Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Introduction
We observe from the time immemorial that according to "Wu-Hei" which is the natural flow of energy governs the whole universe. We all are connected in one form or another. This includes the famous theories and principles such as the law of attraction, and gravitation. The rough paths, as well as the good times both, are the inevitable path of our lives. We see this compared to the day and night, darkness and the light, zenith and nadir of our lives.
So much so, that even various historical events present vivid imagery of how all the events are connected to one another.
We have observed the most powerful empires both diminishing and flourishing during various eras all over the globe. Starting from Europe, we have the industrial revolution. We see the diminishing value of the human conscience. People have become more materialistic. Sometimes, this materialism takes the shape of exploitation of the poor, slavery and overtime working hours.
Similarly, we see that as the things are relative to one another, these conditions cannot sustain for long. The communism and marxism philosophies started dawning. Now, the people resisted the changes, brought in by the capitalist classes. They were more focused on getting their basic rights fulfilled. This includes freedom, basic amenities of food, water and shelter. They started a massive struggle against the masses and soon asked for a stateless system of governance.
ALongside, the evolution of the French Revolution started. The irresponsible kings and nobles were soon questioned. They were again hit by the massive revolution in the form of the falling of the Bastille and later changing the demographics of the countries.
Alongside, there was the rise of Napolean. Later he overturned his own principles and soon he also became a dictator. This again resulted in a revolution. And finally, France got its constitution.
Moving to the Asian continent, we see that there is the massive Russian Revolution which was a resistance against the exploitative government. Soon, Tsar also had to resign from the government. Again, the human laws were less significant as compared to the natural laws.
Moving to the Indian context, we see the instances of Sati pratha and witch-hunting. Here, we see that the system was against the natural laws of love, care, affection, and mutualism among all the members of the world. The law of equity, natural justice and rule of law was missing. Women were treated as mere properties in the hands of men. However, with the help of revolutionists such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, this too has ceased to exist.
Moving to the context of ancient and medieval India, we see that the lavish spending of Mohammad Shah Rangeela soon perished the whole Mughal empire. The literature regarding the history of Aurangzeb and his brutal attempt to kill all the members of Guru Gobind Singh's family soon resulted in the diminished charm of the Mughal empire.
Having said that, we see from various instances in history that nature's own way of giving people a due according to their Karma can be seen under the head of the history. Now, we would see how these phenomena are related to geography.
We observe that due to the unjudicious use of land resources, man is exploiting the environment. However, we should remember, as Gandhi said that even here, nature gives every man for their needs, but not for greed.
We see various instances of landslides, floods and havoc such as leakage of methyl isocyanate gas in Bhopal. Similarly, the instance of the Kedarnath landslide is a great instance. Various countries, all over the world are forced to shift their capitals due to environmental concerns. Moreover, there are various regional variations as well. We see some areas such as Bihar and Uttarpradesh affected by floods, whereas Lathur in Maharashtra faces drought conditions.
We observe, that there is unnatural use of resources. Similarly, we see the earth's anger in the form of lava and volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tremors. However, we should remember that this is due to the imbalance created between materialistic desires and the equitable use of resources according to the need of the hour. Can we say science is a boon or a bane in this context?
With the evolving times, we have seen various developments in the field of science. However, condemning all of them would not be a good idea. We should also pay heed to the good deeds. One instance is the introduction of Robots to perform minimal tasks. This has also been inspired by the American Revolution, wherein we see that such progress is done in a good direction. Another important development is in the field of digital technology. We see the blockchain networks, which can distribute the goods to the last user. This has resulted in less leakage of funds and resources. Also, we see a reduction in various malpractices.
However, on the other hand, we see the use of nuclear weapons and manipulation of the genetics of organisms as well. We see biomimetics, which even pose threat to the birds and insect species. People are now suspicious regarding the drone technology fitted in a bird-like object as well. Also, there can be instances of using ultraviolent radiation which is harmful to flora and fauna. Can we say even the blockchains would be a hundred per cent safe?
The pros and cons are the two sides of the same coin. It is similar to the concept of growth and a fixed mindset. A human being is given the same brain. Yet the use of technology can be a positive as well as a negative way. The use of cryptocurrency can be used for the funding purpose of terrorist activities. This may, as a result, pose a threat to national security!
What could be the solution? How can we change this?
The answer lies in good ethics. We see that though the time has seen both people such as Hilter and Buddha, they were different personalities due to their ethics and values. We should imbibe good moral values among the youth. Both literature and history are filled with ample examples of people ranging from serial killers to national leaders.
Gandhi, Vivekanda, Dayananda, and Raja Ram Mohan Roy are some of such instances. Even in the literature, we see Ozymandias by PB Shelly explaining the veracity of time. Everyone, who has come to this life, has one day or the other died. This may include the haughty kings with tight-lipped and raised chins. Similarly, Shakespeare has explained in Sonnet 114, the ephemerality of youth and beauty. Where he has compared the rosy cheeks and the lifted bosoms all soon vanished by the time's sickle. Hence, we should be able to live a peaceful and prosperous life. We should not indulge in too much materialism.
We see that attitude is more important than aptitude. We see that there are instances where people forget their actual purpose and indulge in short term pleasures. Similarly, we see the people who lack integrity, probity and good conscience are always busy accumulating more and more.
However, we see that this too is due to a deep feeling of not feeling good enough. They were abused in childhood or were belittled and mocked at most moments. However, we should accept the fact as Aristotle said:
I would count him more powerful who overcame his own desires than those who have overcome their enemies.
This is true because, if we are not able to maintain Jainism and Buddhism's philosophy of the middle path and the eightfold path, we are not peaceful and contended internally. We would observe that somewhere deep inside we lack something. This something is the pain that our conscience is pricking us. It reminds us of the natural laws of human nature. Love, kindness, compassion, belongingness, cheerfulness, spark and a motivation to help others who are in need.
We should always remember that even the harshest person still has the spark of compassion and trust, which can still have the hope of recovery. The literature is a huge source of inspiration. One such example is the Bishop's Candlesticks, where the culprit changed his malafide intention to a good one. Also, we should focus on courage, not vanity or timidity as suggested by Aristotle in his Golden Ratio.
We should always remember that the purpose of the punishment should be a reformative one as suggested by Salmond, Fichte. It should not be inspired by the philosophy of tit for tat. As Gandhi Ji said:
An eye for eye, would make the whole world blind.
I would count him more powerful who overcame his own desires than those who have overcome their enemies.
This is true because, if we are not able to maintain Jainism and Buddhism's philosophy of the middle path and the eightfold path, we are not peaceful and contended internally. We would observe that somewhere deep inside we lack something. This something is the pain that our conscience is pricking us. It reminds us of the natural laws of human nature. Love, kindness, compassion, belongingness, cheerfulness, spark and a motivation to help others who are in need.
We should always remember that even the harshest person still has the spark of compassion and trust, which can still have the hope of recovery. The literature is a huge source of inspiration. One such example is the Bishop's Candlesticks, where the culprit changed his malafide intention to a good one. Also, we should focus on courage, not vanity or timidity as suggested by Aristotle in his Golden Ratio.
We should always remember that the purpose of the punishment should be a reformative one as suggested by Salmond, Fichte. It should not be inspired by the philosophy of tit for tat. As Gandhi Ji said:
An eye for eye, would make the whole world blind.
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