One
Humanity — The prescription for human salvation
The
two principal perils facing mankind today are narcissism and schadenfreude. Narcissism
causes us to subconsciously prefer 'our own kind,' though in reality all
of humanity is 'our kind' irrespective of nationality, belief or
appearance. Schadenfreude exacerbates this egoistic mindset
as many (if not most) of us derive pleasure from the misfortunes of those
of whom we see as separate and apart from ourselves. Unless and
until we get control of these two destructive forces and realize that our
path to salvation is in 'loving our enemies' as Christ and others have
said, we are doomed to self-fulfilling apocalyptic prophesies.
Combatting
the two-headed beast of ego-induced self-destruction will require an
alteration of the didactic framework. We can begin by eliminating the use of the term
'multi-cultural' as it has become anachronistic and self-defeating.
TRUTH is there is but one culture with multitudinous
manifestations. Within the multitudinous manifestations of the
MONOCULTURE, there are individuals seeking to EXPERIENCE THE REALITY OF THE
ENTIRE HUMAN RACE. Their desire is to comprehend and reflect the totality
of both humanity's current and potential states. These individuals are the
philosophers (i.e., 'lovers of wisdom').
Because of the enduring work of
the great philosophers and others, humanity now has the resources
necessary to begin to emerge from our ethnocentric, tribalistic
stage. Stimulating this cause are the ever-increasing effects of globalization (e.g.,
commerce, communication, and travel) as well as the growing awareness that
the
exclusivist narratives that have been imparted to us are no longer
resonant. This confluence of factors is thus producing the aggregate
impetus for
the declaration that we are, in fact, one
humanity, inextricably linked together for good or ill.
As we confront this reality, we are being transformed from mere homo
sapiens to homo sapiens
universalis. Within this latter group springs the
first evidence of yet another being: Homo
Novus.
"Do you want
to read history or make history?" — Vince Milum
A path to enlightenment
Step 1. One must have the capacity
to achieve enlightenment (otherwise one must hope
to be a vicarious participant in the enlightenment experience).
Step 2. Preparedness (one must be a seeker who is ready
to embrace the totality of reality and be prepared to endure the trials
that are confronted on the path to enlightenment).
Step 3. There are two parts to step three. Step
3A need not be completed before beginning Step 3B.
 |
3A.
Information download. This is a life-long process
which requires tapping into as many and varied knowledge resources
as is possible. It is important to remove all of one's
(imprinted) filters. Thus, challenging one's own filtration
system is key to fulfilling this step. |
|
3B.
Synergistic synthesis.
At this stage, one is able to put together the pieces and see how
all the discrete elements of our being (both self and society) are
part of a larger whole. Integration
is the key. |
Step 4. After achieving
a measure of individual enlightenment, one has a duty
to help others (both individually and collectively)
achieve their potential. This, then, will enable the
co-evolutionary development of both self and society.
NOTE
ABOUT
SYMBOL:
The
Ama-gi
is
an
ancient
Sumerian
cuneiform
word
meaning
"freedom"*;
it
is
believed
to
be
the
first
instance
of
humans
writing
that
concept
down.
(Source:
Wikipedia)
As
taught
by
the
Great
Prophet
of
Islam,
"there
is
to
be
no
coercion
in
matters
of
faith."
If
we
take
but
this
one
aspect
of
one
of
the
world's
great
religions
and
apply
it
in
all
aspects
of
our
daily
lives,
would
not
the
world
be
a
much
better
place
for
everyone?
— Vince Milum
*The
oldest
known
word
with
such
a
meaning
comes
to
us
from
ancient
Iraq.
The
Sumerian
"ama-ar-gi,"
found
on
tablets
in
the
ruins
of
the
city-state
of
Lagash,
which
flourished
four
millenniums
ago,
derived
from
the
verb
"ama-gi,"
which
literally
meant
"going
home
to
mother."
It
described
the
condition
of
emancipated
servants
who
returned
to
their
own
free
families.
(Source:
The
New
York
Times)
