Chapter XXIII of Rio Plus 20 Document by Cho Tab Khen Zambuling (Alfredo Sfeir-Younis)
XXIII. Outer (Material) and Inner (Spiritual) Interdependence
Many people see material growth, development and transformation as independent of many other things that belong intimately to our lives. We are witnessing a material evolution, or maybe a material revolution, of great proportions. Just think about the revolution in the field of communications. Billions of contacts are carried out everyday via the Internet. Also, all forms of telephones are around, enabling us to reach so many people who live on the other side of the planet.
This material revolution has been expanded significantly through the process of globalization where money has no frontiers and economic transactions are going in the same direction. Globalization has heightened the importance of our material interdependence. In this respect, it is interesting to see even in village supermarkets fruits and vegetables from every part of the world, be it winter or summer. Products move millions of miles to reach consumers. However, this outer revolution in the material world has not yielded equitable benefits. There are many who have nothing and a few who have a lot. These inequities are creating serious social and institutional instability and the revolution is now in question. This outer material revolution not only has created million of victims, but is also a major source of environmental destruction, poverty, injustice, and more.
Many people are questioning the powers of the market and of the multinational corporations. The power of the media is also huge and many call it the Third Column in the power structures of the world. In many countries, it is no point to accelerate their rate of material growth as the benefits keeps staying in the hands of a few families. Technological change has been responsible for this material revolution. This is a revolution that comes as a direct outcome of human knowledge. It is the outcome of the “I Know” and, then, “I Do”. In turn, these two states of human reality have translated into what characterizes most of material revolutions: the “I Have”. This is ‘the trilogy’ guiding our outer transformation: knowing, doing, and having. However, if there is a relationship between the state of nature and the process of human transformation, then, the destruction of nature is greatly influencing the nature, scope, and pace of the “I know”. Thus, human intelligence, which is the foundation of the “I know”, may be dwindling day after day, with grave consequences in relationship to what we do and what we have in the end.
But, we know that the problems facing humanity today are not really those related to production, consumption or trade. We know how to produce, consume or exchange. The issues are more related to the existence of our collective reality. And this collective reality should be guided by a value system that goes far beyond economics and finance. That it goes far beyond the values of knowing, doing or having. This is why the problems facing humanity are related more to equality, freedom, solidarity, cooperation, caring, sharing, respect for nature, love, compassion, etc. The fundamental step to resolve present day challenges is to move towards a new phase of transformation. This is the phase of the “I AM”. And, in the ultimate, one is to move any revolution to the “I”.
The principal message here is that there cannot be sustainable material revolution without having at the same time strong, meaningful and high yielding inner and spiritual revolutions. One has to go with the other. The spiritual revolution is the revolution of empowerment, inclusion, universality, collective consensus, meaningful participation, self-identity, horizon, known mission, and more. The material revolution is now going on its own and dominated by ego, competition, hoarding, power, exclusion, etc.
The material and the spiritual revolutions are interdependent. They must go hand in hand.
Thus, the issue is not technological change but the level of consciousness of the person who uses that change. This is why the problem is not nuclear energy. Is the mind of the one who is to use it; it may use it for combating breast cancer or to bomb another country. As we say often in our lectures: The problem is not the wine, but the person who drinks it! It does not matter what level of material having one has, it is essential to enliven deeply one’s spiritual transformation. The theory that material needs are first and the rest will follow is a great fallacy of the intellect, in addition to insulting poor people as void of self-identity and inner power. In essence, there is nothing material that has no spirit. The source of matter is non-matter. Thus, to assert that we can continue in this material revolution without addressing the nature and quality of our spiritual revolution is a risky strategy which will end up promoting a world that is materially rich for a few, and spiritually poor.
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