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B. Civilization And Social Issues
What is Sanatana Dharma's View of Civilization?
According to Sanatana Dharma, or the universal tradition, civilization should be the progressive unfoldment of the capacities of the soul toward the ultimate goal of Self-realization. The soul through evolution gradually develops the powers of the senses, emotion, mind and intelligence until discovering its nature as Pure Consciousness. All of the universe is thereby a development of civilization, which should be the culture of consciousness.
Plants and animals also have
their societies and their communication. Civilization is not unique
to human beings or to this planet but occurs everywhere in the
universe. Yet human civilization has its particular role. Human
civilization should be the culture of spiritual aspiration whereby
we seek to embody the universal consciousness in creaturely
existence.
This is neither the culture
of religious belief nor that of materialistic science. It is the
seeking of the Infinite in a rational, sensitive and experiential
manner, not the promotion of an institution, nor the cultivation of
the finite. True civilization begins with the spiritual life and it
is based upon honoring the sages, those who have realized truth, and
looking to them as our social role models and ideals.
Author - David Frawley
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