081-How Do We Make Peace a Reality.txt
Dharmadeva
http://www.gurukul.edu/pdf/Issue23.pdf
Harmony in Today's World:
a neohumanist perspective
By Kulapati, Dada Shambhushivananda
We have been surrounded by war cries for thousands of years. Every
few years, wars take a toll of thousands of innocent civilians. Violence
has crept into human relationships and ordinary households. Peace and
harmony has been the need of our world for a long time.
The desire for 'inner-p eace' and 'o uter-peace' has been addressed by
millions of people over years. A simple google search on 'p eace'
reveals six hundred million references on the web. There are high
profile awards designated for Peace such as Nobel Peace Prize and
many others and yet Peace remains as elusive as ever.
How Do We Make Peace a Reality?
1. Personal Dimension of Peace - A life style of peace must be based on
ahimsa- on the
very idea that we must not intend to hurt other entities by thought, word
and action. That is why
the yogis and sages of the past have repeatedly emphasized love and
compassion as the
foundation of a religious and spiritual world view. In today's world, this
can only be achieved if
we have a world government with world militia guided by the spirit of
ahimsa. Neohumanism
provides an ideological alternative for creating such a world government.
2. Socio-Psychological Sensitivity- Each culture and group is guided by its
own
sentimental legacy and temperamental peculiarities. What is needed is to
recognize the interests
and psychological needs of each group and try to find a way that fulfills
genuine needs and
aspirations while transforming elements of our culture which are either
irrational, dogmatic, or
those that destroy the fine tapestry of sweet cordiality among all beings.
This is the most fragile
task since sentiments are difficult to guide with rationality. Proper
education is the only way to
sublimate narrow or irrational sentiments into benevolent or cosmic
sentiments.
3. Fulfillment of Basic Needs- A drive for conflict is guided by an
unfulfillment of basic
human needs such as the need for survival, freedom of movement and
expression etc. That is
why the establishment of PROUT (Progressive Utilization Theory) is a
sin-qua-non for the
establishment of permanent peace in the world. PROUT ensures that each being
is provided the
capability to secure minimum and maximum amenities of life without
jeopardizing the
collective interests.
4. Magnanimity of Mind- Sharing power requires m agnanimity of mind.
Accepting leadership
of others also requires magnanim ity of mind. Solving collective problems
also require 'patient
listening and sensitive talking"- both of which require first of all, m
agnanimous and liberal
thinking. Neohumanism is a magnanimous ideology. It is a pathway for
bringing unity among
diversity rather than causing greater distrust and tearing apart
human-relationships. A proper
cosmic ideation is a key to establish oneself in ever-increasing circles of
greater and greater
magnanimity.