Sunday, November 05, 2006


Thank you for visiting my blog. Comments welcome – but please be nice. You can mail me at dontconceive@hotmail.com

Conceiving a Child is a Sin
I am of the firm conviction that conceiving a child is a great sin. The highest goal for a soul is to attain liberation from mortal existence, that is, to break free from the cycle of births and deaths. Giving birth is the exact opposite of liberation. A couple who conceive a child are directly responsible for encaging a soul in a mortal body. If we ourselves aspire for liberation, how can we justify the trapping of another soul in a body? By giving birth, people imprison a soul in a mortal body without thinking of the suffering they will put it through. We have no right to give such a bondage to a soul (At this point, I would like to make it very clear that I am not trying to imply that I will never father a child. I will try my best not to, but then, everyone can be lured into committing a sin, and I am no exception).
Life is not a bed of roses. Suffering is a part and parcel of everyone’s life. Some have more of it, some less, but everyone goes through it. To battle with innumerable terrifying problems of different types is part of man’s life and he cannot escape from them. He will be thrown in the midst of baffling trials, may have to face natural calamities, and undergo punishment for his ‘past’ misdeeds. From the very moment a person takes birth, suffering is his constant companion. Everyone has diseases and illnesses in life. Everyone goes through emotional suffering. And life is a constant struggle. People have to start their struggle right from childhood, from their school days. Then college, if they reach that far. Then finding a job; then a life partner; facing the loss of near and dear ones. And all the while we are enslaved by the body and its demands, be it hunger, sleep, sex, etc. Everyone has to work in order to maintain his body. Even breathing is work. Our body’s metabolism is constantly at work. We have to supply it with food so that it can keep on working. And we have to work so that we can obtain that food. But if our soul is not bound in a mortal body, it will be totally immune to all pain and suffering.
Before conception, no one knows what exactly the future of his offspring will be. It could be physically handicapped; it could be mentally deformed; it could be blind. And then, as life progresses, any kind of misfortune can strike it. Either or both of the child’s parents can die, when their child is still young, leaving an irreplaceable void in the child’s life. They could be separated. The child could end up being a total failure in life. It could end up in prison.
No one comes to this world on his own will. It is the will of the parents which gives birth to the child. They are solely responsible for bringing it into existence. And whatever hardships a person faces in life, whatever pain or sorrow comes his way, his parents are entirely to blame for it.
Some people tell me that if all humans stop reproducing the world would come to an end, and that seems like a very frightful idea to them. I tell them that this planet would actually be far better off without humans. Besides, Earth has existed for millions of years; humans appeared just about a hundred thousand years ago. Humans are part of this planet. We don’t own this planet.
Once I was discussing my theory of not conceiving with a lady and told her that if someone has a child, it could be born blind. She said that is a one in ten thousand chance. I told her that the phrase “one in ten thousand chance” is used in gambling, so basically it means you are gambling with someone’s life. She had no choice but to agree. By reproducing we are actually gambling with someone’s life. Do we have a right to do so?
I feel the only difference between humans and animals is the fact that we can willfully abstain from reproducing. In all other ways, we are not much different from animals. We are just more intelligent than other animals and have used our intelligence to improve our life with comforts and sensory pleasures.
If one believes in transcendental spiritualism, which says that the soul should be freed from the cycle of births and deaths, then to understand that giving birth is the opposite of liberation is more of a logical conclusion, something akin to a mathematical equation.
I am sure that during the course of civilization there would have been people who would have propounded this theory. Maybe their ideas did not get too popular – there were not many means of spreading writings and ideas to the masses in ancient times. Maybe a lot of people who could have written about it chose not to, for reasons best known to them. The views and teachings of lot of spiritual and philosophical people were propagated orally by them, and were written and compiled by others, thus diluting the content and authenticity of the original. It was said that the Buddha was preaching childlessness. One does not need to read between the lines to understand what the Buddha meant when he said that birth is accompanied by suffering (Buddha’s noble truth to sorrow{suffering}: birth is attended with pain, disease is painful, death is painful, union with the unpleasant is painful, separation from the pleasant is painful, unsatisfied craving is painful).
There is an ancient Indian story about eight Vasus (liberated souls or demigods) who played a prank on a holy man. The holy man was angry at them for playing a prank on a mortal, they themselves being liberated souls. He cursed them to spend one life as humans on earth. They were terrified by this curse. It shows how dreaded human life is for a liberated soul. After they pleaded for mercy, the sage agreed to reduce the curse for seven of the Vasus. Seven of them would be killed, or liberated the day they were born. The only punishment they would have to suffer would be the nine months in a human womb. Hearing that they would be killed the day they were born, the Vasus were ecstatic and thankful to the holy man for reducing the severity of the curse. The eighth Vasu, Prabhas, who was the main culprit, would live a full life on earth in a mortal body as a punishment for his misdeed. The eight Vasus were born to king Shantanu and his wife Ganga. Ganga killed the first seven children the day they were born. The eighth child went on to live as Bhishma, who played a pivotal role in the Indian epic the Mahabharata. (The killing of the children by Ganga seems to explain to some extent the verse “What is night for all beings is the time of waking for the disciplined soul; and what is the time of waking for all beings is night for the sage who sees{or the sage of vision}” – B.G. II 69).
The Mahabharata is a very integral part of ancient Indian and Hindu culture, and the holy book of the Hindus, the Bhagvad Gita is part of the Mahabharata. This story clearly illustrates that life on earth is a punishment. It is surprising why this point has never been noted and stressed upon through the ages. Moreover, there is a verse in the Bhagvad Gita, in which Krishna describes knowledge as “Indifference to the objects of sense, self effacement and the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age, sickness and pain” (B.G. XIII 8). This verse clearly states birth as being evil. Millions of people have read the Bhagvad Gita through the ages, and not just Indians. It is very surprising that no one has tried to infer or comment on this verse.
It is an act of lust which gives birth to a child. The result of an act of lust can never be right or holy.
I would like to clarify at this point that I am not saying sex is bad or wrong. I mean if sex results in giving birth, that is wrong. But it is a sensual act, and if one wants to be childfree he / she would have to ensure sex doesn’t result in conception. Sex is one of the strongest instincts all living beings possess and I don’t feel anyone should try to suppress their desires as long as they don’t end up harming anyone.
Death is certain for one who is born. In effect, when we give birth, we automatically gift death to that person as well. Therefore a person who gives birth is also responsible for murder. These ideas may sound absurd and crazy to many people. But then, at some point down the ages acts such as thievery and robbery must have been considered normal, and if someone termed them as being sinful it might have sounded absurd and crazy to many. Throughout history it has been the norm for conquerors to lead barbaric campaigns of mass murder and plunder without any qualms. The yardsticks and values pertaining to sin and morals differ from people to people. Even today there are many who see no wrong in committing various heinous acts. There are many criminal tribes in India in which stealing and robbing are family traditions. People have to be taught what sin is or what is right and wrong – they are not born with knowledge ingrained in their minds. One needs to open their mind and think rationally and logically. Most people get very defensive when I tell them that conceiving a child is a sin. They are not willing to make any attempt to understand this theory or to listen to the reasoning behind it with an open mind. They vehemently oppose this theory outright, mainly because they are too much in love with the idea of having their own children and definitely don’t want to believe that they are committing any sin in doing so. Desire and love cloud our mind and logic.
Some people say that by giving birth you are giving a chance to a soul to be born as a human and thus giving that soul an opportunity to seek liberation. Can anything sound more stupid than this? It’s like putting someone in prison in order to give that person a chance to break free.
It is very essential to understand the soul for a person to possess any kind of spiritual aptitude. The soul, if not embodied, needs nothing to survive and cannot face any kind of pain, sorrow or damage – fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, a sword cannot cleave it. For a free soul, a human is like a perpetually sick individual who needs matter in all its three forms (gaseous, liquid and solid) in order to survive, just as a sick man needs medicines to survive. If we see someone who needs regular medical treatment, like insulin injections or dialysis, we pity that person. We don’t realize that all of us need to breathe air, drink water and eat food in order to survive – we are all patients, pitiable ourselves. A liberated soul needs none of these things. We should not pass on this disease called life to other souls by reproducing.
To some people my views on life sound negative and pessimistic. They feel that life is full of joy and pleasures, it is beautiful and is to be enjoyed. Ignorance is bliss - that is all I can say for them. Sensory pleasures are the biggest delusion for humans. That is why we humans enjoy far more pleasures and means of sense gratification than animals. It is because humans would understand the futility of life, since they have the intelligence to do so if these sensory pleasures were not present to fool us and to make us fall deeply in love with life. A person who feels that the ultimate goal in life is to indulge in sense gratification is an immature fool. Just as we don’t enjoy playing with children’s toys as we grow older, when one attains spiritual wisdom he loses interest in enjoying any kind of sensory pleasures. We enjoy pleasures which are appealing to humans when our soul is embodied in a human body. But if our soul is to be embodied in a vulture’s body then the taste of carrion will be pleasurable for us, and human pleasures and comforts will be of no interest or use to us. It is only when the soul is enlightened that it attains the wisdom to rise above worldly delusions.
I feel that if someone does not conceive a child, whether willfully or due to reasons beyond his or her control, that person breaks the cycle of bondage and is thus entitled to liberation.
If, however, someone is really keen to have a child they should bear in mind certain things before conceiving. It will still be a sin, but a sin of a slightly lesser degree.
First of all, before planning a child, the parents should ensure that the child will have a financially secure future and a comfortable upbringing, in a healthy society. Those people who are monetarily poor or who live in poor and underdeveloped countries commit the greatest sin by giving birth to a child. Such a child is brought up under miserable conditions and has a dark and gloomy future lying ahead of him. In a country like India, marrying and having children is something everyone just has to do. But life in India is virtually like living in hell. The country is very backward and underdeveloped. There is poverty and misery all around. A person working in India would earn in a month what a person in the USA would earn in a day, doing the same kind of work. The result is a sharp contrast in the standard of living. Public amenities like medical facilities, state transport, water supply, sewage & sanitation, electric power, schools, colleges, etc. are very limited, and whatever there is, is literally in ruins. There is widespread corruption, unemployment, and human rights abuse. The weather is also very hostile and most people cannot afford air-conditioners. Poor people lead a life akin to that of animals. Most of them cannot even afford a square meal for themselves everyday. But still these people continue to give birth to children, and not for a moment do they realize the injustice they are doing to innocent souls by doing so. When they see their children suffering and leading a life of drudgery, they put the entire blame on destiny. It is not destiny, but their own will that gives birth to a child, and they are solely responsible for its destiny. Giving birth to a child and then blaming destiny for its misery is like shooting a man and saying "It was his bad luck that he had to die, so I am not to blame for it".
In this respect many humans are far worse than animals. Animals in the wild, if they foresee a shortage in food supply or feel that their habitat is under threat or is no longer suitable, refrain from reproducing. But there are lots of humans, especially in third world countries, who being well aware that they cannot afford proper food, shelter, clothing and other basic needs for their child, still feel no compunction in reproducing.
Once in New Delhi, I saw a boy of about fourteen being bullied by seven older boys. There was a police jeep with three policemen standing nearby, and this boy came running towards it, with the older boys following him. He asked the policemen to save him from the older boys. They, in turn, said that he had provoked them. Instead of protecting him, one of the policemen slapped the younger boy repeatedly, and started checking his pockets for money, blatantly, in front of everyone. Whatever the boy had, the policeman snatched from him. This incident took place in the capital of the world’s largest democracy, in the heart of the city, at a busy crossing at rush hour, witnessed by many a mute spectator. Such incidents are rife in India. This is the state of security and human rights ordinary citizens of India enjoy. Still, people continue to give birth to children in such a country.
As it is, giving birth is a sin, but one should not accentuate the sin by giving birth despite knowing that the child will have a bleak future. After all, giving birth is not compulsory. We humans can realize this, and these days birth can be prevented even after conception.
The break up of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s coupled with the end of communism saw a sharp fall in the standard of living of most Russians, resulting in a marked decline in the birth rate. In terms of intelligence and education of the general populace, Russia is far ahead compared to third world countries – that is probably what helped many Russians to opt not to have children in adverse circumstances.
There are lot of world leaders, philanthropists and organizations working for the upliftment of the downtrodden all around the globe. A huge amount of time, money and effort is spent in this endeavour. If they can make the poor understand the wrong in conceiving children without having the means and resources to support them, their task would become much easier. It is far better to prevent the problem from taking birth rather than allowing it to crop up and then trying to busy oneself in attempting to cure it.
Another point people should bear in mind before conceiving a child is the level of their capability. By the time a person becomes mature enough to have a child, he is well aware of his abilities and shortcomings. A person who is not very capable and successful in life should avoid conceiving a child. A child inherits mental and physical qualities from its parents, and chances of giving birth to an incapable child are higher if the parents themselves are incapable. A lion will give birth to a lion, and a lamb, to a lamb. A donkey can never give birth to a lion. If someone has some weakness or is deficient in some respect, he should see that his spouse can make up for it. If a man who is considerably underweight should marry a woman who is also underweight and physically weak, the result will be that their child, too, will be underweight and weak. Similarly, if a man of limited intelligence marries a woman of his kind, they will most probably bear an unintelligent child. A person could be a coward, or very lazy, or of a weak moral character. All these traits can be passed on to his offspring. If a person cannot find a spouse who can make up for his deficiencies, he should desist from having a child. He himself has suffered because of his weakness. Why should he make another soul suffer for the same?
A person suffering from a serious disease or medical disorder should also refrain from reproducing. It is not a very pleasant experience for any child to have a sick parent. Moreover, if it is a hereditary disease, like diabetes, it can be passed on to the offspring.
The ingredient most essential for our survival is the air we breathe. Humans can live without water and food for hours and days but cannot survive without air for more than a couple of minutes. People pay lot of attention to the quality and hygiene of the water and food they consume, but they don’t seem much concerned about the quality of the air they breathe. All around the world most of the capable and successful people live in big cities, where the air is by no standards pure and clean. They bring forth children to breathe in polluted, unhealthy air. Does it prick their conscience - or are they too insensitive to even give it a thought?
Sometimes I wonder – if people possessed the ability to communicate with the soul and it said it did not wish to be born to them, or born at all, would they still go ahead and trap it in a mortal body?
A child’s life is directly linked with that of its parents. If the parents are successful and prosperous, the child will have a comfortable upbringing. But if the parents are poor, life will be very difficult for the child. If a parent commits a sin and is punished for it, indirectly the child also bears the brunt of the punishment. If God punishes a man for his sins by snatching his wealth or crippling him, his children will be affected as well. Why should children suffer for their parents’ misdeeds? Is this God’s way of meting out justice?
A question that often baffles me is ‘Why do people have children?’ For their emotional happiness; to have someone they can call their own and depend upon; someone who can help them in their work and look after them in old age; someone whom they can pass their wealth on to; someone who will carry on their generation. These are all very selfish motives. People put a soul through such torment and suffering to fulfill their selfish desires.
I consider emotional attachment to anyone, whether father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, wife, lover, friend, etc., to be nothing but foolishness. A person would have had near and dear ones in his previous life. But in his current life, he will not remember who his parents or children were in his previous life. Nor would he remember his current family members in his next life. In his next birth, his soul could well have been in the chicken that lands up on his son’s dinner table!
When I am talking about not being emotional it is from the spiritual point of view, I don’t mean a person should be cold and insensitive. But once a person attains spiritual enlightenment then all worldly wants and desires are effaced. Very few people manage to attain spiritual enlightenment, and I am not there either. For the uninitiated it would not be easy to understand or appreciate the nuances of Hindu spirituality. We all have different philosophies and beliefs and my intention is not to offend or contradict anyone’s beliefs

28 comments:

mishkabear said...

You bring up some valid and fascinating points. I know that in my own family who went from prosperous farmers (19 children) to near starvation from war (2 children) in one generation, the images of hunger and deprivation passed on to us were so strong that none of us, the next generation, had children. For us it wasn't religion or spiritual matters that decided for us. It was a reluctance to bring more cannon fodder into a world obsessed with war.

Anonymous said...

We here in the U.S. live in the most selfish society in the world.

Selfish big SUV's to drive, selfish waste of electricity with a tv in every room and blasting the air conditioning 365 days a year regardless of perfect days outside, and we are so selfish that we have to fill those big SUV's with a flock of little replicas of ourselves.

Good luck in your corner of the world, there's no luck here - constant reproduction of more greedy little consumers every minute.

Z.

Anonymous said...

Thankyou for posting this!

compoverde said...

From www.anti-procreationmovement.blogspot.com

It is nice to know that there are fellow anti-procreation advocates out there. Conceiving..., I will put your website as a link. My only request is that you put this blog as a link on your website as well. Do you think we can make some sort of forum with other groups and advocates out there who are anti-procreation? I know about childfree movements and the VHMET movement, but those groups do not exactly advocate the same issues as us. We believe that it is not good to bring children into this world due to its inherent suffering. If we can make an online coalition of sorts, this would be a logical next step. Please give me your thoughts on this.

compoverde said...

From www.anti-procreationmovement.blogspot.com

It is nice to know that there are fellow anti-procreation advocates out there. Conceiving..., I will put your website as a link. My only request is that you put this blog as a link on your website as well. Do you think we can make some sort of forum with other groups and advocates out there who are anti-procreation? I know about childfree movements and the VHMET movement, but those groups do not exactly advocate the same issues as us. We believe that it is not good to bring children into this world due to its inherent suffering. If we can make an online coalition of sorts, this would be a logical next step. Please give me your thoughts on this.

Anonymous said...

Humans have definitely gone above and beyond the reasonale figure for our population. We must control this soon or face the controlling mechanisms of natural laws (disease, famine, disaster). I find humans as being a despicable creature that cares little of other species (let alone it's own). Global warming, disease, pollution, and the eradication of other species have proportionately increased with our population figures. The problem is that we are doing very little to control any of this. Each nation feels fragmented in thinking that, "It's not our problem." It is everyone's problem. The fragmentation and pointing of the fingers will get us no where quickly. The only place that we are headed for is the brickwall of our own extinction, and the last time I checked, our foot was still on the gas pedal.

Kitty said...

Thank you for writing this. I am so relieved that someone else in the world thinks likewise.

I fear I'd reincarnate again and again into the world that is steadily degenerating, perpetually, never being able to break free...

At least, by not giving birth to yet another being in this life, I do some good.

Seeker said...

I read your writings on this subject and was amazed how much your writings line up with the thoughts that run through my head. I fully agree with what you have to say, I've always felt that I was crazy but I feel like I have been validated. I posted some of my own thoughts under http://anti-procreationmovement.blogspot.com/. I am do not express myself as well as you do because I hold most of it inside of me out of fear of what others might think but I did my best, here is my posting.


Seeker said...
Your site has provided me with answers that religion never could. God whatever it is seems to remain silent as human suffering goes on. I have no desire to perform the self-centered selfish act of breeding. What a horrible and cruel thing to do to someone. After I am dead and gone they would have to endure all the horrors that life has to offer. Just because we can breed does not mean that we should. The children suffer, die and go hungry because the parents gave into their worthless needs. Having offspring is a lie that many have bought into without thinking about the consequences.

December 3, 2007 7:57 AM

Anonymous said...

Awesome essay. I really enjoyed reading it.

Anonymous said...

Though I'm not interested in religion, I agree with your conclusions. Just, I feel a bit more radical than you are.

I'm with you, mate!

Anonymous said...

When I talk like that almost everyone who's listening disgrees and they say I can't say it for real. They simply don't think about it, if they did, they would come to the same conclusions.
Happy someone else thinks in this world...

Unknown said...

Yes, you are right. I agree with you.

Conceiving a child is the reason why women are always supressed by the society for so many years.

mukti/k/2008@gmail.com

Sister Y said...

Hello - I am sympathetic to your views, and I hadn't heard this message from the Hindu perspective before. I think your essay points out that it is culture and tradition, rather than religion and ethics, that encourage childbearing.

Thanks for writing that.

Anonymous said...

This article is perhaps the greatest thing that I have ever read.

Conceiving a Child is a Sin said...

Anonymous left this comment:

You guys are psychotic! I love life! I do not suffer in life, I love my family and enjoy everyday on this earth. I have a wonderful life and I am blessed everyday. You people don't appreciate what God has given you. Love is the greatest gift of all and to experience that is worth death. I can't wait to bring my child into this beautiful world! Live life to the fullest and don't wallow in the bad parts. The best parts of life outweigh the bad. I could write you a book on why you should appreciate your life!

Here is my reply:

“I love life! I do not suffer in life; I love my family and enjoy everyday on this earth.” Many are prompted to reply in this fashion upon being brought face to face with the real nature of life – they tend to forget that truth often tastes bitter; we don’t hear of the “sweet truth”. Life cleverly salves our wounds to beguile us – a painkiller will make you insensitive to the pain, it will not remove the pain or cure the condition that’s causing it. There has to be a silver lining behind the black cloud of a hopeless and meaningless existence. Secondly, these are your views, you are entitled to them, but this does not in any way grant you a right to impose this “lovely” life on someone else. One may enjoy a variety of things - helping the needy, theft, consuming tobacco or alcohol – that doesn’t give them sanction to force that habit upon someone else. Love is truly blind – selfish and senseless too. What else can explain the pride and delight people take in their child, a living trophy of their sins, condemned to live, destined to die?

“Love is the greatest gift of all and to experience that is worth death.” This would mean that if you love someone, you have won yourself the right to kill them. Judges would be having a hard time, with murderers trying to prove they loved their victims, earning an honourable acquittal if they succeeded in doing so.

“The best parts of life outweigh the bad.” Schopenhauer has addressed this issue ages back – “The pleasure in this world, it has been said, outweighs the pain; or, at any rate, there is an even balance between the two. If the reader wishes to see shortly whether this statement is true, let him compare the respective feelings of two animals, one of which is engaged in eating the other.” He further adds - “Life is a task to be done. It is a fine thing to say defunctus est; it means that the man has done his task.”

Anonymous said...

Conceiving...sin:

You've hit all the points here.

"Real life misery is a mess or a bore or simply too heartbreaking to tolerate. And there’s no coherence to it—no vision. As Mark Twain said, "Life is just one damn thing after another." I don’t want to be a spectator to this any more than I must be. I want to attend to the words of someone who will stand up and say, "Life is just one damn thing after another"

Thomas Ligotti

Anonymous said...

You pretty much got it nailed. My child-free views were influenced by my reading of Schopenhauer, who in turn was influenced by the Vedas and Upanishads. There are enough people on this earth, and our ecosystem is down the toilet, so there's no reason to have any more.

Anonymous said...

Thank you...though I disagree with one thing.

Lust with deeply loved others, which results in deeper feeling and a commitment not to procreate, CAN result in something good...

...more lustful fun and sharing, stronger relationships, creative energy...and not more people.

:)

I note that the great lover-of-life-and-breeding person/commentor considers anyone who disagrees with her/him to be psychotic.

That's the basis of the natalist power play. If you don't agree, you get punished, harmed, incarcerated, deprived of a job, of a place in society, of a means of earning a living.

Natalism is fascism. I am grateful that somehow I was able to transcend it as a child, and stick to it as an adult.

May we all liberate the divine from this backwater of embodiment!

Conceiving a Child is a Sin said...

A Big Thank You to all you lovely people for taking the time to post your comments here. I am also grateful to the other anti-procreation sites and the people behind them – Moral Childfree, Anti Procreation Movement, Antinatalism, Discontinuation – as well as all other believers of the truth. I am struck by the wisdom and knowledge displayed by all you wonderful people, as well as your excellent writing skills.

It’s funny – almost 7 billion people in this world, and only a handful recognize the truth – the great man Schopenhauer has rightly observed – “In general, indeed, the wise in all ages have always said the same thing, and the fools, who at all times form the immense majority, have in their way too acted alike, and done just the opposite; and so it will continue. For, as Voltaire says, ‘we shall leave this world as foolish and as wicked as we found it on our arrival’.”

I have been preoccupied with writing my book, an exhaustive argument that establishes the immorality of procreation, as well as disproves both the Law of Karma and the concept of a benevolent and merciful God. It is almost complete now, and I am contemplating as to what to do with it. I don’t really have the patience to chase publishers, so I guess I might end up releasing it as an e book – any suggestions / assistance in this regard would be greatly appreciated.

P S

Anonymous said...

Hey P Sriv,

I'm glad to see you are keeping the site and the movement going. I have started my own blog called Moral Childfree. http://moralchildfreegirl.blogspot.com

Can't wait until the book comes out.

P.S. (no pun intended) I'm the Liberian girl who sent you an email a while back. Write back anytime.

Anonymous said...

I completely agree. Every day there is something be pained over, if you're a thinking, feeling, informed person. Today it just happened to be the NYT article following up on the chimp attack (from the perspective of the police officer now suffering PYSD after witnessing the horror.) I'll do as much good as I can while I'm here, but it ends with me!

Lakshminarayana said...

I agree with you. Appreciate that there are many here who think sensibly :-)

Su B said...

It takes a certain amount of pragmatic pessimism to think this way, as I also do. The reality in this world is that there is 90% sadness compared to 10% happiness.

But the worse part of this reality, is that these are averages, with some having to suffer much more than their due.

Many urban middle class, young Indians today, however, live a normal, happy life, often at the expense of the previously richer West, as well as their poorer Indian counterparts, growing middle-aged and old in style, never having had to face much suffering throughout their youth and childhood, as they purchase health for their parents from the Apollos and Wockhardts. Their parents too have prospered and have lived and died / will die without grief, and without seeing much suffering. Many in this Manmohan era of boom ask, Suffering? What suffering? Somebody else is suffering. We are not suffering, have never suffered, and will never suffer! We are so competent, so capable, so healthy, so genetically perfect, our children cannot suffer! Those millions of other Indians continue to suffer, and will continue to suffer, let them stop breeding. Why should "we" breed more, so that their superior races shall populate the earth!

What argument would one have for such optimistic people, who have seen quite a few previous generations of prosperity, and now are experiencing unbelievable and extreme financial prosperity in this (short-lived?) age of economic boom? Most urban yuppies would never believe (and indeed have no reason to believe) that their child is statistically ever likely to ever suffer. Indeed, they, and their children would be so completely buried in their greed for achievement, ambition and wealth, that their success would blind and de-sensitize them to the suffering of life.

P.I. said...

Oddly enough, it seems that celibacy is a major requirement in attaining liberation from mortal existence.

Coincidence?

Don B. Reed said...

Truly great to hear some sensible voices in India... I'm sure that you have heard of the VHEMT(Voluntary Human Extinction Movement)... If not then please visit www.vhemt.org.

We are even having an Indian chapter which you can follow at http://vhemtindia.blogspot.com.

Keep up the good work and hope to read more of you in time to come.

Anonymous said...

Great essay.
Thank you for your effort in writing it.
Eco_h2o

Shardoll said...

Man, I so AGREE with you on many, many points! I too know that the cycle of life is something to be FREED from! Living, despite the good things that happen is STILL daily PAIN of some kind. That is not a depressed statement! I absolutely will NOT ever reproduce, never bring a child into this ball of dirt to eventually taste DEATH! I enjoy my life to the best of my ability but I too know there will come the end. That's such a JOYOUS thing to have to explain to a child along with stranger danger, sickness, war etc.

Ki Ip said...

love this. very interesting points, and i agree with the majority of them. however, i do not entirely agree that conceiving itself is a sin. but then again, we all have different definitions of what sin is to be.