To Belong....
Being a member of the human race, it is only natural to want to belong. It is, I guess, a natural instinct that we, as social creatures, are born with. This instinct is so strong in us, that we often assume some definition of what we should be in order to have a sense of belonging.
The right of passage rituals that are prevalent in so many cultures, epitomizes this instinct to belong. When an adolescent is asked to participate in a right of passage ritual, it marks the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood. These rituals serve to create a bond, through the common shared experience, that entrenches the sense of belonging for a lifetime.
Religion does exactly the same and the binding force behind religion is a common belief system. Religions go a bit further as they often dictate a certain code of conduct, behavior and dress code that should be followed. This further strengthens the sense of belonging.
Race, country of origin, clubs, social circles, etc. are all created to satisfy the sense of belonging. When we start believing that through our belonging we are more superior than those who do not belong, that is when the problems arise. We become pawns that can be manipulated by any who claim that they can enhance our sense of belonging and validate our sense of superiority. As a South African, I have experienced this through a system that ultimately became law.
But the real question still remains, why do we want to belong? As a Sufi Sheik explained to me one day, it is to validate our identity. To enable us to belong, we have to adopt the definition of the ideal member of the institution i.e. we have to define ourselves by its rules of behavior, thinking, moral standards, etc. So in order for us to belong we have to eliminate our true selves and create a new identity. This identity, I believe, is the ego.
Since we do have an instinct and longing to belong, why not say "I belong to the human race!". This does not mean we cannot have a belief system(religion), race, etc. It means that we, our true selves, are not defined by any other definition other than being human. In this way we should be able to eliminate the polarized view we have of the world.
As for me, I am still working on not being a person who has his roots in India :-)
The right of passage rituals that are prevalent in so many cultures, epitomizes this instinct to belong. When an adolescent is asked to participate in a right of passage ritual, it marks the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood. These rituals serve to create a bond, through the common shared experience, that entrenches the sense of belonging for a lifetime.
Religion does exactly the same and the binding force behind religion is a common belief system. Religions go a bit further as they often dictate a certain code of conduct, behavior and dress code that should be followed. This further strengthens the sense of belonging.
Race, country of origin, clubs, social circles, etc. are all created to satisfy the sense of belonging. When we start believing that through our belonging we are more superior than those who do not belong, that is when the problems arise. We become pawns that can be manipulated by any who claim that they can enhance our sense of belonging and validate our sense of superiority. As a South African, I have experienced this through a system that ultimately became law.
But the real question still remains, why do we want to belong? As a Sufi Sheik explained to me one day, it is to validate our identity. To enable us to belong, we have to adopt the definition of the ideal member of the institution i.e. we have to define ourselves by its rules of behavior, thinking, moral standards, etc. So in order for us to belong we have to eliminate our true selves and create a new identity. This identity, I believe, is the ego.
Since we do have an instinct and longing to belong, why not say "I belong to the human race!". This does not mean we cannot have a belief system(religion), race, etc. It means that we, our true selves, are not defined by any other definition other than being human. In this way we should be able to eliminate the polarized view we have of the world.
As for me, I am still working on not being a person who has his roots in India :-)
I believe there's many a reason to be proud from India.. Travel the villages and experience "life in poverty"... People are happy with their lot and money is NOT everything.. Living life is what was important, the interaction with neighbours and guests was important.. Not the capatilistic goals of people not in India..
ReplyDeleteI believe that the world could learn a lot from a nation such as India, and as such, I am proud to have my roots there.. I live by eastern ideals in a western world, not intuitive, but possible nonetheless..
So to you Xenophan I pose the question.. What is wrong with being rooted in India?
you're right. we all want to 'belong'. And it is a nice feeling knowing you 'belong' ;-) in my line of work I meet so many different people weekely, races, cultures etc..I wish I could find a book/publication detailing all the different cultures and believes we have in our country.
ReplyDelete@ the dawn of creation our souls were created in groups or communities @ that time God said: " am I not your Lord?" the souls replied in the affirmative and confirming that He is Lord. thus when we meet people even strangers we feel a spiritual affinity with them, its becos we belong to the same soul group, this is on a spiritual level, there are 2 kinds of people, those who affirmed the Truth @ the dawn of creation, they are the ones who fell down in prostration to God, the 2nd kind are those who reject and ridicule the Truth, they fell backwards @ the dawn of creation. thus if one is Truthful to oneself and acknowledge your shortcomings u will want to belong to the Truthful community and identify yourself with the one who is known in history as 'Assaadiqul Ameen' The truthful & trustworthy one, Muhammad Mustapha (S), the slave and final messenger of God. Associate with him and you will belong to the community of truth, love compassion and humility. as God says: ... the community of truth @ seat of Truth by the Most Powerful Lord of the worlds. So as Mawlana Rumi (R) the sufi poet says :" the song of the flute is its yearning to be with the reeds again."
ReplyDeleteThe point of the argument is this, if who you are and what you believe creates a division between people or a sense of superiority is this correct? We are all human beings and we are all living on and sharing the same planet, this is the truth and the reality of it all, and as humans we have a choice irrespective of our religion, race or creed, live together in peace with respect, or annihilate each other in an attempt to prove who is better or more superior. I vote for peace!
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