Being is a Spiritual Journey

An excerpt from the book:

“How would a more spiritually advanced civilization be governed? I personally believe it would be based on the simple insight that all our problems come from within us, from our minds and hearts, and can be solved by us. That is why such a civilization would partner with evolution and put at the center of its efforts the inner development of its members in a continuous process. A wiser civilization would know that by organizing itself in a way that honors the highest values and waters the best seeds in everyone—truth, freedom, justice, respect for life, happiness, love, peace—it could best support its flourishing and that of societies’ members.

Social sciences are increasingly pointing toward this truth. Elinor Ostrom, who is probably the most respected scholar in the field of institutional analysis, summarized the most important lesson she has learned through her work by arguing that “a core goal of public policy should be to facilitate the development of institutions that bring out the best in humans.” I call this wisdom-based approach to politics, which places being as its main objective and means, “the politics of being.” Here, “being” means the fulfillment of all beings and, for humans, the realization of our full potential, that is to say of our highest and truest being. Our highest being refers to the development of inner values, virtues, or qualities, while our truest being relates to the process of becoming who we really are. They both converge in the manifestation of our true interbeing nature. (…)

This definition of “being” makes it similar to other terms that I also use at times. They include spiritual or innerdevelopment, self-actualization, humanflourishing, or eudaimonia (see chapter 6). All the dimensions of being, as well as our relational nature, need to be considered. Thus, being is about “realizing one’s unique potential through physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual development […] in relation to self, others and the environment.” The politics of being recognizes that life is a spiritual journey and aims at aligning our institutions with our true reason for being here on Earth: becoming who we are, the best and most complete version of ourselves. Societies can help us “be” by offering the means to fulfill our deepest healthy aspirations, through institutions grounded in the (inter)being paradigm .”