Why world peace could not be realized
Although humankind longs for a world of peace and happiness, and although we have made great progress in politics, economy, society, religion and science, our world continues to be plagued by poverty, hunger, illiteracy, disease, injustice, isolation, and conflicts. Is the world of peace and happiness a mere dream, or can it be realized? Global problems demand a global approach to solutions and the pooled resources of both science and religion. Religion and faith represent internal, spiritual truth while science represents external, physical truth. Faith and reason can fulfil their purposes only by being united in cooperation and harmony.
Such a spirit of cooperation will be attained only when all people view themselves as members of the same human family, transcending the interests of any one community, nation, cultural or religious realm, and accompanied by an attitude of selfless giving and cooperation. Only such a revolutionary change in our thinking can ensure our survival.
One of the most threatening problems facing humanity is the prevalence of conflict. The ultimate reason for conflict is the conflict of value perspective. Confusion arises because standards of truth and goodness differ from person to person, caused by egoism – the selfish pursuit of one’s own interests – on the one hand, and differences in thought on the other – people are kept captive by their thought systems. The fundamental reason for egoism and varying thought systems is that the human race lost the absolute, original being (“God”). When we lost the absolute being, we lost the absolute standard of love and truth. Instead, our standards of love and truth became relative and we are unable to find any unifying understanding. We need a new thought system based on absolute values, which can unify all past philosophies and religions and establish a new moral and ethical system that promotes justice, freedom and human dignity beyond race, creed and nationality. This new thought system will provide the virtues essential for a world of peace and goodness, such as truthfulness, discretion, restraint, duty, humility, gratitude, compassion, empathy and public-mindedness.
People of peace recognize that other cultural and religious realms possess contributions to peace that we do not possess, and that can enrich our own. People of peace do not claim a monopoly of truth, but create peace by recognizing the human responsibility to serve God through a spiritual path that each person freely chooses. In this age of global co-existence, all spiritual teachings must humanize and never create conflict. With the evolution of spirituality, the evolution of a universal ethic can come about, leading humankind into a world of co-existence, co-prosperity and common cause. An ethic based on universal principles and values transcends national and cultural barriers, is a counter-force to war and an effective tool for conflict resolution.
A revolution in human consciousness
Following the technological revolution, humanity now needs a revolution of human consciousness in order to achieve a life of value by living in harmony with God’s purpose and laws. Both the spiritual and material dimensions of life are essential for human happiness; a balanced and happy life requires us to choose our priorities carefully. Happiness can only be realized when each of us serves the individual purpose and public purpose in complete harmony. On the level of the family, there are distinct roles, such as those of father, mother, husband, wife, elder and younger siblings, which, when fulfilled, maximize the love and resilience of a family and its capacity to benefit the community. Human spiritual consciousness is elevated through life in a family.
We observe that the universe is based on the pair system. This is because it is based on giving and receiving in relationships. The deeper purpose why the Universe is based on giving and receiving is not only in order to produce the energy for existence but in order to realize its ultimate purpose: love. Since the universe is based on the pair system, the pair or couple is the most fundamental unit in the family, which is the environment in which love is grown and matured.
Created in the image of God, our Original Parent, all of us possess equal intrinsic worth, which is the basis for both universal human rights and social responsibilities. We have the potential to become free and self-governing beings by perfecting our love and rational understanding through family and community life. At the same time, as co-creators with God, we have the responsibility to develop a material environment that protects the sanctity of nature. Each of us possesses a distinctive personality, enabling us to make unique contributions for the benefit of humanity. Though we are unequal in talents and in contributions to social life, inequalities are harmonized through the principle and practice of true love, which is to live a life of benefitting others through selfless service based on our own unique talents.
The preciousness of true love
The way to peace and happiness begins with love among individuals in a family. Societies and nations are organic organizations comprised of and based on individuals and families of love. The family is the most fundamental form of association, and a microcosm of community. Those who practise absolute love experience happiness, fulfilment and security, and are at home anywhere in the world. The family that lives according to universal principles and values, that practises selfless love and has God at its centre, is regarded as being a family blessed by God – a “blessed family”, a “peace family” – and belonging to a single divine, universal lineage, rooted in God. God will raise and protect families that observe the moral laws and principles that he established before the beginning of creation.
Families of true love naturally work for the spiritual and material well-being of all humanity through the practice of God’s love. God’s love is the source of true parental love, which is the most powerful force in the Universe. Parental love was the motivation for the creation of the Universe and is the source of power and meaning of human existence. Parental love can be experienced when we become parents of our own children. The love between parent and child is the core and axis of all loves; parental love is contained within the love among siblings, the love for one’s spouse, and, later, within the love of a child for his or her own parents. Absolute, true love has a liberating power that enables us to love the people of the world as much as we love our own family members.
Peace is not desired on the world level alone, but also on the level of nations, societies, and families as well; individuals yearn for peace between their minds and bodies. If the inner peace of the individual is established first, family peace will soon follow. On that basis, societies, nations and the world can become peaceful. This is because the individual is the basic unit of families and families are the basic units of societies and nations. Families fully realize their potential value when they live for the benefit of their communities by giving of themselves according to their numerous talents. They are able to dissolve mistrust and enmity through the practice of selfless love.
Marriage gives permanence to love, and loyalty between partners gives strength to parenthood. Marriage produces continuity in society. It is a sacred institution, a union recognized by God, enabling men and women to fully participate in God’s creative work through the act of procreation in a family where God is present. The bonds of love in the family – between parent and child, between husband and wife and among siblings – can be absolute and unbreakable and so enable us to live with God, the absolute being of love. Love is the force that unites partners together to realize happiness, and is therefore the most precious and valuable thing.
Organization and thought alone can never establish peaceful societies. Nations and thought systems have striven to realize peace but confusion is increasing. The peace of an individual can be realized by having love and practising it. This is so because love is the precondition for all unity; unity can be established on the basis of love. Then, on the basis of unity, peace can be established. The quality of love is crucial; love can be either true love or false love; it can be either a self-centred love – which is changeable and unreliable, or a God-centred love – which is unchanging and which can achieve unity and harmony within the individual and in human relations. Such emotions as calmness, joy, satisfaction, and a sense of worth can be experienced through the unity realized through true love. A standard for peace can exist based on such individuals and families.
A vision for the future
All the world’s nations need to co-operate closely in a global confederation of states, where we regard our identity as global citizens with even greater patriotism than our identity as national subjects. With such a global ethos, the plurality of modern civilizations will be no hindrance to unity and world peace. Global cooperation could begin with global economic integration and the sharing of technology. This will help to overcome poverty and the “North-South Divide” in wealth, while reducing economic waste. In finding our true spiritual path in life, we naturally become concerned with developing the knowledge and techniques necessary to solve the practical problems of poverty, hunger, disease and old age. When each nation ceases to place all its emphasis on trade and other ways that secure its so-called national interests, when each nation begins to serve other nations and the world with absolute love, and when each nation maintains such an international ethos consistently, the eternal peace of humankind will have been secured.
We must endeavour to overcome the gulf between God and humanity and the divisions among human beings by recognizing the unchanging value, uniqueness and dignity of each human being. The evolution of our spirituality will eventually bring us to the point where God can dwell within us, and in our families and communities, manifesting his presence in our daily lives. Full spiritual awakening to all people of conscience is engendered by possessing an absolute value perspective and by practising consistency in upholding universal principles. Spirituality and morality empower us and strengthen our human dignity by making us the authors of our own deeds and lives. Such families possess a clear ethical vision and are not tempted to blame others for the world’s ills; they take responsibility for their own lives and for the future of humanity.
Universal principles and values “in a nutshell”
Mark Bramwell, 24.4.2017