Free Nepalis from mental pollution

Three ways to realize the vision: 

1)   Tweaking our education system to teach us self-evaluation.
2)   Realizing our responsibility to hand over the country to the next generation in a good condition.
3)   Evaluating why we time and again send the same old faces to run the country.

I believe every place in the world has its own essence and people’s behavior varies accordingly as well. In Nepal, our specialty seems to be mudslinging. Whether it is our political leaders, ordinary citizens, bureaucrats, or experts, they are all at it. This is actually mental pollution as it is induced by a thought, a visual image, or an insult or accusation. Unless you get rid of this mental pollution, you can’t clear other types of pollution from society.

We debate and comment on world politics, research, innovation, and every other trend, but we don’t have a clear idea about what’s happening in our own country, what are our problems, and how to resolve them. Nepalis like to give their opinion but not to act. We thus lag in all sectors. This is why we haven’t excelled at anything and no sector in the country is performing well.

I hold the political parties responsible for this; they are the ones who make and implement policies. The problem is that the citizens have been unable to feel the government’s guardianship. Those in power make rules and regulations but never follow them. Only ordinary citizens with no political connections are compelled to abide by these rules.

For example, during the pandemic, the political leaders were busy in large meetings and rallies, while the daily wage earners were not even allowed to go to work. This suggests there is little value of hard work. In fact, we should be working to make everyone believe that progress in life is possible only through hard work and diligence—there are no shortcuts.

Then, again, this doesn’t mean the public is completely innocent. A few years ago I had traveled to Gosaikunda and was greatly distressed by the pathetic state of the holy lake there. I learned that the so-called pilgrims throw their inner-wear in the holy pond. This is because there is a belief that sin is like filth in your clothes and if you throw them while bathing, all your sins will be washed away. Such practices make me question the very foundation of our faith.

Also read: Ani Choying Drolma: Make Nepalis realize the ancient wisdom in their midst

We all say Nepal is our homeland, but do we accept it from our heart? No. Our works do not reflect our commitment to our homeland. We do not think of its good and betterment. Nationalism is not based on empty political slogans but on the love we have for our land.

This country is actually run by a mob, and if you follow them instead of your intellect, neither you nor your country will progress. The mob can never take you on the positive path. For me, the mob is the combination of ego and negative energy. It likes to mock the hard-worker but then seldom does anything constructive itself.

Let’s realize that we are all weakening this country, imperiling future generations. It is our responsibility to hand this country over to the next generation in a good condition.

It is high time we evaluated our past decisions to hand over the country’s reigns repeatedly to the same set of leaders. Why are we continuously voting for the same persons when they have not worked for the country? We should learn from our mistakes. These leaders have been making us fight among ourselves, making us communal. We should not fall into this trap and should not lose our valuable time in this sideshow.

Our education system should teach us how to evaluate ourselves. That will help us review our own actions and learn from our mistakes. Love and religion have become things to show off, not something pure to be felt and cherished. This suggests that we have gotten our education system wrong. Only through the right kind of education can the right values be imparted.

Quick Questions:

1. What is spirituality for you?

It is a process of self-study and self-realization. 

2. Are we going to see you in Nepali films again?

The cinema industry can positively impact society. But as of now, what constructive thing has our cine industry done to the society? Even though I acted in almost 200 movies, not one of them has made any social contribution. So I now seek a team that can make movies to bring positive social changes. I will be back soon.

3. A quote you live by.

“Life is not acting.”