Letter # 94: "Human Being And Being Human"

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former,” said Albert Einstein, German born physicist 1879-1955).
What is a human being anyway? There are two words here human and being.
Being is the name of the Ultimate State or God if you accept that name. Even if you don’t accept the word God, you can still appreciate the Ultimate State of Being through the “neti-neti”(“not this-not that”) meditation of Jnana Yoga (See Letter #58: The Logic of Neti-Neti). If done earnestly and with regular practice, you will realize that all is Timeless Being.
The human state is our earthly and mortal frame. The word human comes from L. humanus, probably related to homo "man," and to humus "earth". Humans are "earthly" beings, as opposed to "godly" beings. The Hebrew word adam meaning man comes from adamah "ground", which is related to the Proto-Indo-European word dham, meaning land.
Scientifically speaking, the main distinguishing feature of us humans compared to other living organisms is our highly developed brain. It provides the abilities to reason, introspect, and communicate. These capacities, combined with an erect posture that free our upper limbs for manipulating objects, allow us to use tools more efficiently than any other life form. DNA evidence shows that modern humans originated about 200,000 years ago in Africa. We have proliferated, and abundantly so. In 2007, we had a population of over 6.6 biliion.
We are highly social creatures but forever mired in strife. We particularly excel in blaming others for our troubles. “Truly Gog and Magog cause mischief in the land” [Holy Koran18:94].
The source of the trouble is the human mind; it is what makes humans inhuman. T
The perennial problem of the mind was discussed about five thousand years ago in a dialogue between the disciple Arjuna and Lord Krishna. Here is an excerpt of it:
Arjuna said: “O Madhusūdana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady.” BG 6.33: “For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.” BG 6.34:
Lord Krishna said: “O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.” BG 6.35
Perhaps most difficult to control are pride, arrogance, and the sense of superiority. Guru Nanak warns: “Apai kau jo bhala kahavai; Tiseh bhalai nikat(i) na avai”, which means “He who calls himself virtuous; Goodness shall not even come near him”. [SS Asht 12. P 125.]
Come, let us human beings strive to being human. And remember, a positive attitude, which includes humour, optimisim, and an acceptance of the eccentric can all help to improve everyone's wellbeing.

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; "I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.