PROUT

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the Progressive Utilisation Theory

P.R. Sarkar describes three factors that are essential for the existence of both individuals and societies: Asti, Bhati and Ananda.

Asti represents the minimum requirements of life: dwelling place, food, clothing, education and medical facilities.

Bhati stands for development and progress.

Ananda "connotes infinite happiness, the equipoise of pleasure and pain, the perfect mental peace."


P.R. Sarkar furthermore outlines six factors that are essential for the survival of any society. These are:

- spiritual ideology
- spiritual cult
- socio-economic theory
- social outlook
- own scripture
- own preceptor


... Numerous factors are needed for the development of a group of people. But the following six are the most important of them.
There should be a spiritual ideology in the life of both the individual and the collective body. Much of your energy is misused due to the ignorance of your own self and the destination towards which you are moving. This misuse of energy is bound to cause destruction.
The second factor for the progress of society is spiritual cult, a Sádhaná process. Everyone has got a physical structure. The problem with every individual is to produce more and more ectoplasmic stuff by the body and then to convert it into consciousness. There should be a proper process for this conversion. Spiritual cult consists of the conversion of the five rudimental factors into ectoplasmic stuff and then into consciousness through a special scientific process. This is a process of metamorphosis. Spiritual cult therefore, is indispensable. But only spiritual ideology and spiritual philosophy will not do.
The third factor which is a blending of Asti and Bhati is a socio-economic theory. There should be a priori knowledge regarding the social structure, the distribution of wealth and its growth. For want of this knowledge there can’t be a solid ground for the construction of the social edifice.
The fourth one is social outlook. All living creatures in this manifest universe are the children of the same Cosmic Entity. They are the progeny of the same Supreme Progenitor. Naturally they are bound in a thread of fraternal relations. This is the central spirit. A socio-economic theory is of no use but for this fraternal feeling. The implementation of this theory is an impossibility without Sádhaná.
The fifth factor for the progress of society is for it to have its own scripture. There is a need for the company of elevated persons (satsauṋga) in all spheres of life.
The authority whose contact means satsauṋga for you is the shástra. That which elevates society by dint of sháśana is called [[shástra]]. We should have a shástra of our own. The last but not the least important factor for the progress of society is for it to have its own preceptor.
The entire social structure is dependent on these six factors. Bhati is meaningless without them. The weakness of one among them may jeopardize the very existence of Bhati.


One may read the discourse The Future of Civilization by P.R. Sarkar from which this extract is taken for more information.