It has become fashionable today to cry out for nationalism. In fact, nationalism is also a psychic ailment. The supreme broadness lies with the Supreme Self. The broadness of an individual depends on his or her angle of vision - as the angle of vision becomes smaller and smaller, he or she gets more and more mean-minded. Those who think that casteism is worse than nationalism are incorrect. The total population of Brahmins in India is approximately 20 million people and the Malayan population is near 4.5 million. The angle of vision of a Brahmin is bigger than a Malayan nationalist. Persia has a population of 15 million people and Australia has a total population of 7.5 million. The continentalism of Australia is worse than the nationalism of Persia. An Indian nationalist is more mean-minded than a Chinese nationalist. Thus it is universalism and universalism alone that deserves support. In fact universalism is no ism, for it is all-pervading and does not favor any group or party interest. The mental projection of a universalist does not know any narrowness. Universalism is the only panacea for all mundane and supramundane ailments. Therefore, a Proutist is necessarily a universalist. [From 'Talks on Prout' (1961); Prout in a nutshell - 15]
Question: Is there dogma in nationalism and communalism?
Answer: Yes. The dogma in nationalism is based on geo-sentiment, and the dogma in communalism is based on faith and religions of an illogical and unscientific nature. [10 December 1987, Calcutta, From “Questions and answers”, Prout in a nutshell 12]
Question: Suppose, there is freedoms of thought in a particular country but people’s minds are influenced by innumerable dogmas – what is the remedy? What step can be taken to remove the dogmas?
Answer: All the countries of the world suffer from dogma. Religion means dogma, communism means dogma, capitalism means dogma – all the political `isms' are expressions of dogma. There is no shortage of money in a number of countries of the world – they may be rich, but they are still undeveloped and backward due to the influence of dogma. There physical prama'trikon'a has not been attained. There are certain countries whose dogma does not support money lending and the taking of interest; but if there is no interest, no rolling of money, no movement of coins, how can there be development? But those very countries also have banking, which is fundamentally against the doctrine of their dogma. There are dogmas in certain other countries that preach mutual tolerance; if someone slaps you on one side of the face, you must give the other side to be slapped. But those are the same countries that fight against each other. Both great wars, WW1 and WW2, were fought by those very countries. Can there be any physical prama'trikon'a? Not even physical prama'trikon'a is possible where there is dogma. Dogma is rampant in the political sphere also. The dogma of a number of countries does not even recognize the existence of a certain other country even though the people of that country were the original settlers and they have every right to live there. But that country is a developed country – according to cardinal human principles, should it not get proper recognition by the nations of the world? These are the plays of dogma. Even those countries professing religion are fighting amongst themselves; take the case of Iran and Iraq. It is all a fight of dogma.
Question: Suppose in a particular country people suffer from dogma, but there is no shortage of physical necessities, can there be any spiritual prama’trikon’a? There is freedom, but the people suffer from dogma – where lies the remedy? What steps are to be taken top remove dogma? What should be the approach? Suppose there is a small island in the Indian Ocean – Maldives, capital Male – that does not allow anybody from any country to preach their ideology, but the economy is not poor, then? (They don't allow any missionary worker to go there.)
Answer: All countries of the world suffer from dogma. I said religion means dogma, communism means dogma, capitalism means dogma. All the political isms are expressions of dogma.
Almost all Moslem counties are backward even though there is no shortage of money. Moslem countries are rich due to oil, but they are not developed because of Islamic dogma. If there is no interest, no rolling of money, no movement of coins, how can there be development? Islam is against interest. They are following the Shaiyat rules of Hazrat Mohammed. They also have banking – they go fundamentally against the doctrines of Islam. In Christianity if someone slaps you on one side you must give the other side to be slapped. Yet Christian counties fight against each other. Both great wars, one and two, were fought amongst Christian countries. Can there be any physical prama’trikon’a. Not even physical prama’trikon’a is possible where there is dogma.
Israel is the homeland of the Jews. They have got every right to settle in Israel and live there. The Jews were the original settlers, the Arabs the usurpers. Most of the countries do not recognize Israel because the Arabs would be dissatisfied. Even this country, India, doesn't recognize Israel. Israel is one of the developed countries of the world. Shouldn't Israel get proper recognition by the countries of the world. It is all plays of dogma. Iraq is a Moslem country, Iran is a Moslem country - but they are fighting against one another these days. It is a fight of dogma. [February 1987, Calcutta, From Questions and answers on prama’ (“Prama - 4”), Prout in a nutshell 9]
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