Chapter 2: Our Delusion

 As a fan of Michael Crichton (1942-2008), I am tempted to include him in this blog. And this is one temptation that's worth taking a bite at.

Let me share a bit about this author before we move on to the chunk of the matter. A student of science himself ( Biological anthropology & medicine (.M.D.) ), Crichton wrote extensively on possibilities that would soon become a reality. He is most famous for writing the novel Jurassic Park which later got made into a movie. My personal favourites of his novels include Sphere, The Lost World and The Andromeda Strain. 

Having read most of his novels a long time ago, the ideas that remain stand out in contrast to the rest of the narrative. 

One of these ideas that has been modern man's popular belief that he is not a part of Nature; that Man stands separately, as a controller of Nature rather than a "flowering" of it. 

In today's times when climate change and extinction of species has become a topic of active discussion and awareness, we often talk about "saving" the planet or "caring" for the planet or about the survival of planet "Earth". When talking about human rights, we ignore the rights of every other participant in the ecological paradise that is Earth. 

We talk about "saving" nature to rationalise infrastructure projects arguing for "efficient" technology and energy savings. We ignore the basic fact that every tree cut is also the death of those that depend on it and the circle of life includes us.

 In "Spiritual Compass", Satish Kumar (editor of Resurgence & Ecologist magazine in UK, Gandhian and disciple of Vinoba Bhave) explains the Ayurvedic concepts of sattva, rajas and tamas (darkness), arguing that even power(rajas) is not in the best interest of mankind and directs the reader towards a more subtle and wholesome(sattva) understanding of our relationship with nature; as a part of it.

In an erudite discussion , Devdutt Patnaik discusses the mythological "Great Flood/Pralaya" as a part of a series aptly titled "Business Sutra". He talks about the dichotomy of human perspective; looking at the creative effects of culture while holding a blind eye to it's destructive effects; that even man's most primitive and basic of inventions; the agricultural field was created by destroying whatever ecology stood previously on that soil. He concludes by adding that no amount of efficiency or intervention, will negate the fact that culture by definition includes destruction of ecological diversity. 

Coming back to Michael Crichton; as is the habit of many authors, he infuses his narratives with monologues that elevates the presence of one voice over the narrative itself; the fourth wall of writing if I might say. One of these voices is that of Malcolm (a mathematician, cynic and chaos theorist). 

Here are two such monologues via Malcolm: 

What makes you think human beings are sentient and aware? There's no evidence for it. Human beings never think for themselves, they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told-and become upset if they are exposed to any different view. The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and the characteristic result is religious warfare. Other animals fight for territory or food; but, uniquely in the animal kingdom, human beings fight for their 'beliefs.' The reason is that beliefs guide behavior which has evolutionary importance among human beings. But at a time when our behavior may well lead us to extinction, I see no reason to assume we have any awareness at all. We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion. Next question. - "The Lost World" (Prelude) ...

In the awareness of this delusion, it's apt to end this discussion on the universality of life with a verse by Rumi.

“I died as mineral and became a plant,

I died as plant and rose to animal,

I died as animal and I was human,

Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?

Yet once more I shall die human,

To soar with angels blessed above.

And when I sacrifice my angel soul

I shall become what no mind ever conceived.

As a human, I will die once more,

Reborn, I will with the angels soar.

And when I let my angel body go,

I shall be more than mortal mind can know.”

― Rumi Jalal ad'Din