Be Truly Human

- Rakhi Arora

A while ago I was deep in thought about how many forms of technology exist at present and with the progression of time the amount that man has developed over the years.  We see with our own eyes where all these resources are being deployed.  There have been great advances in the quality of life of many millions of people around the world.

It is unfortunate however, that many technological achievements in various fields are becoming a threat to the survival of man.  A classic example is the use of weapons – there are bombs and guns that can cause a great deal of havoc on the earth and throughout the air.

It is not weapons alone that cause such destruction.  It is humanity that seems to be split by many boundary lines and walls.  There are walls of narrow mindedness splitting everything that is under the control of the human race.  The barriers exist between cities, states, countries and continents.  They are all the consequences of man’s approach to the earth.

Where the power of one country ends – a boundary line is present.  These boundary lines divide the entire globe.  Man uses water.  Even water is sought to be divided.  In needy parts of the world, there are frequent disputes over water, resulting in bloodshed and aggression.  Such are the consequences when man’s need for control and ownership is frustrated.  In fact, whatever is in the path of man; he tries to bring it selfishly under his control.  He thinks only of himself.  As a result, this creates distances between himself and others.

It is true to say that only those things that man has failed to capture or are beyond his control are common to all.  The air blows for everyone to receive the breeze and everyone enjoys it’s freshness.  If man could influence air, no doubt walls would have been raised to divide it.  As a result, the wind that blows in one country would not be able to cross over to a nearby country or the air of one state would not be able to go into another state.

It is true to say the same for sunshine.  Thank God man does not have the ability to put up a wall to stop it from reflecting from one place to another.  Objects that are not governed by man are available to every human as a gift from the creator.  All the objects created by God are meant for all humans.

 

All men are like grass,

and all their glory is like

the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of the Lord stands forever.

Peter’s Gospel 1:20, New Testament

It is true to say that the Lord’s word is the one that is permanent and nothing can change this.  This is the reason why the word of man has no effect because there would be too many walls to divide and not enough love to join between humans.

Man himself is ignorantly imposing limits on objects because of his own selfishness and narrow mindedness.  Those borders which are taken as the points of separation between countries, could just as easily be taken as the joining points between countries.  This concludes why man is suffering.  Guided by these selfish motives, man takes such steps so that one has to say:

KARTOOT PASHU KI, MUNISH JAAT

Meaning, the actions of man are those of animals while by appearance he seems to be human.  His deeds do not portray the way in which a true human behaves or should behave.  This can be classified by considering the steps that we take to guard our lives: locking our houses and shops and installing alarm systems. God’s natural creations do not have locks!

Furthermore, do we purchase expensive security systems to guard our lives and property from animals?  The conclusion will be ‘no’.  On the other hand; we need them against man because it is only the appearance of man that seems to be human.  Nevertheless, his actions are dominated by animal instincts.

It is a shame to note that whilst an animal pounces on another to gain a piece of meat, this is purely to satisfy his hunger.  Man, on the other hand, does things out of malicious greed and not necessity.  Man does not think where the consequences of his behaviour will lead.  He does not consider that his narrow mindedness is his downfall.

Great spiritual masters have cautioned man at every step and advised him to behave as a true human does.  Animals have never needed such advice or cautions – the instructions and scriptural testimonies have been given for man alone to take heed.

His Holiness Baba Ji once said:

A horse is born like a horse, lives like a horse and dies like a horse.  It is only the human who has forgotten his real path, humanity, unity and sharing – his true instinct for being in this world.

Man has progressed over the years but only in terms of material development and not in terms of spiritual development.  Let us pray that we may improve ourselves in the way that His Holiness wishes.  May we refrain from putting up any negative boundaries and make this world a more caring, sharing place.

 
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