HUMANITY

By B.E.Sampath Kumar, Sri Ramachandrji Seva Trust, Kadapa.

The word humanity is derived from Latin Humanitas for ” human nature and kindness”. Humanity refers to the kind feelings humans often have for each other. The  values which are considered basically essential in humans include Sympathy, compassion, mercy, brotherly love,  kindness, understanding, tolerance, gentleness,  pity, charity, generosity, magnanimity, etc.,

Human values are guidelines that help us to generate good thoughts in us so that we can do good deeds,  to think about good towards others not only humans but also other living beings such as animals, birds, etc.,  They also help in our actions we play day to day in our life drama.  They are many and each value is most important to lead a righteous life in the right direction to pave a path towards spirituality.

Humanity means caring for and helping others whenever and wherever possible forgetting our selfish interests at times when others need our help, extending unconditional love to each other and loving and caring towards all living beings and even plants also.

In the Indian Epic Ramayana Lord Sri Rama taught the following human values to the world:

He gave equal rights to his stepmothers and stepbrothers. He refused to marry more than one woman. He sacrificed his kingship just to obey his father’s promise to his Stepmother Kaikeyi

He leads an ascetic life with his wife for 14 years in forests and adhered to the righteous life, despite harsh tests of life and time.

He treated tribals like Guha, Sabari, Monkeys( Sugrreva, Hanuman and their followers), Bears(Jambavantha and his followers)  as his own kith and kin.  He sent Hanuman as an ambassador to the assembly of Ravana, the king of Sri Lanka, who abducted his wife,  to explain Ravana’s misdeeds and gave many chances to avoid war.

Though Lord Rama won the war,  he did not rule Sri Lanka and made Vibishana the king of Lanka.

Though he killed Vali, the Vanara king,  he made his brother  Sugriva the king of  Kishkinda.

When Ravana in the battle with Lord Rama,  lost all his weapons and became tired to fight  Lord Rama permitted  Ravana though he is his enemy, to go to his palace, take rest and come back on the next day with weapons for the fight.

Sri Rama is an embodiment of  Dharma and righteousness and an example of human values.

He taught how loyal a person can be, be it to his parents, or to his wife,  or to his brothers, how a perfect leader should be, a perfect husband can be, the perfect master should be and the perfect king should be.

In another Indian epic Mahabaratha,   Dhritharashtra the king of Hasthinapur,  proved that he is the most inhuman in nature, and also not only blind physically but also mentally. He was always after the throne when Vidhura, his Minister suggested making Pandu as the king because of his blindness.  He could not see the evil nature of his sons especially  Duryodhana towards Pandavas because of his blindness in love with them.  He did not bring up his sons in a righteous way and allowed Sakuni, his brother in law when he is imbibing cruelty and evil ideas in the minds of his sons from their childhood towards Pandavas.

He remained silent and not intervened against the misdeeds when his sons tried to poison Bheema,  to burn Pandavas and their mother Kunthi in Lakshagruha in Varanavatha and when Draupadi was disrobed by his son Dussasana under the guidance of his elder son Duryodhana,  in the assembly hall in front of everybody, though he was having more power and authority than his son Duryodhana. But when Droupadhi was about to curse the Kuruvansh, he and his wife Gandhari were very quick to ask her not to curse them.

If we question ourselves whether we have humanity like Lord  Rama in all aspects viz., love, devotion, sacrifice, compassion, sympathy, etc,  he adopted in his life,  the answer is probably NO.      Because generally when we are unable to obey our parents and also unable to  give equal rights to our own brothers and sisters throughout our life,  where is the question of obeying stepmother if any and treating her children equally?   Is there anyone who dares to say that he is truthful to his wife throughout his life like Lord Rama towards Sitha?  The answer generally is  No, because the  truth is that women love too much, and  men love too many. Rama treated Hanuman, as his brother though he is his servant. But generally, our ego comes and stood first when we  deal with our servants. 

If we introspect ourselves whether we lost humanity and the sense of it?.  The answer anyone can say that we are having more inhuman qualities possessed by  Dhritarashtra rather than good qualities of   Lord Sri Rama.    We are becoming selfish and greedy and hence the number of good deeds are decreasing day by day and even if someone does something for a good cause, he almost always expects something more  in return.

Human values are deteriorating because we the humans have forgotten the essence of life. 

This clearly implies if we forget humanity and become money making machines,  the end is not very far.  Pious life, unconditional kindness and love towards mankind and other living beings are the only things that can save humanity from being destroyed.  

Treat the people the way you want to be treated.  Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you.  Be a little more human rather than a money making machine. If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel the pain of others, you are a human being. Humanity should be our race and love should be our religion. The real purpose of human life is to serve and to make other beings happy.

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