The Humanist Operating System
Some time ago, I wrote about what humanist activism looks like in practice — how we show up, intervene, and take responsibility in the world. This piece steps back and looks underneath that action. This is the operating system that runs quietly in the background, long before activism begins.
Module 0: Life as a Given (Not a Problem)
The Bug:- Viewing this lifetime as samsara, a condition defined primarily by suffering, error, or punishment, from which one must ultimately escape. When life itself is framed as a problem, meaning becomes something deferred or transcended.
The Humanist Patch:- Humanism begins from a simpler, sturdier premise: we are already here. Life is not a punishment to endure or a cycle to escape. It is a condition we inherit — unfinished, imperfect, and shared. The ethical question is therefore not how to exit existence, but how to live well within it.
Since we are alive here and now, the task is not transcendence, but responsibility. Rebirth never enters the picture, not out of defiance, but because it is unnecessary. This life is enough to demand our care.
The Core Modules (The Body)
1. Reciprocity Over the Begging Bowl
The Bug: The traditional model of the “holy person” who survives by begging for food. While historically meaningful, this model creates a vertical hierarchy — one where resources flow in a single direction and spiritual labour is exempt from ordinary contribution.
The Humanist Patch: We are all contributors. Dignity comes from participation, not exemption. My spirituality, if it can even be called that, does not absolve me from being a productive member of the human tribe. Reciprocity keeps us grounded. Meaning is built with others, not received from them.
2. The “Only Life” Urgency
The Bug: Using rebirth or karma to soften moral urgency, delay action, or explain away suffering. When there is always a “next life,” responsibility can quietly drift into abstraction.
The Humanist Patch: This is the only planet we know we have. This is the only lifetime we are guaranteed. There is no “undo” button. That reality creates high-stakes compassion. We act now because there is no cosmic safety net waiting to balance the ledger. Doing good is not preparation for another existence — it is a response to this one.
3. The Incognito Practitioner (The Red Veshti Rule)
The Bug: Dressing differently to signal purity, separation, or spiritual elevation creating distance between “the awakened” and ordinary life.
The Humanist Patch: As my Guru taught me, spiritual clothing has its place , during private work, during sadhana. But when we step into the world, we dress like the world. We do not need saints on hills. We need humans in the street relatable, reachable, accountable
4. Non-Attachment as a Tool, Not an Exit
The Bug: Using non-attachment as a way to disengage from the world’s messiness or moral weight.
The Humanist Patch: Non-attachment is not an escape hatch. It is a coolant for the engine. It keeps us from burning out or collapsing under despair not by caring less, but by caring more clearly. It is not about withdrawal. It is about staying effective.
Conclusion :- The Humanist Operating System does not require a temple, a creed, or a saffron robe. It requires only one thing: a commitment to the person standing in front of you. I am not looking for an exit strategy from samsara.
I am looking for an entry strategy into a better version of today. When this operating system is stable, action becomes possible grounded, sustainable, and human.
