PART SEVEN
The Time-Tested Politics
of Unity
and
the Anti-Civilization Politics
of IndividuationPolitics, society, and the common behavioral norms of any collective order are modelled in the likeness of the concept (or philosophy) of conditionally manifested reality that characterizes the collective generally.
If the prevailing concept (or philosophy) of conditionally manifested reality is based upon the presumption that conditionally manifested existence is not a unity (but, instead, is characterized by irreducible multiplicity, separateness, independent individuality, and polar opposition), then the collective order will be characterized by the politics of dissociative individuation, and by the universally socially-active idea of competive individualism, and also by behavioral norms and expectations that exclusively correspond to the purpose of separate and separative individual "self"-fulfillment.
If, however, the prevailing concept (or philosophy) of conditionally manifested reality is based upon the presumption that conditionally manifested existence is priorly (or inherently) a unity (and is, for that reason, altogether characterized by, and to be conformed to, the sign of indivisible unity), then the collective order will be characterized by the politics of cooperative unity, and by the universally socially-active idea of social indivisibility, and, also, by ego-subordinating behavioral norms and expectations — including such norms as cooperation, tolerance, and globally universal peace.
The traditional, time-tested, and life-proven concept (or philosophy) of conditionally manifested reality is that of prior unity. Politics, society, and the culture of human behavior have traditionally been developed on the basis of the fundamental working-presumption of the prior (or inherent) unity of conditionally manifested reality and the Prior (or Inherent) Oneness (and Indivisibility) of the Non-conditional Reality (or the Self-Nature, Self-Condition, Self-State, and Acausal Source Condition That Is Reality Itself). And this fundamental presumption, first confessed and communicated by men and women of great Spiritual development, has been the very basis for the universal efforts and purposes of humankind that characterize what is rightly called “civilization”. By contrast — except for the basic corrective demand that appropriate individual rights, and true individual well-being, and necessary individual integrity be properly respected and served — the political, social, and general behavioral signs and results of the concept (or philosophy) of conditionally manifested reality as a non-unity (or an "objective" multiplicity divorced from Prior Indivisibility) can largely be described as the effort and purpose of counter-civilization, or anti-civilization, or even barbarism. That is to say, the political, social, and general behavioral signs and results of the concept (or philosophy) of conditionally manifested reality as a non-unity (or a realm of mere multiplicity, separateness, independent individuality, and polar opposition) are those of ego-glorification, general dissociativeness and separativeness, collective disunity and disorder, indiscriminate exploitation of all possibilities, abuse and disregard of every form of authority, the magnification of every kind of conflict and difference, the exaggeration of competitiveness, "self"-indulgence, and the purpose of material acquisition, the breakdown of community and collective culture, the devaluation and the waning of true philosophical and Spiritual endeavor, and the undermining of the fundamental morality of cooperation, tolerance, and general peacefulness.
Political, social, and general behavioral “materialism” (or conventional “realism”) are bound to the concept (or philosophy) of conditionally manifested existence as a non-unity (and, at best, a search for the achievement of unity). And such political, social, and general behavioral “materialism” (or conventional “realism”) is the overriding common pattern and motion of present-time global pseudo-civilization (in spite of the always continuing propaganda that merely idealizes and gives lip service to political and social “unity”).
Global peace, human freedom, and human well-being for all humankind depend on an individual and a collective change of mind — followed by a corresponding change of action. It is a matter of converting the mind and the life and the entire human collective to a right understanding of conditionally manifested reality (which is, inherently, a great unity), and to a right (and truly Spiritual) surrender to the Non-conditional Source-Reality* (Which Is, Inherently, One and Indivisible).
When the way of living becomes the active surrender of egoity, then the conditions of life will constantly prove the Truth.
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* conditionally manifested reality / Reality ItselfAdi Da distinguishes between two meanings of the word "reality". (1) He refers to reality as we ordinarily perceive it and participate in it as "conditionally manifested reality". The "ordinary reality" is the complex effect of all kinds of causes. Thus, the "ordinary reality" can manifest only in accordance with whatever conditions are the case. Therefore, because the "ordinary reality" is dependent on conditions, Adi Da describes it as "conditionally manifested".
(2) In contrast to "conditionally manifested reality", Adi Da refers to "Reality Itself" (with capital letters )Reality Itself — which is the True Self-Nature, Self-Condition, and Self-State (or "Source-Reality") of every being and thing — is not in any sense dependent on conditions, and therefore it is utterly "Non-conditional".