CIVILIZATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES

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.

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