Drag-Net of Virtual Reality

Picture or Word is Virtual Reality

A ‘Picture’ or a ‘Word’ for a tree is not a ‘Tree’.

Both are symbols. We assume its meaning by convention or as per our level of perception. Its Reality however is complex and multidimensional.

A word or a picture, sculpture, photo or movie... in many avatars – old / new – though they may seem to be attractive, it is never permanent, it is momentary, it is far from ground reality.

It is, therefore, necessary to go beyond it, experience and check it in the real world, keeping personal likes/ dislikes, beliefs, habits, dogmas away. This may help us enrich and develop our perception of reality. It also reveals us many dimensions of reality. This makes constructive creativity in thought and action possible, for anyone. This much is certainly possible for us, irrespective of our calling – a prince or a pauper or a pundit.

A word or a picture has limitations in an infinite space and in linear time. Over a period of time the meanings and references of words too change.

Instead of watching and enjoying a virtual reality in whatever forms, and to create its memorial means to be a victim or a slave of virtual reality, to get entangled further in its dragnet constantly. In other words it is living in the past, in other words, is to deny the present – to deny living Life itself.

In the present state of mechanical way of living, not only human life but also life of all living beings is being exploited. At such times any idea, theory, dogma, law, act... all could turn into terror and extremity in various ways at personal, societal, local, regional and/or global levels. It is no surprise.

A fact, any fact, continually changes; it is never a state of truth. Truth can never be caught in word/s. Truth, which is caught in words, does not remain truth.

Is there a way out from the drag-net of Virtual Reality?

Thinking 'within box' of a belief in civil society does not offer any answer! The beliefs are built over ages as customs, though they may be relevant in the bygone times. Not only the natural environment but also the social, political, economic environment goes through constant change.

However, civilized society is historically based on centralized power of class/caste and division of labour. Through ages this has never changed. The instrument of Virtual Reality is designed to support the present class of centralized power.


Imagine what was the population of India before the Aryans came, or even before the emergence of civilizations in India 5000 years ago? Later, invasions by many races continued to follow until the recent times of colonization, and now it is neo-colonization.

The warfare between Aryans and Non-Aryans, variously named in Indic languages, was primarily racial. Hitler in Germany is an extreme example of dogmatic Aryan extremity. There may be more...

In the social sphere it may be worth to consider: how far the four Varnas – classes – of Vedic times, in the following centuries, took ugliest dogmatic extremity in castes, sub-castes, and sub-sub-castes!  Cases of discrimination against women, by way customs of child marriage, Sati, parda, and atrocities by high castes males on the women of low castes are many. For example, after Kurukshetra war, Dhrutarashtra’s last rites were performed by his illegitimate son, because all his hundred sons were dead (Mahashweta Devi, After Kururukkshtra). 

Siddhartha Jatakas have many stories that explicitly condemn women; they were denied entry to the Sangha.

The Industrial Civilization has perfected its system of colonizing the masses through their education system. Learning is autonomous function of all the living-beings. But the British-made mass education system that we continue to follow is a primary cause of alienation of all those produced on assembly line of mass education. It produces the Culture of Contentment that leads to the alienation from the ‘Other’, may they be their kin.
Now there is wave of Virtual Reality through multimedia. It depends upon how to put it for constructive use for the well-being of all.

"There's no question that this is a time when corporations have taken over the basic process of governing." (Galbraith in a PBS television interview on The Newshour shortly before his death)

An Example: A Song, a Movie & Real Life India

Words, tones, meanings, emotions form a song. Then, could 'Chuk de India', the song be moved out from the movie? What is exact difference between to make such a movie and to happen in real life at entire India? Mere hollow slogan! Noise pollution inside out!

There is no other school like Family. There is no other college like Community, where the Family is its unit. There is no other Guru like Mother Nature.

However, when Family, Community, Society and Mother Nature are assaulted by the faceless power-hungry class, then what shall be the fate, who shall be the saviour of the new born or the yet-to-born? Or would that be their God (or branded gods) and the religious institutions founded by the civilized societies - civilizations?

Only a Community, i.e. cohesive collective, with autonomy could offer freedom from present Identity Crisis.

The so-called virtual communities on Internet Web sites are a magnificent illusion; it pampers only Ego, not a valid way out for the identity crises, but entangles more in Virtual Reality.

Could the affluent educated parents, elders and the youth build up such a community or several communities, of course, in cities?

End piece: Every person is creative

In a democratic republican State every person must get opening to her/his creativity. That goes without debate.

Creativity is not a prerogative of any class, race or any particular person – a genius. There are no hierarchies. It means that all the affairs of the collective must be changed from the root. Here the role of a government is merely of a facilitator without any bias.

Life is larger than all Arts, Sciences, Religions, Philosophies, trade, techs, State... through times and places.

8 March 2013

Note: 'Culture of Contentment', an essay by J K Galbraith describes American society believes it is classless, and ignores its functional Underclass. Aren't we, some of us lured / influenced by American Affluence!
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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Entertainment Explosion 2

24x7 Entertainment Explosion - 2

by Remigius de Souza 

MOSTPEOPLE* would say, ‘music is their hobby’, which may not mean they play musical instrument or sing. Invariably they hear music on some or other electronic gadget. Forty years ago, there took place a ‘great’ event, but it was not reported in the media, didn’t pull a crowd.

A young music lover Mr. Khadpekar, a student of architecture, invited Pundit Kumar Gandharva to perform solo concert at Ahmadabad. Punditji’s immediate reaction was, ‘No Ahmadabad. The crowd there appreciates music by thunderous clapping during the recital.’ However, after the explanation he readily agreed.

A small group, perhaps less than fifty, some of them from Baroda (now Vadodara), came to attend the concert. The event took place on an open platform at the premises of the Ahmedabad School of Architecture.

Punditji requested to shut the mike and the (loud) speakers. Seeing the uneasiness among his listeners he assured it was perfectly alright for him, and that they would enjoy it better. They were worried because they knew that one of his lungs was removed, and it would be strenuous for him without the ‘sound’ system.

Now it was direct contact between the singer and the listeners, mouth to ears. It was a unique experience, mostly available to private “baithak” – gatherings.

During his recuperating years he was forbidden even to sing. During that period he moved across Malava, Madhya Pradesh, listening and collecting folk songs. He was touched by the simple folks and their traditional music of Malava. He had turned the disadvantage into an opportunity. And a new Indian classical music emerged.

Punditji was generous, open and accessible, a teacher in true sense who could learn even from the humble folks. Indian classical music too was touched by the inimitable maestro. I personally was touched by him and the event that left a deep lasting impression on me.

FEW DECADES LATER, I was at a party hosted by a friend while in Bangalore. Typically there was music on an electronic gadget. At some point I said it is not music but only its replica that dissipates energy. Shankar Kanade protested. I said, ‘This is only a reproduction, which has lost its original quality, howsoever advance a gadget or technology may be.’

Though I did not remember the above event, I perhaps was prompted to say this by my subconscious. Such reproduction or representation is a virtual reality. It is just as a word ‘tree’ or a picture of a tree is not a reality. It may perhaps help someone to recall, depending on one’s perception of the ‘real’ sound, the ‘real’ event, the ‘real’ environment where it takes place; otherwise it is an object without soul – a mere technology.

In his later years Punditji had taken to teaching ‘Bhajan’ when he was acutely aware that his pupils were not getting to the meaning of the words they sang and thus singing remain as technology – a skill.

Punditji is no more. The cassette tapes of his music attached with copyright as well as the cassette players that played his music have gone to dumping yards. However Punditji’s monumental tribute to Malava’s folk songs continues to reverberate in the ears; it’s universal beyond global.

In the name of music we patronise ‘leisure industry’ (the term is an oxymoron) at a price. For that matter work – any work – comes at a price. If there are no singers, why not listen to the air, water, plants, birds… children, if there is little ‘nature’ still left in our environment? Why not dance to its tunes?

Leisure, opposite to work, is absolutely free, anywhere, to anyone irrespective of one’s status.

The millions of folks – the tribal and peasants – enjoy leisure actively, not by passive activity of watching Virtual Reality on electronic gadgets, all over India. They practice it not only during festivities but also during their daily chores.

On account of leisure the Industrial Civilisation is bankrupt and pauper.

Leisure conserves /restores energy: Leisure arrests entropy.

See previous post:
24x7 Entertainment Explosions

CRICKETFRENZY IN INDIA-- A page from dairy 2003

Note: The word, 'mostpeople', was used by poet E E Comings in Introduction to his collection of poems.
Remigius de Souza | 25-05-2007
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© Remigius de Souza, 2007