Tenets for a New Democracy
Principles Supporting a New Democracy
Based on the premise of unity and the understanding that we are not separate from the whole of humanity, that, therefore, the interests of one are the interests of all and the interests of all are the interests of one, to that extent, cooperation becomes more than a strategy of peace, it becomes the inevitable, necessary, and sought after way of leading a sacred life.
In order for this premise to take root, humanity must have an experience of oneness with which to build new structures of government and of social discourse so that a new consciousness can replace the old. This experience is simultaneously an experience of unity and an experience of love for that which we are part of. It extends beyond the human family to the family of all living creatures, and beyond this to the universe itself, both animate and inanimate. It is the experience, at root, of God's Creation being one.
With this shared experience as part of our collective consciousness, there are new possibilities for personal relationship and for governing based on new principles for living, which become available to the awakened consciousness. These new principles operate as the foundation for establishing new relationships among people. They are all based on the fundamental premise of unity within a sacred whole.
1) The capacity for blending
Here, the interest of one does not get lost in the interest of a group._For each member of the group holds the common goal of having the interests of each one become blended into an outcome or goal that serves all.
2) The absence of competition
Here, there is a striving to do and to give one's best, not so that we can be better than another, but so that we can more fully express our inner nature and our creativity.
3) The intuition of harmony
As with Principle 1), the interest of one does not stand out as being 'above' the interests of all. Harmony develops out of the wish of each person to find the common ground that unites, rather than the separate will that divides. It also comes out of the belief that harmony is possible, given the fact that all are one, for without this belief there would be nothing to strive for.
4) The sharing of resources
Because of the experience of unity with others, the idea of holding onto what is 'mine' no longer makes sense. There is a self-identity, but it is part of a greater whole and this whole is also part of one's self-identity. For this reason, having more than others does not contribute to a sense of well-being in the way that it did in the past, for the 'others' are oneself as well. This experience gives rise to a new economic life with a new foundation - one which ends division among the wealthy who 'have' and the poor who 'have not'.
5) The acceptance of reality
Here, denial and manipulation are replaced by a willingness to see 'what is' because there is trust in 'what is'. The fear of death, for example, no longer infuses political conflict and life in general because life and death are seen to be part of a sacred process of continual renewal and extreme measures do not have to be taken to avoid death or the consciousness of death. This shift affects many of the personal elements of life that give rise to political debate - issues concerning health and ageing in particular. Industries that are based on the collective fear of ageing no longer have a place, for their consciousness becomes part of an obsolete need to prevent or deny the ageing process. This no longer has merit or validity.
6) The elimination of violence
Based on an understanding that 'my' life is not separate from 'yours', the basis for war and killing is undermined. There can be no killing if 'you are not separate from me' and if 'I am you. The basis for all violence is undermined as a result of the perception of unity.
7) The intuition of higher purpose
Here, the self recognizes that at all times, the purpose of an individual life exists in harmony with a larger purpose - the purpose of all of life. Within social and political discourse, this means that a group can sit together and align themselves with this higher purpose by going more deeply into their hearts and intuiting what the higher purpose of the group may be at any given moment in time and how each individual may play a part in it.
8) The understanding of cause and effect
Perceiving life to be one makes available the understanding that what we send out into the universe is part of a never-ending circle of energy that either benefits or detracts from the whole, and that it cannot benefit ourselves if it does not benefit others. What we send out into the universe returns to us because we are part of a circle of life. All behavior is conditioned by this understanding.
9) The capacity for trust
The capacity for trust is based on the understanding that we live within a sacred reality and that God, by whatever name God is called, is at the center. There is no aspect of life that is not part of this sacred reality and so there is no part of life that cannot be trusted. Without the fear of death operating in the background, decisions can be made based on trust, and many possible paths of exploration can be tried without fear being a necessary component._The capacity for trust allows each one to develop the quality of flexibility rather than rigidity, of creativity in relation to the future rather than needing to repeat the past, and of a willingness to try new solutions to problems that face the whole, rather than needing to remain attached to any particular position or outcome.
10) The awareness of diversity
Here, the understanding remains that while we are each part of a greater whole, each one has something particular and unique to contribute to that whole. The celebration of diversity and a kind of curiosity to know the origins and qualities that make each different, can take place when diversity still maintains a common goal of serving the interests of all rather than the interests of the self. Individuals can remain distinctly different from each other in their forms of expression and still remain faithful to the interests of all. The conflict that formerly existed between the self and others because of diversity is no longer present because there is no longer a separation between the self and others.
11) Planning for the future
Concern for the wellbeing of all allows each group or government to plan for the welfare of all in a way that maximizes the use of existing resources without the desire to give to the present all that exists and disregard what is to come. The self is one not only with other lives in the present, but with all the lives of future generations. For this reason, concerns about the environment and care for the preservation of planetary resources is paramount in taking care of the life of the planet and in taking care of the life of future generations. There is no longer a disregard for the impact of the behavior of oneself on the resources of a planet that is shared by all. The planetary environment is safeguarded as the body is safeguarded. It is the essential material form that allows life to continue and is perceived as sacred.
12) The feeling of compassion
Universal love gives rise to the feeling of compassion for all that lives. Unity is not a dry perception, but rather contains the heart at the center of every point of view. Compassion generates the desire to relieve suffering not only for oneself, but for all who suffer or are in pain. It is the necessary outcome of perceiving our life and wellbeing to be inextricably tied to the wellbeing of all. Compassion is the expression of the ability to "love our neighbors as ourselves." It is the natural expression of the heart, unencumbered by the need to protect and defend its own territory or to separate itself from the interests of all. Compassion is the emotion which binds people together in families, in groups, in nations, and in the world - the human expression of God's love that allows for the feeling of embracing life with tenderness. Compassion is the emotional aspect of unity that allows the heart its fullest expression.
13) The message of non-violence
Non-violence lives within each human heart as its deepest foundation and truth in relation to all of life. It is based on an understanding of the unity of life and the Oneness which is of a Divine nature. Though the embodied self may not recall this principle and may need to be led back to it through countless life experiences, the principle of non-violence is the foundation for peace in the world and must be given full expression within each individual heart in order for it to manifest on a global level.
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Continue to Elaboration of Pricniples 1-6
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