THE HOLISTIC HEALING OF CIVILISATION

Contributed by Ron Ingalsbe,
Doctor of Health Metaphysics
October 1, 2002

© 2002

To develop a sustainable civilization, it serves us well to ask a few fundamental questions regarding strategy. For instance, how much is the complex goal of sustainability dependent upon strategies employed directly toward this goal? Additionally, how much is sustainability otherwise an effect of strategies aimed at very different goals?

These necessary questions naturally arise when we observe the many environmental activist groups and the experiences they encounter. Many individuals involved with these organizations will, on one hand, acknowledge relatively small victories, such as a local bill passed for the protection of things like forests or parks, or legislation that forces a negligent company to clean up its own messes. On the other hand, we would be hard pressed to find an activist for the environment that is not often frustrated at what seems to be a very slow prodding process with definite limitations.

The limitations encountered by U.S. activists, for example, became quite clear in the summer of 2002 when the U.S. support for the convention in Johannesburg was predictably small and shallow. Perhaps the honest acknowledgement of limits like these will allow us to comprehend more clearly the challenge that the notion of sustainability presents in our world. Without a doubt, the persistent limits allow us to draw the line between what is permissible to those truly in power today, and what is not.

Uniting on the Common Ground

Granting this, we are best to admit that the current challenge of sustainability no longer makes it acceptable to divide and categorize ourselves as "environmentalists" in contrast to (at least) "political," "economic," or "spiritual" activists. In today's complex world, it is now necessary to blur the borders delineating each type of movement. We cannot afford to divide ourselves on the basis of distinction nor on the basis of targeting effects rather than underlying causes of the shared problems we face. It is far more necessary to unite people based on an over-arching, common ground vision. Or, perhaps it is better to say that these various movements all need a parent movement or organization that ties them together on the basis of a shared vision.

In the attempts earlier this year to create an on-line dialogue among concerned members of The Centre for Change, a prominent theme emerged - that of emphasizing a "common ground" to our humanity. This we agreed to be (for lack of a better term) the "spiritual core" of every human being. This core is the place within each of us where the entire universe dwells, in a sort of "enfolded" manner. The common ground of our existence is this core potential found deep within the mind and heart of every human being. We acknowledged that well within every one of us is an essential core of comprehensive knowledge, unlimited compassion, infinite wisdom, and an eternally creative consciousness. Thus acknowledged, we found that the most fundamental key to changing any aspect of civilization is through a radical transformation of personal and interpersonal consciousness, which includes the "mind" and "heart" together.

The CFC dialogue eventually established this metaphysical fact, but barely managed to go beyond it to assess the implications for a better world. However, participating members did manage to recognize this common ground core of our humanity as our greatest "tool" for creating not only a more sustainable world, but along with it, a more politically just, economically balanced, and spiritually aware world as well. In other words, it appears that the pre-condition for creating a revolutionary change in society begins with this transformation in our consciousness. That is, a comprehensive change in our habits of thought, in overcoming fear through greater compassion, and in the use of our imaginations to envision and plan for a just, equitable, and sustainable civilization.

Interdependence and the New Enlightenment

Awakening in our awareness of the common ground core of humanity as defined above, we are becoming ready to nurture a uniting of people unlike anything ever seen before this time. We shall become united upon the greater knowledge of the interdependence of all that exists in civilization and in the natural world. This greater knowledge stems from the fact that the natural world exhibits a grand unity of being wherein all things co-operate.

As we awaken, we find that for too long now human civilization - as a reflection and creation of human consciousness - has been rather chaotic and out of balance. Awakening consciousness then reminds us that the chaos and imbalance has been, all along, a direct result of an overly selfish mindset. We have entertained ways of thinking that put the rights and desires of the individual (or a privileged few individuals) above and at the expense of all other people, and at the detriment of the Whole. This amounts to a crisis of ignoring the common good of all individuals in society. Non-awakened consciousness, or Ignorance, has led to excessive self-interest, which has led to economic disparity and social injustice, along with every accompanying "evil," foremost of which is the degradation of our natural environment.

Our common ground Core of Intelligence is beginning to make it clear that we need to cooperate extensively, across artificial borders of activism, of state, and of political or religious affiliation. While we begin de-emphasizing our differences and emphasizing our similarities, we will enable ourselves to unite and organize people into the critical mass, international movement that this world currently needs.
This means that environmental activists will open their eyes more to what other kinds of movements have to offer. We must ask ourselves how we will ever move beyond current limitations without, for instance, integrating efforts with popular-based movements taking on corporate-government power interests. A revival of labor, social-democratic, and socialist programs of a half-century ago that challenge the pathological "profits over people" may be needed before any more real progress can be made for environmental healing. Many people today do not see efforts for sustainability reaching much past current limits, unless there is a simultaneous movement (under a shared vision) addressing the carelessness of a profit-based economy led by multi-national interests, interests which represent less than one percent of all people.

The natural interdependence of life that is the hallmark of the New Enlightenment (which is in fact very old) challenges us to see the necessarily interdependent nature of economic, political, environmental, and religio-spiritual movements or organizations. As long as we remain content in containing each of these kinds of movements within there own special categories, we will go on effectively serving the old "ego" or "selfish" mindsets that created our problems in the first place. We will remain a fragmented society, an inefficient and relatively ineffective people's movement continuing to compete with one another for people's attention. Fragmented and isolated movements are victims of their own limitations. If there is to be perceived an "enemy," then we have empowered our enemy well by allowing them to "divide and conquer" us for too long now.

Holistic instead of Allopathic Healing

The challenge of sustainability today is a complex problem involving every major element of civilization. Herein mention was made of economics, politics, environmentalism, and spiritual organization. But many other institutions have their part to play as well, including the arts, education, science, and philosophy. What ails our world is a holistic set of symptoms that cannot ever be healed by means of the out-dated allopathic method of isolating factors apart from each other and from the Whole. We are now desperately in need of a holistic remedy that heals all systems within the whole organism. The disease of selfishness is a systemic problem. What is needed is a massive organization of people seeking interdisciplinary strategies, united by a simple goal of re-creating the cooperation and interdependence of Nature within human civilization. This begins with the aforementioned "revolution in consciousness."

We begin by clearly stating the underlying causes of unsustainable living. From there we move to common goals. What unifies us all is the Nature's principle of Interdependence and the need to live more cooperatively, less selfishly, and for the good of the Whole - for all people, all beings, the earth, and the atmosphere. Then, each aspect or system of civilization is seen as a unique "angle" contributing its own special objectives to this united, on-going process of civic renewal.

The Centre for Change

As we human beings evolve we are seeing a more complex web of interaction across the globe. The International Centre for Change is a leading organization in this regard. The Centre's importance begins with the acknowledgement of what we called the "common ground core" of humanity. Realizing the essential unity of being and experiencing the Whole within each "part" is this "Core," which is also the first step toward significant transformation. The more individuals that grasp this realization, the more a "critical mass" develops, and the more possible a real transformation of civilization becomes. With this realization comes a transformation in the way we do everything else - the way we do economics, politics, religion, education, marriage, and all other endeavors.

The Centre for Change and its members are sharply aware of the need for a holistic healing and massive organization of people everywhere. Its historic role in accommodating widespread change is a call to duty for all responsible and awakening citizens of the world.