Page 16 - GOTIL (ENG) Sample

xiv Introduction

wrong in his quest for technological development, what
traditional societies had possessed but we now lack, and
what the actual criteria of civilization should be.

A principal goal of an enlightened culture is to elevate
its members to their ultimate capacity. A truly advanced
society strives not simply for the ephemeral requirements
of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, for even animals
do that. Real human civilization begins with philosophical
inquiry into the nature of God, the universe, and the
ontological position of living beings. Therefore spiritually
oriented civilizations throughout the world’s history had
practiced a realistic approach to life that catered to all
aspects of the individual — physical, mental, intellectual,
and spiritual — while stressing his responsibility to society
at large. And as man has to live with and by nature’s mercy,
traditional land-based cultures stressed respect for all life
and cooperation with her. The people of such cultures
sought to extract from the earth only as much as needed,
and to give back proportionately.

In traditional societies man fulfilled his needs in a simple
and eco-friendly way. Material requirements were
met without undue struggle. There were no industrial
complexes producing endless varieties of unnecessary
accessories to an artificial way of life; nor were there huge
shopping plazas for touting unwanted goods; nor was
there an advertising industry goading the masses to buy
such things. The economic system was based on need,
not greed. Trade was limited and mostly by barter — ”I
give you something you need, you give me something