Social Values and Human Cardinal Principles

Having progressively crossed the different evolutionary stages since the distant past human beings have at last reached the present stage.

The journey has not been solitary: People have advanced together in society. Even in the primitive past, humans lived in clans and tribes, for alone they could not easily procure the means of livelihood.

An individual who totally shuns collective life finds existence difficult, for humans are essentially social beings.

Whenever one thinks of a human being one automatically thinks of the society in which he or she lives.

Human existence is thus 2-sided:

1. Individual existence
2. Collective existence

This creates 2 sets of values:

1. Human cardinal principles
2. Social values

The social values of human beings are ascertained on the basis of social responsibilities.

As a member of society a person has to discharge certain duties and responsibilities. Those who shoulder great responsibility are naturally accorded due recognition and respect, because the good of all depends on the proper execution of one’s duties.

An analysis of history will show that in the Kśatriya era kings and emperors were honoured most.

In their courts, everyone bowed before them in spontaneous respect for they had conquered the hearts of the people by virtue of their heroism, valour and chivalry.

During the Vipra era, the Kśatriyas and other social classes were so overwhelmed by the Vipra’s intellectual might.

• The vipras had used it to invent things to further human welfare
• So the Ksatriyas surrendered before them.

The Vipras were regarded as wise because their intellectual research benefited the common people.

Human beings have always and everywhere paid tribute to social values.

• But never has anyone respected human cardinal principles.

Human Cardinal Principles

Human cardinal principles are the silver lining between the psycho-spiritual and spiritual strata of human existence.

The meeting point of the spiritual and psycho-spiritual strata is called the human cardinal stratum.

Human existence is trifarious, a combination of 3 currents:

1. Physical
2. Mental
3. Spiritual

Most people cannot transcend the limits of their physical existence. Crude worldly pleasures become the only enjoyment of their lives.

• The subtle feelings of life, the subtle expressions and practices are beyond their reach.

• Their world is limited to their bodies and physical requirements.

Other people are more concerned with their minds.

• They feel that it is the supremacy of the mind that has differentiated them from animals.
• Their lives are guided by their desires for mental satisfaction.
• They create poetry, art, music, sculpture, etc.
• They express the finer human feelings of mercy, sympathy, love, friendship and pity.
• They believe that the mind flows for the sole purpose of attaining the Infinite.
• Hence, they focus their energies on the contemplation of the Transcendental Entity.

They are the spiritual aspirants. They alone are worthy of being called human beings.

Drawn by the magnetic attraction of the Cosmic Consciousness they speed forward and reach the stage which marks the end of mental existence and the beginning of spirituality.

At that stage, one is no longer a human being, one is a veritable god.

It is the duty of every person to reach this confluence of the mental and spiritual strata. It is the pinnacle of human progress.

The culminating point of animality is the commencement of humanity. The highest peak of human progress is the beginning of divine bliss.

• Where animality ends, humanity begins.
• Where humanity ends, divinity begins.

The meeting point of the highest attainment of humanity and the blossoming of divinity is the base on which the cardinal human principles are established.

Human values have never been truly honoured in history.

What is worse, nobody has looked on humanity with sympathy.

Only those were respected who, by serving their self-interests, climbed onto the higher rostrum of society.

It is difficult to step down from the high position of vainglory to rub shoulders with the downtrodden.

The neglect of humanity was particularly acute towards the end of each era of the social cycle.

The progeny of the noble Kśatriyas, on gaining power, engaged themselves in the pursuit of pleasure and comforts.

• They utterly neglecting their sacred duty to serve their subjects.
• They never cared to know people’s suffering.

They were not concerned by the bent old man, decimated by poverty in the Himalayas, being mercilessly beaten by a royal servant for defaulting on his tax payment.

Kind-hearted and philanthropic kings did exist.

But no king went beyond to open the gateway to realization of the Infinite.

For self-aggrandisement and in a bid to conquer the world they invaded countries, one after another.

How could they afford to inquire into the tragic plight of the common people?

The Vipra era illustrated the same thing.

The scholarly Vipras were hardly accessible to the common people.

The innocent masses were busy appeasing the Vipras with oblations, honorariums and floral offerings.

When did they take time to take care of the needy families who were dying of starvation?

What would be the material benefit of such an action?

Service to the poor would pay nothing, so let them go to hell, let them die en masse.

So nobody had anything to do with the poor.

Anyway, the Vipras were busy with worship, prayer and observance of sacraments.

All their energies were spent in the appeasement of the gods and goddesses enthroned in the temples, churches or mosques.

There was simply no opportunity to inculcate more humane qualities.

According to Vipran scriptures, a temple made of bricks and wood was of more value than humanity itself.

Suppose an old beggar, numbed with the cold chill of the night, is standing wearily in front of a temple, his begging bowl empty.

The temple is reverberating with ringing bells, and the deity is being worshipped in accordance with the scriptural dictates.

While the devotees stand before the deity with hands folded in reverence, the beggar shivers bitterly outside.

On completing the ritual, the people leave the temple one by one, followed by the priest.

The beggar entreats him to let him sleep in one corner of the temple, but the priest replies emphatically, “I can’t afford to pollute the temple for your sake.”

The sanctity of inert wood and bricks is valued more than a man’s life.

Notions of vice and virtue, codes of justice and scriptural texts – which are claimed to be the word of God – have been formulated by different religions to further vested interests.

Those who oppose the scriptures or the system they propound are subject to severe punishment.

To socialize with a person of a different caste is a great sin and those who commit such sacrilegious acts will be excommunicated.

They have to make atonement according to scriptural decree, and sometimes the magnitude of their penance may be the cause of their death.

If they plea for a milder dose of punishment, the priests express their helplessness: one cannot defy the scriptures!

Those who are ensnared by the scriptures cannot be expected to know the value of human life. It takes millions of years, lives and stages to get a human body.

But nobody knows how many invaluable lives have been nipped in the bud, or how many innocent lives have been slaughtered at the altar of the scriptures.