Living the Principles of Spirituality, Ethics and Values

Some people believe that religion is the source of many of our global problems. This is true to an extent, particularly considering world history. Yet it is also clear that the world's Great Religions, and spiritual and ethical traditions hold the key to our future. We cannot make the adjustment to a world of peace and sustainability unless we are guided by the global ethics of compassion, justice and cooperation. Not only should these principles be followed because they seem inherently right to us, but because they are our only means of saving a planet that is severely threatened by the mounting social tensions between its haves and have-nots, the ravages of climate change and ecological destruction, the increasing regional conflicts over resources such as oil and water, and the ever-present possibilities of nuclear warfare.

In the venerable precept, "do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you", we find a moral and ethical code common to most cultures and religions. This Golden Rule speaks to us of justice, fairness, and equal opportunities. The Earth Charter, the Parliament of the World Religions, and the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities by the Inter-Action Council provide further ethical foundations for a global society based on respect for nature, universal human rights including equal rights between men and women, economic justice and solidarity, and a culture of peace.

But we also know that under the world's present economic conditions, where self-interest does not lead to the maximization of the global public good, individuals face systemic barriers and disadvantages in attempting to follow these high principals. Every day we see how the ethics of global justice, cooperation and peace are thwarted by a variety of entrenched and competing factors, from autarchy and terrorism, market fundamentalism and corporate domination, to national security claims and bilateral gamesmanship.

Growing numbers of people are realizing that these repressive conditions are self-created and maintained by humankind through its social, political, and economic rules and institutions, as well as the various ideologies that are crafted to rationalize the status quo. It is widely acknowledged now, for example, that global poverty and climate change are man-made and are not a part of human civilization in its highest potentialities and deepest wisdom. It is a point reiterated through the world's various religious traditions, global ethics and common values, which emphasize the importance of universal justice, sharing and peace. Yet these values and aspirations for a better world remain scattered ideals unless they are deeply focused in individual awareness, directly expressed through our personal relationships, and unambiguously infused into the collective rules and institutions that govern globalization.

In this context, the special importance of spirituality lies in its potential to become a center of reference outside of the current system of globalization, thus providing us with the power to overcome and transform the unfair rules that presently govern the global marketplace.

Another world is possible, but only if we break with business as usual and realize our power to alter the structures that imprison us. In spiritual terms, this transformation begins by realizing the unity of all beings and experiencing each person as an embodiment of the sacred or divine. In secular terms, it begins in recognizing the fundamental value of people for who they are, and not what they can do for us. Whether we consider ourselves spiritual or not is not the issue. We all understand that human goodness, caring for others, generosity and sharing are visibly missing in today's world. We are also aware how necessary it is that each of us generates love, trust and cooperation with other human beings, whether they are standing next to us or on the other side of the globe.

Join the discussion in the Living the Principles of Global Spirituality, Ethics & Values forum.

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