Historically, we hear about revolutions such as: French Revolution and Industrial Revolution. Such ideas refer us to wars or conflicts in society.
Revolution means drastic change, something that had a certain shape and in an instant acquired new characteristics. The concept of human revolution is geared towards this kind of idea.
It is about an interior change, in which only the individual is able to manifest, and not “someone from outside”. Revolutionizing your life means adopting new habits and customs, discarding the old ones.
This inner change has at its beginning “wanting”. It's natural that we all want to change for the better all the time and it usually takes a lot of time. The proposal of the human revolution is based on the change of the individual, but also on the alteration of his reality based on his perspective and determination.
Club of Rome co-founder Aurélio Peccei is emphatic when it comes to carrying out the human revolution:
“Only the Human Revolution can banish our inner potential and make us feel integral in order to behave with dignity; only she can show us how to use our computers and satellites, our machines and instruments, our nuclear reactors and electronic devices, to better commune with our brothers and with the entire Universe. Only this revolution can make us see how important it is to survive in order to have a life worth living, both for the sheer pleasure of living it, and to responsibly and compassionately prepare the way for generations to come after.”
He makes it clear that change comes from everyone and everyone. Our only wish in life is to be happy, and the secret to change and revolution lies within us.
We fight a war with ourselves, many times daily, between waking up early to go to work or sleeping another five minutes; eat healthier or eat that delicious dessert. All these are simple examples, among many, but that permeate our lives. We are human beings subject to errors, unique qualities and characteristics.
On this subject, philosopher and pacifist Daisaku Ikeda says: “Human revolution is not something extraordinary or divorced from our daily lives. It usually starts in a timid way. Let us take as an example a man who thinks only of himself, his family and his friends. One day, he takes action to break this circle by rescuing a neighbor in distress. This is the beginning of your human revolution. Furthermore, this process cannot be undertaken alone. There needs to be an interaction with others that will polish our lives and direct us towards growth as human beings. In Japan, potatoes that grow in the mountains — known as 'taros' — are rough and dirty when picked, but when they are washed together, the skins become clean and shiny, leaving them ready to be cooked. Likewise, the only way to polish and improve our character is through interaction with other human beings.”
Remembering that it is something that promotes not only individual well-being, but also the collective. Gandhi, for example, and his conduct of achieving peace through non-violence, even though he is a shy person, teaches us that it is not necessary to change our personality or characteristics. We can carry out our human revolution by being who we are.
Each of us has a unique mission in this world and unlimited potential.. The human revolution is the key to unlocking this innate potential, thus contributing to one and more happy and enlightened lives.
“The ultimate happiness is finding out that you have become a better person at the end of a year compared to what you were at the beginning.” — Leon Tolstoy
Text written by Bruno da Silva Melo from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team
