By: Askari Raza Malik
Some spiritualists believe that the mind directs, the brain executes, the conscience watches, and the soul mirrors life. Mind, conscience, and soul are intangibles. The brain is physically quantifiable, not in its functions. This is life, part temporal and part mystic.
The mind is often turned to self-deception, concocting logic for the unjustifiable, and ‘blindly believing what one wanted to believe’ (cognitive dissonance in psychology). The conscience, the watchdog, is lulled to sleep, and the soul is sold to the devil. Internal conflicts find catharsis in the whimsical. This state of mind is generally considered flawed; for the powerful, it is God’s curse. It should concern them the most.
God gives free choice to man. Every choice has a plan, a comprehensive package of consequences, evil and good, struggle and comfort, ups and downs. The entire plan is in the knowledge of God. His knowledge determines the course. His will is bound to prevail. There is no room for presumptuousness. There is no use boasting or tempting fate. It is another dimension of power dynamics.
God is One and is indivisible. He does not define a particular religion, cult, or sect. He does not belong to one single group. He is for everyone and everything He has created. His domain has no bounds. There are only two groups for Him: good humans and imperfect humans. On attaining full maturity, humanity will also focus on these two broad categories without caring for the nomenclatures, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc. This concept is fundamental to any government, justice, and leadership system.
God is only positive. His path leads to light, which means good. Satan leads humans towards darkness or evil. God’s ways inculcate humility, kindness, forgiveness, patience, justice, tolerance, accommodation, and peace. Satan signifies arrogance, vendetta, anger, intolerance, stubbornness, and high-handedness. A satanic regime can never endure. For the rulers, judges, the rich, and the powerful, these are the thumb rules, provided they have some sense of history. God eventually destroys oppressors and tyrants and buries them under heaps of shame and disgrace. 1971 has a plethora of lessons. Refuge behind unrealistic parallels is no security against end disaster.
Repentance is the only course to salvation. The earlier, the better. Redemption lies in confession. It is done in solitude, facing God, admitting all the sins of transgression, arrogance, oppression, and inhumanness. Dependence on people is futile. Dependence on foreign powers is not only unwise but also shameful. We have known our leaders rushing to foreign capitals for power at home. Some met temporary success to invite disgrace eventually. Those who jettisoned their conscience out of the equation ultimately found it was becoming impossible by the day to satisfy the sadistic master entirely. The pattern has persisted over many decades, but the power-hungry monsters continue to grope in darkness, searching for avenues that do not exist. Recently, we saw another few making pilgrimages abroad without learning anything from the horrible end of their predecessors and elders. Greed brings disgrace, and blind greed brings total disgrace. Unfortunately, those enslaved by their greed have no space for shame, grace, a sense of honor, or fear of history.
Ours is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The word Islamic has become redundant. The most vociferous proponents of Islam no longer adhere to it. They lie, cheat, indulge in corruption, and are ready to make a deal with the tyrant. Religion has been commercialized as ‘Viagra’ of politics. The not-so-religious take an oath in the full blaze of the media and, when convenient, back out without remorse. Who can fault them when the religious bigwigs go scot-free on much bigger sins? The good, godly guys suffer from traditional mediocracy. Reckless murder of morality is not only a forte of politicians. Without exception, all other segments of society equally excel in it. Remember Zia-ul-Haq, (Mard-e-Momin, Mard-e-Haq)? His promise of elections within 90 days could only materialize after his death, a mere 11 years.
An American retired general wrote that ‘understanding’ is an important character trait of generals. A correct appreciation of the situation in the battlefield’s noise, din, and fog is astounding; understanding is also essential in every other field of life. It is founded on facts, nurtured by cold logic, flexibility, and a free mind. Its antithesis is stubbornness, gullibility, and wishful thinking. The victims discover the truth when the tornado has already hit the shores, and there is nowhere to run. The perpetrators of our national tragedies had to hang their heads in shame and take the abuse that they did not even deserve. Poor Yahya Khan is an example.
Understanding is a positive notion. Its mother source is also positivity. It comes from God. He does not bestow His blessings on the cruel. God loves human beings, the best of His creation. God shuts the door of wisdom on the oppressors. Understanding is a part of wisdom. The cruel are shorn of it. Thoughtfulness, meditation, and brainstorming lead to wisdom from reflection and God’s consciousness. After a hectic day, a man in power who gets drunk and hits the bunk has no time for reflection. Those who confront and successfully surmount problems must get obsessed with the issues, eat, drink, sleep, and live with them. A drunkard must never be entrusted with severe problems.
The soul survives on truth. The conscience speaks for the soul. When the soul is sold to the devil, the conscience dies. The mind, brain, conscience, and soul sink into total darkness. The man, the actual victim, is then doomed to an ignominious end. Bhutto, Mujib, and Indra Gandhi fell victim to the same demon.
We are following a beaten path. Our quest for truth, as it seems, has yet to begin. The mind is inactive, the brain lethargic, the soul is thirsty, and the conscience confounded. We must get out of the darkness of the self and turn towards Light in real earnest. In it lies the deliverance.
The writer has served the Pakistan Army as a Major General. He has authored a book “Pakistan: In Search of a Messiah”