“The Yugas” references two books I had read 40 years ago:
1) “The Holy Science” written by Swami Sri Yukteswar in 1894.
2) “Autobiography of a Yogi” written by Swami Paramahansa Yogananda (a disciple of Yukteswar) in 1946.
The first book I found unbelievable: I couldn’t fathom how humanity’s destiny is linked to some kind of cosmic cycle. In the second book. I found a gentle, caring, and thought-provoking soul. But I also saw someone who is escaping the hardships of the real world because he has disciples giving him money. I read a good part of that book, but I tired of it. I can’t recall much today.
“The Yugas” is a supplement to these two earlier books. I stumbled into this book via some Medium recommendation a year ago, not knowing I had already dabbled a bit into this Hindu philosophy. I finally got around to reading this book. Now the Yuga concept is interesting to me.
I think Selbie explains the Yuga philosophy better than the other two sages. But I have also become more open to new ideas. And my knowledge of history has increased such that I can see trends described by Yukteswar.
The Kali Yuga
Yukteswar has interpreted the Hindu writings into a 24,000-year cycle. Humanity reached the bottom of the cycle about 500 BC. This is known as the age of Kali Yuga. In this age, the state and religion play an overbearing role in human lives. Average people really do not have much influence. Most lived a dreary existence. Yukteswar gives the end of this age at about 1700.
The next 200 years produced an advancement of humanity. Science got a lot better. Democracies were formed. Average people found more life options. This 200-year period was a transition between two yugas — and many people were lifted out of their despair.
The Dwapara Yuga
By 1890, Yukteswar claims humanity was fully into Dwapara Yuga. This age can be expressed as “self-interest.” This means the bulk of humanity is motivated mostly by improving oneself — and Dwapara Yuga allows many people to pursue their self interest. Most people in Kali Yuga never had this option. They just accepted their dreary existence as part of life.
Selbie claims that “self interest” is not all that bad. In Dwapara Yuga, many of us can live more fulfilling lives. And all the technology, motivated by self interest, has allowed us to live those fulfilling lives. But, of course, the technology has its drawbacks. Selbie mentions the troubles overcoming these drawbacks because our self interest dominates our thinking.
A few days ago, I watched a few documentaries about how too many rich people can acquire wealth by nefarious means — and not really have any consequences for their actions. It’s not hard to see the self interest there. And the documentaries also gave many connections between the wealthy and the political classes. Lots of self interest is being exchanged.
And we see many in the lower classes finding their happiness in terms of their own self interest. We are indeed a world motivated by self interest.
TDG and Dwapara Yuga
If I had a dollar for every time someone on Medium said something like: “Dave, your TDG (Tiered Democratic Governance) is real interesting, but humanity is not ready for this system,” I might have $500 more than I have now!
I am quite clear in my TDG writing that if we bring our collective mindset into the TDG, the TDG will not work. We have to rise above our current mindset, which, according to the current yuga, is self interest.
I am also quite clear that I believe that there are enough of us already above this mindset. We can use the TDG as a tool to practice this new way of thinking.
The TDG’s goal is to create a replacement system of governance for western democracy. It will put people who are competent and altruistically motivated into the field of governance. They will see their election as a service to humanity rather than as something to satisfy their self interest.
Not only that, this new system will create more effective decisions for society — and most citizens will trust those decisions to be for their own betterment.
TDG and Tetra Yuga
In Tetra Yuga, Selbie talks about moving from self interest to self mastery. He says we will develop our intuition to higher levels. He uses Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein as examples of Tetra intuitive thinkers. There will be more people like this in Tetra Yuga than we have today.
In Tetra Yuga, Selbie talks about civil society coming to a more advanced level. In other words, a truly civil society will cast aside aspiring politicians with a “self interest” mindset. Voters will be much better at reading the motivations of our elected officials. Our three sages are almost predicting something like the TDG to be our next form of governance.
Except there is a little problem. Yukteswar predicted the Tetra Yuga will start about 4100 A.D.
Let’s do some math: 4100 minus 2022 equals “the TDG is 2078 years ahead of its time.”
Am I really that far ahead in cosmic thinking?
Is it any wonder that the TDG is not getting any traction today?
I have alluded to my first attempt at Yogananda’s book. I thought he was just another cult leader — albeit a gentle leader who had respect from people outside the cult. I now see his “worldly” job was to move humanity closer to the advanced yugas, which will bring a better life for future world citizens. His disciples are continuing with his teaching.
And maybe my TDG is helping this process as well. After all, I am challenging the notion that western democracy is the highest form of governance humanity can ever invent, an axiom we regard as truth today.
Early TDG builders can be part of the advancing yugas as well. One of the settling features of the building of the TDG is that the early builders can and should put aside their worldly needs, wants, and desires — and just work peacefully with other builders by discussing: “How do we govern ourselves locally for today’s TDGers for the purpose of better governance for all in the future?” The builders will be developing the new collective decision-making techniques as their contribution to move the world through the yugas. And today’s issues should not affect their deliberations.
But let’s not wait until 4100 A.D. for the TDG to magically happen.
There is another benefit to building the TDG. Many of us really need to do something positive — politically speaking.
The early TDG builders will be working in a co-operative environment with the long-term political future as our objective. We can let go of our daily troubles and current political turmoil in our TDG meetings. We will feel great when we will accomplish certain self-governance objectives. Being in such an environment is good for one’s soul. And when the soul is healthier, other aspects of our life become healthier. All this psychological benefit for just 10 hours of TDG service a month!
Consider “Building the TDG” as your “political yoga!”
Publish on Medium 2022
