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Kudos to scientists for
mapping the genome:
……… The
recent mapping of Human Genome by a group of scientists was a landmark achievement
for the entire mankind. While lot needs to be done before this knowledge is
available to help root out the genetic disorders of man, yet it is indeed
an achievement worth elation. In future it will become possible to predict
& even help root out the various diseases of man with the least bit of
botheration. However, like with any potent knowledge there is a possibility
of its possible misuse. Such can be the profound impact of this knowledge
that all sort of fears have already started being aired. It might certainly
lead to various ethical and social problems. There is also the dangerous
possibility of cloning of a superior human race.
The problem of misuse of
any potent knowledge :
……… The
possibility of misuse of any potent knowledge or power is always there, and
therefore the debate on the possible misuse of this knowledge of human
genome has also rightly begun. Whether it is the nuclear power in
the hands of a rogue state, or a gun in the hands of school going children,
the powers that be are rightly concerned about averting their possible
misuse. The problem is not the power as such, but the power in wrong hands.
Spiritual masters the world over are basically concerned about this
deep-rooted & devastating problem of ‘misuse of any power’, and this is
traceable to the problem of ego-centricity. Ego-centricity is not negated
by a healthy body or even good karmas, but only by directly realizing
the infinite & transcendental truth of this world - as our very Self.
Can we work to help bring about a mind which has love, magnanimity &
compassion for one & all ? If this is achieved then you can rest
assured that no knowledge will ever be misused, and without this the danger
of misuse will always be there.
Can Karmic data too be
manipulated :
……… Some
people even feared whether the karmic data of man too may now be
manipulated. These fears are baseless. People hereafter will certainly be
facing a challenge which has not been dreamt of earlier, yet no such
possible manipulations rein the karmic freedom of man, and thus he or she
will remain as independent & creative as ever ‘to find a way out’ from
these new situations too. That is the freedom & power of karma. The
word 'karma' is used in two different ways. One, as an effect of earlier
acts, and two, as a ‘potential to act without any conditionings’. While the
word karma is secondarily used to indicate the effect of our earlier acts,
the primary real meaning of this word is the ‘potential to act without any
conditionings’. None of these can be effected by any physical
manipulations. The difference between animal yoni's & the human yoni is
only in the existence if this freedom & capacity. Animals act in a
conditioned & programmed way, while the level of awareness of human
beings facilitates them to exist at a level where their responses are not
conditioned by their situations or past. This alone is the essence of
karma.
To be human is to be free
to act :
……… To
accept the possibility of human being conditioned by anything whatsoever in
such a way so as to lose our freedom to act is deny the very human-ness
& thus the very potential to do karma. To act as per conditionings is
no 'action', but a mere 'reaction'. Ability to respond in an unconditioned
way is not a genetic trait but something much more fundamental, so I have
no basic fears. We intrinsically know this too, that is why inspite of the
unfavorable genetics of parents the children can carve out a niche for
themself. That is why education is so very important. Thoughts do have
physical repercussions but mere physical fitness is no guarantee for a
thoughtful magnanimous mind.
Genes do not store Karmas :
……… The
scriptures talk about the place of storage of karmic info too, and that
place is incidentally not this physical body, but our sukshma sharira or the
invisible ‘subtle’ body. The Jiva comes to a mother's womb with its own bag
& baggage, this alone explains existence of abnormally different
inclinations of child & parents. So no physical manipulation can really
alter the 'inclinations' (karma) of any jiva. Yes, the health of people can
certainly be altered, and so far so good. Moreover these genes themself are
a later manifestation in the beautiful process of creation, and they are
basically meant to facilitate bringing about of the ideal conditions for
the karmas of a jiva to express & exhaust. Physical features and some
such gross things are provided by the parents to the child, but the Jiva
comes in the womb with its own karmas. That alone is the reason why a sudra
couple too can possibly have a child with the inclinations of a brahmin or
even kshatriya. If what was provided by parents alone drew the line within
which this jiva lives & operates then such things could never have
happened.
Genes are because of me and not vice versa :
……… The
fundamental difference between materialism & spirituality is that while
the former believes that ‘matter’ is 'the important’ thing and it alone
controls our lives & its joys, the latter brings about a paradigm shift
in our priorities & perceptions by passing the buck of importance to an
all-pervasive, non-material, conscious principle - the subjective essence
of all. When the scriptures talk about this entire cosmos coming out of a
spiritual essence - which is your true self, they in fact are saying that
you are the creators of these very genes. Genes maybe chemically made up of
DNA molecules etc – but are in this context are clubbed under one generic
term – the ‘matter’. They are comparable to seeds. They are the first
perceptible manifestations in this beautiful process of the grossification
of the great yet highly subtle creative self-revealing, blissful existence
which is continuously unfolding itself – in a highly intelligent &
orderly way. This so called ‘spirit’ or more appropriately - the
Consciousness, is not a product of any chemistry, but is that because of
which the basic elements can be what they are. This consciousness is called
as Brahman by the Upanishads, it from this alone everything has come, and
into this alone everything goes back. That alone is the truth, rest is an
illusion, a mere continuum of time & space.
……… If
someone can be called a ‘human’, then the fears about karmic manipulations
are irrelevant, and if the manipulations are to such a degree that the
fellow cannot be called a human, then also the question becomes irrelevant.
So as long as we are humans so long we have the potential to act in an
unconditioned way - provided we exercise our freedom. Here alone is the
important role of right shiksha & samskaras. Real education too is not any
new conditioning, but implies bringing about ‘awareness’ of facts of life
to such a degree so as to decondition us from past and realise our freedom
to choose & act. This is possible in an ambiance where the goals are
invoking things like love etc in the hearts of one & all.
Self-knowledge alone
prevents misuse of any Power:
……… I
sincerely pray that one day the resourceful nations will give as much
importance to the subjective knowledge as much as they give to the
objective one. So while I am happy at this achievement of mapping of the
human genome I do not yet see any luxury of any complacency to ignore the
spiritual subjective knowledge. The most important knowledge is the
one which can help invoke deep-rooted love in the heart of one & all.
This alone can guarantee total absence of misuse of any kind of power
what-so-ever. Unfortunately this knowledge is yet to become a priority of
the policy makers the world over. That day when this becomes a priority
will be a day of real celebration for all those people who sincerely wish
for the well being of one & all.
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