A child.
After birth, whether or not anything is taught to her, she learns certain things on her own. Nature exposes her to many kinds of experiences. When the same experience occurs multiple times, she simply assumes that this is truth. This is how that thing happens, and it will continue to happen this way in the days to come. Growing up, at some point she constructs some explanation or other for that phenomenon. That explanation becomes her acquired knowledge. Even if she receives no additional bookish education, even if she never goes to school or college, she can live her life with such varied knowledge. In this case, her sole teacher is nature. Generally, we cannot or do not wish to think or act beyond our assumptions or experiences. If the same memory returns repeatedly in roughly the same way, we assume that this is truth, that by accepting it we can live comfortably. Take this example: birds sing. No additional knowledge is needed to accept this. Birds sang before, they sing now—this experience is etched in our minds. Therefore, birds will sing in the future too—we feel no discomfort in believing this, though none of us knows what will happen ahead. It’s even possible that after today, birds will never sing again! But we cannot bring ourselves to consider this. The moment we are living in—that is, the very moment when various thoughts are playing in our minds—we perform the various actions or make the decisions of that moment based on past experience or assumptions. Now the question is: will we then never perform any action beyond our experience? Is only what has accumulated in experience correct? Even if through experimentation we discover something novel, something that never existed before, will we not accept that either? Through research I found that if such-and-such work is done in this way, there should be no problem. Even so, won’t we accept it? Let’s assume we won’t. Because we don’t know what will happen if we accept it. We decided we will remain just as we are. Yes, that too is a kind of living. But if we do that, we will always remain in a world full of doubt and mistrust, a world loyal to and infatuated with only the old. Can life be spent only with experiences that recur repeatedly? We won’t even think of accepting anything new—we’re quite fine as we are! But yes, if that new thing ever occurs in our lives in the future, then we’ll see what can be done! We’ll remain within this safe, secure, trustworthy shell of thought until the last day of life! In short, we cannot go beyond what we have done so far, how we have done it, what we have learned. Absolutely not! Enough!……. Is this the rule for living?
What fundamentally determines how we shall live, what we shall live for? Human beings can live through two things. First: the mental capacity for survival — that capacity which bridges past experience and future dreams to sustain the present. Second: certain experiences that control us, experiences that have occurred repeatedly in our lives and, having occurred, we can recognize and understand with ease. Those who believe that feeling and experience are the source of all knowledge say that not everything humanity has achieved thus far can be subjected to irrefutable logic. Whatever power a person needs to achieve the maximum possible in their lifetime, the Creator has already bestowed within them. Not everyone in life receives everything, and therefore not everyone is granted every capacity. The art lies in making the best possible use of whatever we have to live out our lives. The limitation of experience is this: in this brief span of a single life, a person cannot gain experience of everything. Consequently, we cannot say with certainty that an experience absent from someone’s repertoire today will never occur in their life, because that same experience may have already accumulated in someone else’s collection. Still, many believe that by drawing experience from what has happened in their past days, and proceeding very carefully in the days ahead, it is possible to live a decent life. In ancient times, it was believed that beyond the experience one had already lived, there was no other experience. Of course, in those times one could live merely by holding onto that belief, because life then had less variety. But in the present time, whether we accept it or not, due to intellectual differences in social life, the perception of experience will inevitably vary — across countries, across times, across circumstances.
Well then, how do we actually learn? From preconceptions? Or by making mistakes? Our behavior is directly controlled by our common sense. And this common sense or practical wisdom can be different in different conditions, at different times, in different places. You certainly wouldn’t spit anywhere on the streets of Europe — not because people would speak ill of you, but because legal action might be taken against you for such behavior, and your common sense would prevent you from doing it. Yet that same you spits quite comfortably anywhere in Bangladesh. Because you know that everyone here does such things, that such behavior is improper doesn’t even occur to anyone, and far from being punished for it, no one even minds. When a task is performed for a long time, skill and habituation develop in that work. To become a good artist, cobbler, carpenter, craftsman, doctor, or engineer requires less bookish knowledge than practical knowledge. Such mastery comes from continuous practice and experience. Sharp insight about any work and the ability to begin and continue it comes from experience. Many cannot write well despite reading hundreds of books, while there are also people who aren’t such avid readers yet can write quite well. Those who can perform a task best are those who feel the work not with their minds but with their hearts. These things cannot be forced — they must come from within.
There is a problem with making decisions based on past experience. Since accumulating infinite experience is impossible, any decision made in light of limited experience risks being wrong. Something that occurred in a previous situation might be utterly incompatible with present or future circumstances. In such cases, applying experience-derived knowledge could lead to mistakes, even serious harm. For instance, consider an architect asked to design a fifty-story building atop a very high mountain. If he has never designed such a structure before, he cannot accomplish this task relying solely on experience. Then what is the solution? Someone, somewhere, has done this work before, and the technique for successful completion is recorded somewhere. The architect must base his design on science, employing methods that are novel to him; his prior experience holds little value here. The same principle applies to doctors. New diseases cannot be treated with old experience.
Modern humans live with a kind of dual existence. They speak of beliefs and principles they themselves do not follow. To serve their interests, they often mouth grand platitudes about humanity. When we trace the origins of certain prevalent notions or arguments, we find that long ago, to protect the interests of particular privileged classes or through the errors of biased authorities, such ideas were born quite easily and have continued ever since. Some blind customs, meaningless authority structures, and accidentally created conventions that are unacceptable in the current context—if these could be gradually uprooted entirely, society would advance in many directions. There is no point in pointlessly clinging to institutions and traditions that have lost their relevance. However, yes, some among them remain equally harmonious in today’s context under various considerations. So harmonious that they do not seem imposed in any way, one does not wish to think of them as distant, and they appear highly relevant even when considering present times and circumstances. If we cannot completely destroy the social or religious practices that give rise to chaotic and disconnected customs, various lapses occur at different levels in society. Then giving precedence to reason over the cultivation of experience becomes more crucial. Not all old experience or tradition may be relevant or desirable by the measure of time. In such cases, the rebirth of customs, practices, and regulations becomes essential. Two factors establish the precedence of reason over experience. First, the experiences we gain along life’s path are not entirely as we think them to be; rather, due to various limited and biased thinking, we often accept many truths in forms altered to suit ourselves. Yet by analyzing those experiences through reason, we can remove half-truths, apparent truths, and falsehoods to extract and accept genuine truth. Second, by properly understanding the scientific structure of our brain, we can consider where, under what conditions, and how experiences are accepted or rejected, and to what extent. Thereafter, by establishing a reasonably acceptable formula or foundational principle for dissecting experience, the risk of reaching wrong conclusions is greatly reduced. That very formula subsequently provides various guidance in this regard.
Our mental disposition is shaped by the various environmental experiences and states of consciousness we pass through at different times. Memory and various external and internal associations play an active role here. The impressions of different events, feelings, and concepts remain systematically arranged in the cells of our brain. Our emotions and feelings open different gateways to knowledge before us at different times and in different circumstances. The moment our mind gathers together the countless tiny fragments of consciousness within us, that is when mental activity is at its highest. Apart from these moments, at other times our mind rather passively continues to acquire knowledge about various subjects. Simultaneously, there accumulates in the mind a mysterious, multi-dimensional arrangement of desires, actions, emotions, and curiosities. In this process, intellectual or knowledge-related stimuli are the first to function. The nature, structure, and responses of the mind can change from time to time based on situational knowledge and beliefs. Our way of mental living is nothing more than a connection between feelings of joy and sorrow and various external concepts.
Where there is life, there is action. The nature of an animal’s activities gives us insight into the animal’s behavior. If one can adapt to the surrounding environment, life survives. The surrounding environment directly controls an animal’s behavior. Even an animal shapes its surrounding environment somewhat according to its own needs. Through this interaction between environment and animal, the creature grows. Consequently, in this case, the animal’s behavior and the decisions it makes in various situations are entirely influenced by the experiences the animal gains from nature. A task can be performed in many ways. How someone performs that task depends on their habits, comfort, or past experiences. Some eat using their hands, others use spoons or chopsticks. An animal gradually turns various experiences into habits according to its own psychophysical structure and needs, in harmony with its surroundings. These habits subsequently determine the animal’s behavior in different environments. The relationship between performing a task and the outcome of that task is essentially what we call experience. One or two isolated incidents or the accidental results of actions cannot be called experience. Experience is something that results from performing a task in the same way multiple times. Mistakes can happen when performing a task. Experience in that task is not formed until the same mistake continues to be repeated.
Experience accumulates as we repeat an action again and again. This experience creates harmony between the work itself and the various events, environments, associations, and outcomes connected to it. It is during this harmonizing process that a kind of inner world of consciousness is born. This consciousness establishes a connection between emotion and lived experience. In human life, the influence of consciousness far exceeds that of knowledge. There is hardly any relationship between this consciousness and intellect or intelligence. Consciousness is humanity’s most primitive and purest stream of feeling. Fundamentally, consciousness is born from experience, belief, and conception. This consciousness directly governs human behavior. Consciousness falls under none of the various catalysts of knowledge, whether vast or small in scope. Concepts of good or evil, right or wrong, do not influence consciousness in the slightest. In particular circumstances, certain kinds of persuasion, motivation, or questioning can arouse and illuminate human consciousness, whether or not true knowledge is present there. Consciousness is the preliminary stage of knowledge. Through the process of adapting to life’s various conflicts and confrontations in one’s own way, an individual’s capacity for observation grows, as does their ability to judge things rationally. Habits, nature, character, enthusiasm for doing or not doing work—all these are influenced by our consciousness. Knowledge and intelligence also originate from there. For instance, it is natural that the indicators or measures of knowledge and intelligence will not be the same for people of desert regions and people of polar regions, because people from these two regions carry completely different types of consciousness. Geographic division plays a role in the division of consciousness.
Children silently absorb everything, trying to understand, and without distinguishing between what should and should not be accepted, they take in everything indiscriminately. Growing up, children learn from nature in this way. Though they absorb everything, they cannot retain it all, so determining which elements a child will carry forward in their development becomes crucial. Parents, elder siblings, relatives, and others decide which things the child will retain as experience or habit. They constantly teach the child: do this, say this, eat this, walk like this, don’t do that, don’t touch that, don’t say that, and so on. The society and family to which the child belongs teach them to observe various acceptable norms, rules, culture, and customs. Through this process, they form their behavior, conduct, beliefs, and habits. Customs, traditions, and social practices differ from country to country, society to society. Long-established social customs teach people to think and act in specific patterns. When the same action is repeated many times in the same manner, it becomes embedded in a person as experience. In this process, reason or intelligence plays no role whatsoever. Experience and habit are born largely through blind imitation. From experience arises false knowledge. From false knowledge arises true knowledge. From knowledge arises discernment. From discernment arises practical wisdom. This wisdom liberates people from blind imitation. Using their own intelligence and judgment, people gradually move away from various blind beliefs, customs, and behaviors of the past as time and circumstances require. By gaining proper understanding of actual events and concepts, they learn to change or adapt themselves accordingly. Without being able to adapt habits, beliefs, and practices to changing times, neither personal transformation nor development is possible. To take oneself to a different state, what is needed first and foremost is to change one’s present way of living.
Every concept originates from nature itself. After birth, religion purifies it, various fine arts give it aesthetic form, education plants it in the heart—thus eventually it becomes universally acknowledged and accepted. Then it ceases to be merely a concept and becomes custom. Past experience or practice regarding any matter gives birth to custom. To establish any advanced and timely new custom in society, one must also draw ideas from old methods, customs, and rules. Even the worst things of the past serve as the birthplace of the best things of the future. All of this originates from nature. It is impossible to change nature through any novel means, because the methods we follow to bring about change also come from nature itself. Experience-derived knowledge must be updated based on new concepts and beliefs in light of causality and reality.
Intelligence is, in most cases, a relative thing. Intelligence is the ability to apply past experience according to present needs, maintaining harmony with one’s surroundings, and performing specific tasks properly at specific times. The form of intelligence changes according to the dictates of reason and practical necessity. This intelligence liberates us from the bondage of past customs, ignorance, and blind beliefs. Intelligence must always be tested according to experience and circumstances. Through constant practice, by correcting, refining, and expanding prevailing notions or customs, one learns which action should be taken in which situation, following which path. This can also be altered as needed. Intelligence is not something eternally fixed and immutable. Its formation, reformation, and division continue perpetually. With changes in place and time, intelligence too undergoes transformation. Along with this come various behavioral changes in us. The behavior of one region may seem strange and illogical to people from another region. But if one thoroughly understands the complete nature of that behavior, it may no longer appear inappropriate or incongruous. Partial or incorrect explanations often lead us to wrong conclusions. Why did a particular event occur? Why did it happen in that manner? Why at that very time? In seeking answers to such questions, a broadly accepted doctrine is often established. What everyone thinks, what everyone believes, what everyone accepts may not always be true. Thus, flaws sometimes remain in the process of establishing logic. Rather than this, it is preferable to accept or reject the knowledge gained from experience by repeatedly testing it through various experiments in different environments. If decisions are not made according to truths derived from tested and impartial experience, failure, sorrow, disappointment, despair, and even catastrophe in national life may descend upon us.
Influenced by intellectual reasoning or the practice of logic, individuals accept their own mental servitude to certain predetermined principles, laws, and customs. This directly affects their personal, family, and social life, and even their habits, rituals, and beliefs. Society harbors certain notions that cannot be verified or explained through observation or experience, yet must be accepted for the sake of survival. It is impossible to discard these conventions or ideas, for doing so might lead to anarchy, chaos, and injustice in society. The apparently contradictory yet rigid stance between understanding and thought, experience and logic, belief and reality—this plays a role in shaping our personality. When established rules fail to provide a decision in some matter, people turn to common sense to get the job done. But what exactly is common sense? Suppose you cannot make a decision about something. Should you do this, or that, or nothing at all—such varied thoughts prevent you from reaching any conclusion. When you are in such a dilemma, you will notice that the “I” that dwells within your mind is telling you something, sending you an intense signal, and you too feel inclined to receive that signal. This invisible signal is very powerful; it is not easy to ignore. Its formal name is Intuition, and it is greater than all beliefs, all experience, all logic, all knowledge. Logic might enable us to measure the entire world, but with intuition, one can navigate through life quite effortlessly. There come times in life when one must give the finger to all the world’s arguments and listen to one’s own heart. When life becomes inexplicable, living by embracing that inexplicability—that is life!
Let me end this piece with a story.
A cricket bat and a tennis ball were placed before 100 people. One could easily see that the bat was extremely expensive and the ball utterly cheap. A question was thrown at everyone: “You see this bat and ball here. Together they cost 1204 taka. The ball costs 1200 taka more than the bat. Tell me, what is the price of the bat? Those who can give the correct answer will all get a chance to visit the Maldives as a prize. You have 5 minutes. Start!” Whispers began among those present. That murmur divided the 100 people into 2 groups.
One group was saying among themselves: This guy thinks he’s got us fooled! As if we’ve never laid eyes on a bat and ball! How can the bat cost less than the ball? Besides, you can tell just by looking that the bat is quite expensive. And the ball? No fool would take this ball even for free. By what logic would this ball be more expensive than the bat? The guy must be high! He’s just trying to make fools of us! We give the answer and immediately he’ll start making fun of us. All this Maldives-Shaldives nonsense!… This group, relying on their experience and logic, gave no answer at all and remained silent.
Another group of people
solved the math problem quite easily and gave the answer: the bat costs 2 rupees………Yes, relying purely on faith, they went off to tour the Maldives. To win at life, sometimes one must be foolish.
When, how, which essence awakens our inner sanctum at precisely the right moment—knowing this chemistry and deliberately applying it to our journey is what it means to truly live.