Vedic Analysis of Marxism=Astangika Marga

[Guest guest]

IGHT-FOLD PATH TO MARXISM AND BACK

 

Guest Column by Rajesh Tembarai Krishnamachari

 

Abstract: This paper analyses eight paths leading to establishment of

a Marxist thought-process in a person. It also enumerates the ways

that lead a thinking Marxist out of this affliction.

 

Introduction: While Marxism today is a depleted force politically, the

ideology continues to command considerable following in the academic

community. The history of Marxism and its deleterious effects on

various facets of human society have been well documented by

researchers. However little thought has been given to the causes that

create a Marxist mind-set in an intellectual. A thorough analysis of

these causes would aid us in ameliorating those conditions and pave

the way for rapid and unhindered progressive human evolution.

 

The Astangika Marga (Eight-Fold Path):

 

There are principally eight chitta-vritti-s (mental propensities) that

lead to Marxism. In decreasing order of importance and prevalence

these are:

 

1. Liberalism (Udaar-manaska-vadi)

2. Atheism (Nirisvara-vadi)

3. Funding from host nation's adversaries (Shatru-rashtra-vadi)

4. Self-hatred (Aatma-dvesha-vadi)

5. Pro-Islamism (Islam-prachar-vadi)

6. Anti-capitalism (Samya-vadi)

7. Nihilism and anarchism (Sarva-nash-vadi)

8. Theoretical appreciation of dialectical materialism (Tarka-vadi)

 

These eight categories represent a broad classification of the

ensemble collection. They do not represent mutually exclusive or

independent sets as such. For e.g. a Marxist motivated by factor 4

above is more susceptible to factor 3 than a Marxist motivated by

factor 8.

 

Path One: From liberalism (Udaar-manaska-vadi)

 

Cause: The current human intercourse is bound by oppressive social

rules having their origin in the Victorian era. The governments, often

incited by religious figures, transcend boundaries and impose ethical

rules premised on utilitarian assumptions. This pushes the artists in

various fields (theatre, movie, music, literature, painting, dance

etc) away from the philistine population into Marxism. Similar causes

can also be seen in movements for human rights and against socially

sanctioned racist attitudes.

 

Remedy: A society guided by dharma or dharmic values would be

inherently and ipso facto liberal. As long as a person remains

committed to his/her duties towards rashtra (nation), kula (ancestry)

and jaati (profession), his sva-dharma (personal choices) is never

intruded into. A dharmic society would not torment homosexuals nor

would it adopt hypocritical attitudes towards human sexuality.

 

Path Two: From atheism (Nirisvara-vadi)

 

Cause: The Semitic faiths constitute a veritable rebellion against

logic and reason. Stunned by the enormous absurdity and fallaciousness

of these religions, the intellectual swings like a pendulum to the

other extreme position. He/she then launches a life-long battle to

annihilate these faiths. Repeated attempts by these religions to

impede the progress of science and to combat reason with blind belief

aggravate the situation.

 

Remedy: A dharmic society has no problems with atheism. It might be

shocking for the Western reader to know that 3 of the 6 traditional

(aastika or believer) schools of Sanatana Dharma in India are

nirisvara i.e. they comprehensively reject the conception of God. Yet

the traditional Hindu society holds them up as a valid school of

aastika-s or believers. A dharmic society only objects to philosophies

like that of Charvaka who preach rank hedonism uninhibited by moral or

legal restrictions. And most surprisingly, Hindu scholarship does not

deny moksha to even these atheists. [nor it does persecute them in any

physical manner.]

 

Path Three: Funding from host nation�s adversaries (Shatru-rashtra-vadi)

 

Cause: An attachment for material possessions has reduced man to the

condition where he charges money for the very rope with which he would

be hanged. Innumerable quislings, funded by enemy nations, have

emerged who act feverishly to undermine the foundations of their host

nation. In some regions like divided-India, almost 90% of the Marxists

come under this category.

 

Remedy: A dharmic society does not promote jingoism as it relies on

the principle of universal brotherhood. (Vasudheiva kutumbakam).

However, it warns against betrayal of one�s motherland as traditional

dharmic belief accords a position higher than heaven for one�s

biological mother and motherland. (Janani janma-bhoomishch svargadapi

gariyasi)

 

Path Four: From self-hate (Aatma-dvesha-vadi)

 

Cause: A feeling of self-hatred can emerge from disillusionment with

society (of which one is a part), from frustration at lack of personal

success, from a traumatic childhood or other psychological reasons. In

the developing world, self-hate emerges from a deep-rooted inferiority

complex (from centuries of foreign rule). In divided-India, the

Macaulayite syllabus aggravates this effect.

 

Remedy: Psychological treatment, spiritual advancement (meditation

etc) can offset the negative feelings in a person. Self-hate is as

unsustainable as scratching a wound is to satisfy the itch. In the

developing world, a correct understanding of their stupendous glorious

past would embolden the intellectuals to come out of their

self-imposed Stockholm Syndrome and combat the challenges of current

reality without any sense of despondency or defeatism.

 

Path Five: From pro-Islamic mindset (Islam-prachar-vadi)

 

Cause: A cardinal unwritten principle of the Marxist intellectuals is

that they only self-criticise. Every Marxist criticizes his own

religion, his own nation and his own identity. Even when they

criticize the United States, it is done so assuming themselves as

humble citizens of the vast American empire on this planet. The only

exceptions to this are the Muslims who join the Marxist parties.

 

While the Christian-born or the Hindu-born Marxist attack their parent

religions and excuse other faiths, the Muslim-born Marxists do not do

so. Instead they join vigorously in a defence of their parent faith.

By a strange coincidence of circumstances and luck, they have not been

questioned so far on this point even within closed Marxist circles. A

thorough examination of the above point would reveal that the

so-called Muslim Marxist is actually a Muslim Middle Roader, who is

practicing the age-old Islamic technique of taqqiya.

 

Remedy: It is essential for the Marxists to ascertain the credentials

of the Islamic members of their community. Secondly and more

importantly, there is an urgent need for a re-evaluation of their

stand on the Islamic faith in light of developments over the last

decade. The Muslim members need to be made aware of the contents of

their religious scriptures and incorrigible ones need to be expelled

from the Marxist circles.

 

Path Six: From anti-capitalism (Samya-vadi)

 

Cause: Capitalism with its innumerable ill effects on human society

and environment has prompted a severe counter-reaction. However

various attempts at alternatives (now disowned by the Marxists as

Stalinism and Maoism) have also failed to emancipate the suffering

plebian class.

 

Remedy: The swadeshi or self-reliant village economy model offers the

hope of a sustainable and harmonious eco-topia. In fact, Hinduism is

defined as a conglomeration of ways that enable mankind to live

harmoniously in a sustainable fashion. [The definition also explains

why the Hindus have no ideological convulsions accepting atheists as

part of �believers�]

 

Path Seven: From nihilist or anarchist feelings (Sarva-nash-vadi)

 

Cause: Youngsters when confronted by a seemingly insurmountable

mountain of impediments often conceptualize revolutions as the panacea

to the problem. This approach, when logically extended, leads to

Trotskyite ideas of perpetual revolution. Such nihilist and anarchist

ideas are neither practical nor are they conducive to the progress of

the human race.

 

Remedy: A progressive, slow but steady evolution offers far better

results and alternatives than a revolution. But this evolution should

not Proudhon-style; rather the evolution should be guided by

Aurobindo�s conceptions of human progress.

 

Path Eight: From dialectical materialism (Tarka-vadi)

 

Cause: A miniscule segment of intellectuals come to Marxism attracted

by its materialist word view, evolutionistic sociology, hedonistic

psychology, utilitarian ethics, consumerist economy (words of late

Sita Ram Goel) and its unique philosophy of history.

 

Remedy: Some parts of the description of Marxist theory have already

been dealt above; the others are out of scope of this paper that is

introductory in nature. However, if an intellectual possesses the

necessary acumen to combine vast knowledge with acute insight to come

at the above understanding, the very same innate talent in him/her

would also provide the outlet from the Marxist dungeon.

 

Geographical impact of Marxism:

 

Marxism has not been wholly useless or unnecessary. From a global

perspective, it continues to play a vital role in preventing the

Christian west from bluntly attempting to extend its hegemony over the

rest of the world. Sadly, the Marxist movement is almost non-existent

in the Islamic Middle-East where its presence is most required to

ensure basic human rights for the residents of these nations. The

Marxists have done unimaginable damage in dharmic Asia. In their blind

self-hatred and mistaken conceptions of progress of history, they have

utterly annihilated the institutions of dharma in this region. The

effect of this rampant destruction has been the collapse of

traditional society (in Bengal in India, in China, in Indo-China, in

Mongolia and in North Korea). This has created a vacuum that would

sooner or later be filled by Christian fundamentalists or the

Islamists; and either of these developments would condemn Asia to Dark

Ages for centuries to come.

 

Marxism continues to be fuelled by the existence of prophetic

religions, current Western education system, failure of capitalism,

western notions of culture, and a general lack of understanding of

dharma. It is held back by the immense stupidity of the human race

(99% of which is incapable of appreciating or analyzing any

intellectual philosophy), prosperity with its consequently lethargy

(inertia against revolution or any change in the established order)

and its demonstrated failure in the erstwhile Socialist bloc.

 

Conclusion:

 

Marxism was and continues to be a philosophy embraced by the

intellectuals. Both the ignorant cretin and the sufficiently capable

thinker are immune to its advances or lures. While Marxism is

emasculated today, its strength and ability to destroy humanity should

never be under-estimated. A convinced intellectual is far more

dangerous to human welfare than an ignorant tribal mouthing

incantations and pejoratives in the same line. Hence the current-day

intellectuals should accord more time to understand the mental make-up

of the Marxists and devise ways to liberate them from it.

 

Far from being the enemies of the Marxists, we would then be their

real friends. By annihilating Marxism, we would be assisting them in

coming out of what has been the most pernicious ideology ever

conceptualized by man (other than some of the religions). While the

overall determinism of history is a debatable point, there is no doubt

in the fact that the entire forward progress of the human race from

here on rest on one crucial premise �the eradication of the Marxist

menace form this planet once and for ever.

 

(TK Rajesh is a R&D engineer based in Bangalore and writes on the

�convergent triumvirate of Indian nationalism, Indian culture and

Indian religion�. email- tk_rajesh_iitm)

http://www.saag.org/papers17/paper1641.html