Roots: Footprints on the sands of time

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.

                                   -Marcus Garvey

In the 4th century BC, the Greek philosopher Plato somewhat flippantly defined "man" as an erect and featherless biped. Subsequently, Diogenes the Cynic, in an equally flippant fashion, displayed a plucked chicken and declared: 'Here is Plato's man'. Whether we look like plucked chicken or orangutan, we now know that the human race has a common origin. New research has proved the single origin of humans.

Humans originated from a single point in Africa, and it came as something of a surprise when scientists determined that human beings share almost ninety-nine percent of their genetic material with chimpanzees. Apart from this fact, new research has proved, without any doubt, that all genetic material in the universe had a common origin; and what distinguishes one species from another is the evolutionary path it took. Thus, to think that the trees in your garden or for that matter, all trees anywhere on earth; and all living life forms, are related to one another, and to us, through its genetic origin in the distant past, is a sobering thought.

The next time you chop a tree, think of it as a part of you, and do it with utmost restraint; or else it will be akin to dismembering a part of you. On this planet earth, no man is an island in isolation; and, mankind cannot live in detachment of his environment without causing harm to themselves.

However, the fact of the matter is that, from the time of our beginnings, we have now evolved into a far superior species on earth than anything else known. The reasons for this are manifold.

To begin with, our capacity to meet situations, especially if new or unforeseen, by a rapid and effective adjustment of behaviour; also, the native ability to grasp the significant factors of a complex problem or situation; an ability to exercise the higher mental functions; readiness of comprehension; are aspects that set us apart from the rest.

Intelligence

In short, intelligence is what makes the difference. Nevertheless, is it the reality? If intelligence is the deferential, we now know that apes, monkeys, dolphins, whales and even crows possess intelligence. Not only do they have intelligence, but also other similar traits of humans such as vocabulary, use of tools, social cooperation,, friendships, political alliance, teaching abilities, and transmission of knowledge.

The only difference between us and other species is the degree to which these abilities are developed; and why we are superior is because we have progressed further than these species in the use of these tools.

Comparatively, in this resplendent isle called Sri Lanka, when I see the behaviour of some of my brethrens; apprehend their level of intelligence; I am convinced that apes, monkeys, dolphins, and even crows, have evolved to a superior stage than some of us; where the difference between man and monkeys is indistinguishable.

The very fact that we imitate their behaviour, and not vice-versa, is proof that we have not evolved further from when Rama brought his clan of monkeys to fight Ravana and left them behind in Sri Lanka.

If one has any doubts on this score, all one need is to look at the mimicry that is taking place these days in the House by the Diyawanna Oya, and any doubts that might have been there will be checkmated.

The only thing that the humans do which the apes, monkeys, or dolphins do not, is use fire.

Culture is not a trait that is unique to humans. By studying orangutan populations, a team of researchers headed by anthropologist Michael Krützen from the University of Zurich has demonstrated that great apes also have the ability to learn socially and pass them down through a great many generations.

The researchers provide the first evidence that culture in humans and great apes has the same evolutionary roots.

However, socio-cultural evolution is an umbrella term for theories of cultural evolution and social evolution, describing how cultures and societies have changed over time.

The 14th century Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldun concluded that societies are living organisms that, due to universal causes, experience cyclic birth, growth, maturity, decline, and ultimately death.

Thus, if we are to go by visible trends of today, it seems that Sri Lankan society and culture, as known heretofore, is in decline.

Culture and discipline go hand in hand. I call it the culture of discipline. A culture of discipline is not just about action - it is about disciplined people who engage in disciplined thought, who then take disciplined action. Culture of discipline requires duality: on one hand it requires people to adhere to a consistent system, on the other, it gives freedom and responsibility within that system. To take but one example where we lack the culture of discipline; just look at the way we behave on our roads - drivers, pedestrians, bystanders, and law enforcers, et al. Each one of us is for him-self and each of us is a law unto ourselves.

Forgotten

Orderliness and restraint; courtesy and kindness; rules and regulations; are all a forgotten art. It is not just our behaviour on the roads; this indiscipline and indiscreetness is visible in every sphere of our activities.

If so, are we entering the phase of the demise of our culture or are we still at the stage of growth and maturity? I wish someone better equipped than myself would throw some light on this subject.

The Chinese called it the Land without Sorrow. The Arabs called it Serendip. The Hindu epic Ramayana referred to it as the Garden in the Sky. Years later, Mark Twain described it as "sumptuously tropical - a dream of fairyland and paradise, it is beautiful! .... (it) quivers and tingles with a thousand unexpressed and inexpressible things; things that haunt one and find no articulate voice."

If this is how Sri Lanka was, famously known throughout history; what went wrong, when and where? If we are to go by history and mythology of lore, we were a cultured people with an advanced civilisation and our roots extended deep.

The tendency is to blame and attribute all and sundry ills on and to the invaders. We fail to realize that, along with what may, or could be, attributed as a corrupting and bad influence, many good concepts, and developments - more of the latter than less - came along with the invaders.

Then, how is it possible that a cultured people with an advanced way of life and with deep roots of tradition and culture; which we are said to have possessed prior to the advent of the invaders, imbibe only the bad? Were we a cultured people sans intelligence? I raise these questions not because I have the answers, but because I wish the reader to lend his mind to these issues so that the perpetrators of myths and canards as history do not have a free run.

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. The lives of all great men remind us that we too can make our lives sublime; and on departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time.

See you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking; keep laughing. Life is mostly about these two activities.

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