Maximum Utilization

14. There should be maximum utilization of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of unit and collective bodies of human society

Society must ensure the maximum development of the:

• collective body
• collective mind
• collective spirit.

Collective welfare lies in individuals and individual welfare lies in collectivity.

Without ensuring individual comforts through the proper provision of food, light, air, accommodation and medical treatment, the welfare of the collective body can never be achieved.

One will have to promote individual welfare motivated by the spirit of promoting collective welfare.

The development of the collective mind is impossible without:

• developing proper social awareness
• encouraging the spirit of social service
• awakening knowledge in every individual

So, inspired with the thought of the welfare of the collective mind, one has to promote the well-being of the individual mind.

The absence of spiritual morality and spirituality in individuals will break the backbone of the collectivity.

So for the sake of collective welfare one will have to awaken spirituality in individuals.

The mere presence of a handful of strong and brave people, a small number of scholars or a few spiritualists does not indicate the progress of the entire society.

The potential for infinite physical, mental and spiritual development is inherent in every human being. This potentiality has to be harnessed and brought to fruition.

15. There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, mundane, supramundane and spiritual utilizations

While promoting individual and collective welfare, there should be proper adjustment among the physical, mental and spiritual spheres and the crude, subtle and causal worlds.

For instance, society has the responsibility to meet the minimum requirements of every individual.

But if it arranges food and builds a house for everyone under the impetus of this responsibility, individual initiative is retarded.

People will gradually become lethargic. Therefore, society has to make arrangements so that people, in exchange for their labour according to their capacity, can earn the money they require to purchase the minimum requirements.

In order to raise the level of the minimum requirements of people, the best policy is to increase their purchasing capacity.

“Proper adjustment” also means that while taking service from a person who is physically, mentally and spiritually developed, society should follow a balanced policy.

Society will take physical, intellectual or spiritual service from a person depending on which of these capacities is conspicuously developed in that person.

From those who are sufficiently physically and intellectually developed, society will follow a balanced policy and accordingly take more intellectual service and less physical service,

This is because intellectual power is comparatively subtle and rare.

From those who are physically, mentally and spiritually developed, society will take maximum spiritual service, less intellectual service and still less physical service.

As far as social welfare is concerned, those endowed with spiritual power can render the greatest service, followed by those endowed with intellectual power.

Those having physical power cannot do anything by themselves. Whatever they do, they do under the instructions of those endowed with intellectual and spiritual power.

Hence the responsibility of controlling the society should not alone be in the hands of:

• those who only have physical power or courage, or
• those are only developed intellectually or with worldly knowledge

Social control will have to be in the hands of those who are spiritually elevated, intelligent and brave all at the same time.

16. The method of utilization should vary in accordance with changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of progressive nature

The proper use of any object changes according to changes in time, space and person.

Those who cannot understand this simple principle want to cling to the skeletons of the past, and as a result they are rejected by living society.

Sentiments based on narrow nationalism, regionalism, ancestral pride, etc., tend to keep people away from this fundamental principle, so they cannot unreservedly accept it as a simple truth.

Consequently, after doing indescribable damage to their country, their fellow citizens and themselves, they are compelled to slink away to the backstage.

The method of utilization of every object changes according to time, space and person.

This has got to be accepted, and after recognizing this fact, people will have to progressively utilize every object and every idea.

For instance, the energy which a powerful person utilizes to operate a huge hammer should be utilized through scientific research to operate more than one hammer at a time, instead of wasting the energy to operate just one hammer.

In other words, scientific research, guided by progressive ideas, should extract more and more service from the same human potential. It is not a sign of progress to use outdated technology in an age of developed science.

Society will have to bravely confront different types of obstacles, large or small, that are likely to arise due to the use of various resources and materials created by progressive ideas and developed technology.

Through struggle, society will have to move forward towards victory along the path of all-round fulfilment in life.

[This is the Progressive Utilization Theory, propounded for the happiness and all-round welfare of all.]

1962

Footnotes

1. On October 13, 1989 the author gave the discourse “Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities” (Proutist Economics, 1992), and instructed that the essential ideas contained in this discourse should be added to the present chapter.

These ideas were summarized by the author as follows: “(1) Minimum requirements are to be guaranteed to all.

2. Special amenities are for people of special calibre as per the environmental condition of the particular age.

3. Maximum amenities are to be guaranteed to all, even to those who have no special qualities – to common people of common calibre. Maximum amenities are to be guaranteed to all as per environmental conditions.

These amenities are for those of ordinary calibre – the common people, the so-called downtrodden humanity. (4) All three above are never-ending processes, and they will go on increasing according to the collective potentialities. This appendix to our philosophy may be small, but it is of progressive nature and progressive character. It has far-reaching implications for the future.” –Eds.

(2) In 1959, Sarkar gave the “Five Fundamental Principles of Prout” in English. They were published as part of the discourse “The Cosmic Brotherhood” in Idea and Ideology.

In 1961, he dictated Ánanda Sútram, whose fifth chapter contains 16 Sanskrit sútras, or aphorisms.

Aphorisms 12 to 16 correspond to the 5 Fundamental Principles given earlier in English.

Samája in Sútra 5-12 is normally translated “society”; “collective body” appears in the English.

Parivarttante in Sútra 5-16 is normally translated “does vary” (present indicative); “should vary” appears in the English. –Eds.