উদ্ধৃতি

ধর্মের ব্যবহার ও অপব্যবহার

ধর্ম কেবলই ব্যবহৃত হয়, কখনো ওয়ার অন টেররের ডিপ-স্টেট/মিলিটারি মেশিনের টাকা বানানোর প্রজেক্টে, কখনো ভোটের বাক্সে টান পড়লে, কখনো স্বৈরশাসনের জাস্টিফিকেশন হিসেবে! দুষ্টু লোকেরা কেবল নাও নেড়ে দেয় আর টুপিওয়ালা মানুষের ছবি বিক্রি করে। মধ্যপ্রাচ্যের মরুতে কিংবা ঢাকার রাজপথে। মানুষের মাথা গোনা হয়, তারা ব্যবহার হয়ে যায়, বিক্রি হয়ে যায় – জ্ঞাতে কিংবা অজ্ঞাতে।

On religion and religious authorities

Religion is a deep philosophy that seeks to answer some of the fundamental questions of human existence. While the science has its own answers, which are by design “fallible”, making it difficult for even the most “religious” scientists to explain the existence question with any authority. The most delicate epistemology is the one that seeks those big questions while also explaining or regulating the intricacies of our socio, cultural and behavioral norms with the wisdom and institutional memories of thousands of years. Religion is a very powerful branch of human knowledge and existence, if not the only one, that has been dwelling in both domains for the time immemorial. Therefore to understand the essence of religion indeed requires a mind that can walk this fine line and meticulously navigate the complexities surrounding it. Unfortunately very few people who claim to seek the religious authority can even fathom what they have been dealing with. The result is that we have religions that aim to free people and the religious authorities that seek to chain them…

[Colombo, 24 June 2020]

On taking “motivation” from the words of others…

Let people “motivate” you by his deeds not words! Avoid “motivational speakers” who barely achieved anything meaningful but can “talk” stylish – those will be hollow words. Try to avoid young motivational speakers unless they made a discovery unbeknownst, without which their lack of wisdom may misguide you.

If one is an engineer, ask him to show his architectures
If an artist/ actor/ singer, tell him to show his pieces of works
If a writer/ scholar, check his novel contribution
If an educator, check how many minds he inspired
If a politician, know his struggle for people’s rights and truth

Don’t blindly admire people simply because of his/her trade – howsoever “respected” that is. People often earn degree, not much of values or ingenuity. Many people earn knowledge without imagination leaving them as users of knowledge and not the creators of it. There are plenty of people on earth who can talk, often with style and grace, but very few who do achieve things that matter to the people beyond their immediate surroundings. Before listening to advice, one must ask for a sample. If he doesn’t have one, trash the advice…

[Colombo, 24 May 2020]

On Knowledge and Wisdom

জ্ঞান প্রতিটি অপকর্মের ন্যায্যতা তৈরি করতে পারে, কিন্তু কেবল প্রজ্ঞাবান লোকই ভুল স্বীকার করে নেয় ও নিজেকে সংশোধন করে।

Knowledge can provide justification for any wrongdoing a person commits, but only a wise can accept his faults and correct the course.

Supremacism 

Supremacism is one of very few reasons leading many nations (including Muslims) to hurt their chances. This is a disease of mind. When one suffers from such superiority complex, his ability to reason, ability to learn from others are seriously constrained. It also leads to violent and intolerant worldviews and tenancies. There are also cultural and political enablers, which give rise to cognitive dissonance.

[Colombo, 25 March 2019]

Naivety of our souls…

If a ‘good soul’ is ‘naive’, ‘susceptible’ and can be ‘fooled’ or ‘improvised’, the person is not any threat to ‘corrupt souls’, for the corrupt can afford to care less about the person – therefore, a ‘naive-good-soul’ has fewer to no enemy. If a ‘good soul’ learns to be ‘smarter’, can distinguish apples from the oranges, can’t be tampered or improvised easily, the ‘corrupt souls’ look at that person’s eyes and murmur: ‘damn! there is a fight coming…’ A ‘good-smart-soul’ therefore lives likely with many enemies, and s/he must take it.

[Dhaka, 14 March 2018]

The future of democracy in developing countries lies in the changing attitudes and behavior of the “democracy promoters”. If democracy means self-determination (so-called “of the people, by the people, and for the people”), “democracy promoters” should not make it farce by exploiting domestic political rivalries to their political and economic benefits and interests. Only when they will cease to exploit democratic competitions in a country to their benefits, democracy has a chance, and I believe it can flourish well beyond imagination. Otherwise, there is every reason a country might choose Chinese, Russian, Iranian, or Zimbabwean path to protect their national interests, and to stop external interference in domestic affairs as well as put an end to political & economic exploitation in the name of democracy.

[Dhaka, 18 January 2015]

On believers…

“The believers are two kind:
First, those who have seen life, and fear death.
Second, who ‘touches’ death, while living their life.
The first group is blind, and the second group is philosopher…”

[Dhaka, 12 May 2017]

দ্বিতীয় দল ‘মৃত্যু’কে ছুঁয়ে যায় কিন্তু জীবনকে যাপন করে।

প্রথম দলটি ‘অন্ধ’, এবং দ্বিতীয় দলটি ‘দার্শনিক’…”

[ঢাকা, ১২ মে ২০১৭]