The PROUT Companion
1
The PROUT Companion
The PROUT Companion An edited, updated and illustrated version of PROUT Giita, srcinally written by Ac. Raghunath Prasad
Proutist Universal
2
The PROUT Companion
The PROUT Companion Edited and published by Proutist Universal Global Office Platanvej 30 !"#$%$0 &rederi'sber( C !enmar' ) Proutist Universal *0$0 PROUT Giita +y ,carya Ra(hunath Prasad Published by Proutist Universal ! -$ .outh E/tension e1 !elhi 2ndia ) Proutist Universal $4%
3
The PROUT Companion
The PROUT Companion PROUT !iita"
A short discussion on the Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT), the socioeconomic theory roounded !y P"R" #ar$ar, the seer hilosoher o% our time"
&
The PROUT Companion
Contents Pu!lisher's oreord""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""* Pre%ace""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""+ This ra -eeds PROUT"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""12 PROUT. The ive undamental Princiles"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""1* The our Asects"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""2/ Philosohy""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""30 Theory o% istory"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""3 conomic Asects""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""& 4ndustrial olicy""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Agricultural Policy""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""*3 Political #ystem"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""** ternal #ong o% the Proutists""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""* Postscrit. Acarya Raghunath Prasad""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The PROUT Companion
Publisher's Foreword On August 3, 1+/, Prout's %ounder P"R" #ar$ar as released %rom in 4ndia, the cases againsthe him 5uashed" or nearlyimrisonment seven years, in harroing conditions, had !een $et in custody on %alse charges !y the 4ndian authorities" According to the ation 5aster Encyclopedia. 6y the early 1+0s the government o% 7est 6engal %elt the social activism o% #ar$ar's organization had !ecome a threat to their imorted materialist ideology o% 8ar9ism as ell as undermining the oer !ase o% the :ommunist arty, hich sought its suort among the oor" As a result, Ananda 8arga as !anned and its mem!ers came under o%ten %ierce attac$s !y 8ar9ist organized mo!s here!y many mon$s and nuns ere $illed" #ar$ar as imrisoned on trumed u charges, o% having consired to $ill his %ormer disciles" The central government o% 4ndira ;andhi and the :64 suorted the !ans and charges and !ecame active in sreading corro!orating in%ormation a!out him and his movement internationally" Only a%ter 4ndira ;andhi and her :ongress Party had !een voted out o% o%%ice in 1+ as there a retrial" A%ter #ar$ar as cleared o% the charges, he as released %rom rison in 1+/" At the outset o% his seven years o% imrisonment #ar$ar as allegedly oisoned !y the rison doctor !ut lived" rom then on he too$ to %asting, and su!sisted only on hal% a cu o% !utter mil$ tice a day"
encycloedia>P"R"=#ar$ar) *
The PROUT Companion
P6R6 .ar'ar 7$*$#08 in the mid to late $90s 7left8 around the time he propounded Prout and after his release from jail in $4%6
#hortly !e%ore #ar$ar's release thousands o% 4ndian Proutists had also !een released %rom years in ?ail %olloing the end o% the nation=ide emergency" A main o!?ective o% the concocted cases against #ar$ar as ell as o% the state o% emergency had !een to crush PROUT movement no in 4ndia" 7itha reneed enthusiasm andthe %ervor this movement launched %lourish o% rograms and activities in 4ndia and around the orld" 4n the same year (1+/) Proutist Universal 4ndia u!lished a small s5uare !oo$, 10910 cm 2, 1*2 ages long, on the Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT)" A sasti$a, the ancient sym!ol o% siritual victory, in hite adorned the !right orange %ront cover !eneath the !oo$'s title PROUT Giita" The !oo$'s considera!le oc$et=%riendliness and its comact delivery o% the %undamentals o% PROUT soon accorded it status
The PROUT Companion
as a ready comanion and handy re%erence %or students and cadres o% PROUT" Uon reading PROUT ;iita some 30 years later e decided to revise the te9t" %ormulations the srcinal have#ome !een somehat modernizedla!yrinthine and simli%ied" O!vious in misrints and sentences %ound anting have !een reaired" istorical re%erences ith little current value have !een revised, either !y !eing udated or deleted" A %e o% the !asic concets have !een e9anded uon %or sa$e o% clarity" #tated %acts and 5uotes have !een suorted ith sources laced in %ootnotes" A %e illustrations ere also ut in" Along e %ound that %or a ider glo!al audience a ne title ould !e in order, hich !ecame The PROUT Companion" 4n this ay e thought it Proutistic to do our !it to advance this authentic te9t %urther along history's magni%icent ath" 6y our hum!le e%%ort e hoe to o%%er resent generations o% routists an oortunity to e9erience and learn %rom the early, signi%icant contri!ution and intent o% one o% the %irst routists ho used to receive in%ormation and teachings on PROUT directly %rom #ar$ar" 4t is ith dee resect and gratitude that e dedicate this hum!le e%%ort to the %ond memory o% the late Acarya Raghunath Prasad, a ioneering PROUT thin$er and dedicated discile o% #ar$ar"
The Pu!lishers :oenhagen 8arch 13, 2010
/
The PROUT Companion
Preface @i$e all human !eings, social thin$ers too are e9onents o% their times they and o% articular concerns" Thetheir environment and conditions live in certainly in%luence reasoning" As the una!ated march o% time continues, circumstances are altered and changes suggested !y those thin$ers are gradually made o!solete" 8oreover, an only artial realization o% human ersonality, hoever sohisticated or em!ellished !y rhetoric, has little, i% any, oer o% sustenance in a orld o% raid sychic develoment" 4t is there%ore hardly surrising that hen artisans o% such rigid, ea$ hilosohies ventured to materialize their theoretical dogmas, it led to slavery, e9loitation, !igotry and siritual !an$rutcy" 7herever such develoments too$ root, it 5uite naturally resulted in tremendous reactions" @et us !rie%ly loo$ at some e9amles %rom recent history" egel1, steeed in metahysical e9travaganza, conceived in his deli!erations on li%e o% a utoian 4deaB" At the same time he assumed the role o% loyal servant o% the Prussian #tate 2 and glori%ied it. The #tate is the earthly e9ression o% the
2
;"7"" egel (10=1/31), hilosoher and one o% the creators o% ;erman 4dealism" is historicist and idealist account o% the total reality revolutionized uroean hilosohy and as an imortant recursor to continental hilosohy" (#ource. 7i$iedia) At its ea$ during the 1/ th and 1+ th centuries Prussia as the leading state o% the great ;erman mire"
+
The PROUT Companion
A!solute" is oonents called him the o%%icial hilosoherB and they may not have !een un%air in saying so" egel's dei%ication o% the state as emulated !y itler ho attemted %or the adoration to o% trans%orm myths o% the his collective eole's into raciala temle and economic suremacy" 7orld 7ar 2 history a!ounds in evidence o% the torture and su%%ering !rought on humanity !y this tragic devolution" egelian concets %ermented in 8ar9ist theory as ell to cause the emergence o% a monstrous state dictatorshi" The era %olloing the industrial revolution as one o% emerging caitalism o%%ering rosects o% economic a%%luence and e9anded vistas o% material leasure" conomic motivation as an asiration and insiration as rationalized !y Adam #mith" The social mentality had gron economy=oriented, esecially in 7estern uroe and most o% all in ngland here Carl 8ar9 educated himsel% %or a ne thin$ing" Preeminently o% an economic ersuasion, shoc$ed !y the e9loitation and the delora!le conditions o% la!or, and %ond o% history 8ar9 interreted the emerging industrial civilization as the natural result o% class struggle" Alying egelian dialectics to his on analysis o% history 8ar9 roclaimed that the entire human history as one o% class struggle"B 4n his version o% totalitarian utoia, economic %orce as the determining %actor that steered eole toards classlessness" The thin$er in 8ar9 remained imossi!ly anti= middle=class and re%used to incororate any %iner and higher human sentiments into the hoes %or heaven on arth" Perched on materialist dogmas and heavy on %antastic claims o% roletarian asiration 8ar9' insu!stantial concet o% or$ing 10
The PROUT Companion
class dictatorshi never !ecame a reality" -evertheless, as an antiode to caitalist thought 8ar9ism too$ %irm root and as a!le to create mass illusions such as. 4t is economic circumstances that create consciousness,B and rom everyone according caacity to everyone according to need"B 4n the communisttocountries human !eings remained economically enslaved !y a theory o% economic determinism" 7ith time a deeening understanding o% 8ar9ism's imossi!le amalgamation o% the roletarian and rogress !egan to trans%orm the idea o% the economic !eing into sychic !eing along ith the latter's mani%estations o% su!tler sentiments" uman society today needs a ne social hilosohy a!le to guide its emerging sychic !eing toards a still higher sycho= siritual state" 4t %urther needs to smoothly ad?ust that lo%ty state o% !eing ith an ever=changing sycho=siritual order comrising ithin itsel% siritual, economic, olitical and the other asects o% a rogressive society"
11
The PROUT Companion
This Era Needs PROUT Ours is an era o% sychic e9ansion ith immense th
otentialities tremendous The 1+ !earing century th and the earlyand art o% the 20achievements" sa an economic dominated !y matter and material %orces" 8ar9 as the visionary rohet o% this ne religion hile
ideas o%
&
4mmanuel Cant and riedrich #chelling, seminal ;erman hilosohers, Cant a rationalist, #chelling an idealist" er!ert #encer, 1+th century 6ritish evolutionary hilosoher"
12
The PROUT Companion
had its on imact" instein conceived o% a %ourth dimension, the dimension o% time, hich as a mental concetD the mental measurement o% motivity o% action" To him the o!?ective orld as a sace=time continuumB" The old concets o% science thus ent through revolutionary changes once again" #u!tle scienti%ic achievements had ena!led ddington to esta!lish that e9act science as only $noledge o% ointer= reading on instruments" The scientists o% the time ent on and e soon %ind ddington and Eeans * declaring emhatically that the ultimate nature o% the universe is mental,B and that the direct $noledge e ossess is the $noledge o% mental states"B They %urther esta!lished that #een %rom the outside, as it ere a living train, the universe is a collection o% molecules in movement" 9erienced %rom inside it is a collection o% mental states" The %irst vie gives us $noledge o% structure" The second vie gives us $noledge o% nature or su!stance"B The dee thin$ers o% science ere advancing, inch=!y=inch, toards the su!tler asects o% the :osmic henomenon" Physicists and astrohysicists ere aroaching !oth the internal asects o% atom and electron, and o% the mind and consciousness" The succession o% %eelings hich constitutes a erson's consciousness is the reality hich roduces in our minds the ercetion o% the motions o% that erson's !rain,B Eeans stated" To him the universe as a thought in the mind o% *
8otivity is the oer o% initiating or roducing motion" #ir Arthur #" ddington and #ir Eames " Eeans, 6ritish astroscientists o% the early 20th century hose methodological de!ate made theoretical astrohysics via!le" #ource. B#o #imle a Thing as a #tar. The ddington=Eeans
13
The PROUT Companion
;od" ddington and #chrodinger thought that determinism should !e de%initely a!andoned, since in the motions o% single atoms and electrons there seems to !e an element o% %ree ill" To these scientists, evolution o% the :osmic henomenon aeared to !e a art :osmic lay and game the human !eing can onlyit lay a conscious in the divine !ut not really a%%ect in a %undamental ay" There is a tremendous insirational aeal in this, hich this era continues to a!sor! %or its %orard march" 4n this rocess the emerging sychic !eing attained tremendous intellectual oers ith hich it has con5uered still ne %orces o% nature, reaching out into the universe, controlling !io=genetic rocesses, etc" oever, intellect e9erts oer !ut oer is !lind" 4t needs isdom to rovide it ith a roer direction" :osmic orientation, or siritual guidance, is that guiding isdom indicated !y the su!tler thin$ers o% science" The Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT) is a hay !lending o% that siritual isdom ith hysical attainments, or su!?ective aroach ith o!?ective ad?ustment"B The %ive %undamental rinciles o% PROUT, detailed in the ne9t chater, teach us to !uild a social order devoid o% all tyes o% e9loitation" They %ormulate the rogressive develoment o% metahysical, sura=mundane and siritual otentialities o% the individual as ell as o% collective !odies" 4n this ay human society may roceed touch the silver lining !eteen the metahysical and the siritual"
rin #chrGdinger, Austrian theoretical hysicist, contri!utor to 5uantum mechanics"
1&
The PROUT Companion
Until no the achievements o% science and technology, agriculture and industry may have !rought a%%luence, and even great ealth, to some" 6ut in a%%luence e su%%er" 4nstead o% going in the direction o% a roer human order e are %ighting on the geo=olitical ?ustand li$e ancient humansagainst livingother in rimitive clans used level to %ight har!or re?udice clans" 7eaons o% ar have changed !ut the motive remains the same" To !uild an e9loitation=%ree economic=olitical order and motivate that order to realize its ideals, a radical social hilosohy o% ne siritual humanism is re5uired" PROUT is that social hilosohy !estoed ith su!lime roelling trends"
1
The PROUT Companion
PROUT: The Five Fundamental Principles Q. Why is it called Progressive Utilization Theory?
Our universe is a :osmic ro?ection" The :osmic One is the :reator" ence the %inal onershi o% every o!?ect lies ith #ureme :onsciousness, our :osmic %ather" 7e, as the children o% the #ureme Progenitor, areas all utilize the roerties o% the entire universe our entitled commontoatrimony" As limited living !eings in an ever=changing orld each one o% us is more or less constricted in our outloo$ and in our a!ility to deal ith the universe and our society" At the same time e are in need o% sustaining our individual and collective e9istence" There%ore e have a constant motivation to rogress and develo in order to realize still more o% the universe and its ealth" ence ours is the theory o% rogressive utilization" Q. Is this concept of Supreme Consciousness a sentimental ideal or an eisting entity to !hom o!nership may "e attri"uted?
uman !eings are sycho=sentimental entities" 7e cannot conceive o% a erson ithout sentiments" 4t is a articular sentimental comosition that causes us to e9erience leasure or ain in articular circumstances, and also ena!les us to er%orm acts o% trivial and e9traordinary natures" #entimental o!sessions are oer%ul motivating %orces !ehind economic attachments and hoarding" An urge to accumulate more and 1*
The PROUT Companion
more economic oer results in economic e9loitation" This is the e9loiter's sychic disease" The su!tle and su!lime sentiment o% the #ureme ather, :osmic %amily and common atrimony ill motivate human !eings toards collective good and $ee them %rom develoing %alse notions o% onershi and conse5uent e9loitation" 8oreover, the attri!ution o% onershi to #ureme :onsciousness is a %actual statement !ased on rational deduction and siritual realization" indings o% science sea$ o% a nucleus in every structure" One cannot imagine a structure ithout a nucleus, hether it is the atomic structure or the solar system" The cosmological structure, comrising innumera!le gala9ies must there%ore also have a nucleus, hich siritualists call #ureme :onsciousness" According to scienti%ic e9lanations given !y siritual cosmology, #ureme :onsciousness is the causal %actor o% the eternal dynamism o% the cosmological structure in the %orm o% centri%ugal and centrietal %orces" 8oreover the %ive %undamental %actors o% the hysical universe H ethereal, aerial, luminous, li5uid and solid H are the crude mani%estations o% the same #ureme :onsciousness" These %ive states o% matter are the creation o% #ureme :onsciousness out o% hich all other materials are made !y human !eings" The resence o% the ill o% a conscious entity, the ill o% #ureme :onsciousness, in the :osmic henomenon is gaining accetance !y hysicists" These hysicists strongly contend that the role o% determinism in hysical henomenon can !e ruled out most ro!a!ly as indeendent ill oer aarently lays a de%inite role in the :osmic henomenon"
1
The PROUT Companion
#iritualists o%%er to teach a sychological method here!y every individual can erceive and e9erience the e9istence and %unctioning o% #ureme :onsciousness" 6y devoting some time and ersonal resources to inner or$ on a regular !asis, through certain in our innertruth la!oratory,B !eings can easilye9eriments realize the time=tested o% great human masters and modern science. 7e are art o% the 7hole, e are the 7hole" This is the #ureme Truth and the essence o% #ureme :onsciousness The concet that the onershi o% all things lies ith #ureme :onsciousness is there%ore a scienti%ic %act as ell as a su!lime sentiment" This otent reality ill revolutionize the hole concet o% social hilosohy in a ay hitherto not conceived o% !y any social thin$er" PROUT accets this as its %undamental concet" Q. What are the fundamental principles of P#$UT?
PROUT has %ive %undamental rinciles %rom hich all olicies concerning human society are to !e derived" Policies o% utilization ill go on changing rogressively !ut not these %undamentals. 1" -o individual should !e alloed to accumulate any hysical ealth ithout the clear ermission or aroval o% the collective !ody" 2" There should !e ma9imum utilization and rational distri!ution o% all mundane, sura=mundane and siritual otentialities o% human society" 3" There should !e ma9imum utilization o% hysical, metahysical and siritual otentialities o% unit and collective !odies o% human society" 1/
The PROUT Companion
&" There should !e roer ad?ustment amongst those hysical, metahysical, mundane, sura=mundane and siritual utilizations" " The o% utilization accordance the method changes in time, should sace vary and inerson and ith the utilization should !e o% rogressive nature" Q. %ccording to its first fundamental principle& P#$UT allo!s accumulation "ut curtails it. Why?
Accumulation is a natural urge inherent in human !eings" A comlete !an on that inherent sychic urge leads to social tension and may even cause crac$s in the socioolitical setu" As a matter o% %act, it as so e9erienced in some communist countries" There, to counteract this natural urge under the nic$names o% su!version, revision, diversion, etc", concerned autocratic regimes resorted to dictatorial and reressive measures in the name o% revolutions" Iet tensions (as reactions to reression) continued to erut until communism %inally %ell" PROUT allos accumulation as ermitted !y the collective !ody (see !elo a!out the collective !ody)" Q. Why curtailment?
The entire universe is every!ody's ?oint roerty" All have the same right o% use, i"e" right to en?oy and utilize the roducts o% a roerty that he or she does not really on" The actual onershi lies ith the #ureme" #ince the resources o% the universe, hoever vast they may !e, are in %act %inite, no one has the right to a!use them" Those ho accumulate very much ealth and hoard it directly curtail the hainess and conveniences o% others" Their !ehavior is %lagrantly antisocial" 6ecause all hysical ealth is limited its accumulation cannot 1+
The PROUT Companion
!e alloed !eyond a certain limit ithout commendation o% society" 8oreover, the nature o% the social, educational, economic and other olicies that ill !e chal$ed out in a Proutistic society is such that the urge to accumulate hysical ealth ill ane as a conse5uence" Q. What is the collective "ody and !hat !ill "e the difference "et!een it and the elected government?
The collective !ody is the reresentation o% society at any level, such as the village, regional or glo!al level, !y individuals ho !y dint o% their siritual=ethical aroach, service and sacri%ice are in intimate touch ith the eole's asirations and their collective good" These collective !odies ill not %unction li$e olitical arties clamoring and gam!ling %or oer" @ust %or olitical oer ma$es olitical leaders degenerate into demagogic oulists, and demagoguery ma$es democracy degenerate into dictatorshi" Q. Why is there a need for collective "odies? %re the present institutions of government not capa"le of "ringing the all'round development of society?
4% the human !ody is a vehicle, then the human mind is its driver and the mental roensities o% most o% us are li$e untamed horses ulling the vehicle hither and tither" 7ithout mental control human !eings are slave to their roensities" 4n order to contain those untamed horses a conscious and determined e%%ort is needed to turn their course inard" Otherise they ill drag us into a ild race o% e9trovert desires and am!itions that ill eventually harm !oth us as ell as our %ello !eings" 20
The PROUT Companion
The develoment o% a !alanced ersonality is ossi!le through ethical o!servation and siritual ractices" A erson no matter ho intellectually elevated cannot raise him= or hersel% a!ove mundane desires and sel%ish motivations i% he or she remains ithout moralguidance comass he andorregular siritual o% any asuch she ill not ractice" remain
The PROUT Companion
human society" They remain holly unrelia!le hen it comes to not utting their interests a!ove the common good" PROUT conceives o% the emergence o% the collective !odies throughout a netor$ o% civil society=!ased institutions dedicated sel%less service collective and the collective good" The emergence to o% such !enevolent !odies as lat%orms o% genuine, !eloved leaders o% the eole ill !e the natural conse5uence o% sycho=social churning" The governing !odies on the other hand as elected institutions ill continue to determine the mode and method o% utilizations (roounded in PROUT's %irst %our %undamental rinciles) and ull them into action H under the surveillance and moral authority o% the collective !odies" 4n this ay PROUT di%%erentiates clearly !eteen the to" Q. What is meant "y maimum utilization and rational distri"ution of mundane& supra'mundane and spiritual potentialities?
7hatever ealth and resources are inherent in the crude (mundane), su!tle (sura=mundane) and causal (siritual) orlds should !e develoed and used %or the !ene%it o% all unites" The develoment o% the resources hidden in the %ive %undamental elements, i"e" solid, li5uid, luminous, aerial and ethereal (sace), ill !e accomlished through the media o% 100 J honest use and sincere e%%orts" uman !eings ill have to e9lore land, sea and sace in all earnestness to discover and utilize the re5uisite materials" #cience and technology are to !e evolved accordingly" 4n the evolution o% the use o% thermal oer e are moving on in our e9loration o% the usage o% solar, ocean and ind energy and this utilization ill have to gro more and more rogressive"
22
The PROUT Companion
4n the sura=mundane sheres, too, human !eings ill continue to e9lore the cultural, ethical and intellectual otentialities o% the universe" 4n5uiries and advancements into su!tler realms ill continue as human !eings get to understand more o% the role o% the mental and sycho=siritual in all human a%%airs" The ealth e9lored and amassed !y human society in this ay must !e rationally distri!uted ith roer ad?ustment and consideration" Aart %rom meeting the indisensa!le minimum necessities o% everyone, re5uirements o% the meritorious ill !e $et in mind" 4n this ay there ill !e harmony !eteen availa!ility and necessity, e%%ecting congruous groth ithin and among the various sections o% society" Q. What is meant "y maimum utilization of physical& metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of the unit and the collective "ody of human society?
The develoment and utilization o% the collective !ody, collective mind and collective siritual !earing have to !e e%%ected" The collective good lies in the good o% individuals hile the individual good lies in that o% the collectivity" 4n order to !ene%it the collective !ody, its individuals ill !e rovided ith hysical essentials and amenities on strength o% their urchasing oer earned in emloyment" PROUT's ise emloyment and earning olicies ill secure the otimal develoment o% the hysical otential o% the individual" A roer sense o% collective and cororate li%e H a sense o% service and sacri%ice !eyond education H ill evolve and develo the metahysical asect o% individuality and conse5uently the collective mind"
23
The PROUT Companion
Aa$ening o% sirituality and ethical drive in individuals ill instill the collective ith siritual and moral values ithout hich the !ac$!one o% the collectivity ould !rea$" One or to oer%ul, learned or ise ersons, or one or to siritualists are no guarantee %or advancement and rogress o% the hole society" -or can they create that hysico=sycho= siritual stance !y hich those three=%old otentialities o% the unit and collective !odies ill get their ma9imum develoment and utilization" The mind and sel% o% every individual have the otential %or limitless e9ansion and develoment" That otentiality has got to !e harnessed and !rought to %ruition" Only then can 5ualitative change ta$e lace and e ill see a human society %ree %rom e9loitation, distrust and discord" Q. What does P#$UT imply "y propounding that there should "e a proper ad(ustment amongst the physical& metaphysical& mundane& supramundane and spiritual utilizations?
The social and siritual ursuits o% an individual should !e !alanced so that harmony is maintained among his or her hysical, mental and siritual asects" The lac$ o% ad?ustment among these inherent %actors o% human !eings results in losided develoment o% !oth ersons and societies" The numerous instances o% material groth leading to indisciline and %rustration in the 7est and neglect o% such at the altar o% ritualism and dogmatic religion in the ast sea$ %or themselves" The dread%ul result o% the rem oval o% ancient ma9ims o% divine authority under communist rule H its crude inhumanity H roved ell the imortance o% roer all=round ad?ustment" 4% the mentors o% those societies had realized this much, human society could have !een saved %rom !loodshed
2&
The PROUT Companion
and horrors rought and carried out only %or the sa$e o% the material and the hysical evolution o% society" The la o% ad?ustment and arallelism %urther stiulates that hile involving a erson ho ill is hysically, mentally and siritually develoed, society %ollo a ell=!alanced olicy o% e5uity and %air lay" #ociety ill utilize the su!tlest otentiality, the siritual, to its ma9imum, and the cruder saringly" #imilarly, in case o% a erson ho is hysically and mentally develoed, the latter otentiality is to !e utilized the most" #ociety ill utilize the hysical otentiality more in a erson ho is mostly hysically develoed" The same goes %or entire societiesD they di%%er too, ?ust as individuals do as regards the three=%old otentialities H hysical, mental and siritual" 7hen an individual ossesses mostly !aser otentialities, there ill !e an endeavor to instil in him or her the su!tler otentialities through education, siritual teaching and conducive comany" Q. Under !hose control and guidance can society achieve maimum development of the utilizations and ad(ustment among them?
#ocial control should !e in the hands o% siritual asirants ho are intelligent as ell as !old" 4t should not !e in the hands o% those ho are only !rany or those ho are only !rave, or those ho are only smart or intelligent, or those ho are only orldly=ise" Only courageous, !old and intelligent siritualists can ma$e society !ring a!out the ma9imum develoment o% all otentialities and ensure a hay and !enevolent ad?ustment among those otential utilizations"
2
The PROUT Companion
Q. What does P#$UT mean "y stating that the utilizations should "e of progressive nature?
-othing in the universe is stationary" very o!?ect is su!?ect to changes in time, lace and erson" Their value may change !ecause theyo%ay !eing used changing and !ecause the necessities li%earecontinue to ischange" 7hat as great yesterday may !e ordinary today and o% no use tomorro" #imilarly an idea that as o% no signi%icance yesterday may !e thought rovo$ing today and on every!ody's mind tomorro" Progress is the $eynote o% e9istence" #tagnation is death" As such one has to !e rogressive in the ractical use o% any o!?ect, any need, any concet" Ceeing in vie the idea o% rogress and advancement, e have to ma$e gradually greater and greater use o% human otentiality" 4% a machine can do the or$ that ten men may do ith hammers so let it, and let those ten ersons move on to greater utilization o% their active and slum!ering otentials" To romote the use o% tools and aaratus o% an earlier era in that o% a more develoed one is not a sign o% rogress" #nags and o!stacles o% any size may at any time cro u to o!struct society's rogressive march roelled !y dynamic ideation and rogressive imagination" #uch o!stacles must !e %aced courageouslyD humanity has to march on and on through clash and cohesion" Those eole ho do not understand this !asic truth ant to remain entom!ed in old conventions and narro sentiments" #uch torid ersons have no lace in a dynamic society" 4n %act, their narro sychic comle9es $ee them aay %rom the realities ith the result that they are comelled to slin$ aay and !e doomed to o!livion a%ter having done indescri!a!le harm to human society"
2*
The PROUT Companion
PROUT stands %or increased utilization o% eole's various resources and not their unemloyment" 4ts roduction olicy is consumtion=oriented and not ro%it=motivated" 7ithin Prout's overarching %rameor$ o% ma9imum utilization and rational distri!ution ill ensure are that eole's individual and collective talents and it otentials continuously alied %or the hainess and good o% all, and not %or someone's ro%it"
2
The PROUT Companion
The Four spects
2/
The PROUT Companion
end, the social hilosohy must have a scienti%ic economic thought" Political motivation !ased on an ideological concet and a olitical structure the essential %orm o% an !ased on ethics and virtue inare %or organization true socioeconomic develoment" The domination o% olitical motivation devoid o% the a!ove %actors only roduces 8achiavellian tacticians and oulists" ither o% these corrut the socioolitical structure" 4nstead o% involving eole in society !uilding in a real ay, seudo=democrats, socialists and social democrats ollute the sycho=social atmoshere !y nurturing evil and narro emotions" Their goal is to ultimately esta!lish their crony rule or ersonal dictatorshi" The victim is society, su%%ering %rom torture and e9loitation" To save society %rom such torments and travail and to ensure its ever=groing socioeconomic develoment, roer olitical thought is essential" Prout contains all these %our asects, outlined in the %olloing %our chaters, o% a ell=evolved social hilosohy"
2+
The PROUT Companion
Philosoph! Consciousness is the .upreme subjectivity and all other mundane subjectivities or objectivities the absolute subjectivity6P"R" #ar$ar/ are mere blendin(s of 2 re(ard consciousness as fundamental6 2 re(ard matter as derivative from consciousness6
Q. What is the specific characteristic of the philosophy of Prout?
According to Prout, consciousness is the %undamental material, and matter is the result o% its metamorhosis" 8atter is crudi%ied consciousness" / + 10 11
rom CosaB, 2dea and 2deolo(y (1++), Ananda 8arga Pu!lications" 4ntervieed in The Observer, Eanuary 2th, 1+31" ,nanda .utram, 1=&, Ananda 8arga Pu!lications 1+*&" ;istory of
30
The PROUT Companion
Q. )o! does consciousness manifest itself as matter?
Pure consciousness is the su!stantiating, itnessing entity hile the oerative rincile (the %orce o% creation) mani%ests the act o% creation" These to are inaliena!le concomitant entities li$e the sides o% a iece o% aer" -one o% them can e9ist?ust ithout theto other" :onsciousness is the itnessing entity o% hatever the oerative rincile creates, ?ust li$e e are a!le to re%lect on our orld and its activities" The oerative rincile creates !y alying three !inding rinciles. sentient, mutative and static" That hich gives a ure 4=%eeling is the sentient, hile that hich instills a sense o% doershi is the mutative rincile" 4n the :osmic mind such sentient consciousness e9resses itsel% in ure 4B=%eeling or intuitional mind. 4 e9ist in all thisKB 8utative consciousness is e9erienced as ego, the 4B that relates to action, %eelings, roerties, etc", such as in meB and mineB" 4 did itKB, is one e9ression o% such egoD 7ithout me it could not have haenedKB, is another cruder" A still greater imact o% the static rincile causes the mani%estation o% crude or comlete o!?ectivization o% consciousness" This12is the crudest o!?ective counterart o% the su!?ective :osmos"B This condition o% consciousness is called mind=stu%%" 4t has a %orm, and that hich causes it to ta$e %orm is the static rincile o% the %orce o% creation" An e9ression o% this state o% consciousness ould !e. The stu%% 4 continue to generate gives value to my e9istence"B ere crude o!?ects have !ecome more imortant than !oth the su!tler ego=%eeling or the still much su!tler ure 4B=%eeling"
12
,nanda .utram, 1="
31
The PROUT Companion
The continued imact o% the static rincile on :osmic mind= stu%% causes it to undergo %urther crudi%ication" As a result ethereal (satial), aerial, luminous, li5uid and solid %actors H the %ive states o% matter H are created as a result o% the gradual crudi%ication o% the :osmic mind" To conclude, mattero%is the a crudi%ied %orm o% consciousness under the imact !inding rinciles o% the oerative rincile (the %orce o% creation)" Q. )o! do unit minds *microcosms+ emerge?
As the imact o% the !inding rinciles gros stronger and still stronger on the solid %actor (such as in the case o% a iece o% stone) the internal %riction ithin that crude structure aroaches its ma9imum" The clash or lay o% these %orces is $non as oer or energy" very solid o!?ect contains otential vital %orce in the %orm o% their rimal energies" These energies may !e latent or mani%est to various degrees" They are there, in eretual creative e9istence, as a result o% the interlay !eteen the sentient, mutative and static rinciles" Fital %orce is the eternal game !eteen the cosmic cause and its crudest e%%ect"B13 4n rimal energy to determinate %orces are active H one centrietal and one centri%ugal" 6eteen them there is a constant clash here either o% those to active %orces may in" 4% the inard=oriented, interial %orce ins, i"e" i% the resultant %orce haens to !e introvert in character, a nucleus is %ormed ithin the solid %actor" There!y a solid structure is created" This interial resultant is $non as vital energy or vital %orce" 4% the centrietal %orce succeeds hoever the structure ill 13
rom 2dea and 2deolo(y (1++), #aincara and PratisaincaraB, Ananda 8arga Pu!lications"
32
The PROUT Companion
disintegrate or e9lode, as in the case o% numerous celestial !odies" The mani%estation o% vital %orce deends on to essential conditions" irstly, the resultant o%!e vital energy must !e an interial %orce" #econdly, there must a congenial environment %or the living structure to emerge" 4n its environment the %ive %undamental %actors o% sace, air, light, li5uid and solid matter must !e %ound in re5uisite roortions and conditions in order %or the structure to come alive" Fital energy is the resultant interial %orce" 7herever and henever ortions o% a hysical !ody, such as a iece o% stone, gets odered don as a result o% clash into su!tler %actors, su!tler than all the %ive %undamental %actors, the result is a unit mind, or microcosm" 7ithin a unit structure, its mind is a chemical reaction o% hysical clash !ut that hysical o!?ect is a creation o% :osmic mind"B1& Under the imact o% hysical clash, sychic clash and attraction o% the ;reat, microcosms evolve and gradually !ecome su!tler and su!tler" 4n evolutionary terms hysical !odies H unicellular and multicellular structures H evolve !ecause the minds in them re5uire a !ody %or their e9ression and such unit minds alays re5uire ne and more evolved !odies %or their continuous evolution" The state o% evolution o% microcosms reaches a stage hen the intuitional state H the ure 4B=%eeling H o% microcosms surasses the ego hich has already surassed the cruder o!?ective ortion, i"e" crude matter" Thus intuition gets %ully develoed and !ecomes at this stage the human mind"
1&
4!id, Pratisaincara and 8anahB"
33
The PROUT Companion
6oth hilosohically and linguistically1 human !eing imlies a !eing that e9resses a clearly re%lected consciousness" As such human !eings %orm a secies 5ualitatively di%%erent %rom any receding secies on the ladder o% evolution" The re=human secies guided nature or instinctive hereas human are !eings have!y the caacity to guideimulses their instinctive imulses" Thus e see that the e9istence o% hysical o!?ects are the result o% evolutionary rocesses in the :osmic mind, %rom the su!tlest o% the su!tle toards the crudest o% the crude" urthermore, living organisms come into !eing as a result o% internalization o% rimal energy in crude o!?ects so that unit mind=stu%% emerges ithin elementary organisms" 4n the great :osmic chain created matter comes %rom :osmic consciousness and living !eings come %rom matter as their minds H the essence o% their !eing H emerges out o% solid o!?ects as a result o% the lay o% creative energies there" Things that are alive are there%ore not %irst and %oremost hysical !eings !ut mind !eings" They are in e9istence !ecause they have a mind, hoever crude or su!tle that mind may !e" 4n %act, the there is mind in everything" 4n the case o% living !eings this %act is re%lected in he resective crudeness or su!tlety o% their hysical structure"
1
5anas (#ans$rit) L mind, manus L man or human !eingD %or instance mensch (;erman)
3&
The PROUT Companion
Q. )o! a"out the "iological evolution of species from amoe"a to human "eing?
As already discussed, microcosms evolve under certain conditions" 8ind, according to its stage o% develoment, needs amomenta hysicalinherent mediumin%or the sychic it" its Theroer more e9ression the mind iso%evolved, the more evolved and comle9 a medium it needs" There%ore the cellular comosition o% hysical !odies including the nervous system evolves in tandem ith the evolution o% mind" The struggle %or e9istenceB !ecomes one o% the essential %actors causing hysical and sychic clash %or the very develoment and evolution o% the microcosm" Through such clash and cohesion, or stress and strain the microcosm evolves %rom the state o% an amoe!a to the comle9 state o% a human !eing" The su!tler the sychic momentum o% microcosm, the more comle9 the cellular comosition o% its hysical !ody" Q. Why can,t it "e said that the cell or the physical "ody is predominant in evolution and not the mind?
:ommon e9erience is the !est ?udge" The develoment o% medical science has !rought us to conclude that many diseases are sychosomatic" The disease emerges in the mind %irst" 7e also %ind that su!tler thoughts evolve !rain cells, cause secretions %rom higher glands, and change the luster o% %acial e9ressions, so evident in saintly ersonalities" #uose a discussion ta$es lace" 7hich is redominant H mental or hysical %acultiesM 7ho ill ?udgeM Then, ho is the authorityM 4t is the mind that dominates and the mind hich is the authority"
3
The PROUT Companion
The dominant %actor, mind, a%%ects evolution redominantly" The secondary %actor, the hysical, lays a minor role, irresective o% ho much that hysical !ody may seem to !e a rime reality to living !eings in moments o% hunger, eating, tension, rela9ation, etc" Q. What are the other -ualitative differences "et!een a human microcosm and other microcosms?
As already indicated human mind can guide its on instinctive imulses hich are sychic momenta carried %orard %rom the ast" The loer secies on the other hand are guided !y their instincts and not !y a %urther develoed and su!tler mind" 4n human !eings the %uller e9ression o% intuitional mind roduces su!tler consciousness" They ossess a %ree ill that li!erate them to either ursue higher and su!lime ursuits o% li%e li$e siritual ractices, $eeing themselves engaged in the thought o% the #ureme, or to degenerate into vice, the satis%action o% !aser roensities, and the thin$ing o% mean ideas" uman mind can realize the reality that all e9ternal o!?ectivities mani%ested in the sace=time=continuumB are only the mani%estation o% #ureme :onsciousness" This a!solute reality is a su!?ect o% realization only %or human !eings" 4t remains no ?ust an intellectual myth or e9travaganza %or the true see$er" aving attained the highest evolutionary state in the :osmic henomenon, human !eings do have a siritual duty and resonsi!ility to rogressively utilize the mundane, suramundane, hysical and metahysical otentialities o% the unit and collective !odies and also to !ring a!out the rational distri!ution o% all otentialities %or the el%are o% all" 3*
The PROUT Companion
Theor! of "istor! Q. What is history?
istory is an e9ression o% collective sychology" very event in the historical henomenon is an e9ression o% this collective sychology" 6y dint o% a oer%ul sychic momentum and e9anded vi!rational aves a great ersonality or a oer%ul movement may e9ert a mighty imact on social movements or the collective sychology" The social syche ould then undergo a change" As a result the collective sychology ould e9ress a ne historical henomenon, oularly $non as historical events" Q. Is collective psychology a psychic myth? If not& !hat factors contri"ute to forming collective psychology?
8ind is not a myth" 4t is a sychic momentum, a real entity, mani%esting itsel% through nervous systems and hysical structures" #imilarly, collective sychology is the collective sychic momenta e9ressing itsel% in social henomena" #i9 %actors contri!ute to the %ormation o% a collective sychology. 1" #iritual hilosohy 2" #iritual ractice 3" #ocioeconomic theory &" #ocial outloo$ " #criture *" Precetor 3
The PROUT Companion
The strength or ea$ness o% a social order deends uon the resence or a!sence o% these %actors in a society" At one time Pro=4slamic Ara!s had a great vital %orce created !y a strong social outloo$, hich the Persian culture lac$ed" The Persians hoever ossessed a higher Persia hilosohy emanatingita!ut su!tler culture" The Ara!s attac$ed and con5uered ere themselves ersianized in contact ith the su!tler Persian culture" 4n their %urther march into 4ndia it as these ersianized Ara!s ho came in contact ith the highly evolved 4ndian culture" This %act is %ound evidently e9ressed in architectural monuments constructed during the 8uslim rule in 4ndia here one o!serves a com!ination o% 4ndian and Persian cultures mani%ested in these monuments" 8any such e9amles may !e %ound in the ages o% orld history deicting the signi%icance o% the si9 %actors or so$es o% social develoment" Q. )o! does collective psychology cause social dynamics?
4n our relative orld nothing is static, everything is dynamic" Figor is the inherent characteristic o% every entity, including the social order, hich undergoes change ?ust as the dominant sychic momentum or the collective sychology changes" #ocioolitical systems evolve or are trans%ormed to ta$e ne and neer %orms" 4n the same ay collective sychologies or %undamental social values change" Ta$e %or instance the eriod in history hen the collective sychology revered the !rave and arrior=minded" The olitical system o% those days evolved %rom tri!al li%e to %eudalism" :ourt oets sang the raise o% the muscle o% courageous tri!al chie%s and %eudal $ings" The strong arriors ere the undisuted masters o% the land under hose regime the economy %lourished according to rules %ramed !y those arrior heroes" O% course, the arrior had the roud rivilege o% evolving a slave society %rom its crudely leasure= 3/
The PROUT Companion
see$ing, %ear=soa$ed collective sychology toards arrior= minded values o% li%e" A slave's mentality is dominated !y matter" 4t gets easily overoered !y the static rincile" This means that the slaves' collective mind is easily overcome !y instinctual imulses" ence:onversely, it is una!le to society to to any arecia!le degree" a organize arrior aasires dominate matter under the insiration o% higher sentiments" e or she can there%ore move %orard and achieve goals" Thus the collective sychology under arrior rule underent a signi%icant change %rom enslavement !y matter toards its con5uest" The age o% the arrior arrived triumhantly to the slaves' total adoration"1* 4n the course o% time, collective sychology changed againD intellect and not muscle came to esta!lish its domination" 8ighty arriors as ell as the era's scritures recognized the mental oers o% intellectuals" A mythical aura o% o!scure mysticism as oven around them" The socio=olitical system again underent a corresonding change" The 8iddle Ages o%%er many e9amles to sustain this %act"
1*
ere the meaning o% slave is not slave o% someoneB !ut slave to matter, someone ho is not a!le to rise a!ove matter" #omeone ho is enslaved !y another may or may not !e slave to matter" All the %our terms H slave, arrior, intellectual and ac5uisitor (caitalist) H here ertain, amongst other %actors, to their resecti ve orientation toards matter" 7arriors rise a!ove matter !y their hysical %orce and there!y rule the slaves" 4ntellectuals control matter directly !y their intellect and>or indirectly through the arriors and slaves" The ac5uisitors control matter !y securing onershi to it and there!y su!mit the other three H slaves, arriors and intellectuals H as ell" 4n his seminal or$ ;uman .ociety Part * P"R" #ar$ar deals e9haustively ith the dynamics o% these %our varnas (see !elo) and the theory o% the social cycle"
3+
The PROUT Companion
:ollective sychology undergoes a %urther change" The !ourgeoisie !y dint o% their economic ealth elevate themselves to great and imortant ositions in society" The value o% money dominates the collective sychology" The oet no Allvalor virtues ith the the maresings. go"B The o% are arriors andealthy, even themoney shar ma$es minds o% intellectuals lic$ the silver=shoesB o% the unscruulous ac5uisitors o% economic oer" The socioolitical system once again shaes itsel% to suit the interest o% a ne grou sychology, that o% the caitalists" Our on recent history deicts this very henomenon" 9loitation !y raacious caitalists degrades most o% the intellectual and arrior=minded to a state o% slavery" They sell their la!or H intellectual and hysical resectively H to serve the interests over the caitalists ho ay them so that they may earn a livelihood" 6ut the economically e9loited intellectuals and arriors, ho are !y no incororated into the vast mass o% slaves under caitalist rule, are di%%erent %rom the archetyical slave ho are o% a most su!missive mentality and there%ore are the genuine mem!ers o% the economic slave class" The intellectuals and arriors ho %eel the !runt o% e9loitation !ut still someho maintain their srcinal values, !ecome disgruntled slaves and vanguards o% the antithesis that eventually leads to slave revolution" Once uon a time eole o% their $ind ere not at all any!ody's slave" And their inherent values still deserve !etter" Those ho cause the slave revolution are not assive=minded ersons" They are incessant %ighters ho !elieve in non= comromising struggle against the ruthless e9loitation o% the ever=ac5uisitive caitalists ho $ee maneuvering to suc$ out &0
The PROUT Companion
the vital ?uice o% the social tree" These disgruntled slaves have the shar intellect o% the intellectuals and the %earless mentality o% the arriors" 6y their siritual insiration they are destined to con5uer and to achieve victory" They have no desire to succum! to cleverly maniulated strategiesTheir o% comromise ith the caitalist mentality o% e9loitation" com!ined oer%ul motivation H the resurrection o% no!le arrior and astute intellectual values H causes a change in the collective sychology and a ne era emerges %olloing the slave revolution" Thus the social dynamic continues" Physical clash, sychic clash and attraction %or the ;reat H individually and collectively H cause a change in either one or more o% the si9 %actors o% collective sychology mentioned at the !eginning o% this chater" A orld ar causes a terri!le hysical clash and there!y a change in the concet o% socioeconomic ideas and social mentality" The collective sychology changes a lot" or instance, a%ter 7orld 7ar 1 olitical imerialist countries $et on roagating imerialism !ut 7orld 7ar 2 gave that idea a rude shoc$" As a result countries so %ar $et under olitical su!?ugation attained olitical %reedom" A ne age o% rising democracy sread around the orld" 6ut the era o% economic imerialism still continued ithin this very %orm o% humanly decorated neocolonialism" This e9loitation ill ither aay only hen the mentality o% economic e9loitation gives ay to the su!lime concet o% a ne siritual humanism" Psychic clash is caused !y the emergence o% ne ideas and ideals o% siritual hilosohy, socioeconomic theory or social outloo$" #uch sychic clashes are e%%ective only i% the ideals !eing reached are suorted !y oer%ul movements" &1
The PROUT Companion
Attraction %or the ;reat is raidly accelerated !y those great recetors and masters ho !oth reach siritual hilosohy and teach a ractical ay as ell as have it racticed as ell" Thus the recetor, ho !y his versatile :osmic genius can !ring a revolutionary change insiritual=sychic all the si9 %actors ould undou!tedly cause a tremendous usurge in the collective sychology o% the entire human society and !ring %orth a su!lime revolution" A ne human society ould emerge" The cimmerian dar$ness o% the inter=lunar night ill disaear and the ne day o% the ne sunrise ill a$e u the ne orld" Q. What is the difference "et!eenvarna and class?
>arna is a #ans$rit ord %or the sycho=social classi%ication o% human society, hereas class is an economic concet" The %our varnas o% Prout's theory o% the social cycle are slave ( shudra in #ans$rit), arrior ('s=attriya), intellectual (vipra) and caitalist (vaeshya)" Prout's concet o% varnas de%ines human !eings as sycho=social !eings, hereas the concet o% class categorizes humans as economic !eings" The sycho=social !eing can con5uer e9ternal circumstances and cause the emergence o% a congenial environment %or social rogress, hereas the economic !eing is slave to the %orce o% economic determinism H a !eggar and a !east" 4n Prout's theory o% the social cycle, hich is a theory o% sycho=social evolutions and revolutions, varna !ecomes a ractical concet that leads human !eings to the su!limity o% siritual humanism" 4n contrast, the concet o% economic class is a myoic dogma that has caused economic slavery, sychic regimentation and siritual !an$rutcy"
&2
The PROUT Companion
Q. Is the change from an era of domination of a particular varna to another evolutionary or revolutionary?
As discussed earlier the change in the collective sychology is a natural henomenon in hich rulers or administrators should change accordingly" !eteen rulers and the eole isarmony characteristic o% thethe statesychology o% synthesis"o% 7hereas hen the sychology o% rulers is %ound to !e su%%ering %rom sel%=centered o!sessions, it lags !ehind and denies the eole social rogress" A %ormer synthesis degenerates into thesis and an anti=thesis is generated in the %orm o% the emerging e9loited grou that truly reresents the asirations o% the collective sychology" Thesis must succum! to the %orces o% antithesis, !ringing %orth a ne synthesis and a ne era" This may occur as a natural course" At times hoever the movement o% the social cycle %rom one era to the ne9t is the result o% the alication o% %orce" #uch change is $non as evolution" 4n evolution the change does not come as a matter o% natural course !ut is caused !y the alication o% some %orce" 4% %or instance the arrior era gives ay to intellectual rule as a natural course o% events it ould !e a natural change and not evolution" 6ut i% the emerging intellectuals have had to aly %orce, it ould !e evolution" #uch a change is evolutionary" At times rulers o% a articular %iendish e9loitative disosition rolong their maneuvering to maintain their domination at any cost" They may do so even hen the collective sychology has undergone a tremendous change under the imact o% oer%ul sychic momenta created !y the %orces o% antithesis" 4n such circumstances a stouter alication o% might or %orce !ecomes &3
The PROUT Companion
a must" 4% not, the time %or change to occur may !ecome so long that the %lesh and !lood o% the great ma?ority o% society gets suc$ed u and devoured !y the e9loiters" The alication o% a stronger %orce shortens the duration o% change and society is li!erated %rom revolution" raacious e9loitation" #uch a tremendous change is termed Ta$e the case o% the caitalist varna dee into its hase o% e9loiting the other varnas" 4n order to carry on e9loitation this grou o% raacious caitalists may orchestrate a lu9ury= oriented segment o% intellectuals and arriors to serve their ne%arious ends and maneuver the entire economic=olitical system to serve their interests" :ircumstances may then arise here the disgruntled slaves H dontrodden intellectuals and arriors H ill have to aly stronger might in order to e%%ect real change" #uch a dramatic and articular %orce%ul rocess o% change is revolution" Q. What are the characteristics of counter'evolution and counter'revolution?
According to the las o% social dynamics human society rogresses %rom the arrior to the intellectual era, %rom the intellectual to the caitalist era, and %rom the caitalist through a slave revolution into the ne9t cycle o% social !uilding commencing ith the arrior era" The change %rom one era to another is not an a!rut occurrence !ut goes through a rocess o% gradual change" At the oint o% entering their resective rogressive eras arriors, intellectuals and caitalists are not that e9loitative" At that early stage they themselves are har!ingers o% constructive change and humanist ideals, moving ith the rogressing collective sychology o% their times" 4t is in the later hase o% an era that a ruling varna degenerates to &&
The PROUT Companion
!ecome e9loitative" Therea%ter the intensity o% e9loitation continues to gro to suit their intensity o% their meanness" There are circumstances hen the alication o% reactionary %orce an era revert%or to the receding one"esta!lishment #uch change o% is calledma$es counter=evolution, e9amle ith the arrior rule a%ter a eriod o% intellectual rule" #imilarly, i% ithin a short eriod o% time or !y the alication o% tremendous %orce an era is %orced !ac$, it is called counter= revolution" There are circumstances hen certain %orces cause counter= evolution or counter=revolution !ut the era does not change 5ualitatively" Rather it remains the same even a%ter it gets reverted" or instance, i% under caitalist rule a articular grou o% caitalists dominates to $ee its caucus sureme then another grou o% caitalists may under terri!le circumstances cause a change o% rule" The masses may %eel temorarily relieved due to such e9ternal change !ut ith such a change o% rule the system o% e9loitation does not change" #uch aarent change may !e termed counter=evolution" 4% such change ere !rought on 5uic$ly or !y the alication o% tremendous %orce it may termed counter=revolution"
The PROUT Companion
Q. Why do the forces of change operating after counter' evolution and counter'revolution "ecome more aggressive and dynamic?
-aturally, as mentioned a!ove, due to the lust %or oer o% the masters o% reactive change, ho e9loitation are more or less devoid ethics, virtue and !enevolence, in the a$eo%o% counter=evolutions and counter=revolutions continues to gro" ence the masses 5uic$ly !ecome disillusioned since they %ind the ne economic=olitical circumstances more oressive and torturous than the old" Q. What is revolution in its true sense and !hen does it "ecome a must?
:ircumstances %or real revolution rien hen the social environment, under the ressure o% vested interests, !ecomes highly e9loitative" 7hen traditional %aiths, ritualistic dogmas, current economic, olitical, cultural and other institutions all tend, or are used, to !ind rather than li!erate human !eings, the enslaved !ring a!out their revolution" This haens hen the %iendish motivations inherent in the e9loiters' vested motives have reigned sureme %or too long" At that critical oint there is no other ay out %or the e9loited than either to continue ith their ever=deteriorating slavery until death or do something radical in order to live" 4t is the disgruntled, value=oriented (arrior and intellectual) slaves ho %eel a revolutionary urge" The general masses hoever have !een continuously conditioned to remain %aith%ul to the e9loiters" 4n this grave situation an ordinary erson have tyically lost his or her dynamism and genuine interest in li%e" rustration, assivity, hysical and mental degeneration
&*
The PROUT Companion
and all sorts o% negative trends ith their accomanying diseases overhelm the social syche" Under such circumstances a total !rea$aay %rom the su%%ocating environment (hysical, economic, cultural, sychic, siritual) !ecomes a must"social, 7henolitical, such a change is due, the collective sychology needs to develo a ne usurge and set a su!lime goal to hich it is destined to go" This e call a revolution in the true sense" All other changes are atchor$ e%%orts, alatial revolutions, changing the to eole, i"e" a temorary henomenon" Only the arrior= minded and intellectually=oriented amongst the enslaved are a!le to ta$e such stes and shoulder the resonsi!ility o% such tremendous change" Q. Who eactly can "ring a"out a true revolution?
There ill !e individuals or grous hose vi!rational %luctuations or sychic momenta are longer and stronger than that o% the collective sychology (including that o% the e9loitative ruler)" #uch ersons and grous and none other can !ring revolution !y dint o% their more oer%ul sychic momentum" 7hen seudo=arriors rule (in the later, degenerated hase o% the arrior era) intellectuals ith a stronger sychic %orce may come %orard to dominate the social arena" @i$eise, in the later hase o% the intellectual era, hen its rule degenerates into seudo=intellectual maneuvering, a caitalist resence ill esta!lish itsel% over the seudo=intellectual system !y dint o% material motivation augmented ith money=oer" The raacious caitalists are more oer%ul than the intellectuals or the arriors and even stronger than the com!ined %orce o% them &
The PROUT Companion
!oth" :aitalists !uy the intellect o% intellectuals, the valor o% arriors and the hysical oer o% the slaves to serve their on ends" 4ntellectuals $ee u the ith aearances o% acaitalists valid socio= economic=olitical system hich the can e9loit even more" The unholy alliance o% religious dogmatic ritualism and economic rule serves the caitalists ith arriors guarding their treasury" A tremendous control over the collective sychology is maintained !y the caitalists" 4ts aggressive ro%it=orientation and shred e9ercise o% money= oer $ee the masses su!merged in an ocean o% decetion created !y religious=olitical and seudo=cultural slogan= ma$ing" 7ho can e9ress a more oer%ul and su!tler sychic momentum than caitalismM Only those ho ossess a stronger sychic oer made su!tle and su!lime !y siritual intuitional insiration instilled ith the ideation o% the #ureme" :omrehensive e9erimentation and scienti%ic research H such as e9tra=sensory ercetion (#P), sycho$inesis, astral= and energy !odyor$, and mystic consciousness H all sea$ o% the amazing oers o% the sycho=siritual henomenon" Techni5ues and ractices leading to higher states o% consciousness ena!le human !eings to mani%est tremendous siritual momentum" #uch an occurrence is not a myth !ut actually a ractical achievement" #iritual asirants mani%esting their oer%ul siritual momentum %or the good and el%are o% all can con5uer the e9loitative sychic momentum o% the unscruulous caitalist rule" They can the
&/
The PROUT Companion
emergence o% an e9loitation=%ree social order that ill last %or a long time" Q. %re revolutions al!ays "loody?
A revolution is is not necessarily alays discussed, !lood=soa$ed, yet at times !loodshed a must" As reviously disgruntled slaves, consisting o% intellectuals and arriors, are the vanguards o% the slave revolution" They engage themselves relentlessly in causing the slave revolution" 7here such a revolution is dominated !y intellectual %orce it tends to !e non= sanguinary !ut i% under ressure o% circumstances arrior %orce comes to the %ore then the revolution ill involve !loodshed" /
Q. Who are sadvipras?
#adviras are those siritual moralist ersonalities ho ant to ut an end to sin and vice !y the alication o% their oer" They are not %ound on the erihery o% the social cycle, hich continues to move %rom one era to the ne9t" 4nstead they remain as the cycle's controllers at its hu! or nucleus" They continue to %ight evil and e9loitative olicies" Q. When do sadvipras emerge and !hat is their role?
As seen earlier the slave revolution re5uires the imact o% a oer%ul siritual %orce" Only sadviras can sustain such a tremendous initiative" As such their emergence is needed" 7hen some o% the disgruntled slaves ardently engage themselves in cosmic ideation they undergo a articular rocess o% sycho=siritual churning" As they are ut through the tortures o% economic e9loitation and olitical hardshis 1
A sadvipra is one hose intellect remains em!edded in cosmic truth, a declassi%iedB erson in hom none o% the %our varnas dominates" rom the #ans$rit sad (satyaD cosmic truth) and vipra (intellect)D
&+
The PROUT Companion
that onder%ul con%luence o% cosmic ideation and sycho= siritual churning causes the emergence o% sadviran leadershi out o% this grou o% disgruntled slaves" #adviras never emerge amongst lu9urious and leasure=see$ing utoians !ut %rom dontrodden, disgruntled slaves" As long as a slave revolution is not materialized sadviras ill continue to strengthen the %orces o% antithesis and guide" They ill continue to e9hort the disgruntled slaves to !ring a!out the revolution and li!erate society %rom the clutches o% e9loitation" A%terard they remain at the hu! o% the social cycle" rom there they continue to insire the develoment o% a sadviran society !ased on PROUT's invinci!le rinciles instilled ith the lo%ty ideals o% siritual humanism"
0
The PROUT Companion
The social cycle is an ever=revolving henomenon here a certain collective sychology or varna redominates in a articular age" 4% a arrior in the arrior age, an intellectual in the intellectual age, or a caitalist in the caitalist age goes on to a raacious e9loiter instead a %airthe administrator, the!ecome !ounden duty o% sadviras ill !e to o% rotect honest and the e9loited and !ring the dishonest and raacious e9loiter under control" #ocial rogress is ossi!le only in the stage o% synthesis"
The PROUT Companion
Q. Will the characteristics of the era after the slave revolution "e the same as they !ere in previous cycles?
One comlete round o% the social cycle (through slave, arrior, intellectual and caitalist dominance %olloed !y slave revolution) is comletion termed eriheric, or cycle comlete, olloing the o% the hole a %reshevolution" cycle commences ith the onset o% the arrior era on the ath o% evolution or revolution" 7ill things !e the same as they ere the last time this articular varna as in oerM 4t is true that the %undamentally redominating sycho=siritual %actor o% one era ill !e congruent ith the same era o% the revious cycle" As the arrior collective sychology has a redominantly chivalrous attitude, the intellectuals their tyical cere!ral orientation, and the caitalists economic motivation as their !asic redominating sycho=social %actor, these ill continue to mani%est themselves in their resective eras o% any round o% the social cycle" O% course, the intensity o% the sycho=social assertion may di%%er" Ies, di%%er it must since variety is the characteristic o% the oerative rincile, o% the %orce o% creation" 7hile moving ith the social cycle every single erson undergoes a rocess o% change, consciously or unconsciously, and so is the case ith grous and institutions H social, economic and olitical" All these e9eriences ersist !oth in the collective minds o% the varnas and in society as a hole" The ne9t corresonding era comrising o% all those stresses and strains, imulses and imressions, achievements and realizations must get a variegated %orm" -o matter ho strong the redominating !asic sycho=social %actor may !e it ill de%initely !e characterized !y humanity's accumulated cognition at that articular oint in time" 2
The PROUT Companion
or instance, as at resent, i% our society, su%%ering as it is under caitalist e9loitation, undergoes a slave revolution and a arrior rule emerges at the onset o% the ne9t round o% the social cycle, ill all the characteristics o% that coming era remain the same they theyM ere inThe the imact arrior o% era thought o% the revious o as could in the cycleM realm -o" o% hilosohy, science, technology, the conse5uence o% realizations in the social shere, in sirituality, the e%%ects o% achievements in the realm o% economy and culture, the ro%ound imressions o% institutional e9eriences such as glo!al governing !odies, and a!ove all the emergence o% sadviras ill cause a ro%ound and %ar=reaching variegation in the coming arrior era" O% course, hile overcoming the raacious and unscruulous e9loitation, the %orces o% antithesis mani%esting through the disgruntled slaves, under the guidance o% sadviras, are li$ely to develo a chivalrous attitude" This !asic trait o% the arrior=minded ould continue to redominate the collective sychology o% the merging arrior era instilled ith several oer%ul imressions caused !y the a!ove=mentioned %actors" This ill also !e the case ith later eras"
3
The PROUT Companion
Economic spects Q. What are the "asic principles of the P#$UT economy?
1" The minimum essentials o% li%e must !e rovided to each individual according to the standards o% the time, !y roviding a minimum o% urchasing oer through emloyment" 2" The surlus a%ter meeting the minimum necessities ill have to !e distri!uted among those o% secial merit according to the degree o% merit" 3" %%orts %or rai sing the mi nimum standard should go on una!ated and the all=round orldly roserity and develoment o% human !eings ill deend on this endeavor" Q. What does P#$UT mean "y the minimum essentials of life and ho! !ill it vary !ith the age?
The minimum essentials imly the rovision o% %ood, clothing, housing, medical treatment and education to the e9tent that they are essential"
The PROUT Companion
against !asic human rights and the %undamental rincile o% human society" #cienti%ic, technological and similar other achievements tend to cause signi%icant change inand thesigni%icant distri!utionchange o% ealth in human a society" Nualitative in the economic shere ill !ring a corresonding change in the 5uantity o% minimum essentials" The emergence o% the ne age can !e gradual as ell as a!rut" #uose scienti%ic achievements ena!le the discovery o% a!undant minerals and metals or other natural ealth that human !eings can ma$e use o%" #uch a sudden ind%all ould !ring a!out a!rut change in economic advancement, hich ould !e re%lected in the 5uantum o% minimum essentials" As %or transortation, the minimum necessity may !e a !icycle in one age and in the ne9t it may !e a %aster vehicle" Q. Why should individuals of special merit "e provided !ith additional re!ards?
rom each according to their a!ility to each according to their needsB1/ may sound nice !ut ill rea no harvest in the hard soil o% the ractical orld" This socialist dogma as ractically shattered on the hard roc$ o% reality" 8oreover the rovision o% secial amenities in areciation o% one's secial merits has roved its e%%iciency even in socialist countries roviding a natural imetus to or$ and !e e%%icient"
1/
A slogan oularized !y Carl 8ar9 in his 1/ Criti?ue of the Gotha Pro(ram" The hrase summarizes the rinciles that, under a communist system, every erson should contri!ute to society to the !est o% his or her a!ility and consume %rom society in roortion to his or her needs, regardless o% ho much he or she has contri!uted" (#ource. 7i$iedia)
The PROUT Companion
8oreover, certain services re5uire articular %acilities and e5uiment in order to %unction at an otimum" Ta$e the case o% a social or$er ho !y dint o% his or her a!ility, reutation and sense o% service has greater reach and is %re5uently called uon to attend clients ato%their houses" A car ill!etter de%initely rovideo% such an aroved asset to society ith oortunity service" Q. Will the provision of special re!ards not lead to capitalistic accumulation and there"y to economic eploitation?
This ill not haen i% all the three rinciles mentioned a!ove are strictly and concurrently alied" These three rinciles should !e so rationally integrated in the carrying out o% economic olicy that the di%%erence !eteen the average reards meted out to ersons o% secial merit and the reards aid to ac5uire minimum essentials ill go on decreasing !ut it ill never !e zero" or instance, ith a change in the economic era or ith the advancement in the rice inde9 lanners are to decide on an increase in the 5uantum o% secial amenities and that o% the minimum essentials" This articular develoment ill !e determined in a manner so that the roortional increase in secial reards is alays less than that made in the minimum necessities" Thus the di%%erence ill go on rogressively decreasing and ill not lead to caitalistic accumulation or e9loitation" Q. )o! !ill minimum essentials and special re!ards "e provided?
The economic structure, i"e" the system o% roduction and distri!ution, age olicy, ercentage o% ro%it, and rice setting ill !e arranged in a manner so that the ersons concerned earn *
The PROUT Companion
re5uisite urchasing caacity %or their minimum essentials or secial emolument as the case may !e" Actually, in a Proutistic setu medical aid and education ill !e %ree and%unctional every individual have access to a and house according to their status orill re5uirement" ood clothing ill there%ore !e the main asects toards hich re5uisite urchasing caacity ill !e rovided against or$ and contri!ution to the socioeconomic system"
#ndustrial polic! Q. What !ill "e the Proutistic industrial policy?
PROUT roounds a system o% decentralization o% economic oer" The centralization o% economic oer, hether it is in the hands o% individuals or the state, such as under caitalism and communism resectively, leads to economic=olitical e9loitation" Private caitalists venture to suc$ the vital ?uice %rom the social tree" or decades the glo!al trend has !een toards the concentration o% economic oer into %eer and %eer hands" One estimate is that the current level o% orld ine5uality is e5uivalent to a situation here **J o% eole have zero income, and 3&J divide the entire income o% the orld among themselves e5uallyK1+ One high level study oints out that hile most o% the orld's attention is currently %ocused on the ;
The Economist 2*" Ar," 2001"
The PROUT Companion
o% develoed Paci%ic rim countries" 7ith 2J o% adults oning more than 0J o% the orld's ealth" 20 A study !y the 7orld 4nstitute %or
As reorted !y a study u!lished !y the elsin$i=!ased 7orld 4nstitute %or
/
The PROUT Companion
nervous system o% the economic structure, i"e" steel, yarn, energy, means o% communication, de%ense, etc" These are to !e managed !y the immediate state government and illasor$ on a no=ro%it, no=loss !asis" Themotives" state ill never !ehave a commercial institution ith ro%it !) 1arge'scale industries are those hich need considera!le caital, emloy a signi%icant num!er o% or$ers, run !y comle9 technical $no=ho, and are not small enough to !e le%t to individual s$ill and endeavor" They ill !e controlled !y cooeratives" #uch industries ill have to %ollo !road rules o% olicy, i"e" ercentage o% ro%it, !onus olicy, 5uantities o% shares and dividend to !e aid to each shareholder as stiulated !y the Policy Planning 6ody" -ormally the roortion o% ro%it shared !y la!or and shareholders ill !e &0J and *0J resectively" A success%ul cooerative systems necessitates. i) #trong ethical governance ii) thical administration o% the industry iii) Proer sycho=social environment The lac$ o% these essential %actors has !een the reason %or the %ailure o% the cooerative system in many countries" Under PROUT there ill !e no lac$ o% any o% these" c) Small enterprises are those hich deend on individual s$ills and are so small that they cannot !e administered ro%ita!ly in cooeration or are those hich do not re5uire a +
The PROUT Companion
total caital !eyond a certain limit to !e stiulated !y the Policy Planning 6ody, such as small convenience shos, stalls, grocery shos, restaurants, tailor shos, !ar!er shos, service or$shos and a ide range o% similar small esta!lishments and cottagegoods industries li$e hand eaving, handicra%ts, engineering manu%acturing, etc" #tes ill !e ta$en to modernize and rationalize such ventures in order to ensure the ma9imum roduction o% each unit" Q. What is the structural setup of this industrial system?
Cey industries ill act as the nucleus around hich large=scale industries ill !e encouraged to !e esta!lished as satellites" #mall enterrises ill naturally cro u around large=scale industries !eside tons and villages out o% necessity or according to seci%ic local conditions" -o overlaing ill !e alloed among the industries, i"e" commodities classi%ied %or $ey industries ill not !e roduced !y large=scale industries nor vice versa" There is no scoe %or rivate onershi or management in the shere o% $ey or large= scale industriesD the %ormer ill act as a chec$ on the large= scale industries !y virtue o% !eing the sulier o% ra materials on a no=ro%it, no=loss !asis" Q. What !ill the structure and responsi"ility of the Policy Planning 2ody "e?
The Policy Planning 6ody ill consist o% such ersons o% moral integrity ho are e9erts in the technical $no=ho o% the industrial and economic setu" The central Policy Planning 6ody may %orm its loer !odies %or articular economic= administrative units" They ill decide on and enact the %olloing oints. *0
The PROUT Companion
i" The shere o% di% %erent industries ($ey, large=scale and small scale enterrises)" ii" Percentage o% gross ro%it %or large=scale and small enterrises, and lace" hich may vary according to industry, time iii" The 5uantity o% urchasing caacity necessary %or minimum essentials" iv" Nuantity o% reards to !e aid as sec ial amenities to ersons o% merit and also %or raising the standard o% minimum necessities" v" Arrange %or the esta!lishment o% $ey industries necessary %or an area and encourage the esta!lishment o% large=scale industries" vi" ndeavor to create such a sycho=social atmoshere in hich the motivation !ehind economic groth ill !e utilization and not ro%it" vii" ind ays and means !y hich a Proutistic economic setu may !e esta!lished roerly and evolve rogressively and materialize them" Q. What is the system of incentives according to P#$UT?
PROUT rovides incentives in all the %olloing three sheres. siritual, sychic and economic" a) #iritual. The entire :osmic henomenon including this social setu is the mani%estation o% my #ureme ather" 4n us lies a divine urose to e9ress and utilize the hysical, metahysical and siritual otentialities in order to serve the
*1
The PROUT Companion
!) Psychic. #ince the #ureme ather o% the entire humanity is a singular ntity, in serving the society and evolving ith it in a su!lime social order e are serving our on %amily, our common atrimony is one and %or all" This ill !e the insiring sycho=social incentive" increasing the standard o% minimum c) Physical. Progressively essentials %or all, and also that o% the secial amenities %or the %e merited, ill !e the economic incentive" All the three incentives ill !e alica!le to all !ut the more the individual evolves sycho=siritually, the su!tler ill !e his or her incentive" A siritually evolved erson ill !e more insired !y a siritual incentive than !y sychic or economic, and the sychically evolved erson more !y sychic sentiment and less !y economic, and so on" Q. Will the rationalization of industry "e affected under a P#$UT economy?
PROUT as rogressive social thin$ing ould never advocate the retracing o% the ath o% technological rogress and its alication in an economic=industrial endeavor" 4nstead it advocates more and more technological advancement and greater rationalization in all sections o% the economy so that human and hysical resources are utilized to their ma9imum" Q. Will it not lead to unemployment?
Rationalization !ased on ro%it=motivation leads to unemloyment and e9loitation" 6ut rationalization !ased on the rincile o% utilization has a di%%erent role to lay" Progressive utilization o% human otential means this human otential's e9ression in su!tler sheres such as in metahysical and siritual sheres" The accomlishment o% this *2
The PROUT Companion
rationalization ill cause the reduction o% or$ing hours (!ut no reduction in emloyment otential) so that the surlus time saved !y or$ers is utilized in su!tler ursuits (intellectual and siritual)"
$ricultural Polic! Q. What should "e the percentage of population supporting themselves on agriculture?
4n a develoed economy only 30 to &J o% the oulation should suort themselves on agriculture" 4n countries here a greater oulation live on agriculture there should !e an endeavor to shi%t the surlus oulation to agro=!ased and agrico=(ost=harvest) industries" Q. What !ill the mode of development of these industries "e?
Ta$ing the agricultural roduce as the nucleus (as a $ey industry) agro=!ased and agrico=industries should !e esta!lished in a articular area in harmony ith its seci%ic characteristics" or instance in an area roducing sugarcane H sugar industry, in an area roducing !am!oo H a !am!oo or stra aer industry" 4n this ay suita!le industries should !e esta!lished considering the restrictions as discussed a!ove a!out large=scale and small enterrises" Q. What !ill "e the policy of ceiling on land o!nership?
A ceiling ill !e %i9ed on ma9imum as ell as minimum land holdings" 4% the agricultural holding is so small that modern develoed means o% tools, seeds, irrigation, etc" cannot !e used, *3
The PROUT Companion
such a holding ill !ecome uneconomic and hamer economic groth" The determination o% the ceiling on area must ta$e into account soil %ertility" Peole oning land cooeratives less than the%or minimum ill !e encouraged to %orm %arming"ceiling 4n a cooerative %arm &0J o% the ro%it ill go to the or$ers and *0J to the shareholders" ndeavors ill !e made to ma$e every shareholder a or$er in the %ields as ell" Q. What !ill the status of agriculture and the steps to ensure its development "e?
i" Agriculture ill !e giv en the status o% an industry" 4t means that the selling rice ill !e %i9ed a%ter adding the rational ercentage o% ro%it, in the same ay as in industry, to the cost o% roduction hich ill include caital investment li$e land, machinery, tools, etc" ii" There ill !e roducers' cooeratives hich ill. a) #ell the cros roduced !y the mem!ers !) Provide develoed seeds, manure, tools, irrigation and other services necessary %or agricultural roduction" c) Provide loans in times o% emergency" iii" Agriculture ill !e !rought under a comulsory cro insurance scheme to counter!alance the loss !y un%oreseen and natural calamities to hich it is so o%ten e9osed"
*&
The PROUT Companion
Q. What !ill "e the scope and function of trade unions in agriculture and industry in a Proutistic economy?
#ince agriculture has !een e5uated ith industry under PROUT, norms alica!le %or industry ill !e e5ually alica!le to agriculture" PROUT stands %or the %ullest utilization o% human resources and also human el%are" This can only !e ossi!le !y active involvement o% la!or in the el%are activities as ell as in the management o% the organizations they or$ in" Thus, trade unions in their resective %ields ould !oth !e desira!le and imerative" 6esides sa%eguarding the interests o% la!or, unions ould !e re5uired to !e vigilant so that the hole system runs smoothly and e%%iciently and that roer disciline in roduction is maintained"
*
The PROUT Companion
Political %!stem Q. What is the fundamental difference "et!een the Proutistic political system and other political systems !ith reference to motivation and structure?
The motivation and urose !ehind the Proutistic olitical system is !asically to administer in a manner so that economic institutions are a!le to materialize the rinciles and olicies o% a rogressive economy, and that the society rogresses ahead ith the su!lime motto. or the good and hainess o% all"B Political institutions are not an end in themselves !ut a means to achieve economic ell=!eing and social rogress" 9isting olitical institutions have a tendency to idealize themselves" Ad?ectives o% raise in the name o% eole's democracyB, social democracyB or individual li!ertyB %lourish in olitical seeches" This !ad ha!it, a sure sign o% ro%essional, shred oliticians, has signi%icantly contri!uted to an era o% demagogical slogans and instigated oulist oliticians to lay a cunning game in order to cature oer and hold on to it" The Proutistic olitical system is selecto=electional" 4t means those ho may have the right to vote or are to !e eligi!le to !e elected should ossess the %olloing 5ualities. 1" ducated in a sense that the erson has attained a !asic $noledge o% social circumstances" 2" #ocioeconomic consciousness" 3" 8ani%est moral integrity
**
The PROUT Companion
O% course there ill !e an incessant endeavor in the Proutistic system to let every mem!er o% society develo these 5ualities in order to !ring each one into the lectoral :ollege" As long as a erson does not ossess these 5uali ties, he or she ill not !e alloed to today ollute %air and imartial as is e9erienced !y circumsect voters all elections, over the orld" The test o% democracy is not in the num!er o% oer%ul eole !ut in their method o% selection and in their accounta!ility to the larger grou o% citizens" 7ithout a roer system o% selection, democracy degenerates into mo!ocracyB, there!y creating a situation o% e9loitation" 4t has !een o%ten itnessed that regionalism, arochialism, casteism, grouism, religionism and other narro sentimental or even sychic aeals lay a vital role in the selection and election o% candidates in most modern democracies" The huge role o% 6ig 6usiness and de%initely the in%luence o% money in elections even in the most thriving o% democracies undermines the sirit and content o% democracy" The Proutists' concet o% a selecto=electional system leaves no room %or any such diseased cometition or element to contaminate the social %a!ric" Q. )o! !ill the 3selection4 "e made in this selecto' electional system?
#election ill !e made according to the rule o% la"B 4t ill not !e le%t to hims o% the olitical administration" The rules ill !e made $eeing in mind the %olloing necessary 5ualities.
*
The PROUT Companion
1" ducation 2" 8oral integrity 3" #ocioeconomic consciousness Proer imlies that a erson is aare o% %actor his or is her status ineducation the cosmological henomenon" The ethical an insiration %rom the #ureme consciousness H siritual and su!lime" #ocioeconomic consciousness imlies that the erson is aare o% the socioeconomic situation o% society, its needs and %uture asirations" The 5uali%ying rules and the method ill !e such that it may success%ully test the resence o% the a!ove= mentioned %actors in a erson" 4n order to im!ue the a!ove=mentioned values in a citizen, institutions ill !e esta!lished hich ill reare the eole accordingly and issue an certi%icate a%ter an e9amination (ritten or unritten)" These institutions ill !e %ree %rom any olitical or government in%luence" They ill !e managed and controlled !y an indeendent and autonomous !ody li$e the lection :ommission or the Pu!lic #ervice :ommission" Their curriculum ill !e dran u !y e9ert educationists, sociologists, hilanthroists and siritualists ho ill !e %ree %rom any olitical asiration" #uch 5uali%ied ersons ill %orm the lectoral :ollege, hich ill !e divided into regions or administrative units to elect the mem!ers o% the olitical institutions" A%ter the %ormation o% the lectoral :ollege, the elections ill !e direct"
*/
The PROUT Companion
Q. What !ill prevent this system from leading to autocratic dictatorship?
Administrators or leaders elected through the selecto=electional system ill !e %undamentally resonsi!le to the electorate" moered !y PROUT'stherinciles ma9imum utilization and rational distri!ution electorateo%ill !e conscious and vigilant to ma$e sure that their elected reresentatives neither go astray, deviate, nor gro am!itious to usur oer !eyond the limits imosed !y the constitution or the guiding rules o% administration" Autocratic dictatorshi emerges only hen the dictator or his>her grou is a!le to %ool the eole or the electorate and the latter is not resonsive 5uic$ly enough to the ressure e9ercised over themselves" Q. )o! !ill the ma(ority of people "e involved in selecto' electional system under P#$UT?
4n %act involvement in the economic=olitical structure does not sto at the act o% voting" 4t imlies that the great num!er o% eole and electorate are conscious enough to $ee a constant vigil over the eole they have elected to oer" This is only ossi!le i% the educated electorate is socio=economically conscious enough to really gras the dynamics in this area" 4t means that PROUT stands %or active democratic articiation and not assive voting" 4n this asect, the conscious electorate ill also maintain a closeness and constant communication ith the asiration o% those ho are yet to !ecome the electors" A Proutistic system ill constantly endeavor to get all adults 5uali%ied as electors" Under the resent systems o% universal adult voting %ranchise there is no real involvement o% eole in the olitical administration" Peole are misled ith chea slogans and *+
The PROUT Companion
narro sentiments o% caste, religion, rovincialism, etc" or even !y their li$es, disli$es or %etishes" A demagogue or oulist olitician ins the game o% election ith chea slogans and %inancial muscle hereas an honest and sincere asirant loses" Actually !ased on(education, this %ranchise moral devoid o%integrity, its three essential democracy 5uali%ications socioeconomic consciousness) goes through only the ritual o% voting under the sell o% chea slogans and e9loitative %inancial muscle" Q. )o! is P#$UT,s system "etter than other systems including the present'day democracies?
or a Proutistic olitical system to %unction ell, the selected electorate (hich may !e in the millions) ill comletely identi%y themselves ith the eole" They ill elect reresentatives to the olitical administrative institutions o% the #tate using their caacity, 5uality, oularity and in5uisitiveness" They ill remain ever vigilant and involved in the or$ing o% the administration, and $ee a close atch over their !ehavior and activities, in their individual as ell as collective li%e, hich, although so much advocated and desired, is rarely o!served !y today's assive electorate" 6esides, since PROUT's economic system has envisaged the imortance o% individual enterrise in the rivate small industrial sector and the cooerative system in the large industrial sector, it ould not negate the natural urges o% onershi and enterrise or ill it lead to individually= or #tate=oriented e9loitation " On the contrary, it ill involve all sections o% eole in society and develo the harmonious groth o% all the %our sychic classes"
0
The PROUT Companion
Q. 5oes P#$UT propose the concentration of political po!er to "e vested in one institution or in one person?
PROUT !elieves in the centralization o% olitical oer !ut not in its concentration in one institution or one erson" To tal$ o% the devolution is o%as olitical oer #tate under theconcet resent circumstances theoretical as o% thethe utoian 8ar9ist o% the ithering aayB o% the #tate H hich is eyeash or hyocrisy" ven in those countries in the orld here the riters o% the constitution ished and dra%ted a system to avoid centralization o% olitical oer, circumstances ultimately led to its concentration" O% course, arti%icial circumstances had to !e created in order to cover u such an event" The method may !e di%%erent !ut the !asic sychology, necessity or the story is the same" 6ecause the reins o% oer ere not in the hands o% ethically strong ersons as contemlated !y PROUT, under one rete9t or the other this centralization has lead to indiscriminate su%%ering or e9loitation o% the same eole %or hose !ene%it the institution o% the #tate as srcinally created" PROUT rooses the centralization o% olitical oer only as %ar as olicy lanning and general suervision are concerned" 4t devolves the legislative, e9ecutive, ?udicial and %inancial oers in such a manner that the oer o% actual e9ecution is ielded !y di%%erent institutions under the ae9 leadershi o% the #advira 6oard, the highest :ollective 6ody" 8em!ers or #adviras constituting the ae9 nucleus emerge through a selecto=electional rocess %rom the loer collective !odies" They ill !e guided !y the rules and regulations %ramed !y the a%orementioned oers" The involvement o% the eole in general in the PROUT olitical system ill !e an automatic henomenon accomlished !y the hilanthroic and elevated #adviras" 1
The PROUT Companion
PROUT denounces the concet o% concentrating any oer in one erson and advocates the concet o% collective leadershiB at every stage" Q. )o! is the Proutistic system "etter than other systems in administration?
Under communism, %ascism or dictatorshi all the oers o% administration tend to get concentrated in one erson or a grou" The administrative machinery !ecomes comletely committed to a %ear=sychosis generated !y the rich erson or a grou" 4n resent=day democracies, there is also an acute deendence o% legislative and e9ecutive %unctionaries uon a erson or a grou o% ersons, hether it is a arliamentary system or a residential one" As a result, the entire administration gets olitically involved and decisions get olitically tainted" 4n the %inal analysis the ma?ority su%%er" Under the Proutistic system, the administration and !ureaucracy are to !e guided !y the rules o% laB ithout any %ear or %avor" The only commitment o% the administration ill !e toards the ideal o% PROUT" The scienti%ic system o% searation o% oersB ill ena!le the administration to act, undauntedly and unassailed" Q. )o! !ill P#$UT lead to the formation of a !orld government and materialize the concept of Universalism?
As mentioned earlier PROUT !elieves in the inherent insiration o% the :osmic sentiment (#ureme :onsciousness is my %ather, the Oerative Princile is my mother, and the entire Universe is my home)D hich also deends uon certain 2
The PROUT Companion
o!?ective circumstances to !e created !y accomlishing the %olloing %actors. 7i8 Common philosophy of life@ #irituality rovides human !eings and humanity a su!tle and tremendous sycho=siritual insiration hichith ena!les the individual to move toards an e9loitation=%ree social order and realize sychic e9ansion and siritual %reedom" 7ith sirituality as a !ase, a rational hilosohy should !e evolved to deal ith the hysical, sychological and socio= hilosohical ro!lems o% the day" An integrated rational theory dealing ith all the three hases H siritual, mental and hysical H o% human develoment ill !e the hilosohy common to man$ind in general" This ill !e evolutionary and ever=rogressive, in hich small details may vary according to relative environment o% the age" #uch a hilosohy o% li%e ill discourage thin$ing in arochial, caste= or class=oriented or conservative terms revalent in regional societies" On the contrary it ill insire and encourage uni%ying and :osmic sentiments" 7ii8 .ame constitutional structure@
The PROUT Companion
necessarily national) to solve ro!lems o% education, %ood sulies, %lood control, and u!lic sentiments as ell as loo$ a%ter the mundane and suramundane ro!lems" A lingua ith %ranca %or the literature orld should !e evolved" @ocal languages indigenous must also !e develoed to contri!ute toards orld rogress and there!y contri!ute to the common %amily o% human !eings" 7iii8 Common penal code@ :rimes are acts %or!idden !y national las hile virtue and vice are the outcome o% siritual sanction and traditional customs" The concets o% lama$ers are very much in%luenced !y these %actors" The sense o% crime has, there%ore, a arallelism ith the concet o% virtue and vice, hich di%%ers %rom eole to eole and country to country" PROUT realizes that as long as di%%erences remain in the concets o% crime and immorality, society ill remain slit" ence, PROUT advocates that di%%erences !eteen various las !e reduced and the ga !eteen cardinal moral and human las should !e !ridged in order to rogressively achieve a similarity in the concets o% sin, immorality and crime" All those actions hich hel in the groth o% siritual, mental and hysical asects o% human !eings in general should come under the category o% virtuous deeds, and those actions hich go against humanity in its siritual, mental and hysical develoment must come under viceB"21
21
The :osmic 6rotherhoodB, 2dea and 2deolo(y, P"R" #ar$ar, 1++" A8 Pu!lications"
&
The PROUT Companion
7iv8 ,vailability 7production supply purchasin( capacity8 of the minimum essentials of life6 The availa!ility o% minimum essentials (including %ood, clothing, housing, medical aid and education) is a must %or the develoment o% human ersonality and %orurchasing achieving the goal o% a orld community" The re5uisite caacity should !e rovided to all individuals so that they !ecome a!le to satis%y their minimum needs in the minimum time and utilize their surlus time in suramundane, metahysical and siritual sheres" This never=ending e%%ort %or a roer economic ad?ustment must continue at all times ith a vie to assisting the siritual, mental and hysical evolution o% human !eings and also to let humanity develo a :osmic sentiment %or a :osmic ideal and orld %raternity" Universalism is !ound to surge %orth as a sontaneous sentiment and natural realization"
The PROUT Companion
Eternal %on$ of the Proutists 8orality is the demand o% the day PROUT the cry o% su%%ering humanity's 7ise you !e may not or may 4% sincere, success a certainty ee y o um 9el the demons %rom hysical stratum ee y o um 9el the e9loiters %rom economic stratum ee ythe o!rutes um %rom sychic stratum 9el ee y o um 9el the arasites %rom siritual stratum uman !ody is to serve one and all uman mind to attend :osmic call uman sirit at the altar #ureme #urrender and !e #ureme
*
The PROUT Companion
Postscript: car!a Ra$hunath Prasad Acarya Raghunath Prasad, the author o% PROUT Giita, as a historian, learned interreter o% PROUT, social activist, and siritual teacher o% Ananda 8arga" e as !orn on Euly 1, 1+2 in the village o%
R## is an 4ndian volunteers organization %ounded in 1+2" 4ts mem!ers articiated in various olitical and social movements including the %reedom movement during the time o% 6ritish 4ndia"
