DEMYSTIFYING THE IDEAS OF GOOD AND EVIL: HUMANIZING PHILOSOPHY
Dr Jernail S. Anand
Whenever we think of the idea of good and evil, we tend to invite higher forces into play. Good has a vast penumbra, so does Evil and it takes no time that the scenes of heaven and hell start dancing in our imagination. Life is not such a serious matter that every moment we try to jump into the vortex of philosophy, and our forehead remains furrowed with lines of care and anxiety. It is another thing the lovers of mystery want us to remain on tenterhooks, always in the fear of gods, always keeping not only fingers but our minds crossed. In fact, life is not a simple mathematics in which 2 plus 2 becomes 4. Life tends to mystify us, and it is this mystery which fills us with incertitude, so that there is a lot of suspense which keeps the eyes winkless and minds, restless.
Loss of Simple Joys
It is not essential every time to turn our eyes up, and feel we are being watched. If we know there is a CCTV camera overseeing us, it makes us cautious, and we tend to lose the naturalness of our actions. This is what corporate systems want to make of us: lose our naturalness, lose our natural joy, they want us to become fear-filled puppets, dancing to the remote dictates of an invisible master sitting far away. It is this simple joy whose loss has cost us dear. We are living under the shadow of two great forces. One is the divine schemata, which has been kind to human beings. And the other is the corporatia, which is essentially unkind and based on human exploitation. Workings of both the systems tend to mystify humanity, and keep them on tenterhooks. We are afraid of gods, and we are afraid of the demi-gods of the earth, displeasing whom can be an instant disaster.
Giving the go by to Philosophy
I started with the idea that it is possible to lead simple and happy lives without referring to higher philosophy all the time. We can come down to simple equations in order to find out what to do and what not to do. Although it appears our actions are super directed, yet we should not forget that we may not be the directors of our destiny, we are actors. Even if we have been given a written text, yet something has been left to us. It is how well we can perform. Here, it all depends on our powers of delivery. All the men are equal. The only difference is how they deliver.
It is important to see how an ordinary man acts in his life. He does not bring in Mahabharata or Ramayana, nor does he remember Upanishads. He only remembers simple lines from Baba Farid and Guru Nanak, and performs his daily tasks. At the most he justifies what has been done to him, by the theory of ‘Karma’ without reference to what Lord Krishna said, because it is too much of steam for ordinary intelligence. It may be surprising, but it is a fact that ordinary men are a happier lot, than people like you and me, who are always obsessed with philosophy. We are always scared of the falling skies, while these people know how to survive when skies have fallen. They have survived through centuries. Philosophy has no other source than the story how these common people have suffered and survived. They not only understand the philosophy of good and evil in their very simple ways, rather they are the fodder of philosophy. There would be no philosophy if the ordinary people cease out of existence.
Demystifying Human Life
I am talking of demystifying human life and de-philosophizing human actions. There is one philosopher after millions of men who have really suffered this life. The philosophers are men who are essentially unhappy souls, who fail to find any happiness in the systems which afflict mankind. Happiness, joy, certitude, - all are absent from the combined forces of the philosophizing squad. The thoughts of evil, and lack of joy are permanent guests in the yellow tents. While on the contrary, happiness knows it is the simple hearts of ordinary men where it can have its joyful stint. No philosophy can disturb them when things go wrong. If the wheel of a car is punctured, the most normal act for an ordinary man is to get it mended and move on. But, it can be a cluttering moment for a philosopher, who would start on a journey into the stars, and try to see, why he had to face such a tragedy.
Resting Philosophy Under the shade of a Banyan Tree
Let us now leave philosophy to itself. Let it have some rest under the shade of a banyan tree. Let us move into the people who are busy in their workaday life. They leave high philosophy in the temples where they shed a penny or two from their pockets. Now, it is for the gods to keep pondering over their destiny while they are out to script it out in their actions. I would call it the Krishna Squad or the ‘Vasudhaiva Katumbakam’.
They know life is short, and will not be repeated. So, they think men should do good deeds. An action which gives you happiness, is always good. Sometimes, their goodness is waylaid, and, in that black hour, they are made to turn greedy. Even then, they do not turn the pages of scriptures. They suffer for their follies. Sometimes they fight also, they are sent to prison, from which, they emerge without learning any lesson. They again indulge in morally unsound practices. This is ordinary humanity. The way it is. They act and suffer and that sets the equations right. And nothing more. They do not bother about happiness. They do not bother about suffering. They have no idea there are angels hovering over them, or devils working inside them. They are just human. Good or Evil. They don’t mind. The education which they got was full of flaws. It talked about honesty, goodness, and happiness. But, the real life made heroes of fraudsters and politicians. They are confused what to accept : the scriptural truths which lie unproved, or the bare facts of life which stand in front of them in brutal truth.
No Thinkers, Only Actors
Ordinary men are no thinkers like us. They are actually actors. So, it is only in their actions that they have to make or break their destiny. They know what is happiness. And they also know what is good and what is not good. As I have said earlier, happiness has the longest stay in poor quarters. It signifies the fact that it is among the ordinary people that the idea of happiness sustains. It has no interest in philosophers, mystery makers, and even demi-gods who keep pontificating on goodness and happiness ad inifinitum.
Author:
Dr Jernail Singh Anand, President of the International Academy of Ethics, is author of 161 books in English poetry, fiction, non-fiction, philosophy and spirituality. He was awarded Charter of Morava, the great Award by Serbian Writers Association, Belgrade and his name was engraved on the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. The Academy of Arts and philosophical Sciences of Bari [Italy] honoured him with the award of an Honourable Academic. Recently, he was awarded Doctor of Philosophy [Honoris Causa] by the University of Engg and Management, Jaipur. Recently, he organized an International Conference on Contemporary Ethics at Chandigarh. His most phenomenal book is Lustus:The Prince of Darkness [first epic of the Mahkaal Trilogy]. [Email: anandjs55@yahoo.com Mobile: 919876652401[Whatsapp] [ethicsacademy.co.in]
Link Bibliography:https://atunispoetry.com/2023/12/08/indian-author-dr-jernail-s-anand-honoured-at-the-60th-belgrade-international-meeting-of-writers/
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J. D. Nelson is the author of eleven print chapbooks and e-books of poetry, including *purgatorio* (wlovolw, 2024). His first full-length collection is *in ghostly onehead* (Post-Asemic Press, 2022). Visit his website, MadVerse.com, for more information and links to his published work. Nelson lives in Boulder, Colorado, USA.
Student life, my golden age, A time of brilliance, turning the page. You are the springtime of life’s embrace, You are the summer, a joyous space.
It is no coincidence that student life is compared to the golden era of a person’s existence. During their meaningful lives, everyone is fortunate to be a student, once a pupil, once a college student. Student life is an irreplaceable and unforgettable spring in the life of a person. Behind every difficulty, there is a reward. Behind every darkness, there is a light. The many hardships you faced from your school days to becoming a student are rewarded with the most beautiful balm for your soul, bestowed by Allah – the gift of student life. This blessing is not given to everyone…
Student years bring a wealth of joy. This stems from the realization of long-awaited feelings of youth, the start of a promising future, the ability to build one’s own path brick by brick, and to shape a new life as they desire. Most students get to study at their chosen university, in their chosen field. However, many are unable to score high enough or luck isn’t on their side, and they find themselves studying in a field they didn’t desire. This can be a source of disappointment. But a person should always be grateful. Even if they study in a different field due to insufficient scores or unforeseen circumstances, they must remember that they are students by Allah’s grace and mercy. Without His will, they wouldn’t be fortunate enough to be students. Look back, how many people couldn’t achieve this, and you too could have been among them.
Student life is a time for new acquaintances. In college or university, you meet a multitude of interesting and knowledgeable individuals. Some find lifelong friends, some discover love, and others find their place in the world. Many students work to support their studies and cover their tuition fees. Their time is limited, but they strive to balance their work and education. It’s a demanding rhythm, but they must build their future. During their studies, many students encounter injustices.
For students newly arrived in the capital, their first phase may not be about the educational institution, but rather about exploring the city’s landmarks.
Have you ever considered it? When we think of a student, we often visualize someone surviving on daily bread and instant noodles.
In conclusion, like everyone else, students face challenges. I don’t know about all students, but from those I’ve seen and observed, most eat bland, quick-to-prepare, calorie-deficient meals. Fruits and vegetables are only consumed when money arrives from home or when the mail comes. It’s true that studying in the city of Tashkent can be expensive for many families. But students today don’t go hungry or lack clothes. Instead, they’re learning to manage their money wisely. Learning about economics is quite useful in the bigger picture of life. When a person experiences hardship, they learn to appreciate other things.
Axmatova Shaxzoda Jaloliddin qizi was born on October 17, 2005, in the Syrdarya region. Currently, she is a first-year student of the Department of Textual Studies and Literary Source Studies, specializing in Persian and English, at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.
Uzbekistan, Uzbek
XXI century. After ages, times, centuries, we have reached these days. Mir Alisher Navoi, who recognized that world, "we are living in the age of mirror worlds, self-moving iron slaps brought by Farhad and Shirin. If we don't leave the house for a day, we feel as if we are not aware of the news happening in the whole world. Yes, because every day, every hour there is news, research, discoveries in some corner of the Earth. Today's demand is to keep pace with the world.
Indeed, the future of the country is in the hands of the young generation. Of course, there are no young people in our country who can introduce our country to the world. As a proof of my word, let's take Javahir Sindorovov. He is a chess master despite his young age. He grew up with chess from a young age. He is learning the secrets of chess and taking the milestones.
As a clear proof of this, let's remember the great success of the past year 2022. At the international chess competition held in India, five players from Uzbekistan won the highest positions and bravely defended the flag of our country. The President congratulated them on their victory by phone. Javahir Sindorov was among them, of course. We have many such young people. They are all worth being proud of. Another one of our youth, eighteen-year-old Parviz Tuksanov. He scored 8.5 points in the international assessment system of English language proficiency and managed to set a record among the youth of Uzbekistan by scoring 1560 points in the SAT exam. It will make your heart happy to hear such news! For information, the SAT exam is also one of the international exams. He is one of our young people. As long as we have such young people, Uzbekistan will never stop developing.
I envied my compatriots, got the best result in such exams, and intended to make my contribution to the development of our country, even if it is small.
Such achievements are, of course, a clear proof that the head of state pays close attention to the education system. Our President, who took the words "attention to education, attention to the future" as his motto, is making a lot of educational investments and innovations for our youth.
All these efforts are our future for the generation! Not only education, but also other fields are developing in our country. Examples of these are sports, art, and medicine. There is a wonderful saying in our people that "Nothing can make a country famous for sports". Our athletes are as usual
We have no choice but to admit that they are raising the national flag to blue.
In fact, at the root of all this is education, manners, concepts. There is a famous saying of Abdulla Awlani, one of our Jadids who made a significant contribution to the development of our nation. Let me quote below with your permission: "Education for us is a matter of life or death, salvation or destruction, or happiness or disaster." In our country, if you see a person with a smiling face and two hands on his chest, believe me, that person is an Uzbek! You say, the reason is that our grandparents and parents taught us this. By the way, drink green tea!
Aziza Karimjonova Sherzodovna was born in 2008. Now, she is 16 years old and 10th grade at Is'hakhan Ibrat creativity school. She can freely speak in English, Russian, and Korean languages. Her stories were published in many foreign journals.
Literary Ways to Help The Democratic Republic of Congo
Congo Library – people and organizations have donated books to a shipping center in California to build a library in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Books for Congo – sets up and contributes to libraries and a bookmobile, takes donations of books and cash and buys books by local and African authors.
Freelancers In Gaza Seeks Mentors To Virtually Coach Freelance Professionals
From Freelancers in Gaza:
We are looking for all forms of support in mentorship, like teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers, computer skills, writing and editing, journalistic skills, etc. So all types of support will be helpful. Those who are interested in being mentors will need to send us short bios, their best way of communication (email), and a headshot. This will then be added to our pool of mentors here: https://www.freelancersingaza.com/mentors.
This month’s issue celebrates effusions of life: human art and creativity, human love and compassion, and the flowering of the natural world.
Sayani Mukherjee depicts the elegant fragility of a rose as Brian Barbeito’s photography and prose evokes summertime in a strange, wild, and mysterious natural place in the summer. Wazed Abdullah revels in the vast expanse of the sky, during both daylight and nighttime.
Mark Young explores the power of details: parts of speech, flower petals, and thoughts.
Echezonachi Daniel speculates on nature and deconstructs some of what we as humans project onto other species.
Brian Barbeito, in his prose piece, takes a starling bird as a starting point to reflect on native vs introduced species, philosophy and faith, fair-weather versus dedicated believers, and what it means to be committed to something.
Isabella Mori writes of a trip through Canada when she encountered nature and simple human kindness. Christopher Bernard illustrates the caring, nurture, and steadiness of loving fathers. Azimjon Toshpulatov highlights her love for her mother by apologizing for having hurt her, and Rizwan Islam honors his through an essay on her dedicated service to so many people. Lazizakhan Khalilova shares a story where a young child discovers that noticing and helping others is part of growing up.
Mohichehra Qurbonova shares a story of the perseverance of a disabled girl to achieve her goals and build a life with meaning. David Sapp recollects memories of a friendship he developed with a developmentally disabled person whom he came to regard with respect.
Mesfakus Salahin conveys the experience of losing himself in romantic love. Eva Petropoulou Lianou’s poetry celebrates the joy of love and romance. Sushant Thapa describes getting to know a lover as a form of art and a journey.
Dimitris Passas shares a story of drug addiction and the sufferings of forced withdrawal and the quest for family love. John Grochalski speaks to the awkwardness of negotiating and crossing boundaries within parasocial relationships: people we see in media or with whom we have a business relationship.
Lewis LaCook shares pieces about travel, lost love, and finding and creating the world around us. Jesse Emmanuella writes of the human experience: death, grief, and new love. Tareq Samin depicts nature and romantic love in his piece, drawing on trees and stars for analogies to his feelings.
Elmaya Jabbarova reminisces about time with someone she loved in a beautiful garden she can no longer visit. Maja Milojkovic’s narrator speaks of her dual love for India and for a man she married there. Abdul Razzaq Al-Amiri evokes a romance that is also a deep spiritual quest. Amina Sahi conveys the pure spiritual joy of a lovers’ meeting off of a woman’s outdoor balcony in fragrant, sunny spring as Mahbub presents an exuberant couple scampering through fields and blooming rosebushes.
Dr. Jernail Anand reminds us that caring for others and self-respect is more important than money. Marjona Jorayeva highlights how the national value placed on human compassion is integral to the cultural and natural wealth of Uzbekistan. Sarvinoz Tuliyeva explicates the humane spirit of O’tkir Hashimov’s short story “Yanga.”
Bill Tope’s short story comments on two problems of America’s school system: gun violence and bullying, and the lack of compassion, cruelty, and injustice at the roots of both. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa laments the knowledge she has of life’s suffering and how she cannot save her loved ones. Faleeha Hassan conveys the worry and loneliness of a soldier’s mother who cannot share ordinary daily news with her son while Nosirova Gavhar shares a tale of love that waits even after death.
John Martino relates pieces of moments, thoughts, and encounters told with humor and humanity. J.D. Nelson’s haikus capture moments of surprise, when something changes in the world. Duane Vorhees invites us as humans to consider how we’ll act and love each other in the light of a world implacably changing all around us. Easa Hossain urges us to remember the past yet adapt to and welcome the present.
Lidia Popa expresses what she would do if she were in charge of time and destiny. Maid Corbic expresses his loneliness around people who are stuck in the past. Amanbayeva Dinora offers the advice of centuries for career builders and job seekers as Saparbayeva Aziza outlines what she likes, and what she doesn’t, in books from her Uzbek cultural tradition.
Zulkhumor Fosilbekova highlights the value of education for people and society. Gulsevar Xojamova suggests a positive role for technology in elementary and high school education in Uzbekistan. Sushama Kasbekar celebrates the technology of her new fridge, but acknowledges her confusion at its complexity.
Bruce Roberts laments humans and human art’s replacement by robots who feel themselves to be an improvement. Rezauddin Stalin celebrates human knowledge and the joy we find in discovering human wisdom from ages past.
Chris Butler speaks to the limitations of human knowledge and perception in light of the near-eternal nature of some parts of the natural and physical world. Isabel Gomez de Diego’s photography highlights the smallness of humanity in the light of natural and cultural history.
Gregorz Wroblewski pokes at the nature of a poem, at memorializing imperfect humans, and at our reasons for creating high literature. Tuyet Van Do seeks out underlying truths beneath cultural narratives.
Many humans create in this issue, for reasons of their own. Texas Fontanella sends us energetic rap music and Vernon Frazer brings us on a long tour de force of jazzlike symphonic crescendos of words. Grzegorz Wroblewski’s artwork shows poetry as a physical object, focusing on the looks of words on the page rather than what the words say. Diana Magallon’s visual art combines squares and cubes into shapes that seem 3-D on a two-dimensional space.
Alan Catlin contributes an artistically edited tour-de-force of global sociology, Western psychology, infrastructure and logistics, and criminal forensics. Patrick Sweeney explores themes of worry, complexity, and communication in his series of short pieces.
Noah Berlatsky reminds us that all dedicated writers, even hobbyists, can be considered authors and poets. Fadwa Attia highlights how an artist’s identity and background can inspire or inform their work. Z.I. Mahmud illustrates how a graphic novel was an ideal and useful form for Marianne Satrapi to tell her story in Persepolis of surviving Iran’s 1970s Islamic revolution.
Kylian Cubilla Gomez’ photography is at once playful and introspective, examining small portions of nature and human life.
Sadiya Abdulaziz looks to her own body and life for wisdom, examining the scars on her body to relate her history. Zeboxon Akmalova explores the very common and human feeling of loss.
Jason Ryberg’s poetry is a mixture of humor and commentary on human perception. Jim Meirose’s “reformed solemniac” piece offers up a funny take on insomnia. J.J. Campbell shares poetry about lasting beyond one’s prime and anyway, or just realizing that you’re older and still around.
Daniel De Culla contributes an earthy poem of dissatisfaction with the world’s proffered enjoyments. Michael Robinson recollects a lifetime of comfort and peace found through his Christian faith. Hillol Ray points to his sources of poetic inspiration and how he finds meaning in life through creating work in partnership with nature. Maheshwar Das encourages us to get beyond short-sightedness and materialism and focus on love for one another and care for creation.
Jacques Fleury highlights how the allostatic stress of being discriminated against and “othered” even at smaller levels contributes to bad health effects for minority populations.
Adiba Pardabayeva celebrates the lasting power of her basic Uzbek cultural values, including respect, dignity, and modesty.
We hope the many high-minded and intriguing sentiments of this issue will linger in your minds and hearts. Thank you for reading our first July issue!
I'm sorry mom...
I made mistakes before I could go far,
I put lies on the end of the truth.
I know I hurt you
I'm sorry, my dear mother.
I said sweetly to another,
When it comes to you, I'm back.
I'm here to apologize,
I'm sorry, my dear mother.
I'm trying to please everyone,
Your heart is fine, look, I'm fine.
I'll come back to you,
I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry.
Daughter of Ilhomova Mohichehra Azimjon, 7th grade student of Zarafshan city, Navoi region, school No. 9.
FELLOW TRAVELLER!
I listen to words I never uttered
And collect dreams sans reasons
Know not who the evil eyes are
Find nowhere to stand and stare
Go on walking away from you
The pain takes more space now
A silent witness to all this I am
Our realm seems quite absurd
My emotions inexpensive too
Nothing comforts me at this state
My shadow my only fellow traveller
Past like a hurricane troubles me.
HAPPY WORLD OF LOVE!
Sometimes I feel your heart's call
While thinking about you in silence
My desires get shattered in no time
What should I do with the reverie
And the musing away from you
The cruel world seems falling on me
The storm that has ravaged dreams
Was intensely violent for sure
The happy world of love is lost now
Tell where I should go without you .
WHEN HOPE ENDS!
Nothing is there in our body
But the cover of painful soul
And in pain I look for pure love
This very wish has spoiled me
I 've lost everything all my way
Your intention did plunder me
You separated me from your life
You never cherished my being
When hope ends ,my day ends
I exist with the end of my life
For nothing will remain there
Except my sobbing painful soul.
NO LONGER IN YOUR WORLD!
It's been a year since we fell in love
Both ways was it but one sided now
Our dreams are yet to be fulfilled
The world has disowned me in toto
Your shadow has separated me
I am no longer in your world
The moon and stars upset with me
Even the sky is with me no more
Shocked me, away from my Heart
If it is God's will, I've no complaints
I've prayed thousand times for you.
Dr. Prasana Kumar Dalai (DOB 07/06/1973) is a passionate Indian Author-cum- bilingual poet while a tremendous lecturer of English by profession in the Ganjam district of Odisha. He is an accomplished source of inspiration for young generation of India .His free verse on Romantic and melancholic poems appreciated by everyone. He belongs to a small typical village Nandiagada of Ganjam District, the state of Odisha.After schooling he studied intermediate and Graduated In Kabisurjya Baladev vigyan Mahavidyalaya then M A in English from Berhampur University PhD in language and literature and D.litt from Colombian poetic house from South America.
He promotes his specific writings around the world literature and trades with multiple stems that are related to current issues based on his observation and experiences that needs urgent attention. He is an award winning writer who has achieved various laurels from the circle of writing worldwide. His free verse poems not only inspires young readers but also the ready of current time. His poetic symbol is right now inspiring others, some of which are appreciated by laurels of India and across the world. Many of his poems been translated in different Indian languages and got global appreciation. Lots of well wishes for his upcoming writings and success in the future. He is an award winning poet author of many best seller books.
Recently he is awarded Rabindra nath Tagore and Gujarat Sahitya Academy for the year 2022 from Motivational Strips . A gold medal from world union of poets France & winner Of Rahim Karims world literary prize 2023.The government of Odisha Higher Education Department appointed him as a president to Governing body of Padmashree Dr. Ghanashyam Mishra Sanskrit Degree College, Kabisurjyanagar. Winner of " HYPERPOEM " GUNIESS WORLD RECORD 2023. Recently he was awarded from SABDA literary Festival at Assam. Highest literary honour from Peru contributing world literature 2024.Prestigious Cesar Vellejo award 2024
Completed 200 Epistolary poems with American poet Kristy Raines.
Books.
1.Psalm of the Soul.
2.Rise of New Dawn.
3.secret Of Torment.
4.Everything I never told you.
5.Vision Of Life National Library Kolkata.
6.100 Shadows of Dream.
7.Timeless Anguish.
8.Voice of Silence.
9.I cross my heart from east to west . Epistolary poetry with Kristy Raines
