NEOHUMANISM

Neohumanism is the practice of love for all created beings of the universe, animate and inanimate. It is the spirit of humanism extended to all: the elevation of humanism to universalism.

As human beings we have intellect as well as instinct. Intellect can either be used sentimentally or rationally. If it is used sentimentally it leads to dogma. If it is used rationally it leads to devotion.

Sentiment is intellect minus rationality. It allows the mind to be attracted to whatever it wants, without any regard for the consequences. It is based on selfish pleasure, and therefore is dangerous to oneself as well as to the society.

Sentiment leads to dogma. A dogma is an irrationally established idea devoid of logic. It is a preconceived idea which “stifles the spontaneous growth of human intellect.” As such it gives rise to superstition, oppression and pseudo-spirituality. “With dogma, even 10-20 percent of human intellect cannot be properly utilized… The human intellect has got to be liberated from all sorts of bondages, from all kinds of dogma.”

Rationality, on the other hand, is the ability to discriminate between right and wrong, between what should and should not be done. Rationality is a great asset, and it is only found in humans.

“Human society is one and indivisible. Keeping this supreme truth ever fixed in one’s vision, one will have to think of promoting human welfare, love for humanity, human solidarity and universal fraternity, and move accordingly. Not for a single moment should one forget it nor even ignore it. Due to lack of intellect or mutual conflicts in the past, a vast number of creatures have become totally extinct from the surface of the earth. Let human beings not meet the same dreadful consequence.”

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti