Is it right to do wrong? Is it good to be bad?
“I have recently read your book ‘You don’t eat a lion doesn’t mean that lion won’t eat you’. You’ve said that right and wrong are relative concepts…” Kaveri Gupta, a reader.
“Yes, right and wrong are based upon social and religious moral beliefs. There are no universal rights and wrongs.”
“What about good and bad?”
“Same. Essentially every religious scripture (except Hindu) tell you stories about good guys versus bad guys. It is just a cinematic story. But there is no universally good or bad”
“Uday Sir, can you explain?”
“In some societies, one can marry a blood relative. In many parts of Tamil Nadu, marrying own uncle (mother’s brother) is the right thing. Do you think it is right?”
“No.”
“In Bible, the second commandment says Idol worship is a sin. A large population thinks it is right. But Hindus worship Idols. Quran says it is good to kill a Kafir (non-believer). For people like me, any sort of violence is wrong. Right and wrong also change as per the location. You can eat pork (pig meat) in China, but you’ll get killed if you eat pork in Saudi Arabia. Right/ wrong changes at an individual level too. Killing an animal is the wrong thing for me. But how will a butcher survive if he can’t kill an animal?”
“Yes. A lot of people worship the cow as Gomata. But in this country itself, people kill the cow. Many so-called Hindus in many parts of India eat beef (cow meat) too. I understand now. Obviously, you don’t follow the rights and wrongs”
“I don’t as I know good/bad and right/wrong are relative and man-made concepts, mostly about very silly things…”
“Still you may have some ideals and principles in life. The value system that you follow – something that you won’t change whatever happens…”
“I don’t know if I follow anything permanently. Change is the only permanent thing in the universe. I am an evolving human being. A truth seeker with free thinking. If I am rigid in my own opinion, I am nothing but a conditioned moron. It doesn’t help me.”
“Uday sir, you mean to say that we don’t have to follow any values in life?”
“I didn’t say that. We need to follow the rules of the land. It makes you legally safe. I just follow Dharma. So I don’t believe in sin and I never feel guilty about anything.”
“That’s the crux of the point. What’s the difference between a person following Dharma and a person following religious belief…”
“A person following belief is just a believer. At the best, he can become a blind fanatic or superstitious. Beliefs are based upon village-level kiddish stories, though later may have spread the world over. Dharma is universal. It is based on science, logic, and rationale. Dharma (duty, responsibility, right, and privilege) totally depends upon your Varna (profession) and Ashrama (age group), Kala (time), Desa (geographical location), and Patra (individual). It’s not stationary, it is a moving one.”
“How to follow Dharma?”
“If you look at things based on facts or science (objective, free-thinking), it is easy to find your Dharma. It is said Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha (when you protect Dharma, then Dharma in return protects you). ”
“You mean to say that you don’t worry about being wrong or committing mistakes or even bad defined by others. You worry only about your Dharma.”
“Correct. Live according to each’s Dharma, which will insulate you from fear, anxiety, guilt, sin (belief), and superstitions and you can lead a cool, relaxed, and enjoyable life.” (Message No: 330)
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