By Taraka
“People must develop closer and closer links with each other. One heart must gain a warm and deep understanding of another heart.
“Social Justice”, Human Society Part 1, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti
To make people conscious of their rights in every sphere of life – social, economic, psychic and spiritual – is called jiṋána vistára [expansion of knowledge]; and [for them] to exercise these rights fully is called vijiṋána sádhaná [the praxis to attain wisdom, enlightenment]. Neglected people, who have remained ignorant of different branches of knowledge for whatever reason, should be given maximum opportunities to develop. There should not be any discrimination as far as these rights are concerned.
Vested interests have taken advantage of human ignorance and have penetrated deeply into every arena of society: social, economic, psychic and spiritual. They want to suck dry the entire vitality of humanity. Vested interests do not want the ignorant to see the light of wisdom or the downtrodden to climb up the social ladder; they do not want the hungry to eat proper meals or the superstitious to be freed from their dogmatic beliefs; and they do not want the human race to gain spiritual knowledge and a thorough understanding of science, and thus get the opportunity to progress towards the realm of effulgence.”
What is Economics? As we know this word comes from two English words. “Oikos” meaning the family household which used to include the land and the domestic animals. “Nomos” means the laws created by collective agreement or consensus based of basic morality and justice for all. So economics originally were the ways in which a household was run to create food, caring, prosperity and the education of children. It was created out of love for every member. Even the animals and trees, rivers and the land used to be loved by the people and their innate divinity was also recognized. Even in so-called primitive tribal societies this economics of the family became the basis of a small society, where the entire tribe functioned as a family without inequality – either social or economic. This ideal naturally was not fully realized but it was far more visible than it is in society today.
The tragedy is that this original vision of economics was lost with the rise of warrior empires based on slavery, of religious societies controlled by priests based on psychological slavery and demonization of outsiders and above all of capitalist societies based on a debt-based lifestyle and extreme omnicidal exploitation of human beings, animals, plants, rivers and the Earth itself.
The field of economics also has rejected the actual atavistic vision of the word “economics.” There have been some attempts to talk of national economics that cared for all in former socialist countries. But in practice both the economists and the socialist leaders failed to live up to this ideal. Not only this we see that even the ancient tribal societies very often failed to live up to this ideal in their relationships with other tribes or communities.
Oikeiosis
The fact that the fortune of every individual, not only of this earth but of the entire cosmos, has been wreathed together, will have to be admitted one day by people. The spiritual aspirant has to hasten that auspicious moment by pauseless effort, service and propagation of the great Ideology. This alone is the Supreme task for the present humanity.
1 January 1969, Ánanda Váńii Saḿgraha
The Stoic philosophers of Greece and Rome developed the idea that we should make the whole cosmos into our family household. This process of expanding the oikos is known as oikeiosis. The word “oik” refers to the feeling of what is one’s own dear one. From this comes the word oikos meaning one’s own household. The word “oikeoo” means to familiarize, to become acquainted, to come close or intimate. The suffix “sis” refers to a process. So the process by which one becomes close, intimate, has a sense of belonging, feels at home with someone is known as oikeiosis. Thus this is not just a form of re-orientation, it is a form of endearment, intimacy and identifying. Just as we identify with family, with our dogs, horses and domestic animals, so also we are expanding this identification outwards. This starts with making that entity an object of our concern and care. Next we have to take responsibility for their achieving their dreams, goals and for their full blossoming of their potential. The Stoics very clearly said that unless there is oikeiosis there cannot be any justice. One cannot give justice to anyone, one cannot have relationships with anyone based on justice unless there is this family intimacy.
Hence the modern ideal of justice being given by an so-called objective judge from an elite background, alienated from the community is essentially false And hence any economist that does not undergo, that does not develop oikeiosis with the community they analyze, prescribe policies for, etc., will by his/her very nature be unjust and this is why all economic theories and economic policies we have seen in the last two centuries have been fundamentally unjust in practice – so unjust that the resulting economic tyranny or elite capitalists demands a revolution.
Most people halt or limit this process to a ethnic group, caste, race or religion. The Stoics however were committed to the ideal of Cosmopolis and Cosmopolitanism. Theophrastus the disciple of Aristotle felt said that all of humanity forms a community of shared inheritance. Cicero much later said that the very fact that we accept that we are human beings means that no other human being can be considered a stranger or alien to us. They developed the idea of different circles that are part of the process of oikeiosis.
Hierocles developed the idea of concentric circles of caring. This starts with caring for oneself, knowing oneself, attaining inner balance and peace, attaining benevolent relationship with other beings and with the land and rivers and above all harmony of one’s inner Soul with the Cosmic Soul. From this circle of the self, there arises the circle of the family, the circle of close relatives, circle of distant relatives, circle of friends, circle of fellow members of one’s community (village or town), fellow members of one’s homeland and then, the entire human community.
Thus oikeiosis is the process of bringing everyone into the inner circle. Hierocles says this starts with calling our cousins “brothers”, our aunts “mothers”, etc. Similarly our friends should also be called our brothers and sisters and so should our fellow citizens. Then we should call all human beings our brothers and sisters. This is how the ideal of brotherhood and sisterhood arose that was popularized in the Enlightenment. However since the Enlightenment was part of the rise of capitalism, these ideals never became part of economics. From the Spanish Empire to the American and Chinese Empires today, a genuine humane economics rooted in love for all of humanity never developed.
Now, history shows that these ideals of human brotherhood were also not practically implemented in social life and there was a lot of hypocrisy and double standards. More importantly these ideals became the excuse for the genocidal crimes of capitalist imperialism and colonialism starting from the days when Napoleon led his troops into battle with fiery words expressing love for humanity.
However, despite all this, what is clear today is that this ideal of ‘humanity as a family’ profoundly stirs the human heart – both yesterday and today. And Oikeiosis is something that has inspired even the most malevolent cynical exploiter at some point in their emotional lives.
Today as we see the pure evil of how corporation have looted the people and doubled their fortunes during the COVID lockdowns and when we see their plans for a “Great Reset” in the form of high-tech enslavement of humanity, oikeiosis is no longer a sentimental ideal – it is the only way to survive the march towards the Global Police state via religious capitalism or fascism. So what is the way out? What is the path towards a genuine economics (oikonomos) based a planetary oikeiosis? The answer is simple – an uncompromisingly revolutionary economics based on an internal revolution in the human spirit/soul and in the human psyche/mind. This is what PROUT is all about.
Expanding the Oikeiosis – NeoHumanism
“Humanism” and “humanity” have been very popular words for the last century, but only human beings have come within the scope of humanism and humanity. This explanation [of the concept] is not sufficient – it cannot quench the thirst of the developing human society. Why should the love and affection of developed human minds be restricted to human beings only? Why should it not include all living beings, including plant life? This is the new explanation of humanism – Neohumanism – for within Neohumanism the entire animate world is included.
The Status of Inanimation in the Philosophy of Neohumanism, Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1
But what is the status of inanimation [the inanimate world] in Neohumanism? Fundamentally there is hardly any difference between the world of animation and the world of inanimation…
Even within inanimate objects as minute as the atom and smaller particles, there are still smaller particles that maintain their structural unity and struggle against their internal and external fissiparous tendencies. If the scope of Neohumanism is extended in this way from an extensive scope to an intensive scope, then we should go deeper into matter – not only into composite structures of animation and inanimation, but within the subtlest and smallest assembling structures.
In the past, religions divided human beings and separated humanity from Nature and from God and then philosophers declared that God was dead. This is how exploitative economics came into being. However the reality of the evolution of life has helped us understand how we evolve first as star dust, then into dust on a planet, then into organic particles, then into the first unicellular beings and then into animals. This is why we must embrace all beings of the universe as they are part of our human heritage. Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji, the Preceptor of PROUT explains how the very birth of the first human being unites us with all beings saying,
“The darkness of evolutionary night began to fade centuries ago when the first ape-like creature deserted his tree-branch kingdom and shambled out into the light of the plain. He was guided by something he could not understand: something un-apelike and impossible for his comrades. Somehow, somewhere in his seething body chemistry, something had changed. In his brain lay the seed of humanity; in his strangely bright eyes, the dark shadow of a hidden dream.
Supreme Expression 1, 328
“Time passed slowly. The new creatures developed and multiplied. The wonderful changes in their bodies and minds continued; their brains, nerves and glandular systems grew in complexity and specialization. New behaviour patterns evolved and after some time, emotions and feelings unknown and denied to all previous forms of life found their means of expression. The Dawn of Man was reached at that auspicious hour.
The waves of thought generated by that first human expression vibrate even to this day in the unconscious mind of every human being. Every one of us carries within him/her the hidden memory of that first sunrise, and even beyond it into the darkness of antiquity. We are, by means of this primordial memory, which is part of our human heritage, intimately connected to all forms of life.”
From this is born NeoHumanism – the yoga of loving every single created being of this universe. NeoHumanism. What is yoga? Yoga literally means “union”. So our path by which we become near and dear to all beings, unite with all beings is known as yoga. This is the oikeiosis of the 21st Century. However, NeoHumanism is not just a sentimental movement for collective union, it also is a movement to liberate the heart of humanity from narrow, selfish, violent sentiments.
The first major category of narrow sentiment is geo-sentiment or sentiment for a particular piece of land. The reality is that birds sing songs to warn other birds that the land belongs to them, dogs urinate on landmarks to warn other birds that the land belongs to them and human beings file law suits in order to let all know that the land belongs to them. But only human beings express such passion for their land that they rob, starve and even mass murder people of other lands. The fundamental reality is that human beings do not even know how to love their homeland which they pollute, they also do not know how to love the trees or animals of their homeland which they kill. Geo-sentiment such as nationalism attacks the whole human personality and annihilates all its noble qualities, especially its mystical love or bhakti. This is why whenever an empire has grown due to imperialism, its civilization dies.
NeoHumanism fights geo-patriotism, geo-religion, geo-economics, geo-sociology, geo-politics firstly by developing rationality through study of the history of each homeland so as to understand how in the past every community has been victimized and also has victimized other communities. This is a key part of studying economics – to understand how nations exploit other nations economically and to plan how to fight this and how to liberate one’s birth homeland and all our other homelands across this planet. During the time of the Napoleonic invasion of Germany, Fichte expressed the sentiment of liberating the economy of the homeland which was later intellectually by the economists Friedrich List and Henry Carey (the advisor of President Lincoln). However, both Germany and America went on the invade and exploit other countries due to a lack of oikeiosis in its economics and politics.
NeoHumanism involves developing one’s conscience as a human being to reject and combat these limited forms of humanism. NeoHumanism is not just a philosophy but also a sentiment. It is the sentimental power of NeoHumanism that awakens the conscience of those infected with nationalism or fascism and study exposes the lies justifying their crimes. However, NeoHumanism does not simply reject all forms of sentiment for a homeland. NeoHumanism develops a new form of loving one’s homeland based on universal love. This universal love is not an abstract concept, rather it is an external expression of mystical love or bhakti. This love is liberated from the various mental complexes and crude propensities (vrttis) that plague mainstream love for the homeland. This involves firstly cultural revolution, an educational revolution and a philological revolution in the language so as to create a renaissance based on spirituality. When this cultural renaissance is combined with movements for social unity, morality in political administration and economic democracy, this is known as the Samaja movement – or the movement for the all-round swaraj (self-rule) or sovereignty of a socio-cultural ecoregion. This is the heart of applied PROUT or the Progressive Utilization Theory.
The second category of sentiment that NeoHumanism fights is socio-sentiment which includes caste sentiment, race sentiment, ethnic sentiment, religious sentiment, male sentiment, etc. Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji has written amply about religious dogma, the difference between religion and Dharma (spiritual righteousness) and the baneful legacy of religion in the history of humanity. However, let us summarize the NeoHumanistic response to socio-sentiment in the following quotation,
“Next comes socio-sentiment, which promotes the interest of one’s own society at the expense of other societies. Based on this sentiment are many other sentiments, such as socio-patriotism, socio-religion, socio-economics, socio-art, -architecture, -literature, and so on.
Bondages and Solution, Liberation of Intellect: NeoHumanism
A social group’s own deity “says” to the people, “Your God is the true God: all other gods are false. You are the chosen people in this universe: all others are cursed!” These are the preachings of socio-religion.
Similar is the case with socio-patriotism and socio-economics: “Let that country be destroyed. I will conquer that nation and drain its vitality for the sake of my own country” – this is socio-patriotism, also called “fascism”.
“Let others be ruined. I will exploit that country to serve the interests of my dearest homeland” – this is socio-economics.
What is the way to counteract this socio-sentiment? The only way to eliminate it is to develop proto-spiritualistic mentality. The basis of this proto-spiritualistic mentality is sama-samája tattva [the principle of social equality]. When people understand this principle from the core of their hearts, they spontaneously develop proto-spiritualistic mentality, proto-spiritualistic psychic structure. So this sama-samája tattva is very necessary to fight against socio-sentiment. There is no other way.
If one avoids this sama-samája tattva and thinks, “I will be a virtuous person, I will be a devotee of the Lord, I will do all sorts of good deeds – but I will not raise my voice against injustice,” I must say that will be foolish. Trying to do good while avoiding this sama-samája tattva is just like placing the cart before the horse. The cart should be placed behind the horse; it is foolish to place it in front.
Sama-samája tattva teaches that the basis of dharma [righteousness] is the collective march of all in unison.
Vishvajaner páyer tale
Dhúlimay ye bhúmi Sei to svargabhúmi
Sabáy niye sabár majhe
Lukiye ácha tumi Sei to ámar tumi. – Rabindranath Tagore
[This dusty earth which humanity treads – this is indeed heaven;
You who are within all, hiding in every heart – You are indeed mine.]
This is the first and last word of sama-samája tattva.
This sama-samája tattva is the firm foundation of society. And what is it that maintains social dynamism on this firm foundation? It is the proto-spiritualistic psychic structure, the proto-spiritualistic mentality.
This proto-spiritualistic mentality has been moving eternally towards the Supreme Entity. Its undulating waves have no beginning or end. They spread out in all directions, endlessly. No one can stop its movement; no one has the power to stop it. And the Supreme Consciousness also wants this proto-spiritualistic systaltic movement to continue endlessly, until it finally merges in Him.
Once a person is established in this proto-spiritualistic flow, what happens within his or her mind? Devotion as a cult [yoga] is transformed into devotion as a principle. Only at this stage, when devotion becomes a principle, can one fight against socio-sentiment.
Historically, this movement to establish a Society based on Social Equality was done by Lord Shiva. Living during the time of the Aryan invasions of India, Lord Shiva united the indigenous Indians of many races and clans to fight Aryan imperialism. Then in His city of Kashi, He created the first and only genuine cosmopolitan city where people of all races (including Aryans) and all clans lived in harmony dedicated to performing Tantra yoga. Hence there was no king or ruler. Shiva remained absorbed in meditation & samadhi, teaching music, Tantra and in spreading social equality in the Himalayan region, in Southwestern China and also moving to the Black Sea region and into the Alpine civilization.
The imperialism of the past is festering today giving rise to newer and newer forms of social diseases. Hence it is the duty of economists to understand historical legacy of different forms of exploitation like racial capitalism, caste capitalism, male gender capitalism and religious capitalism. And the goal of such economic analysis is to understand how to use economics to liberate the victims of these forms of psycho-economic exploitation. This is what is known as Psycho-Economics – a new dimension of economics created by PROUT. The foremost fight is against patriarchy or male domination and abuse of women which is the root cause of all exploitation. This is why Lord Anandamurti has said,
“Even today women are slaves to the male-dominated social order. This is not only bad but deplorable. We should decry such domination of women and their psycho-economic exploitation through the evil design of dogmas. To abolish dogma and liberate women from psychic exploitation, there should be:
Women’s Rights, The Awakening of Women
Free education for all women in all countries of the world.
No discrimination in the social, educational and religious realms.
The provision of economic and social security to all women.
We stand to create a powerful, dynamic and upsurging social consciousness, especially among women, so that they are inspired to rise, abolish dogma and annihilate all symbols of slavery, and usher in a new era of coordinated cooperation and glorious achievement.
Let women be the vanguard of a new revolution which humanity must achieve for a glorious tomorrow.”
It is a remarkable fact that not only did Lord Shiva fight socio-sentiment. Lord Shiva also was the first to fight the 3rd Category of Sentiment fought by NeoHumanism – Humanist Sentiment – by fighting the prehistoric culture of mass slaughter of innocent animals, thus becoming known as Pashupati [Protector of the Animals]. Shrii Shrii Anandamurti explains how this humanist culture of species-ism leads not only to the genocide of animal and plant species but to the increased exploitation and violence against our fellow human beings. This is why the 20th century the era of so much research and education in human rights was perhaps the most barbaric inhuman century perhaps in human history. Ultimately, violence against animals leads to violence in human society. We know George Bush Jr began his career as a child blowing up frogs for amusement. Thus we are bound to conclude,
“Often certain social groups – be they international groups or the largest social groups – seek to preserve their existences by destroying non-human creatures – animals and plants. But all animals and plants also have the urge for self-preservation; no creature dies willingly. This destructive tendency is operating not only in the inter-creature world (the torture of animals and plants), but also in the intra-creature world (within the human world itself). The kind of persecution which is being perpetrated against animals today may be perpetrated by one social group against another tomorrow, because the very tendency to torture others is predominant in the blood of exploiters. They are not free from this disease – they merely mouth high ideals. That is why I said that this is all pseudo-humanistic strategy, not even humanistic strategy.
Pseudo-Humanism, Liberation of Intellect: NeoHumanism
What do people do to meet their growing needs for agricultural lands, for industries, etc.? They bring about large-scale deforestation; but no one bothers to think about the creatures that live in those forests. Thus the tigers and elephants haunt the villages, kill the people and demolish their houses. Why? Out of their instinct for self-preservation. We have destroyed their natural habitat, the forests, but we never bothered to consider any alternative arrangements for their shelter. We have recklessly destroyed large areas of forests without caring to think that thereby we are destroying the balance among the human, plant, and animal worlds. And we never realized – and still do not – that this wanton destruction of the animal and plant worlds will be of no benefit to human beings. Rather it will be a great loss for human society, because each and every living entity, whether plant or animal, has two types of value: one, its utility value, and the other, its existential value………..
Who says that those creatures who have lost their immediate utility value have no right to exist? No one has the moral right to say this. No one can dare to say that only human beings have the right to live – and not non-humans. All are the children of Mother Earth; all are the offspring of the Supreme Consciousness. Most creatures have existential value, although they may not be valuable to human beings, or we may not be aware that their existence has some significance. This existential value is sometimes individual and sometimes collective, and sometimes both. Oftentimes, we cannot know the utility value, or the collective existential value, of a creature; we wrongly think that it has no existential value. This is the height of foolishness. As human beings have not advanced very far in the field of knowledge, they are prone to this sort of error………
Even those creatures that have no utility value for human beings or whose utility value has ceased, which have no existential value for human beings or whose existential value has ceased, still have the right to live. Even those animals which have negative utility value instead of positive, and negative entitative [[existential]] value instead of positive, human beings will have to try to preserve even those animals by creating a congenial environment for them instead of destroying them. And they will also have to provide adequate safeguards so that those creatures may not prove injurious. If, in the absence of proper safeguards, those undeveloped creatures do harm to humans, the fault does not lie with those creatures but rather with the human beings. Human beings are endowed with developed intellect. Why do they not make adequate arrangements to protect themselves?
One more thing must be said – that non-human creatures have the same existential value to themselves as human beings have to themselves. Perhaps human beings can understand the value of their existence, while other living beings cannot: this is the only difference. Even so, no one has conferred any authority on human beings to kill those unfortunate creatures.”
And the mission of NeoHumanism is not simply to protect the living world but also to protect the so-called inanimate world as well. This is the heart of economics. Economics is above all the exploitation of the inanimate world to make money creating products for society by addicting them to a consumer lifestyle via the capitalist media. However, this himsa against our planet has very serious consequences.
“Human beings have not taken proper care of the inanimate world. For example, human beings have damaged and destroyed many hills and mountains. You should not destroy the mountains and hills, otherwise the rainfall will be affected. You should not use subterranean water or encourage the use of deep or shallow tube wells, because too much reliance on these types of wells causes the level of the water table to go down, which in turn causes the soil to dry out, killing the plant life. It is best to use rain water, river water and reservoirs to collect rain water instead of subterranean water.
Prout and Neohumanism, Prout in a Nutshell Part 17
In the Nadia District of Bengal, for instance, the level of the water table has gone down about 15 feet in the last few years. If this continues, within 100 years all of Nadia District will become a desert. There are many rivers in Nadia district like the Bhaerava, Khore, Bhágiirathii, etc. The water in these rivers should be utilized through a system of canals, sub-canals, lift irrigation and pumps…Try your best to utilize river water and surface water.
Another example of how human beings destroy the inanimate world is the repeated detonation of atomic bombs. Atomic explosions create huge craters and large underground caverns in the crust of the earth. They produce dark clouds in the atmosphere and devastate the ecological balance of the environment. The inanimate world is the creation of Parama Puruśa. By exploding atomic weapons human beings are wounding the psychic projection of Parama Puruśa, and this will seriously affect the ecological balance of the earth.
In the non-living world there is mind but that mind is dormant, as if asleep, because there is no nervous system. Hence, the nonliving world cannot express its grief when it is damaged or destroyed. To protect the inanimate world you should conserve and properly utilize all natural resources.”
To be able to sense the grief of the Earth is an experience few have today. While traditional society sensed through their vital energy (prana, qi/chi) the energies and latent power and divinity of rocks, rivers, etc., our capitalist civilization has destroyed this innate part of our humanity. For those who are initiated in a spiritual practice which liberates the mind from this crude state, they realize that everything is part of the Cosmic Cycle of creation. Hence, nothing in this Cosmic Panorama of Creation is to be despised and hence used and abused.
“The major difference between animate beings and inanimate beings is that animate beings have an existential feeling whereas inanimate beings do not. An inanimate piece of iron and a grain of sand are not aware of their existence, but an undeveloped living creature like an earthworm has self-awareness. The mighty Himalayas do not know that they exist, but for a tiny fly, existence is quite real. This tiny fly has the potentiality to become a great personality one day in the course of evolution. The fly that you see today is a very insignificant creature, but after hundreds of thousands of years it may become a towering personality of great eminence – a mighty genius. Hence a wise person never despises anyone. There is nothing in the world to be despised, nothing to be slighted or belittled.
The Ascent of the Mind, Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 8
Instead of saying that the inanimate world has no existential feeling, it is better to say that existential awareness is dormant in matter. When citta [mind-stuff, ectoplasm] emerges from matter as a result of internal clash existential awareness begins to develop gradually. With the emergence of ahaḿ [ego, endoplasm] and mahat [knower-I, pure feeling of “I-exist”] existential awareness becomes increasingly crystallized and ultimately I-feeling assumes a preponderant role.”
Ultimately when our minds develop still further and we start to merge in Pure Consciousness in the core of our “I-feeling”, then our realization deepens and we are bound to reject the very idea of the inanimate.
“There is nothing inanimate or insentient in this world; everything is animate and sentient. In some places Consciousness is condensed and in other places it is uncondensed. Where consciousness is condensed, we say “animate” or “sentient”, and where it is uncondensed, i.e., where the influence of Prakrti [Cosmic Creative Principle, Nature] is more predominant, we say, “inanimate” or “insentient”. The difference between this so-called sentience and insentience is that the so-called sentient, due to its Consciousness being condensed, is capable of controlling itself, but due to the uncondensed state of Consciousness the so-called inert or insentient is entirely dependent on the wishes of Prakrti, i.e., it is compelled to behave according to the thought-process of the Macrocosmic Mind.”
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 2, Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 2
Thus the heart of NeoHumanism, the way to make our oikeiosis into a reality is by spirituality.
Grounding Oikeiosis – Spirituality
The entire universe has to be brought within the realm of your mind and made wholeheartedly your own. This indeed is the way to benediction, the way to all-round prosperity and success. This is the only path of your individual and collective survival.
Ánanda Púrńimá 1969, Ánanda Váńii Saḿgraha
As a Preceptor of Tantra Yoga, Divine Love (bhakti, prema) and Spiritual Philosophy, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti has given so many treasures to humanity such as His 5018 songs that merge human sentimentality into spiritual intimacy, that merge human doubts and despair into radiant optimist and a mission to care for all beings.
Simply we can say that spirituality involves meditation and that this meditation involves lifting the spiritual energy (Kundalinii) at the base of the spine to the Third Eye and there by surrender to Divine Grace one attains bliss and freedom at the crown of one’s head.
But what does this have to do with economics? Economics like all of the so-called sciences of modern Europe are based on the illusion of objectivity. This illusion states that we can separate ourselves from beings of this world and make them into our objects which we can study and use for our benefit. As is well-known this fundamental doctrine of 19th Century science was refuted by Quantum Mechanics, but still this outdated, amoral materialism (at the heart of capitalism and communism) dominates economics.
PROUT is based on the idea that there are 3 inseparable realities – time, place/space and person/personality. As we saw earlier, different creatures like fireflies have different levels of Consciousness and hence different experiences of time, place depending upon their psychic development. Hence there is no question of any kind of objectivity. Furthermore, a genuine economics of a community must take into account the sense of time, place and Consciousness of the people in order to serve them. Above all, the economist has to understand how his/her own sense of time, space and his/her own mindset affects the economic analysis and the community that one is trying to serve.
The Delphic Oracle in Greece long ago gave the call Gnothi Seauton – Know Thyself. This is the very foundation of all learning and knowledge. However, this has been deliberately forgotten in the rush for power and profit. Tantra Yoga enables one to realize how different propensities (vrttis) of one’s mind emerge in connection with different vital-psychic-spiritual centres (cakras) and their associated glands and sub-glands. When the Kundalini rises upwards, one gains temporary freedom from and control over these propensities. Only such a person can be genuinely rational, selfless and free from vested interests. Hence spirituality or spiritual liberation or enlightenment is the foundation for any genuinely objective scientific inquiry and any genuine service work to any community.
However, the spiritual revolution goes far beyond this. As Shrii Shrii Anandamurti explains,
“This crudest point, svayambhú, [at the base of the spine] is an object of the Cognitive Faculty [Consciousness]; the three stages [of expansion] are the objects of the Cognitive Faculty. And time, space and person functioning within these stages are also the objects of the Cognitive Faculty. The nature of time, space and person is such that when they work on a subtle level they automatically work in a subtle manner. In the subtlest stage, space is not like this terrestrial earth, time is not like the hands of a watch, and person is not like the human form as we know it.
Cognitive Faculty and the Supreme Desideratum, Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 9
Rather in that stage the relative factors assume immense proportions: space is the vast spatial expression which even accommodates Consciousness. Time becomes capable of reckoning the Cosmic Mind, and person is none other than Saguńa Brahma [Qualified Consciousness, the Macrocosm. In a well-ordered environment of time, space and person, the finite objects maintain the closest link with Parama Puruśa.
Once the mind is created, Parama Puruśa is reflected on the mind. That internal reflection is called guńátmá. That is, jiivátmá could reside in the five fundamental factors also if they had minds what to speak of matter. Even a living protozoa has a mind, although a very undeveloped one, so it too receives the reflection of the vast Cosmic Mind. Thus, whenever mind is expressed, or whenever the mind has originated but is not yet fully expressed, the Átman is reflected. Where there is no mind, the material body is directly guided by the Cosmic Mind; otherwise, it is guided by its own small unit mind. Whatever exists in this orderly world be it matter or mind-stuff, trees, plants, birds or animals, or human beings, reflects Parama Puruśa. Thus Parama Puruśa is the witness of everything – nothing can be kept secret from Him.
Now what is the benefit to this suffering planet of this kind of spiritual realization. Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji explains,
“Now, if, by some means, an individual can make his or her individual psycho-spiritual hub coincide with that circum-rotarian spiritual Hub, then that individual will feel oneness with every grain of dust, with every blade of grass – that will be his or her psychology. This very realization will make ones life-force throb throughout the entire universe. By means of this proto-psycho-spirituality one can fight against all sorts of socio-sentiments. The human chameleons who use socio-sentiments or geo-sentiments, can also be easily detected in the light of proto-psycho-spirituality…
An Ideology for a New Generation, The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism
Whenever people, after performing some activity, think of the Nucleus of the circum-rotarian universe, their minds become all-pervasive. Such people can never think of harming others; rather they will think only of universal welfare. In that elevated state of mind, they will easily detect those demons in human form and will acquire the necessary capability to properly guide the ordinary or extraordinary individuals or groups who tend to be misguided by all sorts of socio-sentiments (because socio-sentiment is many times more harmful than geo-sentiment).
Intelligent people should clearly realize this, and then through seminars should make people aware of the importance of sama-samája tattva [Principle of a Society Based on Social Equality] and proto-psycho-spirituality [mysticism] to fight against socio-sentiment. This is how intelligent people will show them the path of liberation. This must be done, for although there may be some individuals who, knowingly or unknowingly, are fighting against this socio-sentiment, the majority of people are in darkness. That is why you will have to carry the collectivity with you, because the collectivity is yours. The collectivity is not outside you – your future is inseparably connected with the collective fortune. You must take the entire collectivity with you and move towards the sweetest radiance of the new crimson dawn, beyond the veil of the darkest night.”
When such saintly souls take up arms against these demons, then they become known as sadvipras or spiritual revolutionaries. Only such personalities can create a revolution not just in the economy of society but also in economic theory or economics. Economics ultimately is the science of the utilization and blossoming of the resources and potentialities of all beings – be they animate or inanimate. Only such a revolutionary undergoing constant internal revolutionary fight against inner vices can avoid exploitation. Their utilization will be then “upayoga” or a form or part (upa) of their Yoga or union with the Supreme Being pervading all beings. This is the path of true rationality.
But what are these sadvipras? Are they not the wishful dreams of despairing humanity? To answer this question we will have to show how the different lessons of Tantra Yoga lead to different stage of psychic liberation, divine love and different revolutionary activities. To understand this process the reader is referred to the article “The Forging of the Sadvipra” on this website.
Now, to enable all human beings to have the freedom, education to develop themselves in the subtle realms of culture and spirituality, the economy of a community has to be re-structured so as to ensure not just the physical health and prosperity of the community but also to promote and developed the intellectual, cultural, intuitional, spiritual, prema (divine love) potentialities of all beings, including developed animals. And for these advanced human beings, cosmic oikeiosis will be as natural as it is for humans today to love their families. This is called Psycho-Economy. Now we can understand why the foundation of Economics lies in NeoHumanism and Spirituality but also why the full flowering of NeoHumanism and Spirituality lies in the realm of revolutionary economics. As Shrii Shrii Anandamurti explains,
“Our goal is the Supreme Stance in Parama Puruśa (the Supreme Entity). Our goal is a state of complete composure, complete spiritual unification. On the one side is the socio-economic approach of PROUT and on the other is the psychic approach of Neohumanism. The mid-point is the path of spirituality. In both the socioeconomic and psychic realms there are imperfections. PROUT and Neohumanism cannot surmount the threshold of spirituality. The path of spiritual practice enables you to surmount the threshold and enter the realm of spirituality.
Prout and NeoHumanism, Prout in a Nutshell Part 17
How does the socio-economic path satisfy the hunger of spiritual ity? Suppose there is social disparity between the upper and lower castes in society. You will have to remove the disparity, and this means you will have to remove all distinctions based on caste. So the caste system itself must be eradicated. Removing different types of disparities comes within either the socioeconomic, psychic or spiritual approaches. In this case the social disparity of casteism comes within the realm of PROUT. So the socioeconomic path satisfies the hunger of spirituality by removing all disparities and artificial barriers, enabling human beings to move towards the goal with accelerating speed.
Neohumanism will give impetus and energy to PROUT to remove all disparities and artificial barriers. PROUT will get spirit and stamina from Neohumanism – from Neohumanistic inspiration, Neohumanistic ideology and Neohumanistic thoughtfulness…
Neohumanism increases the arena of the mind, the arena of intellectuality. The translation of Neo-humanist ideas into practical life is the duty of PROUT.
There must be close correlation amongst PROUT, Neohumanism and spiritual practices. The balance amongst these three will elevate the structure of human beings to its existential status. We cannot neglect PROUT, Neohumanism or spiritual practices. This balance is to be maintained for all. It will create good will and elevate the standard of human beings so that they can render more service.
The spiritual approach goes beyond the threshold of the physical and psychic worlds. This is a new dimension of philosophy, a new branch of human knowledge. Spirituality is the central avenue which maintains the balance between the right and left sides – between PROUT and Neohumanism. The relationship amongst PROUT, Neohumanism and spirituality may be likened to the bird of Tantra. In Tantra one wing is Nigama and the other wing is Agama.
Spirituality is like the Tantric bird, but one wing is PROUT and the other wing is Neohumanism. The bird is flying along the path of beatitude towards the Supreme Entity.
Blossoming Oikeiosis – PROUT
“Human beings are not isolated beings. Each human being is universal. The longing for physical and psychic pabula comes from Neohumanism, and these longings should be guaranteed by PROUT. Neohumanism is universal humanism. Not a single person should be confined to a particular area. Each and every human being is universal. PROUT is the practical approach. It keeps in view factors such as water, soil, body, mind and mental faculties in combination, in association, and in friendly contact with other developed creatures. PROUT and Neohumanism will free the world from all difficulties.
Bihar, Proutist Economics
To achieve all this a healthy economy is essential, and for a healthy economy there must be proper planning. Planning should include factors such as population, local conditions, socio-economic potentiality, the sentimental legacy of the people, and the availability of raw materials; otherwise economic progress is not possible.
In a healthy economy raw materials should come from the local area. Industries which are based on imported raw materials are always weak industries, sick industries. A sick economy depends upon raw materials from outside – it depends upon inputs.”
What is PROUT all about? PROUT is about liberation of society from the cycle of exploitation. Society is governed by the cycle of four fundamental human psychologies. Based on the goal of pure physical pleasure or paradise (káma), there arises the Worker Psychology of people dominated by matter. Based on the goal of physical power and righteousness (dharma) there arises the warrior or Martial Psychology of people who dominate matter and workers with their physical power and skill. Based on the goal of absolute salvation or liberation from physical and psychic suffering (mokśa) there arises the Priest or Intellectual Psychology of people who dominate matter, workers and warriors with their intellectual power and skill. Based on the goal of prosperity and freedom from all types of suffering, there arises the Business or Capitalist Psychology of people who dominate matter, workers, warriors and intellectuals by creating and controlling flows of money by their exploitation of the Earth and human beings. The unbounded vampire exploitation of the capitalists leads to a Worker Revolution which is led by Warriors and Intellectuals who have been reduced to labourers by capitalism exploitation. Then the Warriors establish their rule and the cycle begins anew.
Now in each of these stages of social development there are different types of economic activity and economic exploitation. To study this and to educate the exploited masses is the fundamental goal of economic study. Here we can remember that the Sanskrit word for political economy or economics is Artha. The real goal of Economics or Artha is to remove temporarily physical, psychic and spiritual suffering. Now we have seen so many economic theories, plans and programmes but even when they did not have negative effects, their benefits did not last even for five years. This is because unless economics or Artha is based on Paramartha it cannot provide any meaningful relief and freedom for humanity.
“To live in this physical world, to preserve our existence, Artha or money is essential. However, we also require Paramártha. Paramártha is that factor which brings about the permanent cessation of the triple afflictions. Here permanent cessation means cessation of those afflictions which, once removed, will never return again in the future. That Artha which brings permanent relief from the pangs of hunger, which is the instrument of permanent cessation, is called “Paramártha”. It is important that you understand the true significance of “Paramártha”. Today, society desperately needs a theory which can be applied in practical life with immediate effect. A new theory cannot originate from a mind of limited dimensions, but only from a person who looks at this universe from an evolved, enlightened mind. And for this, Paramártha is a very important factor indeed.”
Artha and Paramártha, Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 4
Now a theory created by a spiritual revolutionary (Sadvipra) in contact with that Supreme Stance of Freedom is called a Madhyartha or an economic system that can liberate humanity from all forms of suffering based on principles arising from spiritual praxis and service praxis. This praxis is called “Prayoga” in Sanskrit. The prefix “pra” means “proper, complete”. Thus the proper or complete yoga lies not in experiencing samadhi in one’s meditation but in implementing a socio-economic system based on spiritual love. And the socio-economic system created by this is called “Prayogbhaomika” or founded upon the hard soil of spiritual and service struggle and love. This is why it is said,
“Knowledge is of two kinds: intellectual and intuitional. Intellectual knowledge is based on experience, hence it is embedded in relativity. It cannot therefore claim to be absolute. Intuitional knowledge is transcendental in character. It dissects and analyses everything by itself, therefore it is absolute.
Talks on PROUT, Prout in a Nutshell Part 15
The approach of PROUT is subjective approach through objective adjustment. This presupposes a connecting link between intuition and intellect. This connecting link or touching point is called “Bodhi Jiṋána”. With the help of Bodhi Jiṋána, intuitional knowledge can be utilized for solving mundane problems. Thus PROUT is a Bodhi Jiṋána.”
Now what is the keynote of PROUT? The keynote of PROUT is that it cherishes and blossoms social, economic, cultural, political, linguistic and all other forms of diversity while at the same time enhancing and intensifying the unity of humanity. It is by the power of mystical love (bhakti) arising from Tantra Yoga and manifested as the zeitgeist by NeoHumanism that gives PROUT this power to blossom diversity in the Unity of Pure Consciousness.
What is the foundation of PROUT? Shrii Shrii Anandamurti explains saying,
“The proper approach is to ensure that everyone is guaranteed the minimum requirements of life. As the income of people increases, the radius of their minimum requirements should also increase. Just to bridge the gap between the more affluent people and the common people, we have to increase the minimum requirements of all. In addition, the maximum amenities should be provided to meritorious persons to enable them to render greater service to society. This should be done by setting aside some wealth for those with special qualities, but the provision of the maximum amenities should not go against the common interest.
Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities, Proutist Economics
However, something more can be added. Besides increasing the maximum amenities of meritorious people, we also have to increase the maximum amenities available to common people. Meritorious people will earn more than common people, and this earning will include their maximum amenities. But the common people should not be deprived of maximum amenities, so there should be efforts to give them as much of the maximum amenities as possible. There will still be a gap between the maximum amenities of the common people and the maximum amenities of the meritorious, but there should be constant efforts to reduce this gap. Thus, the common people should also receive more and more amenities. If maximum amenities are not provided to common people, no doubt there will be progress in society, but there will always remain the scope for imperfection in future. What constitutes both the minimum requirements and the maximum amenities should be ever increasing…
The progressive availability of the maximum amenities of life will be guaranteed in PROUT, satisfying physical needs. The satisfied physical needs will lessen the physical obstacles which inhibit human progress, and human beings will experience all-round development, especially in the intellectual stratum. Human beings will get the opportunity to develop in the intellectual stratum without any hindrances.
The truth of humanity, the veracity of humanity, will go on increasing in different areas of expression. That is why I say that there must be guaranteed minimum requirements and guaranteed maximum amenities for all human beings, and that these must go on increasing. These amenities must be good for the physical and psychic development of human beings.” .
What is the heart of PROUT? In a nutshell we learn,
“To materialize the above economic programme, PROUT advocates a new and unique approach to decentralization based on the formation of socio-economic units throughout the world. Socio-economic units should be formed on the basis of factors such as common economic problems; uniform economic potentialities; ethnic similarities; common geographical features; and people’s sentimental legacy, which arises out of common socio-cultural ties like language and cultural expression. Each socio-economic unit will be completely free to chalk out its own economic plan and the methods of its implementation.
Some Specialities of Prout’s Economic System, Proutist Economics
Within each socio-economic unit there will also be decentralized planning, which is called “block-level planning” in PROUT. Block-level planning boards will be the lowest level planning bodies…
If the local people in these units organize large-scale programmes for their all-round socio-economic and cultural liberation, there will be a widespread socio-economic awakening in the whole of [the country]. Regardless of whether they are rich or poor, old or young, educated or illiterate, if the local people are inspired by anti-exploitation and universal sentiments, they will be able to start powerful movements for socio-economic liberation. When people merge their individual socio-economic interests with the collective socio-economic interest, the outflow of economic wealth from a region will cease and exploitation will be completely rooted out. The right of full employment for all local people will be guaranteed, and the employment of local people will take precedence over non-local people…
While providing employment to local people, local sentiments should also be taken into consideration. Maximum agro-industries and agrico-industries should be established on the basis of the socio-economic potential of the region, and various other types of industries should be established according to the collective needs. This approach will create enormous opportunities for new employment. Through such an employment policy, increasing the standard of living of the local people will be possible.
In a decentralized socio-economic system the modernization of industry and agriculture can be easily introduced, and the goods that are produced will be readily available in the market. As each socio-economic unit develops its economic potential, per capita income disparities among different regions will decline and the economic position of undeveloped regions can be raised to that of developed regions. When every region becomes economically self-reliant, the whole country will rapidly achieve economic self-sufficiency. Economic prosperity will be enjoyed by each and every person.”
Only where people are thus liberated from economic enslavement to outside governments and their capitalist masters can people develop themselves morally and spiritually. Only such people can perform oikeiosis and thus create genuine economics. In PROUT, this goal is called Ananda Parivara or a Blissful Cosmic Family. As Lord Anandamurti explains,
“Ánanda Parivára or establishing a universal spiritual family involves not only a World Government but also a Universal Government. More correctly it is a universal social order. The question is, how can such a Parivára be established? This will certainly come through revolution which may be democratic or undemocratic; or it may be a pyramidical, palace or nuclear revolution. Among all the types of revolution, nuclear [multi-dimensional] revolution is the best. The nucleus of creation is Cosmic Consciousness. It is also the goal of revolutionaries, and whatever they do by way of revolution with this goal in mind leads them to the culminating point of their life’s march. Revolution must have an ideological goal. In essence, revolution means controlling all the three nuclei of the universe – physical, psychic and spiritual.”
Talks on PROUT, Prout in a Nutshell Part 15
Conclusion – Our Oikeiosis Today
Thus far, we have seen so many different dimensions of this process of making the planet, the Cosmos into our oikos by Oikeiosis or the process of loving and identifying with all beings. And we have seen the nomos or laws of how this is achieved are found in PROUT.
So what is our mission for Oikeiosis today. Shrii Shrii Anandamurti explains this so beautifully saying,
“Humanity is now at the threshold of a new era. We do not want any dogma. The age of dogma is gone. What we want is an idea based on Neohumanism. We are for the entire created world; and not only for human beings or living beings, but for the entire animate and inanimate universe.
Humanity Is at the Threshold of a New Era, Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1
Now when you are in a mood of pleasure, just distribute it throughout the universe – let all the hearts of the created universe dance in ecstasy and throb with energy. And this is the gospel of the day: we are for all, we are for the Neohumanistic progress of the entire Cosmos. This is the idea…..
So ours is the age of Neohumanism – humanism supplying elixir to all, one and all. We are for all, and with everything existent we are to build up a new society, a Neohumanistic society. So we must not waste our time. And if we are late in doing our duty, the dark shadow of complete destruction will overpower our existence. We should be conscious of this; we should be cautious of this; we must not waste a single moment of our valuable existence. So what I said just now is that now humanity is at the threshold of a new era. And so many epoch-making events, so many annals of history, are to be created by you boys and you girls. Be ready to shoulder that responsibility of ages to come. You boys and you girls, what do you say? Are you ready for your revised duties and responsibilities?…
All humanity is a singular entity, it is one and indivisible. (Go on singing.)
The feelings and sentiments of all human beings are the same; and preparation for a nobler life is the same for all. The requirements and necessities of all humanity are the same. So humanity is a singular entity, humanity is one and indivisible. And for this purpose we should always maintain an equilibrium amongst different humans, and there must be one equipoise for the development of all, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality and clan isms.
There must not be any shortage of food or water in this world. Still there are so many places where there can be more production, where there is pure water; so all the requirements, all the potentialities, all food and water should be distributed throughout the world. Nowhere in this world should men die of starvation. We are for all and everything is for all. (Go on singing.)
So many gospels of peace, so many texts and sermons, have been preached. But those who were so-called apostles of peace, preached the gospels of peace, but kept their powder dry. They were not sincere in their mission. We want no more gospels. We want something practical, something practical for the elevation, or for the exaltation, of the entire human race. As a result of the elevation of the human race, all other living beings, all other animate and inanimate objects, will also be elevated. So what is required now is the elevation of human existence, the elevation of human mind and human spirit. We require no dogma – we require more reasoning, more rationality – rationality moving unto the terminus of Parama Puruśa;(Supreme Consciousness) the Supreme Desideratum is that Universal Nave.
So many waves of so many feelings have been emanated from the nucleus of this Cosmological Order. Each and every existence has its own peculiar wavelength and peculiar rhythmic order; but when the movement is towards that Supreme Unity, all those heterogeneities will become one. So many colours moving on, moving on, with so many rhythms, with so many wavelengths – but when it comes to the supreme culminating point, all the rhythms will be united – there will be complete unison. And when there will be complete unison, in that Desideratum (as I told you, there cannot be “desiderata” – it always remains in the singular number, it is a singular entity) all waves will also attain singularity, there will not remain any heterogeneity; everything will become homogeneous in the final point of this universal march of ours.
This Neohumanism, only this Neohumanism, can save our universe, can save human existence. So now we are to sing the song of Neohumanism. We should [forget] all our omissional and commissional errors of the past. Forget the past.
Be the [vanguard of] a bright future; and the crimson light of that future breaks on the eastern horizon. We should welcome it – we must welcome it. There is no alternative but to welcome it.