The BHOGI West versus YOGI East (3)

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CHAPTER - 15

ECONOMICS

WELFARE versus MARKET

Market is the nucleus of economics.  ‘Competition’ and ‘Survival of the fittest’ are the basic mantra of trade and industry in the West.  Small fish being gobbled up by a big fish is the law of Nature, argues the Western economist.  The weak with lesser resources has to compete with the more powerful and more resourceful and obviously, be eliminated.  Everything is fair in love and war.  Trade is a war, says the economist.  Hence, it is justified if the more powerful player uses all the means at his disposal, moral and immoral, to finish off other players.  Deceiving the customers through falsehood (or distorted truth) called advertisement, flooding the market, higher sales promotion expenses, lobbying, bribing and influencing the government to get favourable laws passed, harassing the competitors through legal and other means and even instigating murders are some of these means we are already aware of.  Smaller players are totally eliminated, resulting in complete monopoly of a few.  In the USA, 90% market is under the monopoly of 8 industrial houses.  World over, around 200 monstrous MNCs control over 85% of total economy.  The flow of money is vertical.  Money from million wallets flows in to a few pockets.

            

The hallmarks of Western industry and technology are ‘Need for huge investment’; ‘higher power consumption’; ‘less human and more machine oriented and hence unemployment generating’; ruthless exploitation of Nature’; ‘more polluting’.  Creativity of human brain is less in demand.  He has to merely watch the flow of the product through machines, like a traffic sergeant watching the flow of traffic.  Higher crime rate, violence, drugs and sex abuse, depression and other psychic disorders and self-centered behaviour are by-products of this automation and machine centered technology.  The idea that physical pleasure is ultimate is reinforced by the Western technology.  All the innovations are aimed at eliminating physical pain or hardship and providing utmost comfort and pleasure.  It stops the Westerner from reaching beyond the bodily and sensual comforts.

Trade is ‘consumption’ oriented.  The more the consumption, the more flourishing economy is assumed to be.  All sorts of products are dumped in the market.  Life time or long term usage is sought to be avoided.  The products are so made that these become useless soon and the public lured to buy newer and ‘modified’ or ‘improvised’ model.  The latest trend is ‘use and throw’.  This trend has enabled continuous flow of money from consumer’s pockets to producer’s bank account.

‘Copy right’, ‘Patenting’ etc. are innovative frauds in the system to sustain monopoly over market.  The Hindu tradition is universality of knowledge.  He has allowed uninhibited flow of knowledge to the deserving.  The West, on the other hand, desires to extract every penny out of it.

Credit card is a villainous offshoot of this economy.  It is doubtful whether there would be an American spending within his means, not trapped in ‘credit card mire’.  The income projected for the next two years is already spent.  The dollar craze in us and deposit of huge foreign exchange reserves of eastern countries like Bharat, China, in American treasury further stimulates American’s thirst for spending on credit.

The more the consumption, the more one dumps into Nature, the more the exploitation and destruction of Natural resources, the more the pollution, the more severe the exploitation of weaker nations and weaker communities, and the stronger is the economy supposed to be and the more developed the Nation is supposed to be.

The Hindu economics is welfare oriented and human-centered.  The hall marks of Hindu Economics are ‘Self reliance, Savings, smaller scale investments, more Eco-friendliness and less pollution, less draining on resources, Welfare orientation etc.

AGRICULTURE

Hindu agriculture is a triangle between man, cow and the field.  Waste from the field is feed for the cow and waste from the cow is feed for the field.  Products from both these come to man.  The bull helps the farmer to prepare the field.  It also helps in transporting agricultural produce and conveyance for the family.  It helps in crushing oil seeds to extract oil and gets ‘oil-rich’ de-oiled cake as a nutritious feed.  The cow is a source for milk, a food substitute and additional income.  Cow’s urine is a medicine for the family and a insecticide for the field.  Thus, the cow and the bull are a source for organic manure, substitute food, a means for transport, a tractor, and a friendly labour and all these at no cost.  In turn, they become part of the Kisan family and are taken care of with name, shelter and affection.

The land is left uncultivated for a term or a crop with Nitrogen rich root is grown, ploughed and remixed with the soil.  This traditional practice has enabled retention of soil fertility in Bharat, despite continuous agricultural activity for more than 8,000 years.

The farmer retains a portion of produce as seed for future crops.  ‘Terminal seed’ is an unnatural brainchild of money thirsty West.  This ‘bio-technology’ aims to snatch his self reliance and enslave the farmer to seed company.  (Terminal seeds are seeds which sprout only once and the produce can not be used as seed again.)   The farmer will have to stand at the gates of multinational seed company for every crop.

There is a practice among farmers, of growing a few trees in the field, to be used in reconstruction of house in the next 25 years.  This practice further strengthens farmers’ self-reliance.  The whole village is a self-reliant unit with everyone serving and supporting each other.  The village comprises of farmers, cobblers, the dhobi, the smith, carpenters, potter, the milkmen, barber, the priest and the teacher.

Bharat has a network of over 50,000 weekly bazars, one for every ten to fifteen villages.  These bazars are out of the clutches of global gambling dens, also called stock market.  These bazars have acted as shock absorbers for our economy and have lessened the impact of tremours in international or American stock market on our economy.

Our industry should have rested firm on our own philosophy and model.  But, it stands on western model.  The share of traditional crafts and arts in employment, export and foreign exchange earned is many times higher than the ‘mechanized modern’ industry.  The English-educated intelligentsia led by our first Prime Minister Shri Nehru, has its sight fixed on the glamorous West.  It adamantly refuses to shift the same to East.  It is unfortunate that even after 65 years of self-rule, our universities are breeding out economists, who parrot-like repeat the Western economic principles and strive hard to transplant the Western model.  Failure of Russian experiment has removed from National scene, the other group of communists trying to bring in Russian model.  We need a group of our own intellectuals who will try to understand Hindu economics and adapt it to the present times.

The Western mind wanting to encash all that one has, is contagiously catching up many city dwellers in Bharat.  All time,  every relation and all occasions for money.  Amway and other Multi Level Marketing companies have invaded our cities.  This new breed of money-thirsty businessmen is using every occasion, marriage or funeral, for canvassing business.  This has also resulted in sprouting of many fraudulent companies cheating innocent and avaricious persons.

Our family system is a great source of strength to the National economy.  ‘The earner will eat’ is the western principle of consumption, while ‘earn with all your might and potential, not only for self but for all the needy’ is the Hindu principle.  Millions of disabled, old, mentally retarded, handicapped, orphans, etc. do not live on pity and charity of ‘Charity Institutions’ or on pension from ‘social security funds of the government.  They are under the protective care of their families.  The orphans in villages are fed and looked after by the whole community.  Recently 8,000 children were orphaned in Orissa, a so-called backward and poverty-struck state.  All but 400 children were rehabilitated in their families and villages.  It is very common to find empty beds in wards and long queues in the outpatient wing of mental hospitals in Bharat.  All the old and infirm are part of their family and not in Vriddhashram or old age homes.  It is again the family that supports the unemployed ones during their search for job.  If our family system were to collapse and the government had to provide pensions for all these, then the whole fund at its disposal may not be sufficient.  Funds allocated in National budgets for social security is around 30% in the USA, 45% in UK, 55% in France and over 70% in Sweden.  That speaks volumes on the condition of family in these countries.  Late Shri KSSudarshan, former head of RSS rightly pointed out that governments and laws could not generate and nourish family and social values.

Similarly, the role played by Religion in economics is also enormous.  We have the least number of police stations per lakh population.  All but a few of the 45,000 odd police stations are located in the ‘modern’ (more westernized) cities.  More than 50% of the over 6 lakh villages do not have electric supply and are in eternal darkness.  Yet, are almost free from crimes and are rarely visited by a policeman.  According to a recent sociological survey, the number of criminals per lakh population is the lowest in Bharat (around 4.5), while the same in the USA is around 650.  Our women can move around with all their jewels at any part of the day, even in most cities.  Our children grow up in more open environment than the children in any Western country.  There, free movement is restricted and shackled by so many security alarms and grids.  The jails in West are huge with capacities in the range of 20,000 and filled to capacity, whereas jails here, most of those in cities, are smaller in capacity (2 or 3 thousands) and never full, except during political agitations.  The common Hindu does not need the fear of police and deterrent law to behave rightly, but is guided by an inner light.  Two words, Paapa and Punya are enough to regulate his behaviour.  This inner light has been kindled and kept alive by saints and religious institutions.

CHAPTER - 16

RELIGION

SATSANG versus APPOINTMENT

Religion for a Westerner is an appointment with God, of one hour on Sundays.  On other days, neither he bothers the God nor God bothers him.  The Hindu is on 24-hour Satsang with God, Divine company of God.  God for him is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.

The Church on days other than Sundays, does not seem to be a place of God.  Even on Sundays, it is merely a place for congregation and sermon.  The temple, on the other hand, is a place of God, on all days and at all time, whether closed or open.  Though the temples remind him of God, he does not believe that God stays only in temples, in the idols.  He visits temples, and worships the Divinity within himself.  The Hindu fasts and observes strict disciplines, walks barefoot on long, arduous paths to reach the temple, and finally when he stands in the Sanctum Sanctorum, in front of the Deity, he closes his eyes.  If he was worshipping the idol, he would have his eyes wide open.  He worships the God within.  That is why, he can worship and pray even without temples.  A corner in his house is enough for his worship.  He does not need intermediaries and relates directly with the God.  Temples are more a social necessity than a personal one.  Hindu religion would be very much the same, alive and healthy, even if all the temples were to vanish.

      

Can you think of Christianity without the Church?  Church is absolutely essential for survival of Christianity.  If you remove the Church and the pastor, Christianity would vanish into thin air.  There is no system there for personal worship.  There is no personal role for an individual Christian.  Listening to the pastor’s speech (sermons) is enough for him to be a true Christian and eventually reach heaven after death.  At the most, he is expected to bring others, especially the non-Christians to the Church and help in their conversion to Christianity.

There is no uniform, prescribed way  of worship for Hindus.  There is also no prescribed form of God or prescribed book.  He may worship as he understands, any way, any where, and to any form.  Everything in Christianity is prescribed.  The Church, the organization of pastors, the Book, the way of worship etc.  A Christian has to conform and fall in line to dictates and prescriptions of the Church.

The religion does not influence other activities or attitudes of a Christian.  How he conducts his business, how he relates with people, how he looks at the Nature, how attached he is to the values etc. do not matter.  Attendance in Church is the only expectation from him.  The Christian whites have been responsible for holocaust of Jews, genocide of Bosnian Muslims and both the world wars, though they preach Love, Serve and ‘show the other cheek’ principles.  All the ten commandments will find the maximum number of violators only in the West.  I am reminded of a joke in circulation in South Afrika.  A Pastor once complained to his friend that his bike was stolen.  The friend believed that the thief must be one of those attending his sermons.  He suggested that the father should pause for a while after reading the sixth commandment, ‘Do not steal’ and should look into the eyes of all present.  “Thief’s conscience will prick and he will return the bike”, said the friend.  Next time when they met, the father happily reported that he got back the bike.  “I told you so”.  The friend was pleased his suggestion worked.  The father exclaimed:  “No.  I did not get it that way.  I remembered where exactly I left the bike when I  read the fourth commandment, ‘Do not commit adultery’.  It is only a joke, but not far from reality.

There are only suggestions and no commands in Hindu Religion.  His life in this world is more important than his visits to the temple.  How he relates with the world, with men, animals, trees, is the measuring stick for Divinity, according to Shri Krishna in the Gita (Chapter XII-Verse 13 and 14).  None is condemned to a permanent hell.  Even the sinners have hope of redemption.  They have to spend a period in hell and suffer in proportion to the sin accrued by them.  Then, they return to the world for one more chance to lead a life towards Divinity.  Even the demons like Ravana and Narakasura finally reached God.  However, there is no shortcut.  One has to plod his way up.  It is a never-ending process of refining and elevation for a Hindu.  Worship of God is merely the first step in this journey.

Christianity is surely, on the wane in West.  Churches are empty and are being auctioned, purchased by secular and other religious organizations.  Fewer youths are joining the Church as pastors.  Many of the pastors and fathers are being accused of sexual misbehavior.  Market is the new church and dollar, the new God.  The terrorist attack on the twin towers on 11th Sept. has resulted in a resurgence in Church activity and slight improvement in attendance therein.  That is more due to fear and insecurity created by the attack than out of positive faith.

PRAYER

“Thank You, Oh Lord! for You gave me my bread” and such prayers thanking Him for what all He has given and prayers asking Him to give more, are the normal prayers for man any where.  Hindus also do such selfish prayers but do not stop at that.  Hindu prays for the welfare of all.  ‘Sarva Mangala Mangalye’ (Bestower of holiness upon all);  ‘Sab ko sanmathi De’ (Bless all with wisdom);  Sarve Bhavantu sukhinah’ (May all be happy);  ‘Lokaah Samastaa Sukhino Bhavantu’ (May the entire humanity be happy); etc. are most common Hindu prayers.  ‘Lokanatha (Protector of all people)’, ‘Jagannatha (Protector of whole world)’, ‘Anaatha Rakshaka (Protector of orphans)’, ‘Apad Bandhava (Friend of any one in distress)’, etc. are the common names taken to address Him.  The Hindu concept of God is not as ‘benefactor only of Hindus’ or believers but of all in the world.  ‘Prayers for good monsoon and a good crop’, ‘protection of all lives’, ‘ample food for all’ and ‘happiness and good health for all’ are the more common Hindu prayers.  “Aatmano Mokshaartham Jagat Hitaaya cha” i.e. ‘Liberation of self along with the well being of the world’ is the blessing desired by a Hindu.

CHAPTER - 17

DEATH

JUNCTION versus TERMINAL

Death has always been a mystery.  The more attached one is to the body and worldly pleasures, the more fearsome and mysterious is death.  After, all efforts to prevent death fail and death arrives to leave the body lifeless, the body needs to be disposed off.  Even if one refuses to dispose the body of his beloved, the body starts decomposing and decaying on its own.  One does not wish to carry memories of decomposed body of the beloved.  Hence arises the need for body disposal.  Every community has evolved iys own way of body disposal.

The Hindu wisely solved the mystery of death.  He sees death as merely a Junction in the long journey of life.  There may be different interpretations as to what happens after death, but there is unanimity in the idea that man is not the body.  He dwells in the body and leaves it on death to take up a new body.  The body is composed of five basic elements, viz. earth, air, water, fire and space.  Everything in the world, both animate and inanimate, is made of these five elements.  Upon death, the lifeless body disintegrates into the basic elements.  Hence, the Hindu disposes off the dead body in such a way as to facilitate this disintegration and merger of the elements with their respective parent bodies.  Earth matters in the body, the bones and other minerals, merge with Earth; water content with Water, air with Air, heat with Heat and body space with Space.  Hence, the body without any decoration or even clothes, is put to flames or buried (without any box or covering) in earth or left to be carried away in water.  The ash produced on cremation is also immersed in a river.  No memorials are built except for sanyasis and others who lived inspiring life.

 

The man is loved and respected, but his body without him, is disposed off without any qualms.  The traditional songs sung during mourning period remind the listener of Truths about life and death and prepare his mind to face death peacefully.  “Live corpses are sitting around the dead corpse and grieving”, says one.  “We did not bring anything when we arrived on earth and will not take back anything when we leave”, says another.  One more song declares, “The cows will stay back in their shed, wealth in the shelves and wife at home.  The sons, relatives and friends will accompany only upto the crematorium.  The body too will stay back in the pyre.  You will have to go all alone.  Only the good and bad deeds you have accumulated in your life will come with you”.  The Maha Mrutyunjaya Mantra addressed to Shiva says, “Oh God of three eyes! just as a fruit, fully mature and ripe, would easily detach itself from the tree, let me too mature and leave the world without any pain or pangs.”

Om Tryambakam Yajaamahe Sugandhim Pushti Vardhakam

Oorvarukamiva Bandhanaat Mrutyormuksheeya maamrutaat

All the relatives assemble and share during grieving period.  Neighbours send cooked food for the mourners.  The immediate relatives are involved in rituals and others prepare for the last journey of the body towards disposal.  The mourners are made to recollect the last moments of the dead and weep again and again.  In some communities, singers of mourning songs with chest-beating and weeping, are hired so as to incite tears in the mourners’ eyes.  The grieving house gradually returns to normalcy.  Lavish expenses, if any, are on feasting than on the disposal of body.

I would like to recollect a personal experience during my stay in West.  A 35 year old man, his young wife and a twelve years old son lived in a bungalow.  The man died suddenly.  (Death, though certain, is always sudden.)  His body was cremated and prayers conducted in his memory.  Many of his relatives and friends attended the funeral and prayer.  Many more visited the wife during the week and consoled her.  Bunches of flowers they brought got collected into a heap.  All these activities were in the evenings formal and the young wife too reciprocated formally.  However, an informal, more personal, heart to heart sharing of grief seemed lacking.  None of the relatives stayed with her and she had to be alone the whole day.  The build up of stress due to unexpressed grief was so high that she had to be administered anti-depression drugs from the fourth day.  Contrasts are always glaring.  An experience of extreme thirst makes a sip of cool water enjoyable.  A few moments in hot, burning Sun make you realize the joy cool shade of a tree.  I have seen so many deaths, but I realized the importance of practices in grieving Hindu families only after this experience in contrast.

CHAPTER - 18

SOCIETY, CULTURE AND NATION

COMPREHENSIVE versus COMPARTMENTAL

SOCIETY

Society too, like family is almost absent in West.  What is seen as cluster of houses housing individuals.  The houses are apart.  You will hardly see any common-walled house.  There is hardly any communication, except on formal occasions.  The government is vested with extraordinary powers.  There are laws governing every aspect of interactions.  For instance, if a child goes to play in a neighbour’s house and gets injured, the house owner can be sued for negligence.  It is due to the government.

CHARITY

Charity is also a commercial activity.  Companies and institutions spare funds for ‘charity’ only because laws command them to and also to derive tax benefits.  Sometimes, it becomes fashionable to associate with a prominent personality, as was the case with Diana, and donating in public glare to that personality becomes a graze.  There are commercial companies which conduct events to raise funds for  Charity organizations.  Charity is also the garb for raising funds to promote fraudulent religious conversions in Bharat and other eastern countries.  Charity is never for charity, but for other motives.  Also, charity is no more than giving money.  Hence, common man does not have any role in charity as he feels he does not have enough money and that only people with excess money need to do charity.  This attitude has further gained roots due to allocation of huge funds by government for pensions to the old, infirm, disabled, and other persons needing support.  Some of the European governments allocate more than 40% of their annual budget for these purposes.

On the other hand, common Hindus, even those with meager resources involve regularly in charity.  They put in money, time and energy for social and charitable activities and organizations.  Silent charitable acts, un-publicized, unnoticed and un-thanked, are described as greatest deeds by Bhagawat Gita and Hindus prefer these.  Many service institutions thrive only on small, but daily contributions of people.  One rupee a day is a scheme for supporting single teacher schools among tribals.  As suggested by Shankaracharya of Kanchi, a handful rice kept apart daily by hundreds of families is enough to feed the inmates an Old age home in Chennai and a leprosy hospital in Champa.  Hindu Charity supports the poor, orphans, disabled, diseased, old and people tormented by calamities to such an extent that there is no need for government funds and pensions.

CULTURE

The word culture comes from ‘cult’, a set of rituals.  So, dress, dance, and all other outward features form culture, according to Western thinking.  Many English educated in Bharat also use the term in the same sense.  Samskriti is the nearest term in Hindu vocabulary.  It is the attitude rather than the act.  The acts change with time, but the attitude remains unchanged.  There were no or a very few temples in Mahabharata period.  Temples have become important activity centers now.  Yet, the attitude towards God, Divinity, defined by the Vedas, has remained the same.  Dress has changed;  food habits have changed;  modes of transport during Teertha Yatra have changed.  But, the attitude towards all these and the life in totality has remained the same.  The exterior does matter, but is not all important for Culture.

NATION

Nation is not just a piece of land with boundaries and inhibited by people.  The bond or emotional attachment with the land and its people is Nation.  One can not become a National through an application and some governmental papers.  A Hindu might be a citizen of any land, but he will remain a Hindu National.  Similar with any National.  Sonia may be a citizen legally, but it is doubtful if she can become a National.  A piece of land with well-defined boundaries is necessary but not essential for a Nation.  Israel has survived as a Nation for centuries, without land.  Having been driven out of their own land, the whole Israeli population lived as refugees in ghettos on other lands.  Yet, Israel, as a Nation thrived in their hearts and dreams.  It become complete when they returned to their own land in 1947.  People and their emotions form a Nation.  On the other hand, there are lands with people on it, which can not be called Nation.  For instance, Australia and America.  These are lands of European settlers.  These lands will need visionaries, long time and hectic efforts to evolve as Nations.  People should feel one and should entertain same emotional bondage and pride with the land, every bit of it and everything associated with it.  This attachment is the result of long and continuous living on the land.  Nation, National etc. are bad words in the West.  Nationalism in one country disturbs sleep and peace of people elsewhere.  Right from the days of Alexander and Roman empires, National pride aroused in one land has destroyed other lands and other people.  Nationalism in Germany has resulted two world wars (‘European wars’ may be more proper name.)  Patriotism, so fanatically aroused in the USA, has definitely helped America flourish and rise high, only at the cost of many poorer Nations.  American banks, American companies, American products, American dress, American breakfasts, American accent are dominating, subjugating every other country, especially in African and South American regions.  American dollar monopolizes trade.  It may be trade between Bharat and Sri Lanka, but American dollar comes in.  In the process, the native ingenuity, native industries, native knowledge native languages have almost perished.  The talents, raw materials and the labour force of these nations are being exploited in American interest.  Thousands were lured to work in farm fields of Europeans as indentured labour and slave labour in the nineteenth century.  Now, more sophisticated ‘contract labour is being lured to America in the garb of software professionals.  The so-called world bodies like IMF and world bank are being arm-twisted to suit American interest.

America crushed the terrorists involved in twin tower blast.  It prosecuted and punished the conspirators, executors and supporters.  It took the fight to Afghanistan and Pakistan and killed the top persons of the terrorist organizations.  It put Visa restrictions on Pakistan.  Appreciable.  But, that terrorist incidence was in America.  What is its attitude towards similar activities on other soil?  Terrorism is OK so long it is on other soil, killing other people.  That has been the attitude.  America furthers its own interest by selling arms and weaponry to those areas.  Terrorists in northeast are supported by America through the church.  Apartheid in South Africa was supported by the Church again.  Pakistan was America’s close friend all these years when it was abetting terrorism in Bharat.  

‘Dirty’ industries, (polluting industries and other harmful industries) are being shifted to poorer nations.  Nuclear and other wastes are being dumped in oceans and lands of other nations.  A few years ago, when there was bumper harvest in the USA, a few million tonnes of wheat was dumped into Pacific ocean so as to keep the prices high to the advantage of America and its farmers..  Aid to poor countries is more a business for America and its institutions than humanitarian help.  Millions of dollars are being pumped into Bharat and other eastern countries through the Church, to instigate religious conversions and also separatism and insurgency.

Bharat has been a glorious Nation.  She had attained great hights in all fields through the genius of her illustrious sons.  Yet, there has never been a single military invader and plunderer from Bharat in the last 8,000 years of known history.  If at all, there have been invasion of Sadhus, Sanyasis and Rshis to other lands with message of Love and Brotherhood.  Intense Nationalism in Bharat has always been a boon to the world.

A BIRD’S EYE VIEW

HINDU	WEST
Man is just a part of creation.	Man is the purpose of creation.
Every life has equal right to survival.	Man has more right to survival and has right to exploit other lives.
Man is a more evolved life than other lives. He has the responsibility of protecting and preserving other lives.	Man is an animal. He has to fight and survive.
His life mission is well-being of all.	His life mission is mere survival.
Life is closer to Nature.	Life is divorced from Nature.
Yog, the physical exercise is for development of whole Man, i.e. his body, mind and intellect.	The physical exercise system is only for the body, i.e. for muscular development of various parts of the body.
Woman is equal partner in creation. Creation is due to Union of Purusha and Prakriti. (Ardha Nareeshwara)	Woman was created from man’s rib bone for his entertainment.
Beauty of woman is more her personality, character and beauty of mind.	Beauty of a woman is ‘calculated’ by the sizes of her waist, breasts and buttocks.
Woman is mother. Mother is the builder and guiding light of every Hindu home. She is a loving nurse, Annapoorani, a Guru.  She is worshipped verily as God.	Woman is mere partner in sex. She is receptionist, waitress and sales promotion girl. Her glamour is exploited for business promotion and personal interests.
Family is a single unit. The home is training ground for future life.  It is the organic link between an individual and the society.  It is the agency to sustain healthy traditions.	Family is almost non-existent. All that remains, as an arrangement, is a group of individuals staying under a common roof and leading individualistic life.
Family life is based on SHARING of space, comforts, food, joy and grief with all (including animals) within and outside the family.	Each individual possesses his/her space, comforts and partakes food to his own taste. Sharing is absent, to be more precise, is hated.
Food is life-giver.  It is Divine Prasad, blessing of God. Sharing of food with the guests, cow, crow and even ants is encouraged. It is sin to waste food.  Food nourishes not only the body but also the mind.	Food is a mere physical requirement.  ‘Earn your food’ is the guiding principle and option of sharing does not arise. Food travelling to dustbin is quite common.
Festivals linked with Nature and environmental phenomenon, historical significance, values and purpose of life.	Festivals are almost absent. Merry-making festivals are ruled by commercial interests.
Marriage is a bond between two families.	Marriage is a contractual arrangement between two individuals.
Nature is mother to the Hindu. Essentials are taken from the Nature as a child would feed from its mother.	Nature is for the man to be exploited and squandered.
Sacrifice and austerity are the marks of consumption.	Avarice and greed are marks of unfettered consumption.
Conservation and nourishment of Nature is obvious.	Extinction and exhaustion are obvious results. Heavily funded campaigns are necessary for conservation.
Tour, Music, Dance, Literature and other activities are centered on God. These are meant to improve the physical health, and/or rejuvenate and elevate the mind.	Tour, music, dance literature and other activities are merely recreational and time pass activities for glorification of self.
Economics is welfare oriented.	Economics is market and profit oriented.
Family manages most of the crises. The society takes care of the remaining ones.	There is a need for professional counselors and consultants. Family has almost no role.
Death is a fact of life is only for the body.  Acceptance of old age and death as normal and natural.	Death is not end of life. Death is fearsome, mysterious and is end of being. Sad and vain efforts to preserve youth and avoid death.
Matter of fact disposal of body after death.	Decoration, costly coffins and stone monument for the dead body.
Rituals and family support for fast recovery from grief due to death of a close one. Return to normal life is smooth and gradual.	Depression lasting grief on death of some one close. Shattered and ‘never the same’ life because death is never accepted as normal.

And the story continues.  Man is the same everywhere.  There are no discrepancies in God’s production:  all these differences have crept in and are  man’s own creation.  God merely created the world with man in it.  Man created family, society, Nation, festivals, Art, music, recreational occasions and so many other accessories.  The purpose of all these should have been the same, irrespective of whether man lived in east or west.  These must help man in finding answers to the many questions naturally arising in him.  What is life?  What is the world?  What am I?  What is my relationship with this world?  How do I interact with this world?  What, if any, is beyond this life? Why and How of all these questions.  He built the superstructure on whatever he thought were the answers.  Were the answers right.  Only Time will tell.  That the superstructure built on wrong or false answers will crumble and collapse, is CERTAIN.

A child is puzzled by an electric lamp.  On observation, it understands the connection between switch and the lamp.  As he grows, he knows the hidden wires and electric current flowing in it.  If he persists with his queries, he may know about frequency, voltage and ampere.  Later on knowledge of electrons, holes etc. may be revealed to him.  We find that it is not the question, but the questioning attitude that is crucial to knowing and progressing.  Any system that provokes questions and encourages questioning attitude should be the best.  We have arrived at where we started.

Aahaar Nidraa Bhaya Maithunam cha Saamaanyam Etad Pashubhir Naraanaam

Dharmo Hi Teshaam Adhiko Viseshah Dharmena Heenaa Pashubhissamaanaah

“Hunger, sleep, fear and procreative desire are the four instincts common to all the lives including humans.  It is the discretionary power of the humans that distinguishes him from other lives.  Without this, he is no more than an animal”.  (Manu Smriti).