Post by Stefan Pasti on May 26, 2012 16:00:32 GMT -5
A. I believe there are many considerations which are almost completely overlooked in the “formal international civil discourse” on the connections between religion/spirituality and sustainability. Here is one excerpt from an IPCR document which might illustrate what I mean:
“If many people can learn to find contentment and quality of life while consuming much less, this limiting of desires at the ‘root’ will save much trouble trying to respond to the symptoms as they materialize worldwide. This is part of the ‘spiritual teachings’ element which often gets overlooked….” [quoting myself from “Spiritual Peacebuilding: 47 Quotes and Proverbs” Pasti, 2007, p. 5; (quote also in more recent IPCR documents)]
Here also is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi:
"A certain degree of physical comfort is necessary but above a certain level it becomes a hindrance instead of a help; therefore the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them, seems to be a delusion and a trap. The satisfaction of one's physical needs must come at a certain point to a dead stop before it degenerates into physical decadence.”
[Mahatma Gandhi from “Gandhi’s Swadeshi: The Economics of Permanence” by Satish Kumar at
squat.net/caravan/ICC-en/Krrs-en/ghandi-econ-en.htm(see Paragraph 13 in section “Principles of Swadeshi”)]
The above theme “limiting of desires” has appeared as “treasured wisdom” at various times in most religious, spiritual, and moral traditions, but has received very little attention in most conferences, forums, and websites on sustainability—as far as I can see from my research. One reason for this might be that most bureaucrats, technocrats and economists are, currently, only seeing sustainability through the lens of “continued economic growth”.
However, there are people from various fields of activity who are beginning to see a connection between the debt crises and “limits to economic growth”. My own research as part of the “IPCR Critical Challenges Assessment 2011-2012” resulted in the document “Calling ‘the better angels of our nature’: A Multi-Angle View of the Debt Crises” (Jan. 2012, 398 pages), which provides much evidence for the above connection. Consider the following quote from a “Three Page Introduction to ‘A Multi-Angle View of the Debt Crises’” (one of the documents included in “IPCR Outreach 2012” postmailings):
“…Again and again, in references to the debt crises, there is mention of the need for ‘economic growth’…. Unfortunately, the kind of ‘economic growth’ which is most often being referred to includes a vast array of ‘enterprises’ which require the continued exploitation of flaws and weaknesses in human nature, fragile ecosystems, and already significantly depleted natural resources—and which are much of the reason why cultures of violence, greed, and corruption have become so common that most people believe they are inevitable. (See Section IV ‘Cultures of Violence, Greed, Corruption, and Overindulgence’)
The above quote, and the previous quote on “limiting of desires”, provide some evidence for why The IPCR Initiative believes there is much of value in the “treasured wisdom” of religious, spiritual, and moral traditions which could provide critical assistance at this time. There are many difficult challenges ahead.
B. The following four passages have been used in a number of IPCR documents, as a way of expressing the need—and the potential good which could come from—a renewed appreciation for the “treasured wisdom” of religious, spiritual, and moral traditions.
The challenges of our times are such that it is now critical for us to access the storehouses of wisdom and compassion which have accumulated over the many centuries of human experience, and which have been confirmed again and again as essential to individual well-being and social harmony by the saints, sages, spiritual leaders, and sincere practitioners of all religious, spiritual, and moral traditions.
Many people may think it is naïve to imagine that people from so many diverse religious, spiritual, moral, and cultural traditions can decide to come together in such a way as to not only encourage, but participate in, a high percentage of constructive thinking and constructive action in response to the difficult challenges ahead (as in the high levels of participation encouraged by comprehensive Community Visioning Initiatives). From this writer’s point of view, such skepticism and cynicism depend for their existence on doubts as to whether it is possible for people to achieve highly advanced forms of wisdom and compassion through genuine instruction and sincere effort. Thus it is that there is a great responsibility on those people who are in any way representatives of religious, spiritual, and/or moral traditions—to demonstrate what is possible along the lines of wisdom and compassion, to provide genuine instruction when sincere efforts are being made, to contribute to the greater good of the whole, and to help restore confidence in the higher values of life.
And what is possible along the lines of wisdom and compassion? How many of us would say that we are fully aware of what is possible along the lines of wisdom and compassion? What would the everyday circumstances of our community life be like if many of us were fully aware of what is possible along the lines of wisdom and compassion? Many of us could be much more familiar with what is possible… unfortunately, much of the real treasured wisdom of religious, spiritual, and moral traditions now seems to be hidden—and thus in need of being re-discovered. These “hidden” resources include teachings which inspire and encourage people to
a) place a high priority on the development of truth, virtue, love, and peace—and live disciplined lives for the purpose of adhering to truth, cultivating virtue and love, and maintaining the pathways to enduring peace
b) sacrifice personal desires for the greater good of the whole
c) find contentment and quality of life while consuming less material goods and ecological services
d) prefer peacebuilding which supports and actualizes mutually beneficial understandings, forgiveness, and reconciliation—and which abstains from violent conflict resolution—as a way of bringing cycles of violence to an end
e) use resources carefully, so that there is surplus available for emergency assistance
f) support community life and cultural traditions which “… bring to the fore what is often hidden: how many good people there are, how many ways there are to do good, and how much happiness comes to those who extend help, as well as to those who receive it.
In other words, this writer believes that human morality is not a constant—it is not something which is the same throughout the centuries of human existence; and thus it is something which can become degraded or raised up, depending on the leanings of human aspirations.
“If many people can learn to find contentment and quality of life while consuming much less, this limiting of desires at the ‘root’ will save much trouble trying to respond to the symptoms as they materialize worldwide. This is part of the ‘spiritual teachings’ element which often gets overlooked….” [quoting myself from “Spiritual Peacebuilding: 47 Quotes and Proverbs” Pasti, 2007, p. 5; (quote also in more recent IPCR documents)]
Here also is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi:
"A certain degree of physical comfort is necessary but above a certain level it becomes a hindrance instead of a help; therefore the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them, seems to be a delusion and a trap. The satisfaction of one's physical needs must come at a certain point to a dead stop before it degenerates into physical decadence.”
[Mahatma Gandhi from “Gandhi’s Swadeshi: The Economics of Permanence” by Satish Kumar at
squat.net/caravan/ICC-en/Krrs-en/ghandi-econ-en.htm(see Paragraph 13 in section “Principles of Swadeshi”)]
The above theme “limiting of desires” has appeared as “treasured wisdom” at various times in most religious, spiritual, and moral traditions, but has received very little attention in most conferences, forums, and websites on sustainability—as far as I can see from my research. One reason for this might be that most bureaucrats, technocrats and economists are, currently, only seeing sustainability through the lens of “continued economic growth”.
However, there are people from various fields of activity who are beginning to see a connection between the debt crises and “limits to economic growth”. My own research as part of the “IPCR Critical Challenges Assessment 2011-2012” resulted in the document “Calling ‘the better angels of our nature’: A Multi-Angle View of the Debt Crises” (Jan. 2012, 398 pages), which provides much evidence for the above connection. Consider the following quote from a “Three Page Introduction to ‘A Multi-Angle View of the Debt Crises’” (one of the documents included in “IPCR Outreach 2012” postmailings):
“…Again and again, in references to the debt crises, there is mention of the need for ‘economic growth’…. Unfortunately, the kind of ‘economic growth’ which is most often being referred to includes a vast array of ‘enterprises’ which require the continued exploitation of flaws and weaknesses in human nature, fragile ecosystems, and already significantly depleted natural resources—and which are much of the reason why cultures of violence, greed, and corruption have become so common that most people believe they are inevitable. (See Section IV ‘Cultures of Violence, Greed, Corruption, and Overindulgence’)
The above quote, and the previous quote on “limiting of desires”, provide some evidence for why The IPCR Initiative believes there is much of value in the “treasured wisdom” of religious, spiritual, and moral traditions which could provide critical assistance at this time. There are many difficult challenges ahead.
B. The following four passages have been used in a number of IPCR documents, as a way of expressing the need—and the potential good which could come from—a renewed appreciation for the “treasured wisdom” of religious, spiritual, and moral traditions.
The challenges of our times are such that it is now critical for us to access the storehouses of wisdom and compassion which have accumulated over the many centuries of human experience, and which have been confirmed again and again as essential to individual well-being and social harmony by the saints, sages, spiritual leaders, and sincere practitioners of all religious, spiritual, and moral traditions.
Many people may think it is naïve to imagine that people from so many diverse religious, spiritual, moral, and cultural traditions can decide to come together in such a way as to not only encourage, but participate in, a high percentage of constructive thinking and constructive action in response to the difficult challenges ahead (as in the high levels of participation encouraged by comprehensive Community Visioning Initiatives). From this writer’s point of view, such skepticism and cynicism depend for their existence on doubts as to whether it is possible for people to achieve highly advanced forms of wisdom and compassion through genuine instruction and sincere effort. Thus it is that there is a great responsibility on those people who are in any way representatives of religious, spiritual, and/or moral traditions—to demonstrate what is possible along the lines of wisdom and compassion, to provide genuine instruction when sincere efforts are being made, to contribute to the greater good of the whole, and to help restore confidence in the higher values of life.
And what is possible along the lines of wisdom and compassion? How many of us would say that we are fully aware of what is possible along the lines of wisdom and compassion? What would the everyday circumstances of our community life be like if many of us were fully aware of what is possible along the lines of wisdom and compassion? Many of us could be much more familiar with what is possible… unfortunately, much of the real treasured wisdom of religious, spiritual, and moral traditions now seems to be hidden—and thus in need of being re-discovered. These “hidden” resources include teachings which inspire and encourage people to
a) place a high priority on the development of truth, virtue, love, and peace—and live disciplined lives for the purpose of adhering to truth, cultivating virtue and love, and maintaining the pathways to enduring peace
b) sacrifice personal desires for the greater good of the whole
c) find contentment and quality of life while consuming less material goods and ecological services
d) prefer peacebuilding which supports and actualizes mutually beneficial understandings, forgiveness, and reconciliation—and which abstains from violent conflict resolution—as a way of bringing cycles of violence to an end
e) use resources carefully, so that there is surplus available for emergency assistance
f) support community life and cultural traditions which “… bring to the fore what is often hidden: how many good people there are, how many ways there are to do good, and how much happiness comes to those who extend help, as well as to those who receive it.
In other words, this writer believes that human morality is not a constant—it is not something which is the same throughout the centuries of human existence; and thus it is something which can become degraded or raised up, depending on the leanings of human aspirations.