AN ATTEMPT TO INCITE DEEP THINKING

There was a time when Munis, deep thinkers and philosophers were looked upon as society’s highest class because it was their decision that were imbibed by political leaders, the rich class and other major sects of society. No one dared ignore these decisions because their capacity to show a right direction based on contemporary times was extraordinary.

Philosophers too are included in this category. They authored scriptures and gave solutions for contemporary problems. It was they who were invited for giving discourses. They were extraordinarily revered both by the king and all subjects. Even although this class is present in society today as writers, poets etc. but they have lost their glory. They have neither any stature nor a goal to attain. Majority are involved in appeasing the whims and fancies of rich millionaires. They will think what they are asked to think and they write what they are asked to write. Press and publishing have become a profession and this is ruled over by the rich class of world society. Whoever is the editor his/her ways of thinking will be accepted. Today many magazines, pamphlets etc are published. Many books too are printed. But in it the writer does not have his/her own independent viewpoint. A writer writes what the publisher gets benefited by because the writer gets money from the publisher who is there just to benefit financially. Today one hardly finds writers who write their independent views. Even if they have independent views it must not go against that of the boss. Else why would the boss invest in a business which does not reap hard cash? A writer does not have his own press. In stray cases even if one finds such writers they are beaten down simply due to competition with mighty press owners. They find no readers and it becomes difficult to meet expenses. Thus there is virtually no independent press. Today the number of true writers, thinkers and philosophers is waning drastically.

The second class of deep thinkers is scientists. In ancient times it was one single class that shouldered the responsibility of scientists and philosophers. Those who are interested in materialism will take up material research like Charak, Kanad, Nagarjun, yajnavalkya etc. Else like Vyas, Kapil, Vasishtha, Gautam etc will add new chapters to era Philosophy.

Today both are downfallen. One generation of scientific discoveries/inventions was very famous and full of glory. Despite possessing only ordinary capabilities they had conducted such amazing scientific research which gave the lay public unlimited and extraordinary benefits. The most important was the discovery of light. Today it is an inseparable part of human life. Next come vehicles. Right from cycles to cars, ships, air planes etc they have made ones journey much speedier and hence easy. Heavy duty vehicles too became cheap. Thus industries and businesses speedily flourished. Also very useful are telephone, radio, television etc. There was an era when scientists who in order to fulfill requirements of laymen made many important discoveries and inventions. There are many small, big machines which are useful in production and man will always be grateful for having them. Examples are water pumps, mixers, grinders etc.

But even this category like philosophers could not maintain their glory for long. Researchers did not have their own production centers. They were force to work for rich men who produced various materials. It is at this point that all problems commence. The film industry could have become a potent medium of lay education but one feels sorry to see what actually is being churned out by them. Press too is a rare power but there too what is desirable is rarely printed and more and more rubbish is published. Film goers and literature readers hence conclude that only if we had stayed away from what is dished out we would not have been enmeshed in the net of illusion.

Today about 50,000 scientists of high caliber are involved in designing new weapons and modes of warfare. For this they are highly honored and paid handsomely. Elsewhere they will not attain all this. Thus original thinking/research has come to a grinding halt. Everyone adores joy and comforts. It could be a philosopher or a scientist. Considering the situation we can say that in both arenas original thinking has almost ended. Both have to work almost like slaves for their rich bosses.

This is an ill fated downfall. How can it be uplifted? Who will uplift it? Ere scientists design machines for cottage industries innumerous people who are jobless today will get work and thus can overcome hardships of lack. Small machines especially designed for homes, like those for making flour, oil, cloth etc can be designed which further augment comforts of ordinary living and money can be earned. Everywhere there is a need of inexpensive pumps. In every village, paper industry can flourish. Furnaces that use solar energy can be designed for heating water and cooking food.

Above I have given examples that are useful. There is a need to reform bullock carts. Motors and cycles can work using steam and can replace expensive petrol. In all these tasks scientists can contribute and thus a gigantic industry to produce these machines can be set up. But nothing of this sort is actually happening. Whatever in the name of cottage industry has been invented is so crippled that those who use it will reap back breaking losses only. All this technology has been set very listlessly. Ere there was true cooperation between producers and inventers of these machines, if only required capital was raised, if users were shown exactly how to use it and if apt arrangements had been made for marketing and selling these products, the situation would have changed for the better. It is only then that we would not depend only on agriculture. We would have unearthed new plant based fuels apart from cow dung. We could have grown inexpensive grass that gives a good harvest for animals to eat and thus animal breeding would not have remained a loss making venture.

Who will complain to whom? The need of the hour is that our country encourages cottage industry in a big way. No doubt it is seen to have been set up but the results are unfulfilling and lack luster. If only our scientists, producers, end users had the zeal of Japan our great thinkers would have shown miracles in this country. But how will this happen? Everyone is immersed in just hoarding more and more wealth, property, sense comforts etc. Talented people are running away to rich capitalist countries. Wherever one sees cottage industries they are loss making. There are those who tried to augment it but found that obstacles were put in their way.

The same holds true for philosophers and deep thinkers. Along with time moving speedily problems too are becoming more tortuous. They require solutions that are intellectual, socially acceptable and factual. How great would it have been if such literature was written, published and put into the hands of readers the world over? But it appears that this field too is full of gloominess.

In the name of books everyday thousands of white paper akin to the size of a mountain are been blackened. Magazines, pamphlets etc too can fill up a storehouse. They are published and sold too. Someone or the other writes it but if it is browsed properly one realizes that it is futile.

Is the day to day living information required for the benefit of lay public thought out seriously? Has this information been gathered keeping in mind the country’s backwardness? And thus has something concrete been thought of which can be called useful? English books are generally translated into other languages and people add their own names to it for publishing. From the standpoint of making more money without putting in much effort, this is the easiest way. Today that generation of deep thinkers is coming to an end who felt their prime duty was to solve laymen’s problems in a contemporary, social and factual manner. Today where does one find a Karl Marx who worked hard for 17 years ceaselessly to publish his great book? Today where is that family, wife, children of an author who would wear new clothes made from old ones so that the author was allowed to immerse himself in writing that was full of penance?

It is very distressful that the arena of philosophers and scientists has become deserted and that they have fallen down hard from their high stature. When such high stature seers hang in air and instead those in delusion tell the lay public what their ‘duties’ are the result is very fearful. In ancient times they were called Brahmarakshasa. Today whether a new terminology has been given to it I don’t know but definitely this generation is marching ahead in full strength.