Project Heaven on Earth ~ Articles: Humankind's Shared Destiny

ARTICLES: HUMANKIND'S SHARED DESTINY

This article includes:

Humankind's Destiny
Compassion
Purpose
Shifting from Me to We

Introduction

Project Heaven On Earth is dedicated to the realization of humankind's shared destiny. The proposition is that humankind has reached a stage in its evolution where the welfare and fulfilment of all humankind can become the agenda of the individual. With the advent of instant telecommunications such as television, global travel and the internet, the planet has become what Marshall MacLuhan called the "global village".

Yet, modern life comes with immense confusion. The global village increases feelings of loneliness and isolation, the stranger in the crowd. Deriving meaning and significance from individual actions becomes difficult. Moreover, the need to belong and contribute to something more than one's own well being is further frustrated by material abundance.

Our social fabric is evolving. We have become used to maintaining friendships at a distance. Real time communications by phone, internet and travel means that we can now sustain intimate relationships independent of distance. Our village is now defined by common interests rather than common heritage or shared geography. The formation of Project Heaven On Earth is an example of these principles. Martin Rutte and Richard Porter have maintained a close friendship over long distances for almost 20 years based on shared values and ideals. It is no accident that the idea for Project Heaven On Earth began when the two men met in Vancouver in September 1999.

The dawn of the new millennium and our spiritual, social, psychological, political and technological evolution presents us with an exciting new opportunity. Our vision for Project Heaven On Earth is for the global community to be bound together by the idea that humankind can realize its full potential in this lifetime, on this planet – not just some of us, but all of us. We further believe that participation in this idea can contribute to each individual's sense of relevance, contribution, belonging and satisfaction.

The realization of Project Heaven On Earth is through variety and community. Variety speaks to the almost infinite number of projects, initiatives, causes or meditations that could contribute to realizing Heaven On Earth. From causes such as the feeding of humanity to initiatives like planting flowers or meditations such as consciously smiling at strangers on the street, each action makes a contribution to the realization of Heaven On Earth. Community is created by connecting individuals who share both similar interests and a common committment to create Heaven on Earth. For example imagine a community of people in various countries who share a passion for planting trees as their contribution to the realization of Heaven On Earth.

The power of uniting these actions in a common framework while supporting life's natural tendency for variety is at the heart of our vision. Each contribution to the realization is sacred. Sharing a common vision creates a sense of one large family, the human family.

Humankind's Destiny

When examining the destiny of humankind, the question arises: "What is destiny?" One approach to the question is to consider the literal definition of destiny. The Oxford English Dictionary offers the defintion "ultimate condition". Another approach is to consider the concept of destiny from the point of view of design. That is, that the design of an entity shapes its destiny. For example, a bird is destined to fly because it is designed to fly. Race horses are born to run because their design dictates their potential.

Approaching destiny from the viewpoint of design offers up another intriguing question: "What is the design of the human soul? (I use soul here in the context of the essence, character or nature of being human.) Surely, if the design of a bird destines it to fly, then the design of the human soul must shape our destiny. In my contemplations to date I see that there are two key properties to the design of the human soul: compassion and purpose. These dual properties and their interactions uniquely shape human destiny.

Compassion

Compassion is the first property of the design of the human soul. Compassion describes our capacity to empathize and experience "an other". An Other may be a member of our family, a friend, a neighbour or a total stranger. An Other may extend beyond humans to include animals, plants, a valley, a river or the planet. We have the capacity to feel and empathize with a wide variety of beings. As humankind frees itself from fear, ignorance and want, the potential for compassion expands.

Then, what is compassion's potential? Compassion's potential is to be the vehicle for humankind to experience its place in the universe. Compassion by its very design is experiential. From compassion we can directly experience knowing. From compassion we move from an intellectual understanding of an Other to an empathetic experience of the position of an Other. We can experience our connection with an Other. Compassion places us in the universal family. We can experience accord with our shared destiny.

Most people experience this grand and noble concept of compassion daily in simple gestures: the smile or touch of a loved one, the beauty of a sunset, the knowledge that a simple meal delivers nourishment and love. Some people commit themselves wholeheartedly to causes such as ending world hunger and establishing world peace. Regardless of the size of the gesture, our experience is the same; we are an integrated part of something larger than ourselves and this gives us pleasure and deep satisfaction.

Purpose

Purpose is the second property of the design of the human soul. Purpose is the impulse to our life. It fuels our vitality. What is unique about humankind is the variety of purposes in our destiny. The major task in life as we mature into adulthood is to discover our personal purpose. Our purpose is the answer to the question: "Why am I here?"

Purpose is a call to action. It is not sufficient to know one's purpose but it is necessary to know one's purpose to fulfill one's destiny. The impulse to action moves us from our present state towards our destiny, the "ultimate condition". The variety of human adventures in pursuit of destiny, inspired by individual purpose, is infinite. Each life is like a unique and powerful painting. Purpose calls forth virtue. Courage, persistence, generosity and creativity are all natural extensions of expressions of purpose.

Collective purpose in our time has led to an explosion in every area of material life. Arts and sciences of all kinds are experiencing unprecedented expression, growth and vitality. Industry and technology have been harnessed to create unprecedented health, wealth, comfort and enjoyment. And yet, our collective destiny is not realized.

Shifting from Me to We

Can humankind with its varied individual purposes have a shared destiny? The distinction between shared and common is important, shared does not mean common. Through compassion we can recognize each other as members of the same common family. Compassion also accepts an Other for who/what he, she or it is. A wide variety of purposes, viewpoints, cultures, languages and styles is natural. It is a consequence of the design of the human soul. Our humanity is common; our destiny is shared.

Our capacity to share our personal destiny with others is what creates community. Traditional communities were created by both physical necessity and geographic proximity. In our age, communities are being formed based on shared interests, independent of space and time. Shared destiny then, has created and bound communities together.

Project Heaven On Earth has been designed to harmonize with our perception of the design of the human soul. It incorporates the properties of compassion and purpose. It recognizes that humankind is one in its compassion and infinitely varied in individual purposes.

Destiny may be considered as the full realization of the potential of a design. The human soul has a distinct design. We do share a destiny, the realization of Heaven On Earth. It is our "ultimate condition". It is inevitable. It is prescribed in our design. How we realize our destiny is the matter of billions of adventures. We invite all of humankind to play and to share their experience.

Cordially,
Richard Porter
Launching, Project Heaven On Earth

people together realizing Project Heaven on Earth

"We Are Project Heaven on Earth"