Cultural Integrity
by Michael Mamas

This decade of American history will be remembered as a time of great loss of cultural tradition and integrity. Today, there is a great deal of confusion concerning such things. Cultures must change with the in-breath and out-breath of time. Yet, the fabric is delicate and must not be torn.

I am an American. American traditions feed my soul. It is natural for me to feel most comfortable in that domain. I honor the fact that other traditions do the same for their corresponding cultures. The next great step in human history will include the honoring of cultural integrity… be it of our own or of other nations. Only when cultural integrity is honored, will nations rise to truly support one another. Current attempts for world peace often result in a blurring of cultures, and thereby a dilution of integrity or a tolerance of one another. However, I am speaking here not of mere tolerance, but of love… love for humanity must include love of cultural diversity.

Cultures should not blur together any more than colors in a painter’s arsenal should all be mixed into one heap. They must each keep their own integrity, yet they must learn to live in harmony with one another. I know that if misunderstood, this sounds like segregation with all its prejudicial baggage, but it is not. There is a huge difference between cultural integrity and prejudice. Are the inclinations you feel within yourself those of cultural integrity or prejudice? This arena merits exploration.

I have a deep respect for the culture out of which Vedic knowledge was birthed and has been upheld. It is the portal through which we have been given access to the Knowledge of Natural Law (the Veda). The temple is approached through this portal. It honors the integrity of Vedic culture. That culture has provided the pipeline to, the conduit to, the technology of the Unified Field. Like physics or any other science, the Knowledge is universal. The Veda is universal. Sanskrit is not Indian, it is universal. However, our access to all that knowledge is via the Indian culture. That is not to say that everything Indian is Vedic. But our access to Vedic knowledge is certainly through that culture.

Vedic tradition has come to us through the veil of the Hindu culture. My interest is not in making more Hindus. My interest is in make better Hindus, better Christians, better Jews, and so on. The fact that Vedic Knowledge comes to humanity through one culture is a gift… an opportunity to cultivate respect for one another. Real respect is rooted in love.

Yet, Vedic tradition transcends mere cultural affinity, just as the science of why a cell phone works transcends cultural bias. The depth and breadth of Vedic Science encompasses so much that it is not possible for the casual observer to discern where the science leaves off and the cultural orientation takes over. Yet, once the individual sheds the need for mere tolerance and awakens to the state of love for humanity, the question is muted. Then we are afforded the grace of time to evolve ourselves and our world.

Can you uphold your own integrity while honoring another’s or not? In a nutshell, that is what cultural integrity is all about. It is what the world must learn to do. It is what we are creating a model of (for the world) at Mount Soma. We must provide a space for each culture to rest comfortably within its own nature. This will take some time. It will require some patience.

Do you want peace on earth? Do you really? Then let’s start here and now and create it for the entire world.

© Michael Mamas, 8/12

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