Unity

The events unfolding now were set into motion long ago. We may not be able to stop them but we can still build an inclusive vision for a better future.

Fortunately, as Newton said, we stand on the shoulders of giants. The following eight lines written by the great Indian poet Mirza Ghalib in the 18th century shed light on the wisdom shared across the Daoist, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, and Islamic traditions, as well as the conflict between theology and philosophy.

(Spiritual) lightning should have struck us, and not Sinai

Wine is given proportional to the capacity of the seeker

girni thi ham pe barq-e-tajalli na tuur par

dete hain baadah zarf-e-qadah khvaar dekh kar

This can be read in a number of ways but most saliently, Ghalib hints that the biblical story about lightning striking Mount Sinai upon Moses' encounter with God may be metaphorical, with the lightning symbolizing a direct experience more appropriate for human consciousness than inanimate matter.

Though not there but they're at least exiles thereof

These idols too have a distant relation with Kaaba

Why assume that everyone gets the same answer

Come, why don’t we make a trip to Mount Sinai ourselves?

go vaan nahin pa vaan ke nikaale huay to hain

kaaba se in buton ko bhi nisbat hai duur ki

kya farz hai ke sab ko mile ek sa jawaab

aao na hum bhi sair karein koh-e-tuur ki

Here, Ghalib boldly goes further. He argues that the pagan idols that were famously destroyed and banished from Kaaba by early Muslims have some distant relationship to it too, even if it is only by virtue of conflict. In a very subtle manner though, he hints that there is more to the relationship. Acknowledging the diversity of perspectives on the controversial subject, he finds solace in the Zen Buddhist emphasis on the direct experience of consciousness, which he interestingly compares to taking a trip to Mount Sinai, similar to the previous couplet.

My wandering and desiring heart is rattled by theology

It seeks the openness of Indian and Chinese temples

dilam dar ka'ba az tangi giraft aavaara-e-khwaaham

ke baaman vus'at-e-butkhaana haaye hind o chiin goyad

Ghalib sounds convinced about the connection between religion and the wonders of human consciousness, and frustrated by the suffocating domination of theology over philosophy.

In his era, scientific understanding of the human mind was not advanced enough to help philosophy pose a credible challenge to theology and politics. However, this may not be the case anymore.

Advances in neuroscience and artificial intelligence create an environment ripe for political evolution that is certain to be opposed by political, theological, and cultural factions with accumulated wealth and power to be sustained.

However, as intelligence scales, if there is philosophical convergence across cultures, it would be hard to deny. It would be compelling.

So far in human history, clashing civilizations have been striving to find temporary equilibrium in their relations with the hope of eventual domination. In this game theoretical setup, armageddon is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Instead, if these clashing civilizations could agree on a philosophical framework that unites seemingly conflicting ideologies on the basis of a scientific understanding of human consciousness, humanity may find a better equilibrium.

The song "Ode to Freedom " by ABBA captures this spirit well.