Preface

Some twenty years ago, I wanted to promote three notions:

·        life-time learning,
·        respect for difference,
·        protection of the environment.

I was clear that these were the key notions, but the reasons why there were only three of them, were not clear to me.

After twenty years of meditation - along with experiments and experiences - I believe I have clarified – at least for myself - the philosophical underpinnings for these three notions and my desire to promote them.

Theoretically speaking, you might expect that as technologies advance and progress is also made on a cultural level, societies would become more harmonious and peaceful.  On the contrary, however, it seems that crime rates are climbing, wars are incessant and terrorism is rampant.

Human beings, I think, have gone astray in certain key aspects of their thinking. Having considered the matter for many years, I came to the conclusion that if we put these three notions as a starting point for educational programmes everywhere, we could make the future world a better place. Therefore, I created Online Eco-Kingdoms to promote these three notions.

Ever since ancient times, a particular mind-set - widely recognized and accepted by different peoples on earth - has formed around two notions: that their own sages and people of virtue have defined for them a unique truth superior to any truth defined by the sages and people of virtue of other peoples; and that human evolution comes about primarily as the result of competition and power struggles between different races and societies of people.

In pursuit of this “unique” truth, philosophers have divided themselves into two broad factions and argued with each other for thousands years.

One faction claims that the noblest pursuit is the development of the mind, spirit and soul, relegating corporal and physical considerations to a subordinate rôle which must be controlled in order not to impede the development of mind.

The other maintains that the needs and promptings of the flesh are paramount, and must be recognised as the driving force behind the rationalisations and justifications of the mind.  Taken to extreme, the one direction leads to the hermit on the mountaintop, and the other to the despot on his golden throne.

My point of view is that life is a matter of symbiosis.  It cannot be "Being" without peaceful co-existence of apparently disparate elements.  We must balance our physical and the non-physical needs and wants on our "journey of Exist" through life.

The symbiosis of the two make the "Existence" and “Being” of each possible.

• Our minds take care of our bodies to sustain our "existence";
• Our bodies host our spirits, providing the vehicle which fosters the “being” of our spiritual selves.

Evolution, then, comes about as a result of symbiosis, rather than competition and struggle between ideologies and political systems.

Human beings have long regarded competition and struggle as the driving forces of evolution. In an attempt to establish the dominance of one particular mind-set, they incessantly attack others: increasing discrimination and antagonism, and provoking lasting enmities.  Intolerance of difference leads to a vicious cycle of disorder and turmoil; and no matter how people dress it up to make it plausible or morally justifiable, the problems such intolerance creates are not amenable to solution.

What we maintain in Eco-kingdoms is that real quality of life is found in peaceful coexistence, and what drives evolution are the symbiotic relationships between body and mind, between people and peoples, and between humanity and the planet that gave birth to it (and which up to now has sustained it).

Competition leads to struggle and struggle leads so often to strife via misunderstanding and mutual hostility.  How much better it would be if our educational programmes taught the importance of mutual respect for all people, societies, philosophies and religions. Every individual can look for his or her own respected truth and set of values, instead of attempting to coerce others into accepting whatever they happen to believe by accident of birth or the teachings of the society in which they happen to have been brought up.

If every individual can cultivate his or her own life-long learning habit and capability and give full respect to all other different individuals and their cultures, while loving and protecting this earth on which we survive, then future generations will be able to grow and thrive in a better world.