The Civilization of the Future Part 1

A future based on theosophical ideals and values is a world where the sacred mixes with the mundane — where sacred geometry might applied to the distribution of energy; where karmic principles become an inextricable part of the legal system, where quantum healing technologies might be used to manipulate energy fields for healing — and for education; where dynamic designs might be used to purify water; where ecology and architecture intersect in self-sustaining and ecologically harmonious homes and buildings; where meditation and music might be used to facilitate the growth of crops; and where virtual reality ashrams unite devotees miles apart. These are just some possible examples where the intersection of spiritual ideals might impact everyday life in the future.

Universal Brotherhood the Foundation – The Dialectic of Spiritual Evolution and Shining Examples

A theosophical future will be based on knowledge of the divine nature, on universal brotherhood, freedom of thought, and respect for all peoples regardless of race, class, creed, sex, or condition or organization. Universal justice, compassion, and concord are values that are ever-present in the Akashic light, and have never been absent on the Earth. Recognizing the correspondences between the celestial and terrestrial is the beginning of wisdom.
There are individuals who have shown forth this divine light regardless of time period or circumstance. Ralph Waldo Emerson and the other Transcendentalists, for example, held the belief that each person contains infinite and godlike potential. Emerson asserted that God’s presence is inherent in both Humanity and Nature, and can best be sensed through intuition rather than reason. He highlighted Nature as a creative, dynamic force in which people could discover their true selves and commune with the supernatural. A theosophical future will have these ideals built-in, and will provide both time and space in each person’s life for meditation, intuition, and communion with nature.
Another shining example of universal brotherhood in action was Gandhi, whose core ideals were Satyagraha and Ahmisa, or Truth and Non-violence, Compassion and Kindness. Gandhi taught that Truth and Nonviolence at the highest level of experience merges and become one with God. He talked about non-violence and drawing the larger circle to include all of humanity. Instead of removing himself from society, he sought to change it from within. And this is how the civilization of the future will be built, from within outwards.

Examples based on Universal Brotherhood:

A core tenet of a theosophical future rests on the truths of spiritual evolution. This concept will be deeply embedded in educational systems, societal norms, and individual pursuits. The ultimate aim of life will not just be material prosperity but spiritual enlightenment. Science and spirituality will not be viewed as mutually exclusive but will be viewed as complementary paths to understanding the nature of reality.
According to H. P. Blavatsky, the evolution of humankind is intrinsically connected to individual spiritual advancement. In “The Secret Doctrine,” she laid the foundation for the human journey, expounding upon a cyclic, evolutionary process she called “The Great Wheel,” or in other words, that human souls on an eternal pilgrimage, moving through cycles of birth, death, and rebirth.
In a society informed by the ideal of a progression to higher states of being, institutions will aim to facilitate this journey. Schools will not merely impart facts, but help students cultivate inner virtues. Personal development will be inextricably linked with spiritual evolution, making life a meaningful journey rather than just a series of random events. In H.P. Blavatsky’s “Voice of the Silence” it says that enlightenment is not an end, but a beginning—of a greater, unselfish work.

Universal Brotherhood: An Imperative for Survival

The notion of the fundamental unity of all life will translate into global efforts towards peace, ecological sustainability, and social justice. Racial, ethnic, and national divisions will be minimized in favor of recognizing the spiritual unity of all humans. Likewise, humanity’s relationship with the environment will be seen through the lens of interdependence and interconnectedness, leading to more sustainable living.
Robert Crosbie articulated the belief that humanity’s future hinges on recognizing this universal interconnectedness. According to him, Universal Brotherhood was not a utopian vision but an esoteric reality. Understanding the interconnectedness of all of existence is the key to solving many of the challenges that humanity faces. When we act on the understanding that all is One, systemic challenges like inequality, environmental degradation, and conflict may find lasting solutions.
These perspectives do not offer an escapist spiritual route, but rather encourage a deeper engagement with worldly challenges. As clarified in the Bhagavad Gita, the world is not renounced, but understood, and transformed through right action. The call is not for ascetic withdrawal, but for a spiritually enlightened activism.

Social Responsibility
Karma,
ethical and social responsibility will be central concepts in the legal and moral fabric of society. Given that one’s actions have spiritual consequences that go beyond a single lifetime, there will be a strong emphasis on ethical and altruistic behavior. Systems of justice will incorporate more rehabilitative and restorative approaches, rather than purely punitive. For humanity, our collective actions will be guided by individual responsibility and a sense of universal duty and will forge the contours of our collective future.
In this future civilization, the principles of Truth and Nonviolence that Gandhi espoused will underpin social systems prioritizing empathy, justice, and equality. Nonviolence will be the cornerstone of conflict resolution, fostering dialogue and cooperation instead of aggression. Social institutions will work tirelessly to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and inequality.

Gandhi’s concept of “Sarvodaya,”
the upliftment of all, will inspire policies aimed at ensuring every individual’s well-being, including access to education, healthcare, clean water, and nutritious food as basic human rights. Economic systems will be reimagined to minimize disparities and promote sustainable livelihoods.

Education and Learning

Truth and Nonviolence will extend into the classroom, where the foundations of education will be ethics fused with wisdom. Wisdom traditions from around the world will be highly esteemed and incorporated into the curriculum, including the reading and study of seminal devotional works. Families, schools, and communities will foster the integration of mindful practices like meditation, movement, yoga, and rites of passage into everyday life. Stress management, meditation, guided imagery, physical exercise, visual art expression, as well as music, dance and theatre will be facets of educating the whole person, integrating the body and the mind into a single unit. Personalized learning systems utilizing an ethical Artificial Intelligence, or AI, algorithm will not only improve test scores, but will help students cultivate virtues like empathy, wisdom, and spiritual insight. Schools will allow for silence, contemplation, and harmonious sounds to enhance learning. Certain vibrations which induce alpha waves in the brain, could be used to augment learning, and provide an individually tailored, but equitable learning environment.

Economy and Economic Life in a Theosophical Future

How will Economics work in a theosophical future based on brotherhood and interconnectedness? Currently, consumer spending makes up the lion’s share of GDP, so boosting consumer spending is seen as the best measure of economic growth. In a theosophically based future, economics will be aligned with spiritual and ethical principles, serving the long-term ideals of spiritual evolution rather than exclusively short-term material consumption.
Take E.F. Schumacher’s perspective from his seminal book, “Buddhist Economics” as an example. He focused on small, simple, and sustainable development – or ‘economics as if people mattered’. He felt that contemporary economic systems of ‘growth at any cost’ were unsustainable in the long run; and that economics should benefit all, rather than a select few. He said, “An entirely new [economic] system of thought is needed, a system based on attention to people, and not primarily on attention to goods” … summed up in the phrase, “production by the masses, rather than mass production.” Schumacher maintained that solutions cannot be a one-size-fits-all proposition, and that any real and lasting change should always be developed in an individual context, taking each community’s specific situation into account.
While economists have traditionally been interested in goods, the Buddhist is mainly interested in liberation. Buddhism has been called “The Middle Way” and therefore supports physical well-being as much as it emphasizes emancipation. It is not wealth that stands in the way of liberation, but the attachment to wealth; not the enjoyment of pleasurable things, but the craving for them. The keynote of Buddhist Economics, therefore, is simplicity and non-violence. From an economist’s point of view, the marvel of the Buddhist way of life, or the Middle Way, is the utter rationality of its pattern—amazingly small means leading to extraordinarily satisfactory results.
Schumacher took the function of work to be at least threefold: first, to give the worker a chance to utilize and develop his faculties; then, to enable him to overcome his ego-centeredness by joining with other people in a common task; and finally, to bring forth the goods and services needed for his becoming. Since character is partly formed by a man’s work, and work properly conducted in conditions of human dignity and freedom, work on behalf of all blesses those who do it, and equally so their products.
The Indian philosopher and economist J. C. Kumarappa summed up the matter up as follows:
“If the nature of the work is properly appreciated and applied, it will stand in the same relation to the higher faculties as food is to the physical body. It nourishes and enlivens the higher man and urges him to produce the best he is capable of. It directs his free will along the proper course and disciplines the animal in him into progressive channels. It furnishes an excellent background for man to develop his personality.”
Schumacher remarked that climate change is the result of what he called the ‘infinite growth of material consumption’ at the expense of the planet’s resources. This desire for infinite growth has resulted in catastrophic effects for communities around the world. His ‘small is beautiful’ approach would help communities facing hardship change their world for the better. By scaling projects up to meet complex situations and influence the change of systems, small groups could play a part in creating meaningful changes, whether this took place through projects that created jobs, by improving incomes, by improving health and sanitation, or through protecting communities from disaster.
Schumacher’s principles provide a guide towards localism and sustainability. Communities will prioritize small, locally owned businesses and cooperative enterprises, reducing reliance on global conglomerates. This approach will not only bolster local economies but also reduce environmental strain by minimizing the long-distance transportation of goods. He called for “appropriate technology” which will ensure that technological advancement aligns with human and environmental values. Rather than pursuing ever more complex solutions, the civilization of the future will prioritize technologies that serve human well-being and minimize ecological disruption.
Schumacher points out that life based on non-renewable fuels is living on the earth parasitically, living on capital instead of income. Such a way of life cannot be sustained or justified as a temporary expedient. Non-renewable fuels are unevenly distributed over the globe and limited in quantity, and their exploitation is an act of violence against nature, which will almost inevitably lead to violence among men.
One of the problems Schumacher saw with modern economics was that it does not distinguish between renewable and non-renewable resources. Its method is to equalize and quantify everything by means of a price. Thus, taking various alternative fuels, the only difference between them recognized by modern economics is their relative cost per unit. The cheapest is automatically the one to be preferred, as to do otherwise would be irrational and “uneconomic.” But from a Buddhist Economic’s point of view, the consequences of non-renewable and renewable cannot be overlooked. Non-renewable resources must be used only if they’re indispensable, and then only with meticulous concern for conservation; using them otherwise is an act of violence.
Schumacher emphasized the importance of human well-being over relentless economic growth. In a future civilization, we must adopt economic systems that prioritize the satisfaction of human needs in coordination with the preservation of the environment. This means promoting local economies, reducing waste, and embracing resource-efficient technologies. By embracing these principles, we will create a society that values the well-being of all its members and respects the ecological boundaries of our planet.
Gandhi’s treatise on “Indian Home Rule,” offers similarly profound insights based on an ethical foundation. He advocated for self-reliance, swadeshi or (localism), to reduce our dependence on resource-intensive global supply chains. Gandhi’s principles value simplicity, spiritual growth, and the well-being of every individual.