Enlightenment, Organisation, Opportunities
Recent discussions have touched upon the general concept of civilisation, leading us to conclude that if the tasks of humanity are knowledge, development, and moral perfection, with the aim of contributing to the evolution of the Universe — meaning the Creator — then the task of civilisation, as the sum of achievements in various fields and the realities of life it has created, is to provide the conditions for this. That is, humanity must build its civilisation as an environment conducive to fulfilling its tasks. An environment where knowledge, development, and moral perfection can proceed as successfully and efficiently as possible. So far, this has not been going particularly well. Humanity sets itself other tasks — or even if they are technically correct, it assigns them incorrect goals. As a result, civilisation cannot be what it is meant to be. It turns out to be built incorrectly, diseased. And instead of reaching a worthy life and rightful success, humanity moves in circles, repeating the same mistakes and problems, suffering far more than it could have. It is literally wandering through the circles of a hell it has created for itself. Could it have been otherwise, given that its path of development has clearly taken a wrong turn? And as the final point of this process, the threat of total self-destruction has now come clearly into view. It is sad and frightening to acknowledge — but such is our present reality.
To change the situation for the better, humanity must change its understanding of itself, its perception of its own goals — in essence, its understanding of the meaning of its own existence. Only such deep changes can have the desired effect; superficial changes will be merely cosmetic and will not fundamentally help. If the roots of a tree are in poor soil, it will not be healthy, no matter how beautifully the gardener prunes its branches. Speaking of civilisation, it must be rebuilt on different foundations.
This is one of the tasks set forth by the Teaching. A question may arise: is this not overly ambitious? If someone intends to solve such a problem quickly, to change human civilisation within a short timeframe, then yes — it is overly ambitious. And impossible. But we fully recognise the grandeur and complexity of the task and understand that it will take decades and centuries. A tremendous amount of work lies ahead. Moreover, a foundation is needed upon which the renewed structure of human civilisation will be built. We have such a foundation: it is the Teaching itself as a system of views, its vision of the world and humanity’s place within it, its understanding of human purpose.
This, in fact, is where we must begin. In our space, in the space of the Teaching, knowledge is of paramount importance. Knowledge of the world, of oneself, of oneself within the world. Therefore, one of the foundations of a society built on the Teaching will be what can be called enlightenment, in the broadest sense of the word.
Some may say: “And what is new here? This began as early as the 18th century, and since then, all people have become sufficiently enlightened. Universal literacy, school and higher education, well-read individuals, and so on. What more is needed?” I would respond: things are not quite as they seem. First, even today, not everyone in the world has access to basic schooling, let alone higher education — not everyone even knows how to read. Hard to believe? That is because some have grown too accustomed to the good things in life. The world is not as well-ordered as it appears. Second, how much does school education really offer? A few years after graduation, how many people actually remember what they were taught? Yes, it enables everyone to read, write, perform simple calculations, and acquire some knowledge about the world. But how many can recall anything substantial from school physics, chemistry, algebra, geometry, biology, geography, astronomy, or even the rules of their native language? They are taught a great deal, in a complex and tedious manner, attempting to burden students with an enormous volume of knowledge — yet, for the most part, to no avail. People remember, and not always, only what was among their favourite subjects and what later became relevant to their profession. The rest often fades as if it had never been. Third, the golden age of literacy appears to have already passed. With the advent of the Internet, literacy has declined — though one might think it should have been the opposite. Unprecedented access to high-quality information, scientific and literary works, and so forth… However, for literacy to flourish, high-quality content alone is not enough. There must also be the desire, the ability, and the habit of consuming it. And for this, proper upbringing, appropriate life goals, and a corresponding life stance are required. A culture of perceiving and consuming knowledge is needed. Yet blogs, social media, comment sections, various forms of amateurish and outright foolish writings posing as educational materials (of which there is an endless ocean), along with jokes, news, and propaganda — none of this fosters literacy. It merely clutters the mind. And this, in fact, forms the reading circle of the average Internet user — the very same former school pupil mentioned in the previous point. Or not a former, but a current one. He eagerly absorbs all this instead of his school curriculum. Though many read, fewer and fewer are truly well-read.
In our space, acquiring and disseminating knowledge will be one of the foundations of life. Knowledge is, above all, a factor in upbringing. The human personality is built upon it. What kind of world do you live in? What is a human being? Who are you? What is the meaning of your life? What do you want? How can you achieve it? What qualities do you need, and why? What is good and right, and what is bad and wrong, and why? What should you do to ensure your actions benefit society rather than harm it? Where is humanity heading, and why? And many other questions. Receiving answers to these, a child is shaped as a person. And the qualities of their personality will largely depend on these answers. But answers are also needed by adults. For the process of upbringing and self-development, like the process of acquiring knowledge, continues throughout life.
The TUT is a vast and profound worldview; it has answers to important questions. Therefore, a significant part of enlightenment will be the teaching of the Teaching. However, it must be understood that it is not a religion, which, by its very nature, is poorly compatible with science. The Teaching, on the contrary, fully embraces the scientific approach and regards science as a natural and effective means of understanding the world. In essence, it adheres to a scientific worldview. It offers knowledge about what science has not yet discovered, what is still beyond the reach of scientific research, and it introduces a moral dimension. Science and the Teaching complement each other. Thus, the Teaching advocates for scientific research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Accordingly, in our space, no less — if not more — importance than now will be placed on science itself and the teaching of scientific disciplines. The way education is structured, how teaching itself is organised, is a separate issue that requires dedicated discussion. Education should be more accessible and effective. New curricula and teaching methods will be developed.
The goal of the Teaching is to make every person sufficiently educated, possessing a broad outlook, and capable of applying their knowledge for the benefit of people and the world. Without this, it will be impossible to create a truly prosperous society, to reform our ailing civilisation, or to guide humanity towards fulfilling its purpose in the Universe. Knowledge of humanity, the world, and the Universe serves both as the starting point of this journey and as the means of progressing along it.
Knowledge is the greatest treasure. Yet, its value does not lie in mere possession but in its practical application. It forms the foundation of everything; even lifting a spoon to one’s mouth is impossible without knowing how to use it. Knowledge must be applied correctly and beneficially. A person with a well-rounded education and broad outlook does not simply develop intellectually, spiritually, and morally but must also have the opportunity to translate this knowledge into action — into activities that contribute positively to society, aid in building a healthy civilisation, foster the overall development of humanity, and help fulfil its purpose in the Universe. Indeed, a person can and should think in such broad terms — this is natural. Upbringing, education, knowledge, and a wide-ranging outlook should enable one to perceive the world in this way and grasp these concepts. The Teaching aims to cultivate precisely such individuals — knowledgeable, broad-minded, understanding the goals of human civilisation and the common good, and both willing and able to contribute to them. It seeks to nurture enlightened, moral, and active personalities — people who do not confine themselves to petty personal interests and gains but strive to work purposefully and creatively within the collective known as “Humanity”.
For people to be like this — to be able to work and realise their potential — favourable conditions must be created. Even the most brilliant and capable individual can achieve little if their hands are tied and obstacles are placed in their way. Providing knowledge alone is not enough; people must also have the opportunity to apply it. Therefore, another priority in a society built upon the principles of the Teaching will be the creation of conditions not only for the comprehensive development of individuals but also for their activities. If an enlightened person seeks to contribute to the world and its people, they must be given the means to do so. This must be organised.
In light of all the above, the following interrelation becomes clear. Humanity must evolve, fulfil its purpose, and its civilisation must serve as a favourable environment for this. To build such a civilisation and achieve these goals, people must first and foremost understand who they are, why they exist, what they must become to accomplish humanity’s highest aims, how the world is structured, what can be done for it, and how to do so. Moreover, to truly act and realise possibilities, they must master the art of organisation — ranging from personal life and daily affairs to the structure of society and governance, from the implementation of individual projects in various fields to the execution of global, planetary, and eventually even grander endeavours. When opportunities are properly realised, they will, in turn, give rise to new ones. Then humanity will move forward, develop, elevate its civilisation to new levels, and become what it is meant to be for the Universe.
Enlightenment, organisation, and opportunities — these will be of paramount importance in our space, that is, in a society built upon the principles of the Teaching. They will be the indispensable pillars upon which this society stands and the vital requirements for humanity’s continued successful development.
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Have I said much in this article? Have I explained a lot? Hardly. I have merely outlined a few of the most crucial priorities — nothing more. This is not just one topic but many, each of vast scale. There is still much to say, much to explain, many questions to raise and answers to seek. We must model, substantiate, and discuss. It is an entire ocean, upon whose shore we now stand. Here, I merely wished to take a fleeting glance at it — to feel its vastness once more and, if possible, help you feel it too. To sense the immense scope of what lies ahead — the scale and diversity of the challenges we must address.
We are at the very beginning of the path to building a society based on the Teaching. Taking our first steps toward it. And one of these steps is to introduce people to the Teaching — to tell them about it. Not just about its worldview — after all, much has already been written on that — but also about what to expect from it. This is, indeed, a fitting way to put it, for it captures the essence of the matter. If the Teaching presents itself as the future worldview of all humanity, if it claims that, in time, society will be founded upon its vision and principles, then it must explain what this society will be like — and why. After all, it is our descendants who will live in it. But will they want to? Will it be an attractive prospect?
This article highlights a few defining traits of that future society — traits of great significance, shaping its very essence. And in the future, we will delve into various aspects. We will continue sketching details — details that will gradually form into clear lines, which will, one day, come together into a complete portrait. A portrait of our shared future. And just how appealing that future will be — well, each person will judge for themselves.
© Atarkhat, 2023