Month: September 2015

Ego, pride, and honor are formidable forces on their own. However, when they come together, they can overpower even the strongest individuals. This trio has been the downfall of many throughout history because we care too much about how others perceive us. This concern often leads groups to undermine or exploit individuals more than any external threat.

Belonging to a group—whether it’s a country, nation, race, or religion—can politically manipulate, use, and abuse individuals to further its agendas. This spiritually destructive way of living has created not only insecure individuals but also insecure societies worldwide. We kill and destroy our own kind due to group insecurities. We justify these actions with twisted politics of survival and peace, but there is often more behind these agendas.

Ego, pride, honor, and the demand for respect are all linked to violence, whether related to gangs, nations, or religions. These elements have been part of all human societies. Such senseless killings also give rise to perpetual revenge killings. In the larger scheme of life, our systems of governance and religion should address the root causes of our problems to prevent them. If every society justifies its systems—be they religious, traditional, or nationalistic—there is little room for compromise for humanitarian and spiritual reasons. Thus, the tradition of violence continues, regardless of our level of education or evolution.

The issue is that as our technological knowledge evolves, it outpaces our emotional intelligence, spirituality, and politics of belonging. This imbalance creates a dangerous and potentially deadly situation.

Why do people act the way they do? Because society keeps individuals weak to control them. Weak individuals don’t want to change the status quo, so they obey and conform to the politics of their groups. This stalling of individual growth hampers our evolution or even causes regression.

Individual weakness fosters the belief that one’s group possesses the most complete and best knowledge in history, leading to a sense of superiority. This prevents individuals from questioning their group’s knowledge, creating a major obstacle to world peace. Until individuals learn to stand up and question their perceived knowledge and step outside their boundaries, the world will continue to function as it has for millennia.

Killings in the name of God, ego, pride, honor, or enforced respect are part of daily life due to our sense of belonging to specific groups. It’s time to evolve and address issues like the refugee crisis with new perspectives to eradicate the underlying problems.

All nations should understand that people leave their countries because they can’t live without security and peace. The net loss of each individual leaving is a net gain for the society receiving them. Although the harms or benefits may not show immediately, they will have an impact eventually. For instance, Germany, with its aging population, would benefit immensely from the influx of new blood, one individual at a time.

Successful societies have long attracted talented people from around the world, while underdeveloped countries suffer brain drain as their populations leave for better opportunities. This is similar to villages supplying people to mega-cities, suffering loss one individual at a time. Warring factions should understand that ego, pride, and honor can be detrimental, draining the life out of their communities. They should recognize the value of individuals and explain the loss and gain to their populations.

Dr. Wayne Dyer described four levels of consciousness: owning, believing one’s own is better, asking what’s in it for me, and asking what can I do for you. The “what’s in it for me” mindset is found at all levels of politics of belonging. For instance, charity work by religious organizations often comes with strings attached, and advanced nations loan money to others to maintain control.

Selfishness leads to loneliness as people are left behind regardless of their wealth and power. Spirituality, however, connects us all. We need each other individually and collectively. Our mortality is not just an individual phenomenon; entire kingdoms, dynasties, and empires have also vanished. Graveyards aren’t only for individuals; history’s graveyards are filled with governing systems, religions, and empires.

Only spirituality has stood the test of time because it lives within individuals who keep it alive in all societies, regardless of religion. This is why I believe we are all cells of God. Our differences arise from a lack of understanding or misinterpretation of spirituality within religions.

Differences of opinion are the root of many problems. Even within families, differences exist. Both sides often fight for the same thing: fear and insecurities masked by political agendas. Despite claims of seeking equality, politically correct racism persists in every race, gender, nation, and religion. When it comes to human rights, I support equal rights for all, whether in a democracy or not.

Every governing system has flaws, but justice should never be denied to anyone. Individuals should have rights and freedom, but groups should not enforce their ways of living to trample others’ rights. I believe in freedom for all, equally.

When forming a group with shared insecurities, do not replicate the wrongs done to you. Jews, for instance, having been treated unequally by Germans in the past, should not do the same to Palestinians. It is natural to form protective groups, but it is wrong to perpetuate injustice.

Religious extremism, like nationalism and other governing systems, is dangerous when it enforces beliefs on others. We should stand against enforced beliefs because they are not physical realities; harming or killing individuals is.

I oppose any form of extremism because no knowledge is ever complete. If you take pride in your past, remember others do the same. To change others, start with yourself. Set standards for yourself before demanding them from others. True equality comes from not pushing political agendas of belonging groups.

Protecting French language and heritage is an example of politically correct racism. We are all victims of the same problem: an imbalanced sense of belonging. Embrace humanity by removing politics. If you claim land because you were there first, remember everyone’s ancestors were once newcomers.

Earth is our home; remove political divisions to find peace. Geographical lines are political, not physical. Humanity speaks one language: spirituality. Intentions and actions define humanity. The race, gender, nation, or religion survives due to individuals’ good deeds. Seeking special group identity is against human rights. True safety and security lie in the ocean of humanity, not in isolated ponds. Racist and nationalist education breeds fear and division, leading to deadly consequences. History proves this with countless wars and deaths.

As rain joins the ocean, individuals eventually return to humanity. We should leave behind a legacy of peace, not destruction. The primary desire is to raise a family in peace, understanding mortality. Political systems, based on insecurities and control, need fixing. Ownership of land, even for graves, makes little sense given our mortality. Ancient civilizations claimed ownership, yet their graveyards remind us of their impermanence.

Countries and humanity are stronger together. In peaceful times, we can evolve faster and reach our potential.

If you are seeking answers in texts written thousands of years ago, compare them with present scientific advances. Neither offers the perfection you seek, illustrating that humans are far from being a finished product.

Despite thousands of years of religious knowledge and evolution, we still witness tragic events, such as the little boy found dead on the beach, fleeing religious extremism.

For millennia, we have struggled to clearly understand or see God as an obvious entity, mainly because we have perceived God as separate from us. If God were obvious, mankind’s actions wouldn’t matter. Yet, from miraculous healings to technological advancements and the merging of biology with computers, all knowledge stems from humanity. Man seeks perfection and progresses despite inherent imperfections.

As individuals, our lives are mortal. Constantly seeking perfection should be tempered, as perfection is not worth sacrificing life or health. Yet, our sense of belonging often imprisons us in a living hell.

Consider relationships: a perfect stranger can enter your life, alleviating loneliness and offering love, companionship, and children. These are invaluable gifts, yet we often throw them away because society dictates our happiness and contentment. Imagine if you were born 5,000 years ago or 500 years in the future—would you break up a relationship over others’ opinions? Ultimately, your happiness is your responsibility, not society’s decision.

People live under various religious settings. For example, the Canadian government lost a human rights case regarding the hijab or niqab, and we have polygamy and other lifestyles within our so-called civilized society. We can’t trample on anyone’s rights. Ironically, the same laws that protect gay marriage and sexual freedom also protect polygamy. Conservatives often avoid discussing polygamy because it’s all about the politics of belonging. We must respect differences, but when extreme beliefs violate others’ rights, we must prioritize our humanity. Treat others as you wish to be treated.

Each of us is capable of breaking free from personal imprisonment. Be a CEO of your own life, prioritize happiness, and recognize that social norms should serve individuals, not cause hardship or discontent. If your sense of belonging causes unhappiness, override it—you are in control.

Years ago, I watched Dr. Wayne Dyer speak about the four levels of human evolution:

1. Owning: As children, we learn to own things—my mom, my toy, etc.
2. Comparing: We claim, “mine is better than yours.”
3. Self-interest: We ask, “what’s in it for me?”
4. Service: We ask, “what can I do for you?”

Spiritually and socially, religions have helped us evolve. In science and technology, we owe much to scientists. Despite our progress, we remain stuck at the second level, comparing and competing. This learned behavior stems from our belonging groups, not from our nature.

Why do we believe we are better because of our religion, race, or gender? This knowledge is taught. Overcome it with knowledge. People resist being told what to do, yet gladly imprison themselves in their sense of belonging.

Until we recognize our self-worth, we can’t discover the God within us. Viewing God as external makes us feel insignificant. Recognizing God within raises self-esteem and fosters mutual respect.

Who benefits from our weakness? Other humans, through the politics of belonging. The concept of God confounds even the best minds. Some embrace it, others deny it. To believe in God, look within. If you feel inadequate, reconsider how your religion presents God.

If you are an atheist, ask yourself if your disbelief is a reaction to enforced beliefs. If you continually learn, you are not a finished product. Denying or affirming God’s existence is an assumption. We are evolving, using a fraction of our brainpower, continually inventing and learning.

Religions teach that humans are insignificant, but remember that a single cell can cause cancer. Similarly, humans are integral to God’s existence. Picture yourself as a bottle of alcohol; the alcohol inside is God, making you dance. Feel empowered but responsible.

Everyone carries a God molecule, essential for life. As humanity evolves, so does our concept of God. Some fear destruction, but I am optimistic about our growth.

Religions and science can intoxicate us, leading to extreme behavior. Believing you are part of God’s process fosters spiritual awareness, humility, and wisdom. Each individual must prioritize self-survival to contribute to God’s work. We are more useful alive, then we serve society or God.

Why do religious extremes exist? They stem from ego, a product of our sense of belonging. Ego can drive success but also hinder progress. Embrace your journey, break free from societal chains, and seek a balanced, fulfilling life.

 

There is a ritual of marking territory in the animal kingdom. We call ourselves an evolved species, but I question that notion. Are we truly evolved? If so, why do we have wars, guns for personal security, and weapons of mass destruction?

By now, we should understand what humanity, God, and spirituality are all about. Yet, we are still in a state where we feel the need to mark our territories and arm ourselves for protection against our own kind.

Look at the way we live in our communities, nations, and even religions. There are strict rules for individual privacy, and like the jungle, there are those among us who break these rules. If we were evolved, we would see that life is a precious gift to the individual from humanity, accompanied by responsibilities to serve humanity. In turn, humanity has the responsibility to care for the individual in times of need, whether as a child, the elderly, or the sick. A community that cannot care for its sick is itself sick due to its promotion of selfishness.

Animals fight over territory because one or another disrespects the boundaries. Similarly, people violate and disrespect each other’s rights, leading to conflicts over property and physical crimes, escalating to wars over territories. What is the culprit behind most of our social ills? It is the uncontrolled inner animal, yet we love to call ourselves evolved creatures. (In the near future, I will write more about this inner animal.)

This inner animal causes personal insecurities and the desire to dominate others, just like in the jungle. Security and control are the two main problems for the individual, and they are the dead dogs for our internal and external wars.

From being torn apart inside as individuals to being depressed as religions or nations, we can’t shake the past. We keep scratching our wounds so they never heal because we don’t know peace and therefore don’t allow healing. We fear peace and play the victim to enjoy sympathy.

For instance, every year, Shias remember events from over a thousand years ago. I used to watch these passionate religious plays and wondered why people spill blood over something so long past. They reenact the entire scenario moment by moment to remember, but this flaw prevents healing and peace.

My logical side says punishing those who committed atrocities is fine, but none of those who committed the crimes are alive, so we have no choice but to move on. Our modern court systems don’t punish the families of offenders, let alone generations. This highlights the need to keep the politics of a sense of belonging alive.

As humans, we need healing and cures for all kinds of sicknesses, and we are perfectly capable of achieving this. The responsibility lies heavily on the shoulders of the coming generations. They must defy traditions and customs to find their own path of evolution because our previous and current generations have not fulfilled their responsibilities by merely following ancestral ways of thinking.

New generations need the knowledge and willingness to overcome the past. I call it a mental health issue, and it is not limited to the individual. All the symptoms, even collectively, are the same, just on a larger scale. Our leaders must recognize this and find cures for their communities.

The key is to learn to belong to humanity. I cannot stress enough the need to overcome the politics of a sense of belonging to any particular group. Imagine if everyone or every nation remembered everything that happened thousands of years ago. The Chinese would kill all the Mongols, the Native Americans, or the entire world, would be at war with England, and Jews would fight Germans instead of Muslims. These are just a few examples from our past.

I believe Shia-Sunni wars and Middle East crises are perpetuated by those who exploit political religions. They don’t want to solve individual problems or create peace, even if the future of their coming generations is at stake.

How can we overcome the past? Our evolutionary nature holds the key to peace, but some use the politics of belonging to work against nature, continuing to kill each other over ancient grudges. We should evolve to see all people as part of humanity, regardless of differences, and stop hurting people because of ancestral wrongs. While our justice system has caught up with equal human rights, our religions, their sects, and nations lag behind. It’s time to leap into the future to create peace for future generations.

We must evolve individually, especially beyond the politics of religion and nationalism. Replacing one addiction with another, like nationalism instead of religion, still plays into the same old politics of belonging to one group, which does not solve our prejudice-related problems.

The individual must rise to assume the role of CEO, recognizing that we are all human beings first and foremost. The politics of belonging has flipped our triangle upside down, making us act worse than other animals, all in the name of religion and God.

They are so accustomed to war over thousands of years that they know nothing else but killing each other. It’s like they are in a stinky room but have become nose blind. They seem to love their wounds, not knowing what a peaceful life would be like.

The key to solving these problems lies within the individual, not in the hands of religious or political leaders. The individual must become the CEO, stopping the cycle of depression and not being part of depressed groups. Their understanding of belonging needs to include human qualities that make a human a human. They need to learn about compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, and especially love. Even with these qualities, they must understand the sense of belonging so as not to be swept away by prejudice.

The sense of belonging should be to humanity as a whole, not to a particular group. Right or wrong is not the question; it relates to our foundational knowledge of survival, security, and animal aggression. Personal and communal security is essential to reduce stress, both individually and collectively.

We all have responsibilities as individuals and communities to create peace for future generations. If everyone puts the “com” back into compassion and relates to humanity, we should be able to heal our wounds. Every community, nation, race, and religion has committed atrocities against others. All of this was done by less evolved people. Today, we save whales and other endangered species, for God’s sake. Where are the people who have a say and remain silent due to the politics of belonging? No one wants to stand against their own groups.

Logically, human security is constantly evolving, and our security system evolves with us. We have come a long way from obeying or disobeying the law of the jungle to practically and successfully removing ourselves from the food chain. Today, our security is no longer just a personal matter but a communal one. This is both a blessing and a curse because we become victims of our politicians.

We are damaging humanity; our wars have killed and continue to kill, especially since organized religions began dabbling in politics. Unaccountable individuals have been killed by religious extremism. Since we don’t want people killing each other in cities, we collectively want gun control. These days, our security is designed by our communities.

While we need some systems of home security, we mostly rely on our communities to arrange and take care of our security needs. This is why we need to understand our emotions and the importance of gun control in modern society. Every human knowledge is subject to change over time, regardless of being written in religious texts or constitutions.

We are emotional beings, and emotions can make even the most even-tempered person volatile. When upset, judgment can be clouded by emotions, which should not define an individual as a whole. We are told that guns don’t kill people; people kill people. This is true, but temporary anger should not result in someone being killed or becoming a killer.

If lethal weapons are readily available, it can be a problem for the community because these days, the community is responsible for our security. This is why all communities want gun control, but individual rights often come in the way. Since it is impractical to have a police officer for every individual, total control over individual and communal security is not

Are We Truly Evolved?

In the animal kingdom, marking territory is a common ritual. We consider ourselves an evolved species, but are we really? If we were, why would we have wars, personal guns for security, and weapons of mass destruction?

By now, we should understand the essence of humanity, God, and spirituality.

This is related to the little boy who was found dead face down on the Turkish beach, trying to come to Canada. All I want to write is curse words and swear words. I could not resist because my whole theme of writing is related to evolution, so we don’t have to go through these kinds of tragedies.

So here it is, and please ignore the English, stay focused on the content.

I heard a Punjabi song a while back, and the verse stuck in my head because I think it is related to the education of the sense of belonging to a group, which most people take pride in:

“Baki gullan baad ch sonyain, pahalaan serdar hann.”

The translation is:

“Everything is after, first I am a Sikh.”

Since I understand Punjabi, I know what it means. I grew up in Pakistan, and being a Muslim, we had the same education. If you are a Christian or Jew or American or belong to any other nationality or religion and you think your identity is not as a human being first, get it straight: you are on the wrong path because you were born as a human being to human beings first.

The education we all grew up with, and are discouraged from thinking beyond the belonging group’s interest, is totally political even if it says it is our religion first.

We all qualify by our genetics as human beings first. This is the disconnection that needs fixing. This is the fundamental flaw in our education systems and the dead dog of our past and present problems, and I hope it gets solved so it can’t be carried on into our future.

All the prejudice, religious extremism, racism, and related wars and social problems stem from our education at home.

It is crucial to learn about deeply ingrained and conflicting senses from within. It is time to learn to harness the emotional response that makes us rob each other of love. It is time for each and every one of us to assume our responsibilities and become a CEO: one who can do justice beyond emotions and conflicting senses.

To the impotent politicians of the world: look at this picture and see where you are going wrong. Get your act together. Take your responsibilities seriously and recognize the issues, especially the ones that can’t be swept under the rug.

Just like Obama said, if you use chemical weapons, that would be a red line to cross, but nothing was done. Everything was swept under the rug, out of sight out of mind. This boy’s death is a living example and a message to the whole world: don’t sweep conflicts under the rug.

The formation of ISIS is another example of not addressing issues promptly. The veto system in the United Nations is another failed system to blame as well.

Where are those powerhouses who created Israel, divided Iraq and Kuwait, formed a new map of the Middle East, and created over two hundred countries all over the world? Why can’t we think beyond religions and nationalities? Aren’t we human first?

It may not be simple and easy, but if you take religion out of politics and politics out of religion, you would be able to treat everyone with justice and compassion.

I have written before about human jewelry:

1. Love
2. Compassion
3. Forgiveness
4. Sacrifice

If you take these off, what you have left is an animal. All religions talk about these things, but looking at history, they actually remove the “com” from “passion.” Thus, we are in predicaments like these innocent deaths. We have been fighting passionately and killing innocents, exactly the opposite of what religious education talks about.

Their punishments for crimes are harsh, with no compassion, only passion. They judge the individual and claim everyone is a sinner and needs forgiveness. The pope just said we should forgive the women who have had abortions. Who are we to punish or forgive? I strongly believe if a child is coming, it is God’s will. If it is God’s will, why should one be punished or forgiven? I believe God lives through humanity; thus, every child born is a new cell of God to reproduce God. Blaming the individual for simply playing a role in the bigger picture is not spiritual; it is political.

Why change the tune now, why not fifty years ago or a hundred or a thousand or two thousand years ago? It is because we have to evolve, especially when the tide is turning. People are refusing the extremes of religions as they become educated.

Personally and spiritually, I am against abortion and euthanasia because we are all part of an organism as well as independent entities. As long as we are useful to humanity, we should hang on to do our jobs.

But at the end of the day, the individual should have more say in his/her life. You just can’t order or condemn without educating people. Life is not just the human doing; it is happening as well. Just look at conception—what are the odds for a sperm to become a human being? Even after becoming an individual, we rely on oxygen, which is not in our control. When we inhale it, millions of things have to go just right for us to be living. It can be simplified, but it is not that simple. Regardless, individual rights are still on top of my agenda. If you want to kill yourself or have an abortion, it should be your choice as well as your responsibility to be a living cell of God, the real organism we belong to.

Religious orders should not be orders; they should be choices and without any punishments because I believe our justice systems should be separate and above all our belief systems. A belief system does not follow logic; its foundation is literally on believing in something, which is beyond the understanding of present-day brainpower usage. So killing over a reality that is not understood is and should be against all logical justice systems.

Religious people are against education. My mother told me she wanted to go to high school, but her father denied her, even though he was a teacher himself.

My hats off to Malala Yousafzai because she took a stand for education in a culture that still stands against equal rights for all, whether it be education or work.

I believe we will always have differences of opinion, but our problems can only be solved with our evolution and education to get ahead in all departments of life. People working openly against education are usually in cultures of control. Like the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east and in the west, we have Hutterites and Mormons who want their people to live simply, obey, and follow the rules of their religions. I have nothing against it until they take it to the extreme and end up in a place where human rights are violated.

It is all fine if there is compassion in the passion; otherwise, it is all politics, no spirituality, because religion without compassion has nothing to offer to the individual to become a better person.

Our civil wars are strongly related to a distorted sense of belonging. The responsibility of this lands on the shoulders of the individual who makes the final decision to join the group to fight and kill other human beings regardless of innocence or guilt.

Lack of individual knowledge, especially when it comes to balancing inner and conflicting senses, should be recognized by the individual. So we all should know exactly who we are and what we are capable of. Each and every one of us is a born CEO who makes decisions every day with free will, but some of us don’t when it comes to the politics of the sense of belonging.

This little boy is telling the story that we all have to cross the lines to create balance between our sense of belonging and sense of freedom. He brought the “com” back and put it into the passion.

I hope the people who think that refugees are burdens will see what he showed with his death. I would add that communities, cities, countries, and religions are not made of buildings, houses, roads, and bridges; they are made of people because each and every one of them carries a worth. When you take the people out of the town, it becomes a ghost town.