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Modernity: Change or

Perish

By: Sandeep Gupta, India

ISUD 10th World Congress, Craiova, Romania

(The Human Being: Its Nature and Functions)

July 7th, 2014

Greetings from India

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Science of Human Consciousness

Some Global Hard Facts

Wealth Distribution: 1% of global populations holds 57% of global

wealth (UNDP 2013)

Terrorism: 8500+ terrorists attacks globally (CNN 2013)

Rape: 1 every 2 minutes - USA; every 4 minutes – South Africa; every

6 minutes – UK & Wales; every 10 minutes – India (various sources)

Murder (homicide): 1 every 1.4 minutes (UNODC website)

Unemployment: 75 million youth in 2012 (World Economic Forum)

Economic Frauds: 70% companies hit by at least 1 fraud per year

(Kroll: 2013/2014 Global Fraud Report)

Possession of Guns by Public: 18.3 numbers/100 people – approx.

19% world population (The Washington Post)

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Concern

―Is there a way to control and change the culture of unabated

greed for ‗power, wealth and sex‘ which is dominating our lives

and has distanced man from man and man from nature?‖

YES – we need to look beyond our selves, and

Analyze ―modernity‖ against the ―inviolable law of nature‖

Understand the true nature of man and his potential

Appreciate the ―sciences of human consciousness‖ & its powers

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Inviolable Law of Nature &

Modernity

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Inviolable Law of Nature

―We live in two worlds simultaneously, one the internal (our

mental world of thoughts, values, desires, and experiences) and

the other external (the material world in which we are born,

interact and perform actions) and both the worlds need to grow in

tandem.‖

(Swami Vivekananda, 1907)

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Modernity

Modernity is the shorthand term for the world we live in and it

represents:

1. An attitude that the world is open to transformation by human intervention

2. A complex maze of economic institutions

3. Political structures of nation-state and mass democracy.

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Scientism & Materialism

Ethical Sense & Spiritualism

Kourie (2006) Believes

―Modernity can no longer be seen as the panacea for the future. It

effects a general loss of spirituality due to its one-dimensionalism;

political self-interest spawns oppression and racism; economic life

concentrates on profits rather than on the real needs of the

consumer; education policies lead to a general atrophy of the

spiritual faculties; the very real factor of ―might determines right‖

infiltrates apparently open and ―democratic‖ structures; and what

started as a legitimate revolutionary impulse all to soon becomes its

opposite, namely tyranny. Furthermore, the transition from

community to impersonal society has had disastrous effects,‖

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Where Did Modernity Falter?

Mistaken belief that the mysteries of the creation can be

solved by material science (physics)

Rejection of anything and everything that had experiential

experience attached to it

Materialist conception of reality

Changing the focus of secular education from humanization of

man to industrialization of man

Failure to recognize that ‗everything affects—and is affected

by—everything else‘ in the universe

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To survive and come out of such an environment requires a mental

revolution in self-aware consciousness in society

True Nature of Man &

His Potential

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Man’s True Nature

Man is essentially a spiritual being and is fundamentally

motivated by the need to make sense of his life

HIGHER NATURE – Attributes of the spirit i.e. love, peace,

harmony, selflessness, reflexive wisdom but dormant till made

kinetic

Lower nature – Attributes of the demon i.e. desire, anger,

attachment, greed and ego but can be suffused by making

higher nature kinetic

Thus man is:

Lit with the divine spark but is not wholly divine

His divinity is not an actuality but only a potentiality

Is God and brute crossed

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Blessed with unlimited potential to change himself and the world

Ability to Change the World and

Himself

Man is the only species blessed with a two dimensional

consciousness

1st dimension: Awareness of the external environment and ability

to react to external stimuli

2nd dimension: To fall back as a reflex upon itself and gain self-

awareness, self-consciousness or say self-knowledge

The second dimension

Gives man the ability to break away from his genetic compulsions

of organic survival, organic satisfaction & organic reproduction

Thus makes him the most powerful species with the ability to

change himself as well as his environment

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Law of Our Being

―That whatever we hold in our consciousness becomes manifest as

our experience. Our thoughts and dreams form the only blueprint that

the eternal builder in us uses to shape our future. In other words, our

lives and affairs are completely influenced and shaped by the

character of our thinking. A person is not limited by God‘s will or

heredity or by fate or circumstances but by his own dominant state of

mind. Stirrings of greatness and groans of downhill slide begin within

the mind‖

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Science of Human Consciousness

& Its Powers

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Man ‘Perfect Microcosm of The

Macrocosm’

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Spirit Force

Mind Force

Matter Force

Consciousness

―Consciousness is intrinsic to the grand cosmos, both at

macroscopic as well as microscopic levels. Man, a creation on

planet Earth happens to be a perfect microcosm of the

macrocosm. Spirit-mind-brain consciousness interactions are at

the microscopic levels analogous to consciousness interaction

between Supreme Being (Universal Spirit) – Universal Mind –

Physical Universe at the macrocosmic levels‖

(His Holiness Prof. P.S. Satsangi, 2012)

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Consciousness in Action in Man

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Spiritual

Plane of

Existence

The Absolute The Divine Consciousness (integral vision of all planes) - Existence (Pure

Spirit), Conscious Force, Delight

Super Knowledge by Identity – Truth (object of knowledge sought created within)

Intuitive Intuitions, Revelations (total object of knowledge without thought)

Illumined Light & Illumination (descent of knowledge without thought)

Higher Silence of Mind (enabling better thought, greater knowledge)

Mental Plane

of Existence

Pure Mental Ideas, Concepts, Rational Thinking, Logical, Pure Thoughts, Conscious

Self-Conception

Vital Mental Knowledge Imbued with Emotions, Feelings (interests, opinions,

sentiments, beliefs, values, ideals)

Physical Mental Input of Information, Storage, Understanding, Comprehension, Decision

making

Vital Plane of

Existence

Mental Vital Emotional Thoughts as Attitudes, Life Intelligence, Higher Emotions (incl.

conduct, social norms, conscience)

Pure Vital Emotions, Feelings, Passions, Intense Human Relationships

Physical Vital Sensation of the Nerves (urge, desire, fear, seeks action, relationship)

Physical

Plane of

Existence

Mental Physical Body Knowledge of How to Act, Primary Skills of Existence

Vital Physical Physical Urges and Sensations (pain, hunger, lust, craving, etc.)

Pure Physical Origin of Physical Movement, Instinct for Survival

Types of People

Sattvikas - wise, sincere, generous, non-violent, have altruistic

mentality, and render detached services. They possess a highly

developed ethical sense

Rajisika - egoists, active, ambitious, they do well to others with the

expectation of getting something in return for their actions for self-

aggrandizement, are intolerant and revengeful. Their ethical sense

is developed but they tend to ignore it when their self-interest

in under attack or threat.

Tamasika - are indolent, egoistic, violent tempered, indiscriminate

in pursuit of pleasure, completely disregard the interest of others

and would do anything to fulfill self-interest. They possess no

ethical sense.

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Challenges of Modernity Met

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BEFORE

Training of

Consciousness

SATVIKAS

Developed Ethical

Senses

TAMASIKAS

No Ethical Sense

RAJASIKAS

Low Ethical Senses

AFTER

Training of

Consciousness

SATVIKAS

Developed Ethical

Senses

RAJASIKAS

Low Ethical Senses

Training of

Consciousness

Result

SATVIKAS

Strengthening of

Ethical Sense

TAMSIKAS

Develop Low Ethical

Sense

RAJSIKAS

Increase in Ethical

Sense

Note: All the 3 categories will always exist, but with increased inner-awareness

the influence of Tamsikas & Rajasikas in society will reduce, resulting in the

elimination of the crisis of moral and values (culture of greed for power, money &

sex) that exists today

Thank You

Sandeep Gupta

G – 192, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi – 11076, India

Cell: +91 9810730653

Email: sandeep1956@gmail.com