Excerpt #131 from my book, Religion, An Obstacle to Human Progress
Be healthy.
Be kind.
Respect the environment.
Why are these seven words so critical and powerful?
Because we exist as a tiny fragment of an immensely larger interlocking whole (the operative words) in which all of the parts are interconnected and dependent upon each other for survival.
We exist not separately but in communion with all living things.
NO ONE ESCAPES OBLIVION.
If we honor these seven words, we will succeed and prosper in every way.
The choice is ours.
Our future lies in our own hands.
As it always has.
The difference today is that we understand a great deal more about what sustains and optimizes life.
It is time to apply our knowledge, to honor what we know—to honor the way of life.
Only then will we improve the quality of our lives, arrest and reverse our destructive and unsustainable momentum, end our needless suffering, prosper together, find peace, sustain humanity, advance our civilization, and succeed as a species.
OUR DECISIONS DECIDE US.
The human intellect is becoming aware of the vulnerabilities that accompany its power . . . to avoid self-destruction it must exercise control over its accumulated knowledge . . . (one) certain principle (is) that man must place more value on the human lifestream than on himself as an individual . . . that his salvation and immortality lie in it (the lifestream) rather than in himself. – Charles Lindbergh
A human being is part of a whole, called by us the “Universe”, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. – Albert Einstein
OUR SHORTCOMINGS ARE BEYOND OUR PERCEPTION.
In the technological age in which we live, information is no longer controlled exclusively by kings, queens, presidents, popes, prime ministers, emperors, media barons, and the like.
The playing field is now more even.
For the first time in human history, we can communicate directly with each other most anywhere, instantly.
This self-empowerment presents us with unprecedented opportunities to affect urgently needed changes in geopolitics and social order.
Ignorance and suffering can be reduced.
Knowledge and justice can be expanded.
Peace and liberty can be achieved.
Technological evolution has presented humanity with an opportunity to connect and salvage itself.
It will require an enormous amount of work by those who seek to advance civilization.
You are what your deepest desire is. As you desire, so is your intention. As your intention, so is your will. As is your will, so is your deed. As is your deed, so is your destiny. – The Upanishads