I just watched a video on Buddhism, by someone who was fascinated by Buddhism. In it, he looks at the sci-fi idea of a 'Type 1 Civilization', and things like that.
A Type 1 Civilization is a civilization where we use all the energy on our home planet.
A Type 2 Civilization is a civilization where we use all the energy in our solar system.
A Type 3 Civilization is a civilization where we use all the energy in our galaxy.
And, well... WTF?! Are we actually saying that it is a good thing to consume every bit of energy on our F'n Planet?!
Isn't that what got us into this mess in the first place?!
Surely a civilization that consumes a thousandth of the energy on our planet but makes us happy is better than a civilization that consumes all of the energy on our planet and makes us happy!
And so, this video says, maybe we can have a Type 1 Wisdom civilization.
Maybe we can measure a civilization by its wisdom.
And then they go on, with things like... a Type 1 Wisdom civilization is one where no one will be poor....
A Type 2 civilization where no one will be....
A Type 3 Wisdom civilization will be one where no one will ever have to suffer.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, back that truck up.
We are not God.
We do not control everything.
The person behind the video is a person fascinated by Buddhism, not a Buddhist, and it shows.^
As long as there are many things in the universe beyond our control, we cannot end all suffering.
We are building a civilization, not a universe.
And so I suggest a different conception of a Type 1 Wisdom civilization.
A Type 1 Wisdom Civilization is one where it is normal and expected for people to cooperate and try their best to be kind to each other.
A Type 2 Wisdom Civilization is one where it is normal for people to cooperate and try their best to be kind, and we as a civilization go deeper into looking for meaning and answers.
A Type 3 Wisdom Civilization is Ming China and Gupta India. And Mughal India under Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jehan. And Ottoman Turkey in its day.
You can read all about a Type 3 Wisdom Civilization in many of my books, all real histories.
They have gone way beyond the more important, most fundamental part, the cooperating and being kind part, that is Type 1.
They have gone way beyond merely looking for deeper answers.
They have found deeper answers.
Our world is dominated right now by the young, ignorant, long-isolated western-European descended 'western' civilization.
This is a young, long isolated, ignorant civilization.
But this young, long isolated civilization still has all the capacity to learn and one day become a Ming China or a Gupta India.
Our world is healing.
Our world is growing again.
We will be once again a Type 1 Wisdom Civilization.
We are growing by leaps and bounds as we speak.
Hope for all of us!
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson
^That is not to put down the person behind the Youtube video. He's great. He's learning. Learn on, don't let me stop you!