Philosophy
Is the Past permanent? Of course, it is! The moment it is lived, it cannot be altered—neither a word spoken to be taken back. There can be alterations, repercussions, amendments, or regrets to what is done or said, but nothing in the world can undo what has been done. If only we had the undo key in life! The past will always remain permanent. Past can safely be concluded as the only permanent facet of life in a world changing by the day to be advanced technologically. There is always a lesson we learn from experience, another analogical word for the past. The lesson could be how to do or be or how not to do or be in the future. Thomas Edison learned every time he failed to make the bulb what not to do and try something different if he had to succeed. This is one universal example that can be applied in various contexts (If only Edison knew his invention not only gave light to the world in real terms but has since illuminated our consciousness and values also, he could be given the Nobel Prize, yet again!)
Human consciousness and values are definitely decided by our past experience, perception, and understanding. Past in this context is not limited to from the time of our birth to the present, but the beginning of the thought or words in existence in this world. In fact, human consciousness is something that is so difficult to fathom, and it is the topic dealt with by all our sages and bhakti movements. It is said to be the purpose of life to awaken such consciousness. It is believed to be way above what meets the eye. It happens overages, and how much it determines our values and beliefs is dependent on how much in-depth knowledge we are exposed to and how much we imbibe. So, whatever values you hold dear to yourself will be true for you. If you choose to be an atheist by going through your experiences and draw your own conclusion that there is a scientific reason for everything, then you are right. If you choose to toe the line of being religious and feel the Supreme creator is the cause, you are right. Whatever be your belief, one thing is for sure it is the past that affects your thoughts, beliefs, and way of being.
Let us look at how the interplay of past, human consciousness, and values impact our lives as individuals, societies, countries, and the world at large. A very common and simple story will illustrate the point better than any explanation. Two brothers had the same experience but chose to have value systems opposite to each other. They were born in a poor household where the father was an alcoholic who subjected their mother to domestic abuse almost daily. One brother grew up to be a carbon copy of his father while the other became a teetotaller and became not only a law-abiding person but rose to be law enforcement, a respected police official. So, while one became the way he experienced life, the other decided not to live his life the way he had experienced. This brings up one most important fulcrum that will decide our values based on past experiences, which is called choice.
The Indian society was divided based on caste, creed, and class. This led to the degeneration of the entire economic and social fabric of Indian society. However, India took the initiative after Independence to curb its plight and took a U-Turn when it laid down the Fundamental Rights in the Constitution of our country. A recent Bollywood movie on Article 15 has played the role of sensitising the public to these humanitarian concerns, so vital to make this world a place of coexistence for all with dignity. Reservations to the classes that have been so long suppressed are a step that reckons that the present intelligentsia does not want to live their life in the default way of the past and want to make amends.
India as a state has often been termed as the land of the Mahatma, which valued non-violence. However, today we are a Nuclear State. Does it mean that we no longer cherish our values of non-violence? No. It is a lesson from the past not to be so naive that the Turks and Mongals invaders plundered, looted, and settled down for more than a couple of hundred years, while the Europeans entered in as traders but stayed to rule for almost the same time. Hence, one has to be strong enough and well equipped on equal footing just not to be bullied by others.
It is also true the British left behind a legacy of division and distrust where there was love and bonhomie. Though we know of this beautiful, loving reality of the past as citizens of this country, we still see the ruthless killing of our own brethren in communal riots. No human conscientiousness seems to come as a saviour to prevent such ruthless slander of our own neighbours. Human conscientiousness is the main source of all the Bhakti movements. Seeing the ills of child marriage, sati, and the plight of widows, the bhakti movement of Saints advocated their abolition and promoted education as a medium to promote awareness and equality in society.
Many policies of the government are framed to set right the wrong which had been done in society in the past. First, unabashed hunting depleted our status of having rich wildlife in a country that is struggling to protect its wildlife heritage through Project tigers and national parks. Deforestation led to climate change, and this is becoming the gravest concern for each one of us. Pollution, the parasite that came in, uncalled for a while we were ushering industrial development. All these actions are not rooted in higher human consciousness but in common sense. Awareness has dawned that human beings need to think of sustainable development and that the world belongs to all. The trees, the mountains, the rivers, and the ocean, the little sparrows and vultures, the earthworms and butterflies all own this planet as much as we do. Even the bee that stings makes loads of honey. This is supreme human consciousness.
So let us take a pledge: Let bygones be bygones. Let us not dwell too much on the past, for that makes us judgemental and at times revengeful. Let us hold hands. Let us be united to tackle the problems of the past and save the world. For only in saving the world will we all be saved. It is all or none of us. The supreme human consciousness to which we all need to wake up is this. We need to take care of each other to grow and prosper just like the farmer did in the village. He shared the high-yielding seeds of his corn with his neighbouring farmers. He said, ‘pollination is carried across his field too’ with a smile.
