IN OUR OWN IMAGE

It is human nature to maximize the utility of the knowledge that we have, and minimize the exposure to the knowledge that we lack. As a result, we tend to build our knowledge in a contiguous manner – adding a bit here, patching a hole there – and trusting that somewhere, someway it all makes sense. Even the scientific method is designed to build on what we already know. What suffers as a result is a view of the all encompassing whole – how physics connects to the metaphysics, how our mind connects to our body, and how our microcosm (the human body) connects to the macrocosm (the universe).

In this book we will take a different approach. The principal goal of this book is to connect us - as humans, individually and collectively, to the expansive reality that we see around us. In seeking to transcend our current condition, we need to know what parts of our existence are uniquely human – and thereby held in common with the 6+ billion others with whom we share this planet. We also seek to understand those fundamental constructs which can be held relatively constant through various spheres of human existence; as well as other equally fundamental constructs whose persistent ‘rhythm’ permeates our reality – all the way from the sub-atomic to the universal.

We will start off Chapter 1 with the discussion on the patterns that make us uniquely human. The concept of the Mahashrama cycle, derived from ancient Indian philosophy, is a key ‘Image’ that we will carry with us throughout this book. The original Ashrama system (upon which Mahashrama is based) divides a person’s existence into four segments, Brahmacharya (student-hood), Grihastha (householder, economic engine), Vanaprastha (service leadership) and Sanyas (spirituality). Although we retain the same four segments from the original Ashrama, the Mahashrama formulation adds in the highly competitive aspects of the first two segments, thus bringing it up to date with the highly competitive reality we see around us today.

Drawing from a different source of inspiration, the Bible talks about God having created man ‘In His own image’. If we believe in our ‘God’ as creator – is it possible that we can find the ‘image’ and create a ‘God-like’ progeny civilization of our own? If we do not believe in a creator, is it possible for us to take the core essence of what it means to be human, and use it to seed a civilization that has the potential to grow up and set it’s own standard of ‘Divinity’? In the second scenario, could we continue scaling up until we have infused the entire universe with Divine purpose? In either scenario, it is important to find the potent ‘Image’ that has the power of a near-infinite magnification. In Chapter 1 we will also discover that hidden in the workings of Mahashrama is the ability to accumulate enough knowledge and wisdom (Cultural DNA) that it can prepare us to jump to the next level of existence at the appropriate time.

In Chapter 2, we apply the concepts of Mahashrama to the engine of modern economic productivity – the corporation. Not only are corporations the economic engine, but they are also driving the technology that allows us to have a wider reach - that directly touches the lives of millions of people around the globe. This is happening primarily through the internet – which has turned the traditional value delivery system (generating and charging for services) on its head. The result is that human beings from all walks of life can now connect, and get their needs (information and otherwise) potentially satisfied in a highly individualized manner. It goes without saying - the ‘reach’ of the internet is critical to the scalability of our human ‘Image’ towards our next level of existence. To avoid splintering the human race, we must strive to get all of humanity on board as we get ready to undertake this remarkable adventure.

We look at the principles of Governance in Chapter 3, including the major shift in paradigm that we find happening around us globally. At this juncture in history we find that the majority of humanity has not yet made the transition over to democracy – and even where it has, we are sometimes subject to the ‘tyranny of the masses’. We look at some of the great cultural conflicts that have arisen between the Theocracies and the Democracies of the world, and introduce the principle of Mutually Assured Preservation (MAP), to resolve conflicts arising from divergent worldviews. Using the Mahashrama model, we notice an unusual affinity between the opposite segments – leading to a clear polarization of the world along the two worldviews of Aristocracy-Theocracy and Individualized Democracy. Here we develop the concept of Individualized Democracy, where the constituents are individually kept abreast of all the issues that are of impact to them – and are in turn able to directly interact in framing the issues of the day. New technology will definitely be needed to support this kind of inclusive governance. To illustrate how individuals and groups can have their say, even if they do not directly control huge voting power, we demonstrate the concept of the ‘diversity vote’ as illustrated by the presidential elections in the USA.

For a vibrant society that has internalized the Mahashrama cycle, it is important to know what the key needs are of the population, who are at various stages of Mahashrama development. In Chapter 4 we start off with the ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ developed by Maslow, and develop it to cover the all the Mahashrama segments. We introduce ‘Yogic Empathy’ as the key skill by which the Service-leadership segment within Mahashrama, namely Vanaprastha, can relate to the needs of the entire population, including the spiritually advanced ‘sanyasi’. H