The most fundamental living philosophy on Earth is the philosophy of Honglk, translated from the Korean as “Wide Benefits.” It refers to the desire to spread benefits to the world, not because someone demands or forces it, but because such actions are essential to your self-identification as an Earth-Human. The concept of the Earth-Human is the nucleus of the civilization shift our world requires today. In an historical context, it signifies the rediscovery of what it means to be human, or it could be the first-ever discovery of what it means to be human, for no civilization before us has achieved such a momentous shift that we know of. It also signifies our willingness to take responsibility for the choices in regard to our future. Knowing well that our lives and future and the future of Earth depend on our choices, we choose to take on the burden.
This paradigm shift represents the philosophical prerequisite for the new politics and economics of the new civilization. What should we call this new civilization? I choose to call it the spiritual civilization, not to distinguish it from the material one we live in today but to emphasize our absolute knowledge in the limitations of a material civilization.
Material objects in this civilization will not be the end itself, but a means to grow a soul. This new civilization will not hate materials nor give up the notion of material advances. However, we will define growth and maturity in a new directional sense. Spiritual does not stand on the opposite shore from Material as far as civilizations go, but the former encloses and surpasses the latter. Read more articles by Ilchi Lee.