenly with the question, Are you violent person? What would you likely answer? Nope (with confidence) or Noh (with little stammer) or oh yea I was But once upon a time and not anymore or etc. etc. All responses would be based on past experience of being not violent or violent. But the quest here is to explore if ‘not violent’ person suffice upholding of the principle of ‘Non-Violence’. If somebody uses ‘Non-violence’ and ‘Not-Violent’ interchangeably it may not grab the attention of many laymen like me. I am trying to segregate formidable synonyms where both appear so similar yet could be ocean wide apart. Let me try to put up my own argument and tore apart the two for both are antithesis of each other though it may sounds alike (according to me with least concern what other thinkers have said).

 Non-violence is a principle. To be in state of Non-Violence is to proclaim to be upholder of non-violence. It means to completely denounce violence, It is proved during tested times, It is to be attained or reached upon, It is a way of life covering every aspect of lives. Its perfection is hard to attain but one may considered attended its astute when domination of Non-violence over all other approach in his life. Non-violence is a principle which is abided by it and it alone unconditionally. But, it is also the victim of its own goodness, it is either museumized or idolized and hardly practice. To be in state of Non-violence is to persuade non-violence in oneself and on to fellow human being.   

My suspicion of the reason when a ‘person is not violent’ goes beyond the code of non-violence mention above. Are we not violent just because our threshold of getting violent has not been tested?  it means lack of opportunity to ignite this threshold? Are we not violent people because of the consequences violence produce? Or for the reason the violence itself is wrong and immoral? If the reason is the former one then we have expertise the art of living a deceiving life. There is no guarantee that our thought is not violent but it is just that it is not acted out which makes us a cowardice with dual face. This means we could compromise so many other aspects of our lives values, standard or moral at opportune time without any difficulty. Being in state of not violent hyper activates our imaginative visualization, at will we may kill or knock down a person thousand times without even make a slightest of angry gesture.  It is like a dormant volcano where its activation is completely unpredictable and just waiting opportunity for its outburst. Being in state of not-violent one can profess it very comfortably and even preach but instigate violence very characteristically. Their imagination and creativity could bring out cases and situation where non-violence could be held at stake, conditioned, superficial or its concept extended. Like in Muna bahi MBBS a Gandhian thrashing the villain blue and black just because Gandhi says nothing about how to treat who slap on the second chin. Many systems in our society may be not-violent yet fails scrutiny of code of Non-Violence. Ironically those systems are the one promoting and polarizing violence and on the other hand even the very reason of controlling much destructible violence that could happen. Prevention or controlling of violence violently is a classic example of the system.

So the question is, are we not violent consciously or unconsciously? It could be very dangerous if we are unconsciously not violent and don’t have the right reason for not being violent. Look at our society today. More people were killed or injured not by the one who profess violent (terrorist or goons) but by the normal citizens. State have mechanism to handle and control violence from the one who profess it but System or law has no solution to control the diverse nature of problem lease out by eruption of not-violent people. The helplessness is for the one who are bearer of the violence yet act out a live of not-violent life. It is hard to be healed as they hardly get activate and it stay in unconscious state. I am equally susceptible to this social virus. After thinking a lot I concluded I am equally helpless and so all I could do is kept myself busy instigating peace consciously for I may outgrow the little devil in me someday.

The good The Bad and The Ugly

Some are wise other otherwise,

Some are save other enslave

Some vanquish and some vanish,

Some are anguished and some Perquisite,

Some live and some are lifted,

Some are drawn and some drown,

Some are different and some are indifferent,

Some are meek other maverick,

Some are coy and other coed,

Some are mild and other malign,

Some yack and some are yoked,

Some are shown some are shoo.

Through some rhyming words the writer is trying to lament upon how people are treated, acted and perceived. All the relationship constituting the society seems dynamic and subjective. Depending on the context we acted out accordingly. Likewise, societal phenomenon is not different. Why than do we think, acted and perceived these way? The writer credited the above mystery to the unique and conjoint characters of individual being. Every individual is a composition of the characters of the good the bad and the ugly. These trio characters have thrived and survive as essence of human civilization. The quote ‘history repeats itself’ is nothing but a quote for these trio blockbusters within us. The three are in cohesion as well as in conflict with each other. The cohesion or the conflicting nature of the trinity is the very reason which makes two individuals unique and distinct.

If you try to tame yourself remember the good the bad and the ugly. They are the main actors of your life. Each of them is the foundation of our existences and writer of our destiny. They are the ones that would make your life hit or flop. None of them can be neither ignore nor over pamper. They have to co-exist mutually. So, next time when you love remember these trio, when you shout at someone remember these trio, when you greed remember these trio, when you blunder or smile remember these trio. Let your consciences be imbedded to the reality of this trio. But, if you still stand for ideal being ignore the writer.

The Golden Oscar might be always waiting for us on the other side of life.  J