Advancing Civilization
In recent times, we have begun to identify our advancement as a species by our ability to make our lives easier. Since the dawn of human civilization, we have survived through natural means, through maintaining harmony with the natural world while gaining mastery over it. The industrial revolution introduced the modern idea of automation which uses machinery to produce what has historically been made by hand. The ability to for a nation to invent, produce, or at least acquire these machines, devices and infrastructure is now seen as proof of an advanced society. The individual who has his/her needs and wants fulfilled without giving an effort is considered to be the most fortunate.
Our ancestral cultures have warned us that “when taking becomes easy, bending down becomes difficult.” It’s clear that when we don’t exercise our muscles, they become weak. If we live in a society where mental effort is not necessary due to the easy lifestyle that has been established, what is happening to our minds? Our household appliances and mobile devices have made it so we no longer have to put much thought or effort into our daily routines. We can see that every time we acquire a new machine to do what we previously did for ourselves, it becomes more difficult to complete that task ourselves. The popular statement “use it or lose it” applies to the human reality on every level of our being. Few can deny that the act of working the muscles is strengthening to the body. In the same way, a mental challenge is also strengthening the brain.
Consider that the laws in the United States are now set up to protect us from having to think. Instead of asking ourselves whether we are doing the right thing and whether we are acting in the best interest of ourselves or the world around us, we only consider only whether we are breaking the law. If we hurt ourselves through our own carelessness, we can sue the owners of the place where we hurt ourselves and they will have to pay. Even if we hurt someone else, as long as we were acting within the law, we can justify our actions and go unpunished. We may go so far as to think that as long as we don’t get caught, we can commit any crime without facing any consequences.
The laws in this country have been established to uphold justice in society by protecting the good and punishing evil behavior. but how can goodness be defined by laws made by humans? These laws are changing every day. Power games played by corrupt merchants and politicians have defined our laws. How can we truly feel righteous solely because we obey the law?
Murder is considered one of the greatest sins. However, within the law, we can clearly see that this act is excusable under certain conditions. If the police murder someone, even with no cause, they often will not be punished. If the government decides to enter a war, countless lives will be lost; however, in this case, the killers are honored as heroes. Have we forgotten that the deceased of an enemy country also have loved ones who will mourn them? Even the religious doctrines that preach peace and preach “thou shall not kill” teach stories of their own prophets leading armies to war. What a contradiction!
What is the value of life in a system that condones such actions to fight wars and repress populations for the sake of political interests? This society of laws is destroying the world even as it claims to know what’s best for the world! How do we define good and evil if we are destroying the world while we are following the laws we have made to protect ourselves from evil?
The answer is that a human being is not capable of defining good for himself, for in each individual’s definition, he will find add justifications for his own corruption and conditions to meet his own preferences. The nature of a human being is corrupt. This is why our laws are constantly changing to fit the whims of society and our leaders. True morality can only come from a perfect world. For a human being, our only exposure to perfection has been through the World of the Gods.
Initiates of The Earth Center participating in an annual ceremony to commemorate the Day of Tehuti, when humanity received the Divine Code of Human Behavior. Contact your local Earth Center to participate this year.
The concept of good and evil is not a human invention. Since this is not apparent in the animal world, we have to conclude that the idea came from somewhere else. According to the school of Uast (Thebes) in Kemet, humanity was presented with our model for good on the Day of Tehuti. Our Ancestral God, Wsr, took upon himself the task of civilizing humanity. The Gods presented themselves to us and asked us what our goal is. Having been inspired by their perfect world, we decided that we wanted to imitate that Divine Model. Wsr, knowing man’s corruptible nature, knew that we would need the help of the Gods to be able to succeed. He gathered 77 Commandments from various Gods as a guide for humanity in our quest to perfect ourselves. This became the original code of human behavior.
The commandments are very strict and test all of our human weaknesses. Behaviors such as impatience, anger, dishonesty and scorn are forbidden territories for us that we must avoid in any situation. This requires the utmost discipline, humility and thoughtfulness. In following these commandments, we are forced to build our minds by taking control over our emotions and our desires in order to uphold our quality. We are committed to writing a good history for ourselves even in the most difficult times, even in the face of injustice and destruction all around us.
A Kem is defined by his/her commitment to perfection at all times. To resist the temptation to do evil truly requires a strong mind. It is the effort to build this mental strength by every individual of a society that is needed to establish a stable and lasting civilization. The advancement of a civilization can only happen as a result of the efforts of the entire population to duplicate the perfect model. It is only through this effort that humanity has been able to rise from barbarism. We are witnessing the result of a world lacking these values yet claiming to be advancing through conquest, materialism and scientific discoveries which have done nothing to slow the destruction of the world. How much longer can humanity refuse to acknowledge what we are missing?