The hallmark of modern esoteric philosophy is the intense emphasis on its practical application to daily life. The Alice A. Bailey's books represent a radical departure from the speculative orientation of most philosophies. These books present esoteric principles "as a contemporary way of life," also referred to as "living ethics" in the Agni Yoga series.
A specific instance of this practical, down-to-earth approach to esotericism is the book Problems of Humanity (POH; 1964 edition) dictated by DK to AAB from 1945 to 1947. This book represents the first attempt ever to comprehensively and systematically approach the true problems of humanity in the light of modern esoteric philosophy. However, the spiritual project that culminated in this book is necessarily unfinished. It is the responsibility of groups of disciples worldwide to finish this project by making contributions out of their own experiences.
The POH contains an analytic framework that is very relevant to the problems of humanity today. However, the analytic framework may not be readily apparent to the casual reader. The book's initial chapter (1964 edition) on the psychological rehabilitation of nations provides a (not "the") specific historical context in which the analytic framework may be applied. The rest of the book presents the framework itself, and a prelude to a vision. Indeed, POH helps us create a synthetic vision about the not-so-distant future attainment of humanity: "a vision of right human relations which must constitute the standard for the future of mankind." (POH 173)
Each chapter, from the second to the sixth, can be uniquely mapped to the three Principles and three corresponding Laws that embody the New Age (Aquarian) dispensation (Beacon 1997; Vol. LVII Num. 1: 19-22). The First Ray may be related to the synthetic Principle of Unanimity and the cohesive Law of Group Endeavour that govern the Science of Politics. The problem of nationalism in its two variants, hatred of racial minorities and world disunity, is directly related to this first Principle.
The Second Ray of Love-Wisdom may be related to the Principle of Essential Divinity and the Law of Spiritual Approach that encompass all truly educational and religious activities. Although this Principle will eventually relate the Monad to the Personality, it now finds temporary expresion in the fusion of the Soul with the Personality. The problem of children and the problem of the churches are directly related to this second Principle.
The Third Ray of Intelligent Activity may be related to the Principle of Goodwill and the Law of Right Human Relations that should determine all economic activity. This Principle is usually associated with the Second Ray, which is Love, and with the First Ray, which is Will, resulting in "Love in Action" or "the intelligent activity of the energy of goodwill (Externalisation Hierarchy 670). The problem of capital, labor and employment is directly related to this third Principle. However, all other problems find their material cause ultimately linked to the transgression of this most basic Principle. The "ancient principle of greedy grabbing" (POH 175) is at the root of all evil in the world today.
In short, this framework, relating the problems of humanity to the three Principles and Laws, provides a very useful analytic tool that is independent of any specific historical context. Therefore, as humanity approaches the year 2,000, what can modern disciples contribute to this unfinished spiritual project? How can this framework be useful to ascertain a new vision for humanity?
As we approach the Millennium the problem of capital, labor and employment seems to have worsened. The gap between the haves and the have-nots has actually widened. Twenty percent of humankind consumes eighty percent of all natural resources. In a relatively short period the affluent fifth of humanity became car drivers, television watchers, mall shoppers, and throwaway buyers. The end of the Cold War has allowed the worldwide proliferation of rigged market economies violating the true Law of Supply and Demand. The rich get richer; the poor poorer.
"The tragic irony is that while the consumer society has been stunningly effective in harming the environment, it has failed to provide us with a sense of fulfillment. Consumerism has hoodwinked us into gorging on material things because we suffer from social, psychological, and spiritual hungers. Yet the opposite extreme--poverty--may be even worse for the human spirit and devastates the environment too, as hungry peasants put forests to the torch and steep slopes to the plow. If the Earth suffers when people have either too little or too much, the questions arise: How much is enough? What level of consumption can the planet support? When do more things cease to add appreciably to human life?" --How Much Is Enough? The Consumer Society and the Future of the Earth, published by the WorldWatch Institute.
This problem of capital, labor and employment, based on "the ancient principle of greedy grabbing," is the most fundamental one because economic factors do determine the material health of humanity and the whole planet. In fact, fair distribution of land is a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture but the "love of money" does not allow such fair distribution. "The love of money is the root of all evil," (POH 80) we are told.
The redistribution of wealth and resources is a necessary (though not sufficient) step to rehabilitate the planet. In the 1950s it may have been enough to think about rehabilitating nations after the war trauma. Today, reputable organizations such as the WorldWatch Institute correctly warn us that the problem has already been made much more complex by a full order of magnitude: the planet itself needs rehabilitation.
"By reducing the number of species and the size and integrity of ecosystems, we are also reducing nature's capacity to evolve and create new life. In just a few centuries we have gone from living off nature's interest to spending down the capital that has accumulated over millions of years of evolution, as well as diminishing the capacity of nature to create new capital." --State of the World 1997 (Chapter 6: Valuing Nature's Services) published by the WorldWatch Institute.
The planet now stands traumatized by a post-industrial ecological war waged by selfish, short-sighted and misguided economic interests. Global temperature sets new record highs while world grain stocks drop to all-time lows. Tersely stated, without goodwill and the establishment of right human relations in the world economy, permanent peace on earth is not only impossible; the planet itself may not be able to support human life! Food scarcity may be the first major economic manifestation of an environmentally unsustainable global economy.
We may ask ourselves, what concrete and specific action may we take to facilitate "the redistribution of the world's resources in conformity with divine purpose (Rays & Initiations, p.255), as well as contribute to an environmentally sustainable economy?. Do we realize that "the widespread misery upon our planet can largely be attributed to a selfish group with materialistic purposes who have for centuries exploited the masses and used the labor of mankind for their selfish ends"? (POH 70) We are told that "the capitalistic system has wrecked the world" (ibid); that is, no only nations, but the whole world. After acknowledging this "terrible indictment" (ibid, 72) and the "selfish thinking and the separative motivation which distinguishes the capitalistic system," (ibid, 73) can we morally justify future-oriented actions such as thoughtlessly investing in greed- and fear-based market economies? Furthermore, as consumers in a capitalistic system, can't we curtail our use of ecologically destructive things and cultivate the deeper, non-material sources of fulfillment that bring happiness: family and social relationships, meaningful work, and leisure? Or will we abrogate our responsibilities and allow our lifestyle to destroy the Earth? Are we, here and now, "working for countless millions" or working "for the good of a few?" (Ibid, 78)
We certainly need to spiritualize money matters using the Third Ray energies of Intelligent Activity enlightened by goodwill and expressed as right human relations. In the future, raw capitalism will be found as repulsive as slavery is for us today. Not even slavery by consent is acceptable nowadays; likewise, a capitalistic democracy wherein selfish groups with materialistic purposes "control the electorate" (Ibid 70) will be as unacceptable some day.
The difference between the accumulation of capital for selfish ends and the use of capital for service, such as education, will become abundantly clear. An informed public opinion will be empowered by the true democratization of knowledge. In fact, futurists already contend that we are on the verge of a post-industrial paradigm shift in the world economy: the Information Age. Of course, the same "selfish group with materialistic purposes" will attempt to make information a commodity in order to control and exploit the masses. Only an informed public opinion can arrest such selfish agenda.
The general public should be informed that "unless the United Nations' key environmental initiatives are maintained and strengthened, no government will be able to protect its citizens from such global threats as skin cancer caused by ozone depletion, disrupted weather patterns caused by climate change, or the unemployment and high seafood prices caused by the further collapse of oceanic fisheries." (Partnership for the Planet: An Environmental Agenda for the United Nations, WorldWatch Institute). "Fifty years ago, the world community embarked on an impressive period of institution-building that set the tone for the next half-century. Now a similar burst of innovation is needed to forge a new global partnership through the United Nations to enable the world to confront the daunting environmental challenges awaiting it in the next millennium," concludes the WorldWatch report.
We have previously stated that the redistribution of resources is a necessary but not sufficient step. Redistribution of resources alone is not sufficient because it needs to be supplemented by the primary intervention to rehabilitate the planet: education. For instance, some 1.6 billion people have been added to world population during the past two decades --the same number of people that inhabited the planet in 1900. The world's population size is unlikely to stabilize without access to education and health care for women. On the other hand, how many people know that the United States's Genuine Progress Indicator has actually declined since the seventies despite the much touted rise in the Gross Domestic Product? Indeed, we need to redefine progress!
Education is an inherently Second Ray endeavour needed to empower public opinion. Public opinion is useful only if truly informed on issues such as the need to create an environmentally sustainable economy. A truly sustainable economy is one in which human needs, not wants, are met in ways that do not threaten the health of the natural environment or the prospects of future generations. In fact, for the first time in history, the outlines of a sustainable economy are becoming clearer. Some technologies are already at-hand, such as solar energy-based electricity production, recycling, less resource intensive means of growing food and strategies for preserving forests. The safe use of nuclear (fusion) energy may someday be available if we, the One Humanity, prove to be trustworthy stewards of such power.
"Education is a deeply spiritual enterprise," (POH 34) we are told. "There is no hope for the future world except in a humanity which accepts the fact of divinity, even whilst repudiating theology, which recognizes the presence of the living Christ." (Ibid 35) And where to take a radical departure from "the ancient principle of greedy grabbing" if not where the future lies: with the education of the children of the world?
The problem of children is "without exception, the most urgent confronting humanity today." (Ibid 32) And yet, as we approach the Millennium child labor is still endemic throughout the planet and most children are still psychologically malformed by an education system whose aim is "to equip the child to compete with his fellow citizens in making a living, in accumulating possessions and in being as comfortable and successful as possible." (Ibid, 37)
The psychological rehabilitation of youth malformed by this "primarily competitive, nationalistic and, therefore, separative" (Ibid 37) system of education is the next most urgent problem of facing humanity. And yet, criminalizing juvenile delinquency at younger ages is a common emotional response nowadays. It seems to be our pathological coping mechanism in order to dissociate ourselves from our failure to provide children with a true education based on the "Science of Right Human Relations and of Social Organization." (Ibid 57)
In fact, we have unwittingly created juvenile sociopaths by not preventively fostering "simplicity, cooperative goodwill, and loving understanding" (Ibid 65) in our children and youth. That is: 1) "the simplicity of the spiritual values of beauty, truth and goodness" (Ibid 39); 2) "the cooperative goodwill that will guarantee a new and better civilization" (Ibid 65); and 3) the "loving understanding ... of the cultured and wiser groups" (Ibid).
In short, our current educational system is designed to thwart the psychological development of our children and youth conducive to world citizenship. However, modern technology is allowing progressive parents to effectively homeschool their children in areas of the world with unenlightened education systems, thus protecting the most valuable resource that we may have for the future of the planet. Other group experiments (such as the Robert Muller's World Core Curriculum) are also noteworthy. But something must be done now to bring to fruition DK's prophecy: "True democracy, at present only a dream, will be founded on education for goodwill." (Ibid 67) Prophecies do not just happen; we make them happen.
After primary (children) and secondary (youth) education we should consider higher education. Higher education is inherently spiritual, "using that word to mean understanding, helpfulness, brotherhood, right human relations and a belief in the reality of the world behind the phenomenal scene." (Ibid 56) True higher education should fit man for citizenship in the Kingdom of God. But, are institutions of higher education facing this responsibility today? The vast majority do not, and the vacuum is still being filled by a theology-obsessed churchianity.
The problem of the churches is that they are still not teaching the right approach to God. They have failed because of their narrow theological interpretations of the Scriptures and their material and political ambitions (Ibid 125). Fundamentalism still taints many of the great religions of the world. However, the promise of a new world religion must be fulfilled. Churches should sever their attachment to theological dogma or else risk becoming irrelevant institutions in shaping the course of human history. Churches must rediscover their true and only mission: to teach humankind about the love of God.
Can we imagine a world where university professors and ecclesiastical authorities respectfully share the results of their scientific and spiritual investigations? Can we imagine all religions united by the love of, and for the same God? Can we imagine the word "spiritual" integrated into the educational curricula, and the word "science" integrated into the religious practices of humanity in the future? This, and much more, is the promise of the second Principle Essential Divinity and the Law of Spiritual Approach if we do our part each from our respective fields of service.
"The keynote of the new education is essentially right interpretation of life, past and present, and its relation to the future of mankind; the keynote of the new religion must and should be a right approach to God, transcendent in nature and immanent in man, whilst the keynote of the new science of politics and of government will be right human relations and for both of these education must prepare the child." (POH, 65)
Once the Laws of Right Human Relations and Spiritual Approach have prepared the way, the Principle of Unanimity synthesizes the vision according to the Law of Group Endeavour. We know that Unanimity and Group Endeavour have been misapplied in the political experiment of the former Soviet Union. Totalitarianism, a "primary principle of evil" (Externalisation Hierarchy, 636) has suffered a major setback in the former Soviet Union as predicted by DK. Furthermore, we are told that the defeat of totalitarianism "applies equally to any established system which imposes its concepts and its will upon its adherents," (Ibid, 701) be it church, school, government, home or community.
On the other hand, we are also told that "a predominantly capitalistic world... headed by the United States... in a democratic world modelled on American democracy... will produce eventually a very confused world, one in which it will be found that humanity has learned very little as a result of the World War (1914-1945) and is acquiescent to the cycle of well-intentioned money control" (Ibid 639).
Today, as in 1947, it seems that mankind is not yet ready for some supergovernment. A world divided into regional groups for mutual aid and economic sharing seems to be the evolutionary means to move away from the separative nationalism of the past and the "distant creation of the One World, and the One Humanity" (ibid). The recent integration of the European Community may be a step in this direction. Similar initiatives are being explored elsewhere.
Visualize a world where men and women of all races and ethnic origins live in harmony as sons and daughters of One and the same Father-Mother God, inspired by goodwill and practicing right relations, wisely and peacefully sharing resources with good sense of planetary responsibility, recognising the essential divinity in each other and united in their spiritual approach to God. Inevitably then, interracial harmony, international unification, the spontaneous and universal recognition of the One Humanity, would be a natural outcome of this state of affairs. The very Soul of Humanity would then fully animate an inherently common and jointly realized purpose while manifesting in different but correctly related forms of expression: the apotheosis of human history! Then, and only then, will Light, the enlightening goodwill in action; and Love, the love inherent in our essential divinity; and Power, the power of our unanimous group work, restore the Plan on Earth.
Martin Luther King and Eugenio María de Hostos (Beacon 1986; Vol. LI, Num. 10: 299-302) shared a "dream" along these very same lines. We, as modern disciples, now have the opportunity of transforming that dream into a mission-oriented and practical vision. We attain that vision by unanimous and simultaneous meditation upon the Laws and Principles of the Kingdom of God (Discipleship New Age II, 237) and upon the work of preparing the world for the new order and for the jurisdiction of the Christ. That is our Aquarian assignment, and thus our corresponding Aquarian Pledge.