Section-VIII
The Alternative Future
Deindustrial or Post-industrial Society
The Next Industrial Revolution.
From An Extractive, Polluting, Single-use "Cradle To Grave" System To Everlasting Economics Of Renewable Cradle to Cradle system.
Our present way of life is brutally destructive. Destructive to us as an individual, family and community and to the creation at large. In order to have better, happier lives, a total rethinking is required.
When man used to do natural work (farming and related activities) he could do the same repetitive work day after day-generation after generation. After the Industrial Revolution when man switched over to an artificial lifestyle, he began a never ending process of making new machines, new things, new products- a process which can only end with the complete destruction of environment or planet itself.
We need just a few things to live and we are busy manufacturing thousands. Trapped in this artificial civilization, we miss out on life altogether. We fail to appreciate the creation and the creator -we don’t know what it is to truly behold a flower, we don’t know what it is to spend a day by a river meditating, we don’t know what it is to pick up a piece of a rotten wood in a forest and discover a whole city of insects and fungi thriving on it. We are so disconnected with nature and its creator. In fact, for many people, the only time they remotely appreciate nature is when they put a ‘nature’ wallpaper on their desktop.
U.N. World Conference on Sustainable Development was held in August 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Two major areas were discussed:
1) The overriding need for rich countries to put poor countries on a global welfare system called a ‘redistribution of assets’; 2) Our current way of life -- Industrial Civilization -- is not sustainable and must be dramatically changed.
Over 100 Presidents, Prime Ministers and other high-ranking officials attended the meeting and overwhelmingly voted to make our civilization more sustainable. Their very presence at this conference strongly imprinted a sense of need for a shift.
Meanwhile the need for the change of direction gets ever more urgent. Modern civilization is something like cancer in the human body. At the beginning the symptoms are not very acute and it can pass off like something as minor as cold. As the cancer progresses it starts to reveal ever more serious effects, but by the time the victim does pay attention it is very often too late. The longer the failure to treat it, the greater the risk of it proving fatal.
Every year, every day and every hour that we fail to take the action needed to change our course similarly increases the risks of civilizational fatality.
All we need to do is make small, real changes in our lives and the world around us, rather than engage in big dangerous plans for the end of the world.
When man used to do natural work (farming and related activities) he could do the same repetitive work day after day-generation after generation. After the Industrial Revolution when man switched over to an artificial lifestyle, he began a never ending process of making new machines, new things, new products- a process which can only end with the complete destruction of environment or planet itself.
We need just a few things to live and we are busy manufacturing thousands. Trapped in this artificial civilization, we miss out on life altogether. We fail to appreciate the creation and the creator -we don’t know what it is to truly behold a flower, we don’t know what it is to spend a day by a river meditating, we don’t know what it is to pick up a piece of a rotten wood in a forest and discover a whole city of insects and fungi thriving on it. We are so disconnected with nature and its creator. In fact, for many people, the only time they remotely appreciate nature is when they put a ‘nature’ wallpaper on their desktop.
U.N. World Conference on Sustainable Development was held in August 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Two major areas were discussed:
1) The overriding need for rich countries to put poor countries on a global welfare system called a ‘redistribution of assets’; 2) Our current way of life -- Industrial Civilization -- is not sustainable and must be dramatically changed.
Over 100 Presidents, Prime Ministers and other high-ranking officials attended the meeting and overwhelmingly voted to make our civilization more sustainable. Their very presence at this conference strongly imprinted a sense of need for a shift.
Meanwhile the need for the change of direction gets ever more urgent. Modern civilization is something like cancer in the human body. At the beginning the symptoms are not very acute and it can pass off like something as minor as cold. As the cancer progresses it starts to reveal ever more serious effects, but by the time the victim does pay attention it is very often too late. The longer the failure to treat it, the greater the risk of it proving fatal.
Every year, every day and every hour that we fail to take the action needed to change our course similarly increases the risks of civilizational fatality.
All we need to do is make small, real changes in our lives and the world around us, rather than engage in big dangerous plans for the end of the world.
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A new ethic in the use of material resources must be developed which will result in a style of life compatible with the coming age of scarcity. |
Ideal Human Civilization
Following excerpt from Srimad Bhagavatam, a Vedic text, describes a city in ancient India, 5000 years ago. Purport is by Srila Prabhupada.
sarvartu-sarva-vibhava
punya-vrksa-latasramaih
udyanopavanaramair
vrta-padmakara-sriyam
sarvartu-sarva-vibhava
punya-vrksa-latasramaih
udyanopavanaramair
vrta-padmakara-sriyam
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The British Government in India constitutes a struggle between the Modern Civilisation, which is the Kingdom of Satan, and the Ancient Civilisation, which is the Kingdom of God. The one is the God of War, the other is the God of Love. |
The city of Dvarakapuri was filled with the opulences of all seasons. There were hermitages, orchards, flower gardens, parks and reservoirs of water breeding lotus flowers all over.
PURPORT
Perfection of human civilization is made possible by utilizing the gifts of nature in their own way. As we find herewith in the description of its opulence, Dvaraka was surrounded by flower gardens and fruit orchards along with reservoirs of water and growing lotuses. There is no mention of mills and factories supported by slaughterhouses, which are the necessary paraphernalia of the modern metropolis. The propensity to utilize nature's own gifts is still there, even in the heart of modern civilized man. The leaders of modern civilization select their own residential quarters in a place where there are such naturally beautiful gardens and reservoirs of water, but they leave the common men to reside in congested areas without parks and gardens. Herein of course we find a different description of the city of Dvaraka. It is understood that the whole dhama, or residential quarter, was surrounded by such gardens and parks with reservoirs of water where lotuses grew. It is understood that all the people depended on nature's gifts of fruits and flowers without industrial enterprises promoting filthy huts and slums for residential quarters. Advancement of civilization is estimated not on the growth of mills and factories to deteriorate the finer instincts of the human being, but on developing the potent spiritual instincts of human beings and giving them a chance to go back to Godhead. Development of factories and mills is called ugra-karma, or pungent activities, and such activities deteriorate the finer sentiments of the human being and society to form a dungeon of demons.
We find herein the mention of pious trees which produce seasonal flowers and fruits. The impious trees are useless jungles only, and they can only be used to supply fuels. In the modern civilization such impious trees are planted on the sides of roads. Human energy should be properly utilized in developing the finer senses for spiritual understanding, in which lies the solution of life. Fruits, flowers, beautiful gardens, parks and reservoirs of water with ducks and swans playing in the midst of lotus flowers, and cows giving sufficient milk and butter are essential for developing the finer tissues of the human body. As against this, the dungeons of mines, factories and workshops develop demoniac propensities in the working class. The vested interests flourish at the cost of the working class, and consequently there are severe clashes between them in so many ways. The description of Dvaraka-dhama is the ideal of human civilization.
- Srimad Bhagavatam 1.11.12 (copyright BBT)
PURPORT
Perfection of human civilization is made possible by utilizing the gifts of nature in their own way. As we find herewith in the description of its opulence, Dvaraka was surrounded by flower gardens and fruit orchards along with reservoirs of water and growing lotuses. There is no mention of mills and factories supported by slaughterhouses, which are the necessary paraphernalia of the modern metropolis. The propensity to utilize nature's own gifts is still there, even in the heart of modern civilized man. The leaders of modern civilization select their own residential quarters in a place where there are such naturally beautiful gardens and reservoirs of water, but they leave the common men to reside in congested areas without parks and gardens. Herein of course we find a different description of the city of Dvaraka. It is understood that the whole dhama, or residential quarter, was surrounded by such gardens and parks with reservoirs of water where lotuses grew. It is understood that all the people depended on nature's gifts of fruits and flowers without industrial enterprises promoting filthy huts and slums for residential quarters. Advancement of civilization is estimated not on the growth of mills and factories to deteriorate the finer instincts of the human being, but on developing the potent spiritual instincts of human beings and giving them a chance to go back to Godhead. Development of factories and mills is called ugra-karma, or pungent activities, and such activities deteriorate the finer sentiments of the human being and society to form a dungeon of demons.
We find herein the mention of pious trees which produce seasonal flowers and fruits. The impious trees are useless jungles only, and they can only be used to supply fuels. In the modern civilization such impious trees are planted on the sides of roads. Human energy should be properly utilized in developing the finer senses for spiritual understanding, in which lies the solution of life. Fruits, flowers, beautiful gardens, parks and reservoirs of water with ducks and swans playing in the midst of lotus flowers, and cows giving sufficient milk and butter are essential for developing the finer tissues of the human body. As against this, the dungeons of mines, factories and workshops develop demoniac propensities in the working class. The vested interests flourish at the cost of the working class, and consequently there are severe clashes between them in so many ways. The description of Dvaraka-dhama is the ideal of human civilization.
- Srimad Bhagavatam 1.11.12 (copyright BBT)
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Today, in the midst of this devastated, chaotic, and unhappy world, mankind has a fresh opportunity to reject selfish, materialistic living and to begin to tread the Lighted Way. The moment that humanity shows its willingness to do this, then the stability and peace will come. |
Tradition Is Our Treasure - Let’s Preserve
Traditional Alert Saved Andaman Tribes
Preserving tradition helps in survival of the species. Moving away from tradition is moving towards annihilation. Humanity today has to re-explore its roots and plan going back to the basics.
In December 2004, a disastrous tidal wave struck several countries in Indian ocean. Thousands died and many thousands went missing in the massive tidal wave, called tsunami. But the indigenous people on the Andaman and Nicobar islands are thought to have escaped the calamity, thanks to the traditional warning systems that interpret bird and marine animal behaviour.
According to the director of the Anthropological Survey of India, V. R. Rao, no casualties were reported among five tribes – the Jarwas, Onges, Shompens, Sentenelese and Great Andamanese. He believes this is because the tribal people fled for safety at the first indications — such as changes in bird calls — that something was wrong.
According to a related BBC Online news story, wildlife officials in Sri Lanka reported that despite the large loss of human life, there were no reported animal deaths. It is thought that animals moved to safer ground having sensed vibrations or changes in air pressure in advance of the waves’ arrival. In contrast to all this, modern civilized man suffered most in the hands of furious waves. So in a survival test, we are scoring rather low.
Human tradition, coming down since time immemorial, has a lot to offer and has answers to many a predicaments facing us today.
In December 2004, a disastrous tidal wave struck several countries in Indian ocean. Thousands died and many thousands went missing in the massive tidal wave, called tsunami. But the indigenous people on the Andaman and Nicobar islands are thought to have escaped the calamity, thanks to the traditional warning systems that interpret bird and marine animal behaviour.
According to the director of the Anthropological Survey of India, V. R. Rao, no casualties were reported among five tribes – the Jarwas, Onges, Shompens, Sentenelese and Great Andamanese. He believes this is because the tribal people fled for safety at the first indications — such as changes in bird calls — that something was wrong.
According to a related BBC Online news story, wildlife officials in Sri Lanka reported that despite the large loss of human life, there were no reported animal deaths. It is thought that animals moved to safer ground having sensed vibrations or changes in air pressure in advance of the waves’ arrival. In contrast to all this, modern civilized man suffered most in the hands of furious waves. So in a survival test, we are scoring rather low.
Human tradition, coming down since time immemorial, has a lot to offer and has answers to many a predicaments facing us today.
The conception of worldly opulence was formerly based mainly on natural resources such as jewels, marble, silk, ivory, gold and silver. The advancement of economic development was not based on big motorcars. Advancement of human civilization depends not on industrial enterprises, but on possession of natural wealth and natural food, which is all supplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead so that we may save time for self-realization and success in the human form of body.
-Srila Prabhupada (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.62)
According to a related BBC Online news story, wildlife officials in Sri Lanka reported that despite the large loss of human life, there were no reported animal deaths. It is thought that animals moved to safer ground having sensed vibrations or changes in air pressure in advance of the waves’ arrival. In contrast to all this, modern civilized man suffered most in the hands of furious waves. So in a survival test, we are scoring rather low.
Human tradition, coming down since time immemorial, has a lot to offer and has answers to many a predicaments facing us today.
Human tradition, coming down since time immemorial, has a lot to offer and has answers to many a predicaments facing us today.
