Ethics

Transparency International published the Corruption Perceptions Index 2002,

ranking 102 countries. For Venezuela, this CPI utilized ten different
polls, reflecting the perceptions of country analysts and business people,
both resident and non-resident. Venezuela was ranked 84, with a score of
only 2.5 out of a clean score of 10.

Corruption spreads like a disease through every sector of society. Sometimes

underpaid government employees often work maddeningly slowly unless bribe
money is given for them to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and get the
job done quickly. At the other extreme, greedy business people and
unscrupulous investors illegally pay millions to corrupt officials to gain
favours or win lucrative government contracts. They put their selfish gain
before the welfare of citizens and the economic development of their
countries.

The Corruption Fighters' Tool Kit, is a compendium of practical civil

society anti-corruption experiences described in concrete terms and
accessible language. It presents innovative anti-corruption tools developed
and implemented around the world. Available online from
www.transparency.org.

The financial leaders of the rich countries who meet yearly in the World
Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, were described by the world's leading
business journal, The London Financial Times, as "the masters of the
universe". The term is rather accurate because the group is not popularly
elected. They represent tremendous financial power, which for the most part
does not benefit the common people. The decisions they make control your
economy and your lives.

Lack of Ethics

In 1995 the American Psychiatric Association published a study on criminal

psychology. The research report concluded that the most common factor among
habitual offenders was the tendency to lie. This character defect they share
with some of the richest and most powerful people on the planet! Political
leaders lie to their citizens, corporation directors cheat on their accounts
and tax statements, advertisers falsely exaggerate the benefits of their
products, and the world's most sophisticated military forces of the United
States have demonstrated the maxim that: "In war, truth is the first
casualty".

Traditional rules-based morality, expressed in terms of absolutes, is

inadequate to the task of solving most moral questions in the relative
world. If a de-ranged gunman is shooting innocent people, the Biblical
commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" may not be relevant to the immediate need
to stop him at any cost, in order to save other lives.

Throughout history, most moral treatises have reflected the interests of the
rich and powerful. Each ruling class has exploited other classes through
force and cunning, creating rules and justifications for those rules to suit
their interest. Human history is a chronicle of exclusion and power.
What is morality ?

It is a code of conduct that leads human beings to their highest fulfilment.

By this basis a moral treatise does not serve the interests of a ruling
class. On this basis, ethical principles are the starting point on the
journey of human life. Morals are the principles leading to one's spiritual
welfare.

When moral values are based on Neohumanism, they include honesty, courage,
mercy, humility, self-restraint and compassion as the underlying basis.
These qualities are considered virtues in every society and religious and
spiritual traditions because they give meaning and enhance the beauty of
life, transforming people and society. Proper moral values challenge us to
protect the weak, avoid harming others, overcome selfishness and denounce
the lies of those who abuse their power.

Prout recognizes the existential value of every being; this value supersedes
the social value or utilitarian value of a being. Hence every life has
spiritual potential and should be preserved and encouraged as far as
possible.

Question: would it be acceptable to you if society adopted values with an

underlying universal flow? What are these and their basis?

They are the cardinal human values and they are found in what can be called
neo-humanism, which is, in another set of words:
- universal humanism; or
- spiritual humanism.

Neo-humanism takes the spirit of humanism further and extends it to

everything, animate and inanimate, in the universe.

Cardinal human values reflect the spirit of continuing effort towards

welfare of the entire humanity and promotion of universal well-being. They
ensure humanity does not degenerate to animality. They elevate humanism to
universalism. They represent a synthetic approach (compared to analytical).
In essence it means feel, think and act with universal spirit for the good
and happiness of all.

Morality is the foundation upon which a society must be built. Throughout

history, a gradual trend has emerged to establish a more permanent set of
moral values based on the intrinsic value of human life. The struggles
against slavery, tyranny, injustice and poverty reflect this. Ultimately,
all cardinal human values arise from the evolution of consciousness and the
spiritual urge to discover oneself. The intrinsic values then take a form
also of practical moral principles.

Human cardinal values are an overarching intuitive feel for a moral

framework based on "practical wisdom". From these cardinal human values one
forms the do's and don'ts of social and personal life. While choosing the
correct way to act in different situations, the intention behind each deed
is of great importance - benevolent universal outlook.

One important contribution to the ethical debate is Prout's emphasis on

balancing individual and collective interests. Ethics and the sense of
justice are the basis of idealism and inspiration in spiritual life, and
they are indispensable for the creation of a better society. While morality
is the beginning of both the individual and collective movement, in itself
it is not worthy of being the goal of life. Spiritual outlook must,
however, have morality as it base.

Ethics are tools for liberation and not for suppression. To restore dynamic
equipoise in our society and in our personal lives, we need a clear code of
moral conduct. We need to broaden our sense of right and wrong to include
"right living" in the world.

P R Sarkar (the propounder of Prout) adopted ten ancient ethical principles

of yoga as a guide to human conduct and morality.

The first five are called Yama, which means, "controlled contact with
others" - they show us how to live in peace with others.

The second five principles are called Niyama, which means "controlled
conduct for self purification" - guidelines for how to be at peace with
oneself.

Sarkar re-interpreted these principles, discarding old dogmatic

interpretations. Universal in nature, they can be an effective guide to
wisely choose one's actions in any time, in any place, and with any group of
people.

The five principles of Yama, or social values, are:

- Not to intentionally harm others with one's actions, words or thoughts.

- To use one's words and one's mind for the welfare of others; benevolent
truthfulness.

- Not to take what rightfully belongs to others, and not to deprive others
of what is their due.

- Not to indulge in comforts and amenities which are superfluous to the

preservation of life.

- To respect and treat everyone and everything as an expression of the

Supreme Consciousness.

The five principles of Niyama, or social values, are:

- Cleanliness of body and mind.

- Contentment.

- Undergo hardships to serve and attain self-actualized higher awareness, eg

go out of one's way to help others.

- Study of philosophy and uplifting spiritual discourse.

- Internal contemplation of spiritual idea.