ಭಕ್ತಿ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಬಡವ ನಾನಯ್ಯಾ
ಕಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಬೇಡಿದೆ,
ಚೆನ್ನಯ್ಯನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಬೇಡಿದೆ
ದಾಸಯ್ಯನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಬೇಡಿದೆ
ಎಲ್ಲ ಪುರಾತರು ನೆರೆದು ಭಕ್ತಿಭಿಕ್ಷವನಿಕ್ಕಿದಡೆ
ಎನ್ನ ಪಾತ್ರೆ ತುಂಬಿತ್ತು ಕೂಡಲ ಸಂಗಮದೇವಾ.
-ಬಸವಣ್ಣ
ಅನುಭಾವ ಎಂಬುದು ಐಹಿಕ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಅನುಭವವನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಇಲ್ಲ. ಸರ್ವರ ಅನುಭವದ ಒಟ್ಟು ರೂಪವೇ ಅನುಭಾವ. ಅನುಭವ ಎಂಬುದು ಮಕರಂದದ ಹಾಗೆ. ಅನುಭಾವ ಎಂಬುದು ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪದ ಹಾಗೆ. ಜೇನುಹುಳುಗಳು ಹೂವಿಂದ ಹೂವಿಗೆ ಹಾರಿ ಅವುಗಳ ಮಕರಂದವನ್ನು ಹೀರಿ, ತಮ್ಮ ದೇಹದೊಳಗಿನ ರಾಸಾಯನಿಕ ಅಂಶವನ್ನು ಆ ಸರ್ವ ಹೂಗಳಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿದ ಮಕರಂದ ಜೊತೆ ಬೆರೆಸಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಜೇನುಗೂಡಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪವನ್ನು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.
ಅನುಭವ ಮಂಟಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ವ ಶರಣರ ಅನುಭವದ ಸಾರವೇ ಅನುಭಾವ. ವಿವಿಧ ಕಾಯಕಜೀವಿಗಳಾದ ಶರಣರು ಕಾಯಕದ ಮೂಲಕ ಪಡೆದ ಅನುಭವಕ್ಕೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರದ ಭಾವ ತುಂಬಿಕೊಂಡು ಅನುಭವ ಮಂಟಪಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದು, ಚಿಂತನಗೋಷ್ಠಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿ ಎಲ್ಲ ಶರಣರ ಅನುಭವ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರದಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿದ ಅನುಭಾವವನ್ನು ಆನಂದಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ.
ಜೇನುಗೂಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಣಿಜೇನು ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ನಿಭಾಯಿಸುವಂತೆ ಶರಣರಲ್ಲಿ ಲಿಂಗತತ್ತ್ವವೇ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ನಿಭಾಯಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಸರ್ವಸಮತ್ವ ಭಾವದಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿದ ಭಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಲಿಂಗತತ್ತ್ವ ಬಯಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಮಾನವ ವಿಮೋಚನೆಯ ತತ್ತ್ವವೇ ಲಿಂಗತತ್ತ್ವ. ಪ್ರಖರವಾದ ಮಾನವೀಯ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆಯಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿದ ಭಕ್ತಿಮಾರ್ಗದಿಂದ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸಕಲಜೀವಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಲೇಸನ್ನೇ ಬಯಸುವ ಲಿಂಗಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯವನ್ನು ತಲುಪಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯ. ಜೇನುಹುಳುಗಳ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದಿಂದ ಮಾತ್ರ ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯ.
ಬಸವಣ್ಣನವರು ಇಂಥ ಭಕ್ತಿಯ ಕುರಿತು ಈ ವಚನದಲ್ಲಿ ತಿಳಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಬಸವಣ್ಣನವರು ಎಲ್ಲ ಸ್ತರದ ಜನಸಮುದಾಯಗಳ ಅನುಭವ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರಗಳಿಗೆ ಭಕ್ತಿ ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಎಲ್ಲರ ಅನುಭವ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರಗಳನ್ನು ತಮ್ಮದಾಗಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ಮಹಾನುಭಾವಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಎಲ್ಲ ರಹಸ್ಯಗಳು
-೨-
ಗೋಚರಿಸತೊಡಗುತ್ತವೆ. ಎಲ್ಲರ ಭಕ್ತಿಭಿಕ್ಷೆಯಿಂದ ಅವರ ಅನುಭವದ ಪಾತ್ರೆ ತುಂಬಿದೆ. ಅಂತೆಯೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಮಾನವನನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲರೀತಿಯ ಬಂಧನಗಳಿಂದ ವಿಮೋಚನೆಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಮಾರ್ಗವನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಹಿಡಿಯಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಯಿತು. ಮೇಲ್ಜಾತಿಯವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಜ್ಞಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಕೆಳಜಾತಿಗಳವರ ಅನುಭವಾಮೃತದಿಂದ ಅವರು ಸತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅಸತ್ಯದ ಅಂತರವನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡರು. ನ್ಯಾಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅನ್ಯಾಯದ ರೀತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಗುರುತಿಸಿದರು. ಸುಲಿಗೆಯ ಮೂಲವನ್ನು ಅರಿತರು. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಜಾತಿ, ಮತ, ಪಂಥ, ವರ್ಗ, ವರ್ಣ, ಲಿಂಗ ಮುಂತಾದ ಭೇದಗಳಿಂದ ಮಾನವಕುಲವನ್ನು ಮೇಲಕ್ಕೆತ್ತುವ ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸಲು ಅವರಿಗೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಯಿತು. ಮನುಷ್ಯರನ್ನು ಮೂಢನಂಬಿಕೆಯ ಬಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಲುಕಿಸುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ಅವರೆಂದೂ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರವಾಗಿ ಚಿಂತನೆ ಮಾಡದ ಹಾಗೆ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಕರ್ಮಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು ಆಮೂಲಾಗ್ರವಾಗಿ ವಿರೋಧಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಯಿತು.
ಎಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೆ ನಾವು ಕಾಯಕಜೀವಿಗಳ ಅನುಭವಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಲೆ ಕೊಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲವೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ವರೆಗೆ ನಾಗರಿಕ ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಭಕ್ತಿಯ ಪರಿಕಲ್ಪನೆಯ ಮೂಲಕ ತೋರಿಸಿಕೊಟ್ಟರು. ಭಕ್ತಿ ಎಂಬ ಇಂಥ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಕಾರಿ ಮಾನವೀಯ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆ ಇಲ್ಲದವನೇ ನಿಜವಾದ ಬಡವ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಸೂಚಿಸಿದರು.
ಹೀಗೆ ಬಸವಣ್ಣನವರು ಎಲ್ಲ ಜಾತಿ ಜನಾಂಗಗಳ ಅನುಭವವನ್ನು ತಮ್ಮದಾಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡರು. ಅವರಲ್ಲೇ ಒಬ್ಬರಾಗಿ ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದರು. ಅಸಮಾನತೆಯ ಸಮಾಜ ಅಸಹನೀಯವೆನಿಸಿತು. ಇಂಥ ಕುರೂಪ ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ಸುಂದರ ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನಾಗಿಸಲು ಪಣ ತೊಟ್ಟರು. ಕೆಳಜಾತಿಗಳಿಂದ ಬಂದ ಸತ್ಪುರುಷರಾದ ಡೋಹರ ಕಕ್ಕಯ್ಯ, ಮಾದಾರ ಚೆನ್ನಯ್ಯ, ದಾಸಯ್ಯ ಮುಂತಾದವರ ಅನುಭವ ಬಸವಣ್ಣನವರಿಗೆ ಶ್ರೀರಕ್ಷೆಯಾಯಿತು. ಅವರ ಅನುಭವದ ಪಾತ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ತುಂಬಿಸಿದವರೇ ಇಂಥ ಕಾಯಕಜೀವಿಗಳು. ಹೀಗೆ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಜನರ ಅನುಭವದಿಂದ ಒಂದು ನಾಗರೀಕತೆ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾಗುವುದು. ಅವರೆಲ್ಲರ ಅನುಭವದ ಸಾರವಾದ ಅನುಭಾವದಿಂದ ಮಾನವ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಅರಳುವುದು. ಹೀಗೆ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾದ ನಾಗರೀಕತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅರಳಿದ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶ್ವಮಾನವನ ಉದಯವಾಗುವುದು.
ಸುಂದರ ಸಮಾಜಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡಬಯಸುವವರು ಮೊದಲು ತಮ್ಮೊಳಗಿನ ವೈರುಧ್ಯಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಹೋರಾಡಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ತಮ್ಮೊಳಗೇ ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡುವುದೆಂದರೆ
-೩-
ತಮ್ಮ ಜಾತಿ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಬಂದು, ಎಲ್ಲ ಜಾತಿಯವರ ಅನುಭವವನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸಿ ಆ ಜಾತಿಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಒಂದಾಗುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ಜಾತಿ ನಿರ್ಮೂಲನ ಮಾಡುವುದು. ಆ ಮೂಲಕ ಕಾಯಕದ ಮಹಿಮೆಯನ್ನು ಸಾರುವುದು. ಈ ವಿಚಾರವನ್ನೇ ಬಸವಣ್ಣನವರು ಈ ವಚನದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೂಚಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಬಸವಣ್ಣನವರು ಕಾಯಕಜೀವಿಗಳ ಕಷ್ಟ ಅರಿತುಕೊಂಡರು. ಅವರಿಗೆ ಅಭಯಹಸ್ತ ನೀಡಿದರು. ಅವರ ಕಾಯಕವನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸಿದರು. ಯಾವುದೇ ಕಾಯಕ ದೊಡ್ಡದಲ್ಲ ಅಥವಾ ಚಿಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲ. ಸತ್ಯಶುದ್ಧ ಕಾಯಕಗಳೆಲ್ಲ ಪವಿತ್ರವಾದವುಗಳು ಎಂಬ ಆತ್ಮವಿಶ್ವಾಸ ತುಂಬಿದರು. ಬಸವಣ್ಣನವರಿಂದಾಗಿ ಕೃಷಿಕಾರ್ಯ ಮಾಡುವವರು, ತೊಗಲು ಹದ ಮಾಡುವವರು, ಪಾದರಕ್ಷೆಗಳನ್ನು ತಯಾರಿಸುವವರು, ಕಸಗುಡಿಸುವವರು ಹೀಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ಕಾಯಕ ಜೀವಿಗಳು ಒಂದಾಗಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಜಾತಿಗಳ ಚೌಕಟ್ಟುಗಳಿಂದ ಹೊರಬಂದು ಶರಣಸಂಕುಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದಾದರು.
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ಗುಲಬರ್ಗಾ- ೫೮೫೧೦೬
This blog is official blog of Ramjan Darga. He would contribute his articles, commentary on recent events and latest speeches etc.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Jeeva jaala comprises all animate and inanimate objects
by Ramjan Darga Associated General Topics: Philosophy .
Killing all plants, creepers and grains we nurture the body, what retribution (vidhi) for this blemish (dosha)? In sense one to the sense five resides jeeva jaala [1], which contains all animate and inanimate. This is the reason. By offering everything to linga and receiving prasaada [2], Sharanas [3] of Koodalasanga lived an acquitted life.
Tej (fire), aap (water) and prithvi (earth) were formed of Helium/Oxygen gas. By the commingling of these three mahaabhootas (elements) was born all the animate and inanimate, and jeeva jaala. The animate and inanimate amalgamated in jeeva jaala. The five senses which causes the act of creation, has played a major role in the creation of jeeva jaala. A food chain has also come into existence with the jeeva jaala. When the links of the food chain began to come apart, the jeeva jaala began to break.
Basavanna argues in this vachana that plants, the principal part of the jeeva jaala which contains all animate and inanimate, also has life. Basavanna, thus shows the colossal nature of violence by pointing out that when the vegetarians feed themselves by killing plants, they also partake in violence. Basavanna was the first visionary to intuitively understand that even the plants have life. Jagadish Chandra Bose scientifically proved the same at the beginning of the 20th century.
Basavanna clearly says that nourishment in jeeva jaala depends upon violence. Basavanna’s saying that ‘only our Sharanas of Koodalasangama who wish well-being to all are good-caste people’ cannot be made sense of without referring to the food chain. We think good of a deer which survives on grass. But what is the mode of thinking good and wishing well-being to violent animals like cheetah, tiger or lion, which survive on deers? Actually, we have to wish well-being to all the animals which have accepted the food-chain. Sharanas of Koodalasangama get cleansed of their guilt of killing life to nourish themselves by offering everything to linga and receiving prasaada. Thus, Basavanna sensifies us about the presence of a food-chain.
Eskimo people live on seafood. Fishes are food that god has made available to them. If they offer them to god and then consume, they will be acquitted of the guilt of killing the fish. Therefore, nobody should question the food culture. Food is a personal matter. As such, Basavanna says thus: “butcher knife in the left hand, meat in the right hand, pot of toddy in the mouth, and god in the neck – KoodalasangamadevaI will call such a person a linga, I will call such people mukhalingi”.
While Basavanna says that the plants have life, Jainism says the contrary. Jainism divides the living beings into samsaaris and muktas. Samsaaris are further divided into samanaskas and amanaskas. Samanaskas have an intuitive sensory organ. The living beings that do not have sensory organs are amanaskas. Amanaskas are beings incapable of having a sign language. They are further divided into trasa and sthaavara. The former are animate. But, earth, water, fire, air and plants are sthaavaras, i.e., inanimate (pruthivyaptejo vaayuvanaspatayaha sthaavaraaha). Prathivyaadis and prathiveekaayas are not sthaavara/static beings, because they do not have life. According to Jaina darshana, these sthaavara beings contain only sensory organs; (pruthivyaadi pruthiveekaayaadayaha / teshaamajeevatvaat / the cha sthaavaraaha / sparshanaikeendriyaaha) says Saayana Maadhava’s, the 14th century text, Sarva-Darshana Sangraha. Therefore, Jainism does not consider vegetarianism as a violent act. But according to Basavanna, even vegetarianism is also a violent act. His vachanas are evidences for the fact that he does not differentiate dietary into vegetarianism and meat eating. Basavanna’s principal objection was against violence in yajna. Like Buddha, he also opposed the practice of sacrificing animals for yajnas. Buddha has not asked the bikkus to refuse to accept meat food in alms. Though Basavanna liked vegetarian food, he was clear that a person could not be deemed lower in the social status just for his dietetical choices.
A well-known scholar Dharmananda Kosambi in his book Bhagavaan Buddha has proved that Buddha and Mahavira were meat eaters. Sahitya Academy has published this book, along with the subsequent objections raised by the Jaina scholars to Kosambi’s arguments. Kosambi has cited from various Jaina texts to substantiate his arguments.
Jaina pundits have argued that the word kapota does not mean pigeon but kooshmaanda, which have similar colours like a pigeon. Kukkuta is not a hen, but a fruit, usually known by the name bijaura. The Jain pundits point out that the word maamsa means not just meat but also the kernel of fruit. This means that Jainism does not consider eating vegetables as a violent act, like Basavanna. This is because, according to Jainism, plants do not have life.
Animate and inanimate is part of jeeva jaala. This jeeva jaal is dependent on food chain. The entire food-chain, including the vegetarian food habit, is full of violence. Human beings cannot disrupt this chain and also maintain the balance in jeeva jaala. If a tiger is hungry, other animals have to lose their life to satisfy its hunger; and thereby maintain the balance in the jeeva jaala.
However, today, we are jeopardizing such a balance in jeeva jaala through deforestation, water pollution, air pollution, pollution of the entire earth, wars, genocides, and exploitation.
A Paris based Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World, in 1999 declared in its Declaration of Human Responsibilities thus: “The planet earth is the only and unchangeable habitable place we have. Human being, with all his diversity, is part of this world and its evolution.”
Social and natural problems have increased today. Human being did not create life. Life is a mystery. It invigorates all that is alive. It makes possible the continuation of nature and human life through reproduction. And it makes possible a continuous relationship between nature and human life. Despite the presence of diversity, it is our collective aim to protect a right to life. A declaration based on this awareness, the Declaration of Human Responsibilities says, is truly universal in its spirit.
Therefore Declaration of Human Responsibilities is something which concerns to everything on earth, both visible, and invisible. The intention of the declaration is to make us aware of the fact that we have the responsibility of protecting, what we called, ‘everything’.
This fundamental responsibility contains the idea of providing space to every human community and living beings. Providing space to other living beings and human communities is part and parcel of the very act of protecting life.
This declaration is an important resolution of the 21st century. It is being discussed today in several places across the world, including India. This declaration expresses its regret that,
The world had not seen in the past such long lasting effects on various social, political, economic and cultural mode of living. Never before had it acquired such a huge amount of knowledge in such a small amount of time. Nor had it ever possessed such immense power capable of effecting a change in the atmosphere.
Despite possessing such diverse potentialities and despite the fact that as a result of the increasing inter-relationships several openings have come up, unforeseen crises are cropping up in several arenas. Economic gulf is increasing between the nations. The concentration of political and economic power in a few hands is marring the cultural diversity. The natural resources are being overused. This is causing unrest and confrontation across the world. A concern about the future of this world is on the increase because of such a distressing condition.
Basavanna had warned us in the 12th century that, if we do not conserve the balance in jeeva jaala, human life would become a catastrophe.
Mahadeva Setti has setup a mammoth grocery store on earth, and he sits on the cash counter. He speaks if there is unanimity, not otherwise. Neither he makes profit of a penny, nor loses half a penny See, how clever our Koodalasangamadeva is.
Thus Basavanna expresses the importance of conserving the balance in jeeva jaala.
Koodalasangama is the only god (one god several names) who looks after the world. He has set up a mammoth grocery on earth. He is responsible for utpatti (the production), sthiti (present condition) and laya (the final destination) status of all animate and inanimate. Laya does not mean (as it is usually understood) a violent termination. It is the status of culmination reached at then end of an organized evolution. When human being interferes in the regular functioning of utpatti, sthiti, and laya the jeeva jaala loses its healthy balance. Destruction of forest at-will, pollution of the rivers and the entire atmosphere destroys the nature, imperiling the life of all the living beings, in consequence. As Gandhi said, the earth can satisfy all our desires, but not greed.
The whole world is meant for god’s enterprise, and not for human ravaging. Therefore, Basavann calls god a Setti. The Setti who is there for trading speaks if there is ommana, not if there is immana. Ommana means both one opinion (unanimity), and four measures. And, immana means differences (or discrimination), and eight measures. A use of the nature with a humane ommana and as per our necessity (just four measures) will not affect the balance of the jeeva jaala. A discriminatory overuse (eight measures) of the nature will cause an imbalance in the jeeva jaala, which will result in a destruction of everything. Unanimity will sensitize us about our necessities. A discriminatory attitude, on the contrary, will lead to greediness. Therefore, god always pays attention to those who have ommana(ssu), and neglects those with immana(ssu). This applies to both physical and spiritual world, alike. God does not lose even a penny. His business of maintaining the balance in the nature is clean and precise.
It is important to maintain a balance in all our enterprises on this earth. It is a lack of this sense of balance that leads to wars. And genocides. And communal riots. And the rift valleys of discriminatory hierarchies. Forests will turn into desserts. Growing holes in the ozone layer will make the life on earth impossible.
Therefore, the awareness about the nature that Basavanna shows when he says that Koodalasanagamadeva has a good weighing machine of worldly-endeavour may even surprise the 21st century activists fighting for the protection of nature.
***
by Ramjan Darga Associated General Topics: Philosophy .
Killing all plants, creepers and grains we nurture the body, what retribution (vidhi) for this blemish (dosha)? In sense one to the sense five resides jeeva jaala [1], which contains all animate and inanimate. This is the reason. By offering everything to linga and receiving prasaada [2], Sharanas [3] of Koodalasanga lived an acquitted life.
Tej (fire), aap (water) and prithvi (earth) were formed of Helium/Oxygen gas. By the commingling of these three mahaabhootas (elements) was born all the animate and inanimate, and jeeva jaala. The animate and inanimate amalgamated in jeeva jaala. The five senses which causes the act of creation, has played a major role in the creation of jeeva jaala. A food chain has also come into existence with the jeeva jaala. When the links of the food chain began to come apart, the jeeva jaala began to break.
Basavanna argues in this vachana that plants, the principal part of the jeeva jaala which contains all animate and inanimate, also has life. Basavanna, thus shows the colossal nature of violence by pointing out that when the vegetarians feed themselves by killing plants, they also partake in violence. Basavanna was the first visionary to intuitively understand that even the plants have life. Jagadish Chandra Bose scientifically proved the same at the beginning of the 20th century.
Basavanna clearly says that nourishment in jeeva jaala depends upon violence. Basavanna’s saying that ‘only our Sharanas of Koodalasangama who wish well-being to all are good-caste people’ cannot be made sense of without referring to the food chain. We think good of a deer which survives on grass. But what is the mode of thinking good and wishing well-being to violent animals like cheetah, tiger or lion, which survive on deers? Actually, we have to wish well-being to all the animals which have accepted the food-chain. Sharanas of Koodalasangama get cleansed of their guilt of killing life to nourish themselves by offering everything to linga and receiving prasaada. Thus, Basavanna sensifies us about the presence of a food-chain.
Eskimo people live on seafood. Fishes are food that god has made available to them. If they offer them to god and then consume, they will be acquitted of the guilt of killing the fish. Therefore, nobody should question the food culture. Food is a personal matter. As such, Basavanna says thus: “butcher knife in the left hand, meat in the right hand, pot of toddy in the mouth, and god in the neck – KoodalasangamadevaI will call such a person a linga, I will call such people mukhalingi”.
While Basavanna says that the plants have life, Jainism says the contrary. Jainism divides the living beings into samsaaris and muktas. Samsaaris are further divided into samanaskas and amanaskas. Samanaskas have an intuitive sensory organ. The living beings that do not have sensory organs are amanaskas. Amanaskas are beings incapable of having a sign language. They are further divided into trasa and sthaavara. The former are animate. But, earth, water, fire, air and plants are sthaavaras, i.e., inanimate (pruthivyaptejo vaayuvanaspatayaha sthaavaraaha). Prathivyaadis and prathiveekaayas are not sthaavara/static beings, because they do not have life. According to Jaina darshana, these sthaavara beings contain only sensory organs; (pruthivyaadi pruthiveekaayaadayaha / teshaamajeevatvaat / the cha sthaavaraaha / sparshanaikeendriyaaha) says Saayana Maadhava’s, the 14th century text, Sarva-Darshana Sangraha. Therefore, Jainism does not consider vegetarianism as a violent act. But according to Basavanna, even vegetarianism is also a violent act. His vachanas are evidences for the fact that he does not differentiate dietary into vegetarianism and meat eating. Basavanna’s principal objection was against violence in yajna. Like Buddha, he also opposed the practice of sacrificing animals for yajnas. Buddha has not asked the bikkus to refuse to accept meat food in alms. Though Basavanna liked vegetarian food, he was clear that a person could not be deemed lower in the social status just for his dietetical choices.
A well-known scholar Dharmananda Kosambi in his book Bhagavaan Buddha has proved that Buddha and Mahavira were meat eaters. Sahitya Academy has published this book, along with the subsequent objections raised by the Jaina scholars to Kosambi’s arguments. Kosambi has cited from various Jaina texts to substantiate his arguments.
Jaina pundits have argued that the word kapota does not mean pigeon but kooshmaanda, which have similar colours like a pigeon. Kukkuta is not a hen, but a fruit, usually known by the name bijaura. The Jain pundits point out that the word maamsa means not just meat but also the kernel of fruit. This means that Jainism does not consider eating vegetables as a violent act, like Basavanna. This is because, according to Jainism, plants do not have life.
Animate and inanimate is part of jeeva jaala. This jeeva jaal is dependent on food chain. The entire food-chain, including the vegetarian food habit, is full of violence. Human beings cannot disrupt this chain and also maintain the balance in jeeva jaala. If a tiger is hungry, other animals have to lose their life to satisfy its hunger; and thereby maintain the balance in the jeeva jaala.
However, today, we are jeopardizing such a balance in jeeva jaala through deforestation, water pollution, air pollution, pollution of the entire earth, wars, genocides, and exploitation.
A Paris based Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World, in 1999 declared in its Declaration of Human Responsibilities thus: “The planet earth is the only and unchangeable habitable place we have. Human being, with all his diversity, is part of this world and its evolution.”
Social and natural problems have increased today. Human being did not create life. Life is a mystery. It invigorates all that is alive. It makes possible the continuation of nature and human life through reproduction. And it makes possible a continuous relationship between nature and human life. Despite the presence of diversity, it is our collective aim to protect a right to life. A declaration based on this awareness, the Declaration of Human Responsibilities says, is truly universal in its spirit.
Therefore Declaration of Human Responsibilities is something which concerns to everything on earth, both visible, and invisible. The intention of the declaration is to make us aware of the fact that we have the responsibility of protecting, what we called, ‘everything’.
This fundamental responsibility contains the idea of providing space to every human community and living beings. Providing space to other living beings and human communities is part and parcel of the very act of protecting life.
This declaration is an important resolution of the 21st century. It is being discussed today in several places across the world, including India. This declaration expresses its regret that,
The world had not seen in the past such long lasting effects on various social, political, economic and cultural mode of living. Never before had it acquired such a huge amount of knowledge in such a small amount of time. Nor had it ever possessed such immense power capable of effecting a change in the atmosphere.
Despite possessing such diverse potentialities and despite the fact that as a result of the increasing inter-relationships several openings have come up, unforeseen crises are cropping up in several arenas. Economic gulf is increasing between the nations. The concentration of political and economic power in a few hands is marring the cultural diversity. The natural resources are being overused. This is causing unrest and confrontation across the world. A concern about the future of this world is on the increase because of such a distressing condition.
Basavanna had warned us in the 12th century that, if we do not conserve the balance in jeeva jaala, human life would become a catastrophe.
Mahadeva Setti has setup a mammoth grocery store on earth, and he sits on the cash counter. He speaks if there is unanimity, not otherwise. Neither he makes profit of a penny, nor loses half a penny See, how clever our Koodalasangamadeva is.
Thus Basavanna expresses the importance of conserving the balance in jeeva jaala.
Koodalasangama is the only god (one god several names) who looks after the world. He has set up a mammoth grocery on earth. He is responsible for utpatti (the production), sthiti (present condition) and laya (the final destination) status of all animate and inanimate. Laya does not mean (as it is usually understood) a violent termination. It is the status of culmination reached at then end of an organized evolution. When human being interferes in the regular functioning of utpatti, sthiti, and laya the jeeva jaala loses its healthy balance. Destruction of forest at-will, pollution of the rivers and the entire atmosphere destroys the nature, imperiling the life of all the living beings, in consequence. As Gandhi said, the earth can satisfy all our desires, but not greed.
The whole world is meant for god’s enterprise, and not for human ravaging. Therefore, Basavann calls god a Setti. The Setti who is there for trading speaks if there is ommana, not if there is immana. Ommana means both one opinion (unanimity), and four measures. And, immana means differences (or discrimination), and eight measures. A use of the nature with a humane ommana and as per our necessity (just four measures) will not affect the balance of the jeeva jaala. A discriminatory overuse (eight measures) of the nature will cause an imbalance in the jeeva jaala, which will result in a destruction of everything. Unanimity will sensitize us about our necessities. A discriminatory attitude, on the contrary, will lead to greediness. Therefore, god always pays attention to those who have ommana(ssu), and neglects those with immana(ssu). This applies to both physical and spiritual world, alike. God does not lose even a penny. His business of maintaining the balance in the nature is clean and precise.
It is important to maintain a balance in all our enterprises on this earth. It is a lack of this sense of balance that leads to wars. And genocides. And communal riots. And the rift valleys of discriminatory hierarchies. Forests will turn into desserts. Growing holes in the ozone layer will make the life on earth impossible.
Therefore, the awareness about the nature that Basavanna shows when he says that Koodalasanagamadeva has a good weighing machine of worldly-endeavour may even surprise the 21st century activists fighting for the protection of nature.
***
Basava Consciousness
Basava was born into a wealthy, high caste family. He got the best education. He enjoyed political power, as finance minister and later prime minister, he made King Bijjala’s empire thrive. But fame, money and worldly success mattered little to him. He took up the cause of the poor and the humiliated, and led a movement that has no parallel in history.
By Ramjan Darga
In the 12th century, Basavanna led a social movement that drew inspiration from spirituality. He lives in the hearts of millions to this day. Without doubt, the world will be better place and will thrive in all respects if more people become aware of Basava and his ideals.
Basava Consciousness means giving up the idea of Karma, which states that everything is predetermined, and making Kayaka or work, the center of our existence. It means making our vocation not an extension of our selves but our very life-breath. It means understanding the principle of equality.
Basava Consciousness means we wish good for all living creatures. It means we accept that there is one God for the entire universe, and forget all distinctions of caste, creed and gender. Basava prompts us to give up any science that is anti-life, and to destroy our arrogance. He shows us the way to a society without exploitation. His is a democratic ideology that respects plurality of culture.
Basava awareness teaches us to live a spiritual life and physical life at the same time. It gives us the strength to fight exploitation and become truthful. It makes us speak the truth when we are silent lest we offend someone. It tells us to bare our mistakes and to stand fearless.
How did Basavanna lead people to a life of simplicity and freedom? How did he proclaim the dignity of labor?
The hellhole of Karma
Before Basavanna was born, the Buddha, Mahaveera and thinkers of the Lokayata School had spoken out against philosophies that pushed people into the hellhole of karma. They had denounced that idea that superiority comes from birth, and proposed an equal society. Basavanna went a step ahead and showed us the way to achieve equality. He realized that minority not engaged in production was subjugating a majority of productive and hardworking women, shudras and untouchables. He showed that caste, knowledge and power were sources of exploitation, and traced the roots of sorrow to them.
Basavanna thought deeply about changing old ways. He wanted to build a new society with new values. He shifted the focus of education from blindly memorizing texts to living by one’s spirit. He questioned everything that came in the way of this new way of life.
Conscious is Basavanna’s God. He refused to accept any other God. When he talked about ishtalinga (personal deity), he stressed that it represented inner voice.
It’s enough if you experience God within, heaven and hell are futile concepts, he said. Basavanna strove tirelessly to tell the world about his vision of God. When God resides within us, we become heaven ourselves.
Can there be religion without compassion, Basavanna asks. For him compassion is the basis of all spirituality. This led him to oppose the Vedic ideas of heaven and hell, and the unequal laws of Manu that govern much of Indian society.
Impediment to vitality
Thinking of heaven and hell is an impediment to human vitality, Basavanna said. He urged his followers to clear up such ideas with broomstick of proper awareness.
The physical ishtalinga that the devout carry is but a symbol of God. It is one thing to just look at the physical symbol, and quite another to see what it symbolizes. Without this knowledge, says Basavanna, all worship is hollow.
He says in a vachana that outward worship, without any compassionate social action, is meaningless. In Kannada mythology, we hear of the bherunda, a bird with two heads. For Basavanna, society and God are two heads of bherunda. You can’t give milk to one and poison to the other and still expect the bird to live in good health, he says.
Dangers of fatalism
Does God have a form? Or is He / She formless? Basavanna knew the dangers of fatalistic idol worship. In a vachana, he tries to grasp the formless nature of divinity, but is troubled by the difficulty of doing so. Thus is born his idea of the ishtalinga, a personal deity.
Even before Basavanna’s time, people carried personal Gods in a small case. They worshipped these substitute Gods – the original one remained at home – when they traveled. But Basavanna’s ishtalinga became a symbol of the true practitioner of his ideals.
The ishtalinga thus caters to sensitive spiritual needs without turning the individual away from society. It is a confluence of the micro and macro planes at which conscious works. It ensures the internal and external purity of individuals, and ensures that the two planes work as one.
The works of disciples who carry the ishtalinga are not mere words, they are promises. In rote culture, people who don’t work rule. In Basavanna’s vachana culture, people who don’t work have no importance. The shudras and other working classes become central to his world. In rote culture, they existed only to work, but not to enjoy the fruits of their work!
“The ishtalinga could be a badge given to Basavanna’s followers. Commitment to the Linga implies a commitment to the community and to the followers” Says P. S. Patil the well-known Marxist thinker of Bijapur, in his book ‘Basava chaluvaliaya Bhoutikavadi Adhyayana (A Materialist Study of the Basava Movement).
The ideal Society
Basavanna’s view of the ideal society is unique. He lived in Kalyana, a city whose name incidentally means welfare, and constantly contemplated the idea of a welfare society. In a vachana, he says his happiness depends on the happiness of the entire community that lives around him.
But without social, cultural, economic and gender equality, an ideal society cannot be built. Equality means freedom from caste, class and gender distinctions. Basavanna gave his all to achieve such equality. He questioned all aspects of society that were inhuman. He was deeply disturbed the practice of untouchability. He stripped himself of high caste attitudes to be able to understand such practices.
Untouchability is not just an unequal social system; it hides a production system that favors the upper castes. It hides a system of exploitation, violence and humiliation. It hides hunger, helplessness and labor without fruit. In the last 5000 years of Indian history, great men like Buddha and Gandhiji have fought in favor of the weak and the Dalits, but we can’t find another who lowered himself in caste like Basavanna.
In a vachana he questions the idea of caste, and says all devout people are casteless. The low-caste Chennayya is far greater than God himself, Basavanna proclaims in this poem. The last man in the hierarchy of Manu can become, by the strength of his uprightness and hard work, the highest man in Basavanna’s society. “I reject the texts, I am a son of Channayya the untouchable,” he says.
It was because Basavanna understood shudra power that he was able to dream of a society that could create good people. A mere knowledge of astrology, arithmetic, logic and grammar is nothing. “A true devotee finds no meaning in them,” he says “Our lord will not accept people without true devotion.”
The karma philosophy, which is the basis of Manu’s laws, drives people to fatalism and fills them with guilt. It justifies exploitation by describing it as the fruit of one’s previous birth’s misdeeds. It favors the exploiters.
Darkness and light
What use is a light if it doesn’t drive away darkness? What use is an ishtalinga if you wear and still believe in karma? These are questions Basavanna asks. Even a violent man can become good and devout, he says in a vachana. But he is skeptical about mainstream deities with their hierarchy. Basavanna’s God is straightforward; he goes to the houses of untouchables, and eats with them. When Kudalasangama, Basavanna’s God, eats at the house of Chennayya, orthodox society is scandalized. Basavanna understood the cruelty of caste society by interacting with the most oppressed, and thus gained the authority to question it. In one vachana, denounces Linga worshippers who continue to neglect or ill treat untouchables.
Such is his moral strength; Basavanna stands in support of children born out of wedlock. He describes himself as a son born to the lowliest of the low – imaginary servants of the untouchable Channayya and Kakkayya who made love in the fields.
Manu’s laws are against mixing of castes. Basava is in favor of mixing of castes. For him, caste is hollow when it comes face to face with moral uprightness. The lamp of revolution he lit continues to burn to this day.
Basavanna’s contemporaries praise him from the heart. Allama Prabhu, the great philosopher-poet who was also a prominent leader of Basava’s Bhakti movement, says the lamp of Basavanna’s thoughts should illumine the ideal society.
Akka Mahadevi, who wrote vachanas of rebellious brilliance, says Basavanna is greater than all the Gods of the three worlds. Here moral strength comes from interacting with great minds like Basava and Allama Prabhu. Aydakki Marayya, a lesser know poet of Basavanna’s time, says the world will brighten up only when it is lit by Basavanna’s Compassion.
--oo0oo--
Basava was born into a wealthy, high caste family. He got the best education. He enjoyed political power, as finance minister and later prime minister, he made King Bijjala’s empire thrive. But fame, money and worldly success mattered little to him. He took up the cause of the poor and the humiliated, and led a movement that has no parallel in history.
By Ramjan Darga
In the 12th century, Basavanna led a social movement that drew inspiration from spirituality. He lives in the hearts of millions to this day. Without doubt, the world will be better place and will thrive in all respects if more people become aware of Basava and his ideals.
Basava Consciousness means giving up the idea of Karma, which states that everything is predetermined, and making Kayaka or work, the center of our existence. It means making our vocation not an extension of our selves but our very life-breath. It means understanding the principle of equality.
Basava Consciousness means we wish good for all living creatures. It means we accept that there is one God for the entire universe, and forget all distinctions of caste, creed and gender. Basava prompts us to give up any science that is anti-life, and to destroy our arrogance. He shows us the way to a society without exploitation. His is a democratic ideology that respects plurality of culture.
Basava awareness teaches us to live a spiritual life and physical life at the same time. It gives us the strength to fight exploitation and become truthful. It makes us speak the truth when we are silent lest we offend someone. It tells us to bare our mistakes and to stand fearless.
How did Basavanna lead people to a life of simplicity and freedom? How did he proclaim the dignity of labor?
The hellhole of Karma
Before Basavanna was born, the Buddha, Mahaveera and thinkers of the Lokayata School had spoken out against philosophies that pushed people into the hellhole of karma. They had denounced that idea that superiority comes from birth, and proposed an equal society. Basavanna went a step ahead and showed us the way to achieve equality. He realized that minority not engaged in production was subjugating a majority of productive and hardworking women, shudras and untouchables. He showed that caste, knowledge and power were sources of exploitation, and traced the roots of sorrow to them.
Basavanna thought deeply about changing old ways. He wanted to build a new society with new values. He shifted the focus of education from blindly memorizing texts to living by one’s spirit. He questioned everything that came in the way of this new way of life.
Conscious is Basavanna’s God. He refused to accept any other God. When he talked about ishtalinga (personal deity), he stressed that it represented inner voice.
It’s enough if you experience God within, heaven and hell are futile concepts, he said. Basavanna strove tirelessly to tell the world about his vision of God. When God resides within us, we become heaven ourselves.
Can there be religion without compassion, Basavanna asks. For him compassion is the basis of all spirituality. This led him to oppose the Vedic ideas of heaven and hell, and the unequal laws of Manu that govern much of Indian society.
Impediment to vitality
Thinking of heaven and hell is an impediment to human vitality, Basavanna said. He urged his followers to clear up such ideas with broomstick of proper awareness.
The physical ishtalinga that the devout carry is but a symbol of God. It is one thing to just look at the physical symbol, and quite another to see what it symbolizes. Without this knowledge, says Basavanna, all worship is hollow.
He says in a vachana that outward worship, without any compassionate social action, is meaningless. In Kannada mythology, we hear of the bherunda, a bird with two heads. For Basavanna, society and God are two heads of bherunda. You can’t give milk to one and poison to the other and still expect the bird to live in good health, he says.
Dangers of fatalism
Does God have a form? Or is He / She formless? Basavanna knew the dangers of fatalistic idol worship. In a vachana, he tries to grasp the formless nature of divinity, but is troubled by the difficulty of doing so. Thus is born his idea of the ishtalinga, a personal deity.
Even before Basavanna’s time, people carried personal Gods in a small case. They worshipped these substitute Gods – the original one remained at home – when they traveled. But Basavanna’s ishtalinga became a symbol of the true practitioner of his ideals.
The ishtalinga thus caters to sensitive spiritual needs without turning the individual away from society. It is a confluence of the micro and macro planes at which conscious works. It ensures the internal and external purity of individuals, and ensures that the two planes work as one.
The works of disciples who carry the ishtalinga are not mere words, they are promises. In rote culture, people who don’t work rule. In Basavanna’s vachana culture, people who don’t work have no importance. The shudras and other working classes become central to his world. In rote culture, they existed only to work, but not to enjoy the fruits of their work!
“The ishtalinga could be a badge given to Basavanna’s followers. Commitment to the Linga implies a commitment to the community and to the followers” Says P. S. Patil the well-known Marxist thinker of Bijapur, in his book ‘Basava chaluvaliaya Bhoutikavadi Adhyayana (A Materialist Study of the Basava Movement).
The ideal Society
Basavanna’s view of the ideal society is unique. He lived in Kalyana, a city whose name incidentally means welfare, and constantly contemplated the idea of a welfare society. In a vachana, he says his happiness depends on the happiness of the entire community that lives around him.
But without social, cultural, economic and gender equality, an ideal society cannot be built. Equality means freedom from caste, class and gender distinctions. Basavanna gave his all to achieve such equality. He questioned all aspects of society that were inhuman. He was deeply disturbed the practice of untouchability. He stripped himself of high caste attitudes to be able to understand such practices.
Untouchability is not just an unequal social system; it hides a production system that favors the upper castes. It hides a system of exploitation, violence and humiliation. It hides hunger, helplessness and labor without fruit. In the last 5000 years of Indian history, great men like Buddha and Gandhiji have fought in favor of the weak and the Dalits, but we can’t find another who lowered himself in caste like Basavanna.
In a vachana he questions the idea of caste, and says all devout people are casteless. The low-caste Chennayya is far greater than God himself, Basavanna proclaims in this poem. The last man in the hierarchy of Manu can become, by the strength of his uprightness and hard work, the highest man in Basavanna’s society. “I reject the texts, I am a son of Channayya the untouchable,” he says.
It was because Basavanna understood shudra power that he was able to dream of a society that could create good people. A mere knowledge of astrology, arithmetic, logic and grammar is nothing. “A true devotee finds no meaning in them,” he says “Our lord will not accept people without true devotion.”
The karma philosophy, which is the basis of Manu’s laws, drives people to fatalism and fills them with guilt. It justifies exploitation by describing it as the fruit of one’s previous birth’s misdeeds. It favors the exploiters.
Darkness and light
What use is a light if it doesn’t drive away darkness? What use is an ishtalinga if you wear and still believe in karma? These are questions Basavanna asks. Even a violent man can become good and devout, he says in a vachana. But he is skeptical about mainstream deities with their hierarchy. Basavanna’s God is straightforward; he goes to the houses of untouchables, and eats with them. When Kudalasangama, Basavanna’s God, eats at the house of Chennayya, orthodox society is scandalized. Basavanna understood the cruelty of caste society by interacting with the most oppressed, and thus gained the authority to question it. In one vachana, denounces Linga worshippers who continue to neglect or ill treat untouchables.
Such is his moral strength; Basavanna stands in support of children born out of wedlock. He describes himself as a son born to the lowliest of the low – imaginary servants of the untouchable Channayya and Kakkayya who made love in the fields.
Manu’s laws are against mixing of castes. Basava is in favor of mixing of castes. For him, caste is hollow when it comes face to face with moral uprightness. The lamp of revolution he lit continues to burn to this day.
Basavanna’s contemporaries praise him from the heart. Allama Prabhu, the great philosopher-poet who was also a prominent leader of Basava’s Bhakti movement, says the lamp of Basavanna’s thoughts should illumine the ideal society.
Akka Mahadevi, who wrote vachanas of rebellious brilliance, says Basavanna is greater than all the Gods of the three worlds. Here moral strength comes from interacting with great minds like Basava and Allama Prabhu. Aydakki Marayya, a lesser know poet of Basavanna’s time, says the world will brighten up only when it is lit by Basavanna’s Compassion.
--oo0oo--
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