GROUPS |
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Groups
of different things are seen everywhere, in house, office, markets, schools
etc. In the house many things are arranged and grouped together depending
on ownership, cost, use etc. In the market shops are arranged depending
on whether they sell fruits, vegetables, fish, groceries and so on. In
many societies citizens become grouped into different classes like
upper, middle and lower. In human body organs and tissues are grouped
biologically into different systems (e.g., digestive system) depending
on their functions. In forests animals and plants are grouped into various
species. Some groups exist only under microscopes, e.g., electrones. Groups
are everywhere united by known or unknown forces or principles. Groups are of fundamental significance to nature, life and evolution. Automatic grouping of different things take place, when many things interact, transact, exchange and mingle, knowingly or purposelessly over long periods,( e.g., social classes, sand types on river beds). To my thinking, all things in the universe are arranged or united into groups of different types, from kitchenware to metaphysical principles of good and bad. See below some examples from different areas involving nonliving and living things. Take the microworld of atoms and particles. It is a scientific fact that all elements consist of atoms of different types in their internal making with particles like electrons, protons etc. When enormous number of atoms of Oxygen are united together, a 'mass' of Oxygen forms. Similarly copper,iron, carbon etc. form into different 'masses' called rolls, rods or cylinders. Come to the ordinary visible worlds of animals and plants. All domestic animals consist of many organs (e.g., legs, ears) united together biologically or grown together according to genetical rules. One group of animals called a species live together according to their habits. Now come to the human-made world of civil enginering and designs. Depending on designs, there are different types of buildings like single room tenements, flats with one or more rooms, bungalows, office buildings and so on. If majority of buildings in an area are for domicile purposes, a residential locality is formed. Similarly forms a market area, industrial area, posh area or slum. Take the case of humans, the most intelligent of all species. The whole Earth is dominated and partitioned by this group with their numerous organizations. Consider the international organization of nations or group of nations called United Nations Organization with headqurters in New York. 192 nations are members of this organization which deals with global issues of peace, pollution, global warming, science, culture, education and so on. This seems to be the largest international organization for global scale management of a multiude of human groups, associations, societies, unions etc. Take any nation in U.N.O., for example India. More than a billion of its nationals are grouped into different states, cultures, ethnic groups, professional groups, political groups or parties, economic groups or classes etc. Different groups based on beliefs and traditions also exist. There are many time bound groups also which work on well defined objectives. All these human groups are formed for some common benefits or advantages and are based on uniting and binding forces and principles. Economic and socio-cultural activities cause formations of groups tending to centralised administrations of different types (e.g., state governments, panjayats, See also 5-th paragraph in groups' management.) Consider the case of religions, perhaps the longest living organizations popularly called religious communities. Take a hypothetical religion called 'mygodism'. It has a theology and it defines the universal source of everything as 'God'. It prescribes a code of conduct, laws for becoming a member, for exiting etc. This was started by a saintly person about 300 years back. Impressed by the good living of the founder, hundreds of persons joined it. It flourished around the saint's good name. After about 100 years it spread to surrounding regions also and many became preachers and trainers. With widespread establishments and well-being, pleasure seekers and immorality crept into its ranks. It became corrupted and mis-managed. Its followers started saying, 'my gosh', 'give to devil what is due', 'nobody knows what is good and bad' and other popular slangs. Another 100 years passed. Many good persons started quitting 'mygodism' and developed their own self-discipline and values. The founder-saint's house became a pilgrimage centre and the locality grew into a city. Business, riches, luxuries and 'mygoldism' flourished. Those who remained in the faith were considered orthodox and outdated. Thus 'mygodism' as a well managed or good religion died. This is just a story to highlight the birth, growth and decay of a religion, from a saint to millions of followers of all types - good, mixed-up, name sake, bad and so on. At this time a saintly person becomes a social or historical necessity. Now consider another long-living group(socio-economic-political group) - a nation called 'myutopia'. This imaginary nation was founded by a revolutionary who stood in the cause of thousands of suffering farmers and poor and fought for decades against cruel landlords. The revolutionary government ruled for decades and carried out its progressive programmes. The people became happy due to good government and economic well-being. With happiness and easiness, pleaure seekers and corruption started growing. Sons and daughters of former revolutionaries became rich and pleasure mongers. Some of them formed a new political group demanding more freedom and riches. Another conservative political group was started for working for 'good-old' values and banning liberal disintegration. The forces which united the nation in the beginning like adherence to laws and discipline became weak. So the government became weak and corruption and chaos grew further. The progressive nation started decaying. This story brings out the salient features in the life of a nation, from a revolutionary and ardent followers to millions of citizens of all sorts - law-abiding, progressive, corrupt, regressive, law-breaking etc. At this time, a revolutionary or a reformer becomes a national or historical necessity. In the above paragraphs it was shown that in nature and society many types of groups form with one or more uniting forces or principles. Social or national groups are of special interests since they are planned and organized. Family as a group is partly natural(due to gender related things) and partly social(due to professional and political aspects) and is considered as fundamental group-unit of society. (Click here for a list of quotations on family and children). A child born for a mother and father in a family automatically belongs to the family and nationality of the parents. Family bonds are natural and social. Familial bonds develop depending on parentage and family background. Social and cultural bonds also grow as the child grows up and develops contacts and intelligence. Professional and political groupings or associations happen as the person becomes educated and acquires independence. These are the fundamental affiliations or memberships which a person gets into during growth. These bonds or uniting forces work differently in different habitats like rural areas and cities. What is the role of religion or what type of bonds/bondages it induces into an individual? Religion enters a person's life normally or mostly through parentage and due to its nonrational(beliefs and rituals) and communal aspects, and continue to be a force in many persons' lives. It was surprising to me (might be to many others also) to understand that religion which is popular in many places has no practical significance in an adult person's day-to-day life. What is fundamental to a person's development and life is self-discipline (or self- organization), character and good behaviour. These can be independent of religions and beliefs. (There are millions of atheists, naturalists, agnostics, scientists etc. who develop their minds without associating with any religion or beliefs.).........'Be honest' is the shortest formula for self-discipline and good behaviour. All forest animals including foresters live instinctually. Honesty is a natural value (or natural instinct) and binding force(communal/social) which prevails wherever life goes on naturally. If all members of different groups in a region work and live honestly, everything would move harmoniously as cog-wheels in a clock. Lastly, what are the binding forces or bonds which cause or unite different groups - natural, chemical, biological, professional, political etc. See below a very small list :
In this small list of groups, human-organized groups from family to nations are different in objectives, bonds, tenure etc. The important factor which characterises religions is their bonding forces of beliefs and rituals which are nonrational in nature. These nonrational aspects tend to cause irrational and fanatical things, depending on moral standards, as seen in many places. All human-made groups which are well organized would continue to function without problems, if well managed and followed. All progress and problems of humans can be traced to three organizational situations of groups, well managed, mis-managed and ill-managed, whether nations, parties, academies or families. Many organizations get entangled in the mess of mis-management and 'darkness' (or confusion). Then second part of the following maxim applies; " when groping in dark, group and become strong. But when groping in a group, quit and become disciplined and strong". (Click here for a list of quotations on life and living).
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