As individuals we get tested over many lifetimes in various circumstances. From an economic perspective, sometimes in utter poverty and deprivation, and other times in great wealth and comfort, or somewhere in between. At first glance this does not seem to be just. If the essence of Eternal Light is love, then why is there such obvious inequality? This does not only apply to wealth but also to gender, race, ethnic, class and other classifications. The answer lies in our free will’s ability to choose between spiritually wise and ignorant options. We are not robots after all, programmed to act in a certain way. We are tested to make the right, love-driven choices. Success is not achieved over a single life term. Each individual’s spiritual wisdom is transferred from one term to another, which helps us to evolve towards a higher degree of love. We must keep in mind that all individuals are tested under varying conditions. For instance, we may have been part of a totally different race or ethnicity in a past lifetime. This applies to all other personal circumstances. Consequently, the achievement of true equality and justice should be viewed as a progressive process that takes place over many life terms. It requires a critical mass of spiritually evolved individuals to tilt the balance towards a more equitable world.
Testing Over Multiple Life Terms
Through different experiences over multiple lifetimes, we gain the spiritual capacity to better understand inequality and to seek possible solutions in the present term. The purpose of human life remains the same under varying circumstances. It is to develop a higher degree of love and connection to Eternal Light. Highly evolved spiritual wisdom is distributed over different racial, social and economic strata. Many of the outstanding religious and secular leaders came from the humblest backgrounds. They committed themselves to finding answers to prevalent inequalities and fought to improve existing conditions. Like all wisdom, whether in science, medicine, politics, or economy the spiritual wisdom of the planet continues to evolve. Progress requires that higher spiritual paradigms be set that can appeal to our inherent human logic and common sense. If we open ourselves to our inner brain, we have the potential to tap into our stored wisdom and confront the inequalities and biases of the present term.
The Gini Index
The Gini Index is a measure of inequality that compares the distribution of wealth for different nations. If the Gini index registers a reading of 1, it indicates perfect inequality. If in a particular country everyone had exactly the same amount of money, the index would register a reading of 0. The number can also be denoted as a percentage by multiplying it by 100. In some advanced nations such as the USA the index has been rising for more than three decades. Because the income distribution increases at the top it pushes the middle class further down the scale. Some nations like Sweden and Belgium have significantly lower indexes that demonstrates the possibility to redistribute wealth in a more equitable manner. It is a question of fiscal and taxing policies that are more just to everyone. This is not just a government responsibility but should include the private sector. Corporations should be required to help tilt the balance towards a more equitable distribution of wealth.
The acceptance of a more love-driven approach to societal needs, which is expressed at every level and across all nations, is the missing link in making all human communities more just. We must think of ourselves as citizens of the entire planet and not just of one particular tribe, religion or nation. The globalization of the planet through the worldwide integration of supply chains has allowed poorer countries to substantially improve their living standards. China is an example of how hundreds of millions of people were pulled out of poverty through global cooperation. The same kind of mindset is required to solve other problems of inequality that still plague many countries. If we live in an economically advanced part of the world, we should help the less fortunate parts to thrive.
Corporate Responsibility in Wealth Sharing
The economic engine of established democracies has been capitalism, and the free market system, which evolved from it. Although this has contributed to a top to bottom flow of wealth the much larger portion is left at the top. Capitalism is proudly based on the principal of self-interest, which, according to its supporters and founders like Adam Smith, is an essential part of human nature.
This essentially greedy approach contradicts the tenets of love-based morality, and we are continuously tested to turn it to a more spiritually sound system. Capitalism encourages idolatry of materialism through a pervasive conditioning that leads to unfettered consumerism driven by creative marketing and promotion. Achieving vast wealth from capitalistic activities is considered to be the crowning glory of one’s life. Winners and losers are determined by the number of luxury toys that they accumulate during a life time. Billionaires are venerated like deities and people see them as examples of the ultimate human achievement. Perhaps we should see them as individuals who have perhaps taken too much of the corporate wealth for themselves. Unfortunately, human value is too often defined in pure monetary terms and not as contributions to society’s and the planet’s betterment.
We are starting to see some good examples of voluntary wealth distribution. This is highlighted by the increase in sizable charitable foundations funded by a group of wealthy corporate individuals for the benefit of the poor and uneducated in various parts of the world. The Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation is a prime example. They have helped countless people in places like Africa and India to fight poverty, disease, and inequity. With a more evolved spiritual wisdom this significant but still relatively small percentage of non-profit corporate foundations will hopefully increase and bring about a more balanced economic equality.
Wealth must be more equitably shared and spread more evenly not only to elite corporate employees but the public in general, which includes the impoverished citizens of the entire world. The ESG movement is a step in the right direction as it requires a more ethically driven investment of corporate wealth. It now should evolve to less green whitewashing and more concrete actions to keep improving the environmental, societal, and governance commitments of both large and small corporations. The billionaire group should be respected only if they take a meaningful leadership position in this direction.