An article written in preparation for the World Spirit Forum in Arosa, Switzerland, January 2006.

You are looking for the cause of evil. It is only within you.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The world will not be able to exist unless humans change their attitude to the world from reception to bestowal. Indeed, our egoism is the only destructive force in the world. Apart from our human ego, all the forces in the world are forces of nature that are in perfect balance with each other. Among them, there are forces that we evaluate as “positive” and “negative” according to our understanding. However, all of them are activated and sustained by the single law of nature and exist in complete harmony at the still, vegetative, and animate levels of matter.

In the past, we thought that such harmony did not exist; we were anxious to destroy some part of nature that seemed “harmful” to us. The bitter experiences we have from intervening with nature shows that everything in nature is interconnected, everything exists or aspires toward the state of homeostasis—balance at all levels of interaction between the parts and levels of matter.

Homeostasis represents the inner and outer balance of any living organism, though, for the most part, it refers to the self-regulating (biological) organisms. Any object has a right to exist only in the event that similarity between its inner and outer parameters is maintained. If similarity is breached, balance is disturbed, beyond the limits of which, the organism’s destruction begins. A possibility to reestablish homeostasis at all levels of nature guarantees continuation of life.

However, while all mutually opposite, positive and negative forces of nature are in balance with each other, breaching the limits of balance only where necessary for further development; the only part of nature, the only creature that exceeds the limits of balance and brings harm to all of nature is the human being.

Our egoism causes harm. No other creature in nature is egoistic. Even if one animal devours another animal, this happens according to the law of nature that acts inside a creature. One creature devours the other according to its natural instinctive desire, rather than intention to harm. Apart from a human being, no other creature in nature relates to those around him with the intention to harm, use, exploit, or experiences pleasure when feeling better than those around him. Only a human being can delight in the misfortune of another person.

No other creature in nature relates to one’s neighbor this way. Animals strive for food, not for inflicting harm on one another. Nature has prepared precisely what and how much one needs in order to exist. So much so that if people would not breach the balance descending from nature, all parts of nature would exist in harmony. Observing from the sidelines, it might appear as though creatures are consuming one another. However, none of the predators actually consumes more than necessary, or accumulates. Everybody acts according to nature’s commands—with the exception of man, who demands the whole world for himself.

It is particularly those extra needs of humans, apart from those indispensable to life, which are called egoism. Egoism is an additional force of desire present in a human being above his physical needs, above what his body demands. It is necessary to realize that this is the only harmful desire and force that exists in the world, and that the cause of all our suffering lies in the incorrect use of this excess desire, since its usage is egoistical. This surplus part, the part that exceeds the indispensable to life, has to be turned into bestowal. Thus, we will obtain balance with nature.

No other object in nature has such a remarkable opportunity for independent behavior: no one besides humans is free to choose the intentions of their actions—either taking for self indulgence, or bestowing upon others. No other creature is capable of egoistic reception or altruistic bestowal. Using this surplus desire correctly, a person can rise to the Creator’s level, to become an autonomous part of nature. Acting otherwise, a person reaches a state of self-destruction.

Altruism in Nature

An object that receives and gives to its surrounding environment is called “living.” The law of existence of any living object is altruism. Any living object must sustain every cell and every organ that exists both by itself and jointly, in the totality of cells and organs that work together, supplementing each other. Supplementing each other, they must “yield” to each other, know about each other, interact, and “help” one another. We see that the exact same law of unification of cells according to the principle “one for all” or “altruism” operates within every living body. Without it, a living body cannot subsist; it becomes cancerous and puts itself to death.

In all of nature, this law acts according to the program inherently instilled in any creature, without any room for free will. Humans are the exception. As a result of our development, a person must reach such disillusionment with one’s own development and progress as to want this law to take over. Hence, in comparison with the still, vegetative, and animate nature, only humans are a developing element in nature. This is what we have observed over the few thousand years of our history.

Realizing the necessity to fulfill the universal law of nature within oneself as well, people will exert to adapt to this law and its properties—to entreat this law to enter their consciousness, and to have the strength to establish this rule over them. This is the purpose of our existence. Through this decision we correct the whole of nature and become integral part of the entire creation.

Cells can survive, develop, multiply, and realize their inner program only by their joint efforts, by reciprocally gathering into one body. If they do not yield to each other, if they do not know about the needs of the others—they will be unable to survive. Indeed, the fundamental, general law of nature acts oppressively toward all of their egoistic functioning.

This is what happens in any living body. Biologists describe it brilliantly: They say that this is “nature’s wisdom”; that nature lives by this principle, that this is the general law of nature, and that without it, even crystals could not unite, and atoms could not interact. Scientists discover reciprocal ties even there. We are talking about two opposing forces: about attracting (egoistic) and rejecting (altruistic) forces, the force of nature (outer) and the force of creation (inner).

Researchers are discovering such “altruistic” behavior in the substance’s tiniest particles. Moreover, altruistic behavior of the entire organism and its components clearly manifests at the vegetative and animate levels, where growth is possible only when cells unite, allocate a role for each cell without seizing foreign territory in the “cell community.” Thus, the entire living body—plant or animal—can survive.

Researchers are talking about self-denial, about mutual understanding and mutual support of cells, parts, body organs, about each being ready to kill itself for the success of the common program. We see that such actions take a form of mandatory law in nature, in general as well as in each of its parts—except for the conscious activity of humans.

Altruism in Society

The world did not feel its tremendous egoism until egoism developed to the maximum desire for pleasure that is currently manifesting in humanity. The manifestation of egoism, meaning confrontation with the general law of nature, instead of similarity to it, causes all sorts of suffering, diseases, and fatalities in humans. In addition, since all of nature represents a single egoism, rottenness manifests at all levels of nature—still, vegetative, and animate.

Our confrontation with nature has led humanity to a general crisis. This crisis is not a retribution from above, or a consequence of our brute intervention with ecology. It is rather due to our non-observance of the law of nature where everyone consumes the necessary amount for existence and passes the entire surplus into the hands of society. If people corrected their intentions to act for the well-being of the entire humanity—the organism—as do cells in a body, and applied the same attitude toward nature and the environment, we would receive only good from nature. This is because then we would be in balance with the ultimate level—thought.

How does humanity realize the necessity for being similar to nature? How can egoists arrive at the realization that egoism is evil? Out of hopelessness. In a living body, behavior is changed by natural forces. In the “body” of humanity, however, amendment will not come by force, from nature itself, but through the realization of evil, meaning that egoism is bad.

Realization of evil can evolve through a long path of suffering or a short path of correction. However, the path of suffering is not a path; it is just the time necessary for the realization of the evil in egoism. However, in this path there is nothing more than accumulation of suffering. A person calculates that it is more profitable to correct than to suffer—and exerts efforts toward attaining similarity to nature.

Researches of both Kabbalists and biologists deduce that altruists comprise only 10% of humanity, while the rest of the human race is egoistic. Hence, the ten altruistic that egoism is percent of the planet’s population must correct first. They also have to bring the knowledge about the cause of the crisis and the path for salvation to the rest of humanity. Such is the order in which a living organism is revived.

For altruists, altruistic actions are natural by birth. For egoists, which comprise the lion’s share of humanity, actions of bestowal for the society’s well-being seem unbearable. However, the laws regulating living organisms’ vital functions show us that if an organism recognizes that its existence is solely dependent on the joint work of all of its cells, its separate egoistic cells co-exist altruistically. Although each of the individual cells is egoistic, together, within the same body, they work according to the altruistic principle—jointly, reciprocally, and only for the benefit of the entire body.

Therefore, forcing everyone to bestow to society through dictation and coercion is not the objective. Rather, the objective is to help people realize the fact that existence and well-being is solely dependent on society. Only society can affect each person in a way that would trigger a change of behavior from reception to bestowal.

Human beings are totally dependent on society and everything we do is only to earn society’s or our family’s appreciation of our personality. Thus, if everyone around us clearly praise us for altruistic actions and reprimand our egoistic actions, we will be unable to persist with our egoistic behavior and will be compelled to work for society’s well-being, to earn approval of those around us.

For such transformations to occur in society, altruists have to intensely pressure mass media through various governmental and public organizations. To this end, humanity must, out of fear of self-destruction, promote the uniqueness and value of altruistic actions on radio and television, and distribute awards and honors in all movies, educational programs, cultural events, ceremonies, and announcements all over the world.

Explanations should aim at instilling bestowal upon society as an absolute value in the whole of humanity and in every individual. It should further promote that no one be appreciated based on any other act but an act of bestowal. The bigger the act of bestowal to society that one performs, the more important, honorable and famed that person becomes, and will consequently receive more esteemed rewards.

It is of no consequence whatsoever that public opinion in favor of altruistic actions will be artificial, out of hopelessness, out of the need to survive. This is because while the actions are performed to receive the approval of society, environment, and family, whether willingly or not, one will be subjected to the influence of public opinion and will automatically accept altruism as the ultimate value.

Past Failures to Correct Society

Communists attempted to build a better life for the oppressed part of society—not because of the threat of destruction, but in order to eliminate inequality and social injustice among people. Nowadays, the motivation is different—as a result of the imbalance between society and nature, everyone is faced with an equal threat of destruction.

Additionally, in the proposed method for obtaining equilibrium with nature, no party profits at the expense of another since human nature is delight and fulfillment regardless of the source. Feeling constant fulfillment will attract people more than all the material benefits.

The idea of altruism will be accepted faster among the developed and affluent than among the poor and backward. The percentage of depression and drug abuse in different countries testifies to this as well. Workers and managers have different incomes indeed, but do workers really want equality and agree to exert for a managers’ position? We see that it depends only on the intensity of one’s personal desire, and if a person really wants to reach the top position in society, he or she will.

Situation that Allows Working for Society’s Benefit

Bestowal does not necessarily mean that a person actually gives to society. This being the case, we would have to consider the quantity and quality of the efforts as well as the innate mental, physical, and moral qualities. Indeed, all people are born different—lazy, smart, efficient, gifted, etc. Bestowal to society is expressed in inner willingness, while externally it can assume all sorts of forms.

The extent of each individual’s value in society is not determined by his or her personal distinctiveness. Prizes and criteria based on human virtue have to be revoked, regardless of how great one’s professional achievements and success in any other area are, i.e. being a good family person, successful businessman, etc.. We consider only according to the benefit that one brings to society.

Prizes, respect, honor, popularity, and an evidently warm attitude toward a person should be granted solely on this basis. Thus, this person would serve as an example, and subsequently everyone will want to display their bestowal to society. Let everyone be envious of this; let everyone compete for this. Consequently, instead of evaluating the extent of one’s individual evil, we will evaluate the extent of harm one inflicts upon society in general.

Plan for Saving Humanity

Researchers have long discovered that the functioning principal in a unified organism is that the sole purpose of individual egoistic cells and organs compels all of them to act altruistically, to promote the common goal of survival and development. Clearly, what is being discussed here is egoistic altruism, whose goal is survival, and not at all unselfish altruism. It is personally profitable and brings prosperity in the framework of the community.

One may say that this is a new form of egoistic, conscious, and wise existence. Undoubtedly, here lies humanity’s salvation. We, the 10% who are altruists, must utilize every means possible, and employ mass media and leading scientists to promote the vision of a threatening and disastrous future. To the extent that fear of suffering and the appeal of joint, collective, mutual help would convince everyone that egoistic altruism is profitable, since it restores balance—the best state possible.

Concerning forming public opinion through mass media, it is necessary to provide everyone with an increasingly progressive environment that would fascinate and encourage people to bestow upon society. One’s social environment should change gradually, according to one’s ability to adopt its ideals.

The environment should not oppose a person to the extent that would prevent him or her from finding any point of contact. People need to understand the society in which they live, they have to see distinct personal benefits in it, and realize the advantage of fulfilling the environment’s requests. In consequence, the attributes of bestowal will gradually, slowly, and through social pressure form in every person.

Changing society’s objectives requires changes in the education systems and plans, starting from infancy, in all areas of culture—literature, movies, TV, and newspapers. The media will have to present events in a manner that praises and evaluates everything only in relation to social benefit—based on the well-being of the entire organism.

In the World Wisdom Forum in Tokyo in November 2005, mention was made of Einstein’s brilliant quote that the problem can never be solved at its own level; solving a problem always requires elevation to a higher level. The world does not and will not understand the problems it faces and the method for solving them.

As Fredrick Hayek said: “We are ready to accept any explanation of the crisis experienced by our civilization, but we are in denial that this crisis is the consequence of our own fundamental error.”

However, those who see this, the 10% who are altruists, are at the forefront of humanity specifically for the purpose of revealing the threatening future to the world, its cause, being disparity with the law of equivalence with nature, and the method for resolving that—bringing human society back to being a single living organism.