The world we live in today is caught up in a vicious circle, which none of us would deny, because most of the problems it faces are interlinked and each one of them feeds the fires of others. One of the reasons why we cannot solve or lessen the severity of these problems is that we do not apply or do not have a solution that attacks all the problems simultaneously.
In other words, our approach to our problems is not holistic: it is piecemeal. We try to make use of solutions for each problem separately, and the result is that, in the meantime, other problems increase and bring back the problem that we are already trying to tackle! Secondly, we have an infatuation with the old theories.
Little do we realise that our present problems have been caused, directly or indirectly, by such socio-economic, psychological and political theories and concepts that gained currency during the past about three hundred years or a little more. We should have thought that these theories have proved not only ineffective in the long run but have also given rise to new problems or have aggravated our old problems. We should, therefore, have discarded them as outdated, for the world scene has changed tremendously since then. We should have known by now that something is wrong with our very approach to the problems of elimination or alleviation of sufferings in the world, and our paradigm of a better world is erroneous. Our main emphasis, in our present approach and model, has been on economic development. We have been measuring, and we still measure, the advancement of a nation by its GDP and its per capita income.
Our major concern is to see whether this paradigm of development has been able to raise the economic standard of living of the people. This has been based on the assumption that greater enjoyment of material goods leads to greater happiness. It has thus given us a wrong model of development. Our assumption has been wrong because man does not live by bread alone. He needs mental and cultural development, and he needs peace of mind.
Our goal should, therefore, be the well-being of man rather than material wealth. There is now a need for a paradigm shift and a shift in our emphasis. We have to work for the holistic development of everyone rather than the mere economic development of a few.
Presently, the disparity between techno-scientific and psycho-spiritual development has grown tremendously. This has resulted in great imbalances and also social, cultural and moral distortions. The critical situation we face today has been brought about by the deterioration in morals and an overemphasis on the physical and material. This has led to fixing up of wrong priorities, wrong imperatives, wrong attitudes and wrong goals. We find that our knowledge of Nature and its forces has tremendously increased during the past few centuries, but our moral and spiritual development has not kept pace with it. As a result, our relations at the inter-personal, inter-communal and international levels have greatly degenerated.
If we cannot solve the problems of nuclear race or poverty today, it is because our relationships today, at all levels, are not based on goodwill, friendship, love and co-operation. The present crisis is, therefore, mainly a moral crisis. All our current problems arise from a lack of moral and spiritual strength and the absence or lack of co-operation.
If, therefore, we wish to reduce sufferings in the world or eliminate them, or, in other words, if we wish to build a better world, then we have to create the necessary moral climate and build up goodwill and co-operation on a global scale. The belief that there can be a world without sufferings and the problems we have today is not a utopian belief. It seems utopian when we use the current assumptions and paradigms. The paradigm shift would make it look quite feasible. Let us, therefore, follow the moral imperative if we wish to have a better world to live in. Let us have world welfare and not mere economic welfare as our aim. It is only then that we will have the co-operation of all.
(The writer is a spiritual teacher and a popular columnist. Views are personal)