Disclaimer – This blog maybe against your views. But still, try to read it with an open mind if you can. Extreme of everything is wrong! Else we will kill this planet! And that will mark our extinction! Today, it is all about individualism. My ideas, my rights, my privilege, my growth, my money, my power, my, me and mine!
So,
Question – Would you rather have a broad mind or narrow mind? In the age of internet and globalization, when you want to have the best car, best clothes, latest smartphone, a job in a fancy company – you cannot be narrow minded, right? Because you want equal right as others to have a chance to claim all of that. However, you can be labelled a hypocrite if you want equality in jobs, finances, decision making, choices in life, but at the same time, you prevent the same from others.
When humans need to stand together and fight a common enemy today, the ones who never could grow up or broaden their mental faculties have started abusing the ones who want equality for all. This equality is not for just religion but gender, caste, creed, race, color and political inclination. Unfortunately, some exist among us who think they are above others. They might have had a difficult childhood where they were encouraged to keep their thoughts to themselves, or might have been bullied in young age, because now with the power of internet and smartphones, everyone is sharing their views which is not wrong, but we have forgotten that everyone has the same rights. You are not above or below anybody. Sharing your views is one thing, but abusing someone else to have a different view is absolute bullshit!
If others respect your thoughts, your selections, and haven’t abused you or called you names, even you don’t have the right to do the same to others. Now, there’s this woman in my friend list who posts pictures in which liberals and others are being abused because they don’t support her ideology. She is also the one who wants equality in various fields and wants her personal freedom to be maintained.
Isn’t that hypocrisy? Isn’t that selective or pseudo-liberalism?
People talk about freedom of speech and expression but forget that it is the essences of a liberal democracy. Having said that, I have nowhere mentioned that one religion or one caste should be favored above the other. Rules should be the same for everyone. If you are opening the gates of a temple for women or dalits which were closed till now, same should be done for mosques, churches, etc., if they are closed.
There is a thin line between democracy and an authoritarian government. It is the choice of citizens, and their tolerance and compassion.
If you disagree with someone, at least listen to him/her. Rest is your decision. you don’t have to follow. But you also cannot abuse someone based on their thoughts.
Simple definition of a Liberal – (According to Cambridge)
- believing in or allowing a lot of personal freedom, and believing that society should change gradually so that money, property, and power are shared more fairly.
- someone who respects many different types of beliefs or behaviour.
Every religion teaches us that everyone including animals is equal. But it seems that we have forgotten. Christians will never progress because of some of their unorthodox thinking, Islam has their own issues with accepting changes, sikhism, parsi, jainism, biddhists, all have some or the other stuff that don’t make them progressive on the other hand Hinduism which was supposed to be an open and progressive religion is being radicalized and term hindutva is being shared and people being brainwashed.
Extreme of everything is wrong! Else we will kill this planet! And that will mark our extinction!
Now, according to the Vedas, Vedic society was not only one of the advanced civilizations of the world, but also one of the most open, liberal, and egalitarian (a person who advocates or supports the principle of equality for all people) ones.
“He who does not seek to kill, cause pain, or tie up living creatures and desires the good of all attains everlasting bliss of liberation.” (Manu Smriti, 5.46) “Having no ill feeling for any living being, in all manners possible and for all times, is called ahimsa, and it should be the desired goal of all seekers.” (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, 2.30)
According to the verses in Vedas,
- One is my brother and the other is not – is the thinking of a narrow-minded person. For those who are broad-minded, liberals, or noble people, the entire world is one big family.
- No one is superior, none inferior. All are brothers marching forward to prosperity.
- Ahimsa Paramo Dharma, meaning the very first duty, ethic, and responsibility of mankind above all duties, ethics, and responsibilities are to maintain non-violence and peace in the world.
- Truth is One, the wise call it by different names.
- Let noble ideas come to us from all directions.
- May all beings be free of sorrow.
- Awakened souls act and go about in the world, not for their own sake, but for the welfare and wellbeing of everyone else.
- The knower of Self begins to own the joy as well as the suffering of other beings (humans, animals, and plants) as his own.
Reference – https://www.acharyashunya.com/post/2018/02/07/vedic-culture-a-truly-liberal-tradition-of-humanity
Think about it!