با سمجه ۽ نا سمجه ~ Learned and Illiterate
January 2, 2010 by bhittaiپيئِي جن پَرکَ، گَنجي ڏُونگَـرَ گامَ جي؛
Democracy and People
January 1, 2010 by bhittaiA country and its people shall move forward on the path of peace and progress if the democracy, however weak, is allowed to continue. Almost all the under-developed nations around the world have been under the continuous or long periods of military/dictatorship rule which has undermined their pace of development and recovery.
If kept intact, democracy produces amazing results. First of all the same corrupt leaders who did not perform well before, cannot come to power repeatedly, if the democratic process is allowed to run smoothly without interruption. Those leaders will naturally either disappear or purified to be good leaders in the due process of democratisation.
The most fascinating aspect of democratic process is the empowerment of masses. The power always lies with the public, not with a single person or group. Those who are supposed to be powerless and those who do not have any thing but a vote, actually assume the power. They seem to be the vast majority who otherwise will not have any say in the society. The big fish are compelled to revert back to them because without their support they cannot get into the power corridors under a democratic setup.
On the contrary under an autocracy/military regime, the power is consolidated into a single dictator or is delegated to selected, often inefficient corrupt politicians who do not represent the masses. They do not have any interest to take care of people because they do not need to go back to the public to regain power, rather to their masters/dictators who can throw them a bone. The dictators are often either from military or supported by them because they do not have public following. That is why the policies and procedures of such governments are centered around certain individuals, groups and vested interests which ultimately damage the country and hurt its people.
It should be very clear to us that those who support dictators/military juntas, are the very enemies of the poor and powerless people. Those who support democratic process are actually the well wishers of common people. Verily those who sacrifice their lives for this cause are heroes and worthy of praise. It may take some time to get on the path of progress but people are destined to boom under a democracy even though we may initially see some problems for a while; whereas people are destined to doom under autocracy/dictatorship even though we may see some benefits temporarily.
Culture versus Religion
December 27, 2009 by bhittaiReligion and culture have different scopes. Message of religion is universal and if the message is not universal then it is not a religion. Whereas culture inherently is regional in its nature, and if it is not regional then it is not a culture rather a global fact. Religion and culture are often misplaced. If some one is trying to make culture a global phenomenon and religion a regional entity, then they probably do not know the basics of religion and culture.
Though religion is a universal message but it always started from a certain place/region in the world. The prophets belonged to certain areas, cultures and countries. The revelations and commandments also came through a particular language. Naturally all religions started with some regional flavour. There were times when the communication around the globe was almost non-existent still the core of the religion has been universal since all religions focus on one almighty God.
People have had different religions at different times but they have had same culture for long time. Therefore they have been more close to their culture than the religion. Not only that but since the culture always has been local which uniquely identifies the people therefore they have been always attracted towards culture. The most important of all the elements of a culture is the language therefore the language has been the most prominent part of a culture, with which people identify themselves.Because of such a close relationship with culture, people have always tried to customize the religion to fit in their culture.
Blending of religion and culture has been the popular formula for the success of a religion. Where a religion could not accomodate the local culture, the religion has historically lost ground there. Because if a religion is trying to replace a culture it means it is not the religion but some other culture or vested interests trying to invade another culture and people. This is unnatural and has always caused destruction. Religion does not define the cultural details as it is not a regional phenomenon, rather it is a universal message which addresses the common and universal issues of people.
Accommodation of a culture by a religion is very natural. Religion does not preach a culture; what religion preaches is difference between right and wrong. Religion comes into conflict with a culture only when something which religion forbids is allowed by a culture. In some cases cultures have adapted to the religious guidelines and in other cases people have modified religion to accomodate their culture. We see some people exporting a culture as religion, Arabic culture may be one such example. On the other hand we see some cultures being practised as a religion, a Hindu culture may be an example of such phenomenon.
Hopeful and Hopeless
December 25, 2009 by bhittaiHope is life, despair is death. If we lose hope in one thing we have hope in something/someone else. If there were no hope there would be no life. There are various things which keep us hopeful hence live. Some times we are excited about our education/graduation. Some times we hope that we will be successful in our jobs, business, affairs etc. And some times we look forward to the success of our kids.
When we face failures in life, at times we tend to be so low that we lose interest in life altogether and become pessimistic. Despair has many downsides, one that it renders a person completely useless. Secondly, if we could wait for some time the success might embrace us already. But if we destroy ourselves due to despair and hopelessness then we cannot achieve otherwise very possible success. Because many a times what we consider a success turns out to be a failure and a failure turns out to be success.
A single failure opens up doors for many other successes. There are so many examples of great people who did not yield to the despair and hopelessness, rather they kept trying and won with flying colors. Anyway a successful life is name of finding better alternatives. If a person finds one door closed and instead of turning to other door starts crying, he/she must be a simpleton. Life is name of moving on, done is done cannot be undone, one has to concentrate on what is to be done now.
But there are moments in life when we are as if struck by lightning, in such a situation we should not forget that this life is temporary and instead of being pessimistic, one should think of the rewards of the next life which is eternal. Pessimism is forbidden as it makes a strong person a weak and meek. Shah Latif the great Sufi says that even when your own people desert you and you suffer alone, do not let despair overcome you because God is always with you, who can undo all your worries in no time and you will feel as if no suffering was there!!
ماندي ٿي نه مارئي تهنجو الله به آهي
سَون ڏينهن جا ڏکڙا هڪ لحظي منجه لاهي
اهڙو به الله آهي، جو ماڳ رسائيندئي مارئي
پُراميد ۽ نااميد~Hopeful and Hopeless
December 19, 2009 by bhittaiدنيا اميد تي قائم آهي. هڪ اميد ختم ٿئي ٿي ته ٻي شروع ٿي وڃي ٿي، جي اميد نه هجي ته جيڪر دنيا ۾ چرپر ئي بند ٿي وڃي. ڪڏهن اسان تعليمي ڪاميابي ماڻڻ جي اميد تي گرمجوش رهون ٿا، ڪڏهن اسان نوڪري ڌنڌي ۾ ڪاميابي جي اميد تي جيئون ٿا ۽ ڪڏهن وري ٻارن جي ڪاميابي لاءِ منتظر رهون ٿا. ڪڏهن ڪاميابي نصيب ٿئي ٿي ته ڪڏهن ڪونه، ڪڏهن گهٽ ته ڪڏهن وڌ
جڏهن ڪاميابي بجاءِ ناڪامي ملي ٿي تڏهن جهڙوڪ دنيا تان دل ئي کڄي ٿي وڃي ۽ ڪيترا ماڻهو مايوس ٿيو پون. مايوسي جا ڪيترائي نقصان آهن، هڪ ته ان سان ماڻهو ناڪاره ٿيووڃي. ٻيو هي ته اها ساڳي ناڪامي ڪجه وقت کانپوءِ وري ڪاميابي ۾ ڦري سگهي ٿي. پر جي ماڻهو ان کان اڳ ئي پاڻ کي بيحال ڪري ڇڏيندو ته اها ڪاميابي نه ڏسي سگهندو. ڇاڪاڻ جو ڪيترائي ڀيرا هڪ ناڪامي کي اسان ڪاميابي سمجهندا آهيون پر ڪجه وقت کانپوءِ پتو پوندو آهي ته جنهن کي اسان ناڪامي سمجهون پيا حقيقت ۾ اها ڪاميابي هئي
هڪ ناڪامي ٻيا ڪيترائي ڪاميابي جا دروازا کولي ٿي. دنيا ۾ ڪيترائي تمام وڏا مثال موجود آهن جن ماڻهن ڪڏهن هار نه مڃي ۽ نيٺ ڪامياب ٿيا، نه صرف ڪامياب ٿيا پر ان کان وڏي درجي جي ڪاميابي انهن ماڻي. ڪامياب زندگي هونءَ به متبادل رستا ڳولهڻ جو نالو آهي. اهو هڪ سادو ماڻهو چئبو جيڪو هڪ دروازو بند ڏسي ٻئي پاسي کان وڃڻ بجاءِ روئڻ ويهي رهي. زندگي اڳتي وڌڻ جو نالو آهي، جيڪو ٿيو سو ٿيو، هاڻي جيڪو ٿيڻو آهي ان تي ڌيان ڏيڻ گهرجي
پر ڪڏهن ڪڏهن زندگي ۾ اهڙا موڙ اچي وڃن ٿا جتي ماڻهو کي ڪاپاري ڌڪ لڳي ٿو. ان صورت ۾ اهو وسارڻ نه گهرجي ته هي دنيا فاني آهي ۽ وري به مايوسي بجاءِ ايندڙ نئين زندگي ۾ بهتري جي اميد رکڻ گهرجي. مايوسي حرام آهي. مايوسي هڪ چڱي ڀلي ماڻهو کي ختم ڪريو ڇڏي. شاه سائين فرمائي ٿو ته جڏهن ماڻهو ساٿ ڇڏي ڏين تڏهن به مايوس ٿيڻ نه گهرجي، ڇاڪاڻ جو خدا انسان سان هميشه گڏ آهي ۽ جڏهن تڪليف ٽري ٿي وڃي تڏهن ائين لڳي ٿو ڄڻ ڪجه هيو ئي ڪون
ماندي ٿي نه مارئي تهنجو الله به آهي
سَون ڏينهن جا ڏکڙا هڪ لحظي منجه لاهي
اهڙو به الله آهي، جو ماڳ رسائيندئي مارئي
Order
December 18, 2009 by bhittaiAny thing in disorder becomes waste and problem, whereas order makes things beautiful and useful. Order is the ultimate solution of all the problems facing this world. Many countries have surplus food which is wasted everyday in big quantities, whereas there are thousands of people dying of hunger everyday in other parts of the globe. If there were order, there would be no hungry person in the world. If there were order in our lives, we would be happy. If there were order in a society, everyone would be living in peace.
Letters put in an order become words which a poet puts in such a sound order that it becomes a rhythm of life. If notes, voice and poetry are put in an order, that becomes great melody of all times. For many people this single order itself is more than enough to be happy. The order in shape, size, color, contours, manners, styles and etiquettes makes a person beautiful and we know that every one of us is after beauty, even killing each other for a pretty thing!
Many a times what one needs is not available to him/her whereas what another person does not need, has plenty of it. If the things can be managed in an orderly manner, there would be no wastage of time and things. In a perfect situation one would get what s/he wants. Even in this imperfect world that could be achieved to the degree which is good enough for our satisfaction and needs of all people.
Interestingly all things around us are in an order, it is only us – the humans, who have caused disorder in the society. From Galaxies to the solar system and from an atom to a cell, every thing is in a great order. Knowledge is study of the orders and learned people are the real rulers of this world. If there is some one behind that order – odds are that there is One, then that Being is actually the Great ruler. Probably that Great ruler only can reveal to us how we can put this world in an order or reveal Thyself in us so that we are in Order!! As Shah Latif says:
