We believe our choices are based on intelligence. But mostly, we act out of conditioning.
I read somewhere that this is an account of an actual experiment. However, in the absence of specific details, I present this as a story. That fact does not in any way diminish the value of what we can learn from it.
Eight monkeys were put in a high ceilinged room. In the middle of the room was a ladder, leading to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling. The monkeys were fed bare minimum to sustain them so that they would constantly have the hunger and motivation to get the bananas. The bananas were replenished on a regular basis.
However, each time a monkey tried to climb the ladder, all the monkeys were sprayed with ice cold water, which made them miserable. Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempted to climb the ladder, all of the other monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed, set upon him and beat him up. Soon, none of the eight monkeys ever attempted to climb the ladder.
One of the original monkeys was then removed, and a new monkey was put in the room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wondered why none of the other monkeys were doing the obvious. And he immediately began to climb the ladder.All the other monkeys fell upon him and beat him silly.
He had no idea why. And when this happened few times, he learned his lesson, and no longer attempted to climb the ladder.
A second original monkey was then removed and replaced. The newcomer again attempted to climb the ladder, but all the other monkeys hammered the crap out of him.
This included the previous new monkey, who, grateful that he was not on the receiving end this time, participated in the beating because all the other monkeys were doing it. However, he had no idea why he was attacking the new monkey.
One by one, all the original monkeys were replaced. Eight new monkeys were now in the room. None of them had ever been sprayed with ice cold water. None of them attempted to climb the ladder. All of them would enthusiastically beat up any monkey who tried, without having any idea why.
Conditioning is how traditions, and religious rituals get established and followed blindly. It would make more sense if we use our intelligence and find out the rationale and logic behind any practice. We follow it because we have seen our parents and grandparents do it. And they had been doing it, because they had seen their parents do it.
Any practice is always time and place specific. Practices came into existence and were widely used because they either served a purpose, or were established out of ignorance or fear. Religion has a way of integrating such practices to legitimize them. Continuing a practice of our ancestors from 2000 years back does not make any sense as everything about how we live has changed. Due to science and technology, we have a better understanding of the laws of nature. Our society and culture has also changed. It is as if we are living on an entirely different planet.
We should examine and abandon such activities, as they are nothing more than empty ritualistic parodies of practices which were once alive and spontaneous because they either achieved something, or served a need.
It is interesting to note what Buddha has said.
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books or because I have said it. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
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