The Theory of Universal Harmony

[Joe]

Consider the following:

1. Beings exist in a world.
2. Each being has a will.
3. Wills may work in harmony, or in discord.
4. Harmony is more desirable, but not always actual.
5. Universal harmony is possible.

Now by a being, I mean of course an entity such as I am, and such as
you are. Entities such as we are, we call beings. By a world I mean
any locus wherein a being or beings may dwell. So to be clear, while
it is true that Earth is such a world, it is also possible that Mars
is such a world, and it is also a proper use of the term to call the
Solar System a world, or the Milky Way Galaxy a world. Worlds there
may be, that are not even physical. The only requirement of a world
is that it is the ground of interaction among beings.

A will is that by which a being controls its actions or its
inactions. Wills have their basis in the desires of beings, and
sometimes beings allow their own wills to be commanded, or sometimes
their wills are commanded in spite of themselves. A will has an
effect on the world, usually in the motion of the being whose will it
is. Wills can also direct the motions, not only of the beings whose
wills they are, but of inanimate objects or collectives, and sometimes
even other beings or collectives. Abstract objects, too, such as
ideas and ideological movements, come under the dominion of wills or
collections of wills.

A being may choose to co-operate with other beings in the
accomplishment of their wills, or they may agree on a common goal
toward which they co-operate. They may also agree to compete, or,
they may find themselves in competition without originally intending
so. Some competitions are friendly, as for example games of leisure.
Others, are not so friendly, as for example military war.

When a being with his will comes into the awareness of another being
with his own will, there are three possibilities. Either there will
be no necessary interaction, or there will be conflict leading to
competition, or there will be co-operation leading to harmony.
Friendly competitions are actually co-operations, but unfriendly
competitions are discord, the opposite of harmony, and the source of
trouble.

It is possible in theory --- specifically, in this theory --- to
eliminate discord and to achieve universal harmony. The way to do
that is called faith. Faith has three different levels, only the
first two of which are necessary, yet the third of which may prove to
be quite useful.

6. Rudimentary faith is acknowledgment of the possibility of universal
harmony.
7. Advanced faith is the personal to commitment to actually make that
happen, wherever and whenever the opportunity presents itself.
8. God is defined as a theoretical being whose will is the universal
harmony and whose power is to bring it about.
9. Theological faith is faith in God per se, or the position that God
as defined in the theory is an actual, rather than merely a
theoretical being.

It may or may not be necessary for all to possess theological faith in
order to manifest the practical goal, i.e. universal harmony. At the
outset, we need not assume that it is necessary. We can allow our
nature to take its course, and over time the necessity or non-
necessity of theological faith will manifest. At the outset, all that
is really necessary is advanced faith as defined in the theory. And
obviously, that begins from, and is built on, rudimentary faith.

10. An avatar is a being whose will is the will of God.

Now recall that God is defined as a being whose will is the universal
harmony and whose power is to bring it about. If there is an actual
being who is God as so defined, then that God can bring about
universal harmony by himself (if such a thing is coherent). But an
avatar has the will of God, but not the power of God. So an avatar
cannot make it happen by himself. That is why none of the avatari in
history have done so. But each of them has willed it so, and has done
everything in his power to bring it about in whatever ways he could.

The goal of all authentic religion is to make ordinary beings into
avatari. The exercise of both rudimentary and advanced faith puts one
well on the road to this. But there are always unseen motives within
us, about which we must ever remain vigilant. The actual working out
of one's own path is left to the individual. But if I may offer a
suggestion, theological faith helps.