If humans are evolving, stagnating, or degenerating as a species, then achieving world peace and love would be the highest level of achievement--and when we die, who knows, we may experience that same type of life in the afterlife. We all have access to what creates peace and love. We all are connected to the Source--the fountain of love, joy, and bliss that is at the core in each one of us.
We can create heaven right here on earth if we return to the Source of love, joy, and bliss. The ever-learning and growing consciousness that we have now, or the level of development we have before we die, may carry into the afterlife. I think I would prefer to reincarnate back to this earth in order to keep making this world a better place, rather than reincarnate for an individualized journey or quest that is not integrated with the world. To save the world, we may have to learn how to be in the world, but not of it. If what we collectively achieve in this world is very good, I want the same thing in the afterlife.
If the world keeps getting better and better, it seems like people who reincarnate here, if that is the case, would be able to make spiritual progress at a faster rate--they would learn how to live with peace and love for ever and ever. The consciousness of peace, love, and happiness that we create here individually may continue in the afterlife. That is what individuals who have had Near Death Experiences (NDEs) seem to say. But maybe our purpose for coming to this planet is not just to work on our own individual salvation or spiritual growth but to improve our collective evolution, our social progress.
Can we collectively evolve as a human species if the current leader of the world's greatest empire does not have a compassionate vision for the world? No. Who is responsible for the way the world is? Our leaders are mostly responsible, but actually we all are responsible. We all have to do everything we can to make this world a better place. Each one of us can make a unique contribution to the world. We each have a role, a part to play in the healing of this land. If we can create peace, happiness, and joy in all the world, it should make heaven or the afterlife even better. We might think that some individuals can evolve, grow, and learn, and reach higher states of consciousness and deeper levels of love in their private lives--but we don't truly evolve unless humanity evolves with us.
Thich Naht Hanh said, "The next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha will take the form of a community; a community practicing understanding and loving-kindness, a community practicing mindful living. This may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the Earth."
The world could become a network of intentional communes built from the bottom-up, from the local to the global, not from the top-down. We can encourage the complete autonomy of neighborhood elementary school districts which could send a representative to the next higher level of organization, the township level that would make government policy for the township level, and each township could send a representative to the county level, and each county could send a representative to the state level that could make policy for the whole state--encouraging self-determination and autonomy for each local community to the maximum degree possible. Are you thinking that people in today's world do not want to build community with their neighbors? If we provide financial incentives, they will welcome it.
For the national level, we could use proportional representation in the election of a unicameral federal legislature that includes the equal empowerment of at least the 7 largest national political parties. Moreover, we could use proportional representation in the election of a democratic world legislature that includes the equal empowerment of at least the 7 largest international political parties. The Earth Constitution is the best model for a democratic world government.
It is imperative that we discover whether the ecological practices of our municipality or geographical region are sustainable. If they are not, we have to dedicate our lives to implementing ecological wisdom at the local and regional levels. When every local community implements ecologically sustainable practices, we will create a sustainable future for planet earth and for our children and grandchildren.
(Article changed on September 25, 2019 at 12:42)
