One World

43) Project Man-Kind

Posted 25th October 2016

Imagine you are on a clean, quiet beach, looking out at a beautiful sunrise from a comfortable deck chair you'd found apparently abandoned. Suddenly, someone walks up to you, and says, "Oy! Get the f*#% off that chair!"

Quickly weighing up your options, you relinquish the chair to the rude man as you decide it's not worth getting in a fight over it.

Later, having calmed down from the incident on the beach, you are walking along a beautiful country lane, enjoying the song of the birds and aromas of the forest, when you are suddenly confronted by an aggressive dog. It barks noisily and scares you stiff. Mercifully, the owner arrives and the dog joins her on her way, but the owner doesn't even apologise for inflicting that momentary distress upon you. A few yards further on you step in the dog's excrement, left in the middle of the pathway.

That night, back at your luxurious home, you settle down in your expensive big bed with a mug of hot milk and a book, then soon drift off to sleep. An hour later, you are rudely awoken by the deep bass sounds of a neighbour's music playing full blast. This goes on for hours, and consequently you are sleep deprived and irritable the following day.

______________

Now, this time, imagine you are standing on the seashore one cloudy, dull, morning and it begins to rain heavily. Suddenly a hooded man runs up to you, saying, "Here you go mate, you can borrow this," and gives you his umbrella.

Later that day, you are walking through a run down area of an inner city towards your home, when a lady walking her dog on a leash approaches you. She is carrying a little bag containing the dog's 'business'. As she passes you, she gives you a warm smile, and you can't help but smile back at her. The dog wags its tail in friendly greeting.

That night, back at your small flat, you settle down in your tattered old bed to sleep. An hour later you are suddenly awoken.

"Sorry darling, I didn't mean to wake you," says your partner, slipping into bed beside you, then you share a goodnight kiss.

Discussion

As humans advance in technology, and measure their development in terms of physical inventions and material possessions, I actually think the most important development is that of the moral character of the human species. The most beautiful place can be awful if you are surrounded by unloving, cruel and hateful people. Conversely, the most deprived slum can be a place of happiness if you are surrounded by love. I suspect mankind is being taught this lesson over time. That is, whilst man occupies himself with making scientific discoveries, furthering technology and creating and possessing things, I suspect the real purpose of man's existence beneath the veil of cosmic mystery is to develop in moral character and become loving and caring beings.

People, not material surroundings or possessions, are what can make Heaven or Hell. After all, loving people can lift one another out of despair and build a beautiful place together; but unloving people can trample one another down, and in doing so destroy everything that is beautiful around them.

I suspect there already exists a perfect technology, simply because an infinite amount of time has gone by, with an infinite history of intelligence, for that to have been established. This technology could be given to man right now, and man would never need for any further research and development ever again. But, for the same reasons, I also suspect there is a perfect universal wisdom. Perhaps this wisdom has calculated that if man were simply given everything on a plate then man would not be compelled to develop as a good and loving species, and as such would be inclined to trample upon one another in their jealousies, ambitions and egotism. Far better that man start at the bottom, lift one another up, and naturally learn through robust trial and error and reason to choose to love one another as they love themselves, as this is the only way to build the paradise on Earth their hearts yearn for. For paradise comes from sharing a world with loving and good people.