ULISSES RIEDEL DE RESENDE, Brazil PLANETARY CITIZENSHIP First of all, I would like to congratulate the planning staff and executors of this Forum. In the understanding of the Planetary Union, organization which I represent, with home office in Brazil, nothing is more important than to elevate the level of spiritual consciousness of humanity, seeking to reach the collective consciousness of spiritual brotherhood, the collective source of loving-kindness which must permeate the relations among people and countries. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary to develop an intelligent planning which begins with the realization of a Forum with the participation of the most expressive spiritual leaderships of the world, when subjective basic and fundamental goals are established, as well as objectives for world spiritual interaction.
Understanding this reality, in a lesser proportions, the Planetary Union initiated in Brazil, in 2006, spiritual forums which were repeated in the subsequent years and reached a relative success. It demonstrated that the scientific and technologic evolution, the economic and social proposals can not, on an isolated basis, satisfactory solve the problems of mankind. Thus, a spiritual perspective based on universal love, becomes urgent.
The development of a new vision is essential; a new philosophical attitude which starts with the respect and valorization of diversity, expanding the perception of life’s unity and completing the process with a new behavior. This new vision – with the eyes of the heart – must change our motivations and intentions so that they become altruistic, and promote a revision of our values.
Our future depends on our capacity of reaching genuine spiritual wisdom, through integration of different visions, whether scientific, philosophical, religious or through our willingness to surrender ourselves to the sacred energy, since this force is the source of profound wisdom and love without frontiers.
No regimen, government system, political or economic institution by itself can guarantee a respectable society. Only with the incorporation into our lives of brotherhood, affection, loving-kindness, spirituality and tenderness, can we achieve a healthy human and planetary relationship.
The awareness of brotherhood within all beings is essential. We all belong to the same source of life. We are made of the same clay. We are all interconnected. Our family is humanity and all the beings which make up the net of life, sons and daughters of the earth. Not only the human beings need to be loved and respected, but all of nature, and especially, the animals that are alive, who feel and suffer just as we do. Spirituality thus moves towards vegetarianism.
There is no superior ideology than solidarity. When a man hurts another man, he hurts all humanity and himself as well. From the macrocosm to the microcosm, the web of life is unique.
The transformation of society depends on the transformation of each one of us. Society must awaken to the collective consciousness of the individual responsibility towards the indispensable collective consciousness of loving-kindness.
Human evolution can be affected through the blooming and development of qualities, considering the will, wisdom and love as the fundamental ones.
In order to conquer ignorance, it is necessary to develop wisdom; in order to conquer inaction, it is necessary to develop will; in order to conquer insensibility, it is necessary to develop love. Action must always be directed towards goodwill. Evil dwells only when there is absence of goodness. Darkness only exists through the absence of light. Correct action is always conducted through the light. These fundamental qualities must be developed simultaneously. Whenever one is less developed, the essential balance for human action, individually or collectively, becomes unstable.
Love is not an emotional issue. It is a law of life. It is the cosmic law of harmony. Loving-kindness is the basis of a sound human relation and the only healthy one.
Everyone dreams of a happy mankind. However, the death rates due to the wars, almost 100 million in the 20th century, as well as the trillions spent with them, shake the most optimistic convictions.
The time is already due for mankind to break the insane logic that exists in the culture of war. “There is no path towards peace; peace is the path”, so taught us Mahatma Gandhi, in harmony with the teachings of all the great masters of humanity.
In Brazil, the Planetary Union initiated its actions with multiple activities, giving emphasis to the production and transmission of television programs with broad non-sectarian spiritual contents. This broadcasting of programs is done through the TV SUPREN, during 24 hours daily, reaching dozens of TV stations in the country and also transmitted via WebTV to the world, through the site: www.tvsupren.com.br
Like it or not, we are inexorably responsible for the world we live in, for our actions or omissions. We are part of the same life. Each one of us is a link in the chain that unites all creatures. We are the passengers of the Earth Ship; we are the Earth ourselves. Thus, it is fundamental that we practice loving-kindness with all during this trip in order for it to be happy, for the preservation of humanity and of the planetary life, in this wonderful destiny of our Mother-Earth travelling harmoniously towards the Infinite.
The present text is based on the Letter of Planetary Citizenship, approved during the World Spiritual Forum, held in 2006, previously mentioned.
We intended to prepare a lengthier text but since I could not exceed my time, we printed a booklet in Russian, English, Spanish and Portuguese, for distribution.