MANIFESTO

The concept of paradise is implanted in our culture unanimously from our major world religions - usually described as an attainable blissful garden sanctuary. The word ‘Paradise’ is derived from the Avestan word, ‘Pairi-daēza’ of the Zoroastrian Holy Scriptures dating back to the middle Bronze Age (circa 1800–1500 BCE). The word means ‘walled garden', indicative of the famous ornate gardens of ancient Mesopotamia. Throughout history, we have seen the concept evolve with religion. Whether it be in the Abrahamic 'Garden of Eden', the ‘Devaloka’ (heavenly realm of the gods) in the Buddhist wheel of life, the ‘Vatikas’ (cosmic gardens) described in the Hindu vedas, or ‘Jannah’ (the afterlife abode of the righteous) in Islam, it is clear that a harmonious garden paradise dwelling has historically been humankind's highest goal.

Paradise has conceptually manifested over time as a reward for living a good life, as an attainment, a motivation for thriving, and a compensation for the strife of progress. Now, though, in our modern and majority atheist culture, it is clear that progress is high on our agenda, but are we actually racing towards the paradise we once dreamed of?

Now that we have replaced religion with consumerism and community with individualism, paradise has shifted from the dream of bonding with angels in a garden of overflowing beauty into the dream of being alone and super rich on a desert island. In modern times, we all fall victim to the seduction of progress. If I sacrifice today, tomorrow I will be closer to my goal. We have become the desert island architects of someday, fixated on legacy and chasing dreams. Even many of the greatest artists, thinkers, and visionaries of our world are tormented by the absence of tomorrow's paradise.

There is a longing, in all of us, to reach our personal ‘Pairi-daeza’. For those of us unallured by the paradigm of material wealth and success, we long for it in escapism through subculture, hedonism, or even spirituality. Whatever the path, we are all searching. After living 30 years in England, consumed by the western ideologies of legacy, sacrifice, and hedonism, my personal disillusionment led me on a quest to the East in search of paradise in both its exoteric and esoteric forms. Yes, you’re right, I went straight for the typical antidote, and it wasn’t long before you could find me meditating under a palm tree. However,  what I’ve discovered as I delved deeper on my journey are fundamental questions I find relevant for the whole human species:

Is it possible to have peace in a world of progress?

What is peace?
Is peace, paradise?

Is searching for paradise a contradictory act?

Does paradise exist?

Is paradise a state of mind?