It is my belief - along with my own personal experience - that selfless
behavior that is powerful and effective over the long haul is selflessness
that has its ground in the soul as opposed to the ego or personality.
Spiritually mature selfless behavior comes from having identified the
central, core purpose of one's being which then creates powerful clarity
of direction and intent. The spiritually mature, selfless individual is
consciously aware, authentic, and mentally, physically, emotionally and
spiritually congruent. He or she operates from a center of intention
which is in alignment with his or her core purpose in life which is
founded upon wisdom, compassion, understanding, creativity and
relationship, a capacity for courage, strength, endurance and patience,
and an ability and willingness to take the long view.
We at IBSAIL are of the opinion that humanity is involved in the second
revolution/evolution in the history of mankind. The first great
revolution/evolution mankind experienced occurred in the gradual shift
from our hunting and gathering childhood to the birth of agriculture and
the domestication of animals, which signaled the beginning of the second
stage, the adolescence of the human specie. This period ushered in the
birth of the identity of the ego-self, the notion of private property, the
creation of wealth and the beginning of recorded history. The
relationship with Nature changed dramatically as humans increasingly
sought to harness and control her power.
Over thousands of years, villages grew into towns and cities. These
cultures were based on patriarchal, hierarchal systems, grounded in
adolescent ideas of power, violence, fear and the need for control.
Dominance, reductionism, separation, greed and the power of personal
wealth were hallmarks of the increasing mental development of the specie.
Currently, humanity is again faced with another enormous evolutionary
shift. This time, the revolution has to do with things that are unseen and
intangible - difficult to grasp and control. This revolution is about
"knowledge" and is moving mankind into a third stage which has to do with
the maturation of the human specie. Humanity is now entering into the
Knowledge Era which brings with it an awareness of a rapidly shrinking
world and a need for process, collaborative learning cultures, compassion,
interconnection, imagination and creativity. We are, individually and
collectively, recognizing that now, our effective "doing" must originate
from the essence of our "being" and that we must create a new way of being
and doing that is founded on interdependence and human fulfillment.
The truly selfless individual called to inhabit this third stage of human
development is cognizant of the need for the powerful manifestation of
individual purpose and spirituality in the service of the higher self, as
it is, at the same time, in the service of other human beings and of all
life.
We are all, therefore, being called to greater maturity and spiritual
awareness, as we grow toward becoming our future selves - enormous,
selfless, aware, compassionate, courageous, strong, and, individually and
collectively, creative, imaginative and purposeful.
-- Martha G. White Co-President Institute for Business and Social Architecture International, Ltd. Pine, CO 80770 303-838-5178