Society and the Social Animal
Beads of Truth, Fall 1980 #5
by Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji
MAY 13, 1979 - KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
As it is a fact that we are human beings, so it is a fact that it is the tendency of a human being that, having been born, he likes to seek. The human likes to seek association with a group. The human is a social animal, so to form a society of people is the basic instinct of the being. Thus you will always see all people of all races have one society or another. Such a society then became the government, and the government became a country. People and their prejudices became stronger and so they invaded one territory, took care of and also made slaves of others. Those who were clever, they tried to trap others.
Thus there is a tremendous history of humans fighting the other humans because everybody wants their society to expand. So much so, that we sometimes have very neurotic children. We tolerate them because we want our society to expand. In our home there is a thief, who is our own son or daughter. We sometimes enjoy it, because at least it is our son and our daughter. And this social technical commitment, because of the human instinct, continues to lead people and to change people into different varieties of social structures. And basically every social structure started out of the dire need of the human instinct. And also because there is a dire need or instinct to relate to Infinity, such social structures in the beginning could only be started in the Name of God and thus a religion was formed.
If you study the continuity of the history of the man, you will find even today in America there are ethnic groups. They are all Christians, but they are divided into ethnic groups. In Christianity there are ethnic groups and there are social groups. One church member doesn't want to go participate with another church member. One group doesn't want to relate to another group. Why? Because ultimately every social group will create a hierarchy. Every social group creates a hierarchy and the new bulls will like to fight the old ones. And this competition is natural.
When a western Sikh or a western Khalsa woman stands out with her baanaa, baanee, seva and simran, and if she receives negativity, it is not unusual. It is in appreciation of her commitment. And so it is and has been from the time immemorial. Ten years ago I was a man, very ordinary. Ten years after,I am a man, very ordinary - rather, super ordinary. But now, the problem is that when I say that I am very ordinary, nobody believes me. Now, I want to be ordinary, I say it from the very sincerity of my heart and with all my consciousness that I am a very ordinary man. And I feel hurt when people don't believe me. They think I am lying. What am I lying for? I am a very ordinary man, I know that. It is a very honest truth. They say, "Ah, because of your humility, you say it. You are not very ordinary, you are great." I do not know what great I am today that I was not before. I say the same thing to you here, and you listen, and I used to say the same thing when I was in India, and nobody listened. That is the only difference. I say the same things to the Sikhs of Indian origin who are here, and they don't listen. And the same thing I say to you who are not of any origin, but you listen and you form an origin - a nucleus.