Tradition-Is that an obstacle to progress

Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die," said Lord Tennyson about the noble tradition of discipline in the patriotic fighting forces across the world.

The word tradition, however means, unwritten beliefs and customs handed down from generation to generation, which we all knowingly or unknowingly adhere to in our daily lives.

It is the emotional fabric, which binds us to our forefathers and makes us distinct from one another. In fact some of the finest moments in our lives are, when we uphold the traditions of our family, clan or country. Men have laid down their lives for upholding noble traditions and have become immortal and great.

Such is the noble role and significance of tradition in our lives, that it can never become an obstacle in progress. It lays down guidelines for simple and even complex decision-making and leaves us free to utilize our time more effectively.

Take for example the complex decision of marriage. If there is a tradition of marriage within the same or related clan, then the decision is far easier and easily acceptable. Its advantages are well seen in the Indian society, where there is a tradition of arranged marriages.

This has proved to be more successful than love marriages in the west, with fewer cases of divorces and broken homes. It also has a lot of emotional and ornamental value, which is practised very proudly by our armed forces. Some of these traditions have been passed down from the British Army, take for example the pulling of jeep by fellow officers on the retirement of a senior officer, or the ceremonial parade, flag hoisting etc. These are all fine traditions that should be maintained at all cost.

Tradition in fact is a stimulant to progress. We do not have to worry about how to do mundane or even very important things, as there is a set custom or procedure to do it.

In fact it is a scientific approach to life, where the final outcome is assured, without having to experiment. We are emotionally and physiologically at peace, which enables us to focus our complete energy for advancement and progress of self as well as the society at large.

The tradition of holding the flag high in the face of adversary has made many small men immortal and great. These men did not think twice, before laying down their lives upholding this tradition. Their act of bravery has at times changed the course of battle and even History.

Not all traditions are good. There is need for rethinking and weeding out some traditions like untouchability, child marriages and dowry etc., which have no place in the modern society. We are today more educated and enlightened to differentiate between good and bad. It should be our endeavour to promote good and weed out the bad tradition, in keeping with the times.

Following tradition, therefore, guides our lives and saves us from the many pitfalls and dangers. It is a virtue, which helps us lead a happy and progressive life.

Reflection of Buddha in modern context

The problems (of Bharat or India) can only be solved by equality: by rooting out all differences, that means socialism, democracy and a republic form of governance.
This has been written clearly in the Indian Constitution caste differences must be removed immediately. The priests in the temples should not use temple finances for their personal reasons, rather these finances must be utilised for the development of the society.
The basic rights of human beings like food, clothing, shelter, education and health should be appropriately utilised in a socialistic set up; there should not be commercialization of these services.
We should remember that the goal of Indian Constitution, as per the Directive Principles of state policy, is socialism not capitalism. Contempt of constitution is indeed a worse offence than contempt of court.
Friendship:
Friendship between human individuals should look beyond caste creed or colour.
Brotherhood / Fraternity:
This is one of the important means of preventing conflicts. Fraternity should be irrespective of caste, colour or religion.
Ahimsa / non-violence / absence of hatred:
Hatred begins hatred and it leads to increase of hatred. It leads to conflict between individuals, groups, communities, political parties and even states and nations of the world. Correct reasoning and justice can bring peace to the society.
Love:
This love is not just I am yours, or you are mine. This love is for all living beings. It is the love between human beings which can bring peace to the society. 'Buddha' means Knowledge. 'Buddha' means truth. What is truth, which is a fact, which is full of correct reasoning that is ‘Buddha’.
Therefore, an imaginary story cannot be 'Buddha'.
What is unnatural, or unrealistic, or blind faith, is wrong and false and it cannot be 'Buddha'.
'Panchsheel' and the Eight fold Marg are the reality of Buddhist philosophy. Panchseel is against addiction, adultery, stealing, Killing of animals, telling lies, greed and lust.
Gautam Buddha has said that he is not the saviours who gives us somethings but he knows true path and he shows the right way.. Saviours give always to the people making them beggars. In this way people develop the habit of begging. Goutam Buddha's ‘Atmadwipabhava' means ‘Self Respect’. Men go to god spreading out their hands for begging thus they are made beggars. Politicians are doing the same thing giving something but they are not showing the right way to realize ‘Self Respect’.

Why Is This Introspection Necessary?

We are barely existing in a dirty, unhealthy social system and a greater unhealthy mentality and in an unhealthy environment. The reasons for saying so are as follows.
First, there is no equality, friendship, fraternity, love and respect among people. They are always competing with each other.
Finally money has made us blind. We never try to think whether money comes to our benefit or not.
We need food, clothing, shelter, education and health. We do not try to think whether these basic requirements reach to all people in India or not. We are only interested in how much money we are earning or how much we are saving etc. We have been deviated from our objectives and we are only running after materialistic things. We are indifferent to the question of whether our future generations will get the basic requirements of life or not.
We are only running after money but there is no limit to this chase. Moreover, one group of people love unending wealth whereas the have-nots living in the streets in darkness. One parasitic group reaps the benefits of the worker class without themselves making any effort whereas the downtrodden people inspite of their hard work but yet cannot feed their family. An one side limitless corruption puts the rich on a mountain of wealth whereas simple folks are being deprived again and again until they lose everything and sometimes the entire family is driven to suicide.
We have tried to investigate the reasons behind this discrepancy. We have been deeply touched by the sorrow of the poverty-stricken people. What is the solution? To obtain that solution we must look into the reasons.
Those reasons had been clear to Gautama Buddha. He helped us to know the meaning of suffering, why it comes, and how to overcome suffering. His doctrine spread all over India and abroad. Thirty seven countries in the world adhere to this doctrine. They are china, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Korea, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Nepal, etc. Buddhist religion is the religion of equality, friendship, brotherhood, love and unity. He had renounced the so called existence of ghosts, spirits, giants, heaven, hell, soul, unnatural things, caste differences, color difference etc. Men should be identified not by their birth but by their work and behaviour. Buddha has stressed on the problems of human beings and how to solve them.
Buddhist and Jain religions are the most ancient in India. Gautama Buddha was the 28th Buddha. Emperor Ashoka had spread the message and dhamma of Buddha not only to India but also all over the world. Yet how this doctrine of Buddhism was replaced by Brahmanism in India we should try to understand. We are how mentally the slaves of Brahmanism. High or low, narrow caste consciousness, colour differences have enveloped us untouchability and differences between human beings which is the greatest disease of society today.
The 'Shudras' lost different rights to the Brahmans - right to education, right to property and right to take up arms, and lived like animals in object poverty. This Shudra community is actually 90% of the original inhabitants of India. Through some revolts from time to time, they received the right to education and property. But mentally they are still slaves of Brahmanism. They have forgotten their own history.
The worst affected by Brahminic religion are the Shudras and the women. All of their rights had been taken away. Even today the Priests / Brahmans can offer puja, give marriage or preside over Sradh ceremony. They enjoy the temples finances completely and today 100 percentages reservations for Brahmins. Even females of their community cannot get those rights and treated as Shudra.
We know that religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Islam, Sikh, Motua have a proper history - who founded them and so on.
But in Hinduism there are many scriptures like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita, Upanishad, Veda, Puran but where is the mention of Hindu religion? Nowhere then how did Hinduism come into being? What are the principles of Hinduism. What principle or whom should we follow? Shaivism, Vaishnabism, Ramkrishna, Loknath, Satsang, Saibaba, Krishna, Vishnu, Brahma, Kali, Shiv or Santoshi ma? Brahmanism is now Hindu religion which has introduced differences among individuals leading to hatred, quarrels, fighting, killings and atrocities in the name of religion and taught us adultery, consumption of liquor etc.

Anxiety disorders in children

In today’s fast paced competitive world kids are subject to high levels of stress. Fear and anxiety can be common and developmentally appropriate in most children.

Some of the common problems children face range from starting a new school, fear of natural calamities, social anxiety, fear of being bullied; pressure to succeed academically to several other complicated issues. Although worrying occasionally is normal, the severity and duration of these symptoms seem to be extended in children suffering from anxiety related disorders. If anxiety related disorders are left untreated it can severely impede academic and social progress of the child.

Some red flags of anxiety related disorders commonly observed in children are (a) being overly self-conscious (b) avoidance (c) obsessions (d) low self-esteem (e) extreme fears and being constantly stressed.

Anxiety related disorders can be broadly classified into the following categories namely (a) Separation anxiety (b) Social phobia (c) Generalized anxiety disorder. (d) Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. (e) Post-Traumatic Stress disorder

Separation anxiety is a psychological phenomenon where the child experiences severe anxiety when separated from individuals who have a strong emotional bonding with it. Symptoms of separation anxiety include extreme fear leading to impairment of normal functions, nightmares, and psychosomatic disorders.

Social phobia is characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness. When kids suffer from extreme shyness and self consciousness they may dread social situations.

Generalized anxiety disorder is caused by excessive, irrational and uncontrollable worry which manifest in the form of severe physical and psychological symptoms. It is characterized by fatigue, muscle tension, irritability and feeling of dread.

Obsessive-Compulsive disorder is characterized by performing repetitive acts to alleviate anxiety caused by disturbing thoughts or impulses.

Post-Traumatic Stress disorder results in extreme anxiety following a traumatic event.

The cause of anxiety related disorders in children is primarily due to the interaction between certain biological and environmental risk factors. Genetics and parenting style are predisposing factors for developing anxiety related disorders.

Parents should seek immediate medical attention if the duration and severity of anxiety in children does not decrease.Cognitive behavioral therapy can be very effective to shape the thought process and behavioral response to treat anxiety in kids.

Psychotherapy is another form of relaxation techniques that has been found to be highly effective in shaping the kids behavioral response. If none of the above methods seem to work the parents should consult with a medical practitioner regarding use of anti-anxiety medication