Interweaving Spiritual Wisdom: Brahma Kumaris, Newton, Aurobindo, Meher Baba, Hawkins, Buddhism, and Taoism
The Nature of the Soul and the Divine Self At
Every year on November 10th, the world observes World Science Day for Peace and Development, a UNESCO-designated day celebrating science’s role in fostering a better society. This day highlights the vital role of scientific innovation in addressing global challenges and building peace. It reminds us that linking science more closely with society can broaden our understanding of our fragile planet and make our communities more sustainable. Yet, as we envision a peaceful and sustainable future, another essential ingredient stands alongside science: spiritual wisdom. Throughout history, humanity’s spiritual and contemplative traditions have provided guidance on cultivating inner peace, compassion, and ethics – qualities just as crucial for global harmony as technological breakthroughs. On this World Science Day for Peace and Development, it is time to recognize that scientific advancement and spiritual wisdom, together, form a powerful alliance for promoting peace, sustainability, and what the World Happiness Foundation calls “wholebeing” – a state of complete well-being for individuals and societies.
Science alone offers remarkable tools for progress: it generates solutions to climate crises, health pandemics, and resource scarcities, thereby mitigating root causes of conflict. UNESCO emphasizes that “science is essential to peace-building” because it provides practical, sustainable answers to contemporary global challenges. At the same time, spirituality and contemplation offer the inner toolkit to ensure those scientific solutions are applied with wisdom, compassion, and a sense of shared humanity. By integrating the outer work of science with the inner work of spiritual growth, we can address problems holistically – healing both the external conditions of conflict and the internal conditions of fear, ignorance, and division. In essence, bridging science and spirituality can help create not only a world without war, but a world of peace – a world where material progress is balanced with inner development, yielding sustainable societies grounded in empathy, justice, and wholebeing.
On World Science Day for Peace and Development, the global community reaffirms that science is not just about laboratories and equations – it is about improving lives and promoting peace. The day’s objectives include strengthening public awareness of the role of science in building peaceful and sustainable societies and promoting international solidarity for shared scientific cooperation. Science drives innovations that can alleviate poverty, protect the environment, and improve public health – all foundational elements of peace and development. For example, advances in renewable energy and climate science help reduce resource conflicts, while medical breakthroughs save lives and foster stability. In the words of UNESCO’s Director-General Audrey Azoulay, “science helps to mitigate the root causes of many conflicts” by tackling issues like climate crises, epidemics, and resource shortages.
However, science achieves its highest potential when its fruits are accessible and guided by humane values. UNESCO’s vision for this observance stresses not only the “important role of science in society” but also the need to engage the wider public in shaping science’s trajectory. This implies dialogue between scientists and citizens, inclusion of ethical and spiritual perspectives, and a recognition that technology must serve human well-being and peace. When scientific knowledge is coupled with compassion and ethics – principles at the heart of the world’s spiritual traditions – it can become a truly transformative force. Thus, World Science Day inspires us not only to celebrate scientific progress, but also to ensure that progress aligns with the deeper values of peace, justice, and respect for life. Bridging the gap between scientific endeavors and the wisdom of the heart can guarantee that innovation benefits all and contributes to a more harmonious world.
While science addresses external challenges, spirituality and contemplative wisdom address the internal landscape of humanity. Across cultures, spiritual traditions have long taught that lasting peace and happiness begin in the human heart. Concepts like compassion, mindfulness, interconnectedness, and reverence for life are hallmarks of the world’s faiths and philosophies – from Buddhism’s Ahimsa (non-violence) and Christianity’s call to love one’s neighbor, to indigenous teachings of living in harmony with nature. These principles nurture the ethical foundation and inner peace required for societies to thrive. As the World Happiness Foundation notes, peace is far more than the absence of war – it is a “positive peace” rooted in justice, healing, and collaboration. Achieving such peace requires marrying the forces of inner and outer change, on the understanding that “anything in the world can be transformed when we transform ourselves”. In other words, global peace grows from the inside out: the battles against poverty, violence, and environmental destruction can only be won if we also conquer the hatred, greed, and ignorance within our own minds.
Spiritual wisdom gives us practices to cultivate this inner transformation. Techniques like meditation, mindfulness, prayer, and yoga help individuals develop empathy, self-awareness, and emotional balance. Modern psychology and neuroscience increasingly validate these practices, showing that training the mind can reduce stress, increase compassion, and even rewire the brain for resilience. When people find inner calm and learn to see each other as brothers and sisters, conflicts can give way to dialogue. A society filled with individuals who have found peace within will naturally reflect peace in its policies and institutions. “Peace within oneself makes possible peace between people, which fosters peace among communities and nations,” as one WHF thought leader observed, describing peace radiating outward in concentric circles. Therefore, bridging spirituality with science means infusing our advances with ethics and empathy. It means recognizing that metrics like GDP or technological growth alone cannot define progress unless accompanied by spiritual growth indicators like trust, happiness, and compassion. Together, these dimensions form the basis of what the World Happiness Foundation calls Fundamental Peace, a state where inner well-being aligns with outer justice and sustainability.
Integrating scientific insight with spiritual insight leads to a paradigm of “wholebeing” – nurturing the whole human being and the whole of society. It is a visionary yet practical approach that “integrates the best of modern science and leadership wisdom with timeless spiritual truths”, ensuring growth on every level from the most external to the most internal. In a wholebeing paradigm, material advancement and moral advancement go hand in hand. For example, science can tell us how to build cleaner energy systems, but spiritual values ensure we deploy them in ways that respect all communities and future generations. Scientific studies can map the pathways to happiness in the brain, but spiritual practice enables us to actually walk those paths through gratitude, generosity, and mindfulness.
Crucially, this integrated approach also fosters sustainability. Our environmental crisis is as much a spiritual challenge as a scientific one – it stems from a disconnection with nature and each other. Bridging domains can inspire what Pope Francis called an “ecological conversion,” marrying scientific ecology with a spiritual sense of responsibility for the Earth. Indeed, wholebeing means we aspire not just to live longer or richer, but to live better – in harmony with ourselves, each other, and the planet. The World Happiness Foundation embodies this holistic thinking by framing global progress in terms of abundance and well-being rather than competition and scarcity. Their concept of “Happytalism” exemplifies a shift from merely fighting problems to actively building positive conditions for shared prosperity, happiness, and peace. In practical terms, this could mean governments measuring success by increases in well-being and environmental health alongside economic growth, or educational systems teaching meditation and empathy alongside math and science. The wholebeing approach recognizes that outer development (peace, development, sustainability) is unsustainable without inner development (consciousness, compassion, equilibrium). Only when we bridge these can humanity truly thrive.
One organization at the forefront of uniting science, policy, and spirituality is the World Happiness Foundation (WHF). Founded on the belief that happiness, freedom, and peace are interdependent, the WHF has been a vocal advocate for approaches that blend innovation with contemplation. In its official response to a recent United Nations “Call for Peace,” the Foundation declared that peace is inseparable from human happiness and well-being, emphasizing that a peaceful world is the foundation for societal happiness, sustainable development, and human flourishing. This perspective guides all of WHF’s initiatives: from high-level policy recommendations to grassroots education, they insist that inner well-being and outer peace must advance together.
Notably, the World Happiness Foundation has called for the integration of “Peace and Happiness curricula globally to cultivate inner peace, compassion, and empathy”, seeing education as a bridge between scientific knowledge and spiritual values. This means teaching conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and ethics in schools worldwide, right alongside science and history – seeding future generations with both the intellectual tools and the moral compass to build peace. The Foundation also urges leaders to leverage international observances and cultural moments to reinforce this integrated vision. For instance, it recommends using global observance days – like the International Day of Non-Violence on Gandhi’s birthday – as opportunities to secure commitments from leaders to reduce violence and promote dialogue. Such days can serve as rallying points where scientific data on conflict (e.g. statistics on arms proliferation) are coupled with spiritual appeals for non-violence and compassion, motivating both policy action and public reflection.
Through its diverse programs, WHF exemplifies the marriage of science and spirituality. Its public policy forums convene psychologists, economists, monks, and ministers to discuss happiness and peace metrics. Its publications blend research findings with age-old wisdom – one WHF article on fundamental peace cited neuroscience and Johan Galtung’s theories of positive peace in the same breath as ancient spiritual axioms. Even the language the Foundation uses – terms like happiness, consciousness, flourishing – resonates with both scientific well-being research and spiritual growth traditions. By bridging these domains, the World Happiness Foundation has become a lighthouse, illuminating a path forward for other organizations, policymakers, and communities eager to advance peace and development in an integrative way. In the words of WHF founder Luis Gallardo, “humanity must shift toward peace through dialogue” and embrace a culture where non-violence and empathy become the norm at every level of society. This culture of peace is precisely what emerges when technological and spiritual progress are woven together.
One inspiring illustration of science-spirituality synergy in action is the World Happiness Foundation’s Chair on Contemplative Sciences at the University of Zaragoza in Spain. This academic chair – a collaboration between WHF and the university – is explicitly designed to bridge contemplative wisdom and scientific inquiry. It recognizes that understanding well-being and consciousness requires a multidisciplinary approach: neuroscientists, psychologists, and medical experts working alongside meditation teachers, philosophers, and spiritual leaders. By founding this chair, the WHF and University of Zaragoza have created one of the world’s most advanced centers aimed at going “beyond current knowledge and practice” in integrating these realms. The need for such cross-sectional initiatives is clear: as the Chair’s mission statement notes, our times demand “multidisciplinary initiatives and studies so that there are fairer societies, with happier and more conscious lives, and a healthy planet.” This means uniting the empirical rigor of science with the reflective depth of contemplation to address societal challenges in a more complete way.
Since its inception, the Chair on Contemplative Sciences has indeed lived up to its mandate. It has already hosted two international Congresses on Contemplative Sciences, bringing together influential voices in mindfulness and scientific research from around the world. In these gatherings, one might find a renowned neuroscientist sharing the stage with a Zen master or a Sufi teacher, each offering perspectives on how meditation affects the brain or how ancient wisdom can inform modern therapy. The first congress (in 2021) set the tone by featuring sessions on topics ranging from “Neuroscience and Contemplative Science” to interfaith dialogues on meditation practices. Such dialogues illustrate the richness that emerges when east meets west, and when data meets dharma. By the time of the second congress, the community had grown, diving deeper into how contemplative practices like mindfulness, breathing exercises, and compassion training can be applied in education, healthcare, and conflict resolution. These congresses demonstrate the hunger for knowledge that honors both quantitative evidence and qualitative wisdom.
Looking ahead, the Chair is poised to expand its impact. On December 18 of this year, it will present its full 2026 agenda, outlining new programs, research projects, and events that continue to bridge domains. This likely includes further congresses (a third is already anticipated), collaborative research into areas like the neuroscience of compassion or the impacts of contemplative training on student well-being, and community outreach bringing contemplative science insights to the public. The Chair’s objectives align perfectly with the wholebeing vision: it seeks to generate scientific evidence on mindfulness and emotional well-being, promote the “integral development of the person”, and disseminate knowledge from both academia and spiritual traditions to benefit society. In essence, this Chair stands as a beacon of what the future of education and research can be – a future where universities become crucibles for both innovation and inspiration, validating subjective inner experiences with scientific methods and informing science with the moral and existential insights of spirituality.
Beyond the University halls, a broader movement is underway worldwide, reflecting the convergence of science and spirituality in pursuit of peace and happiness. The World Happiness Foundation is a key driver of this movement, but it is joined by many partners and initiatives around the globe. For example, every March the World Happiness Fest – a global forum incubated by the WHF – convenes one of the world’s most diverse gatherings of thinkers and doers committed to well-being. In this polycentric festival, you might find positive psychology researchers, policymakers, Buddhist monks, social entrepreneurs, indigenous wisdom keepers, and corporate wellness experts all coming together. In fact, the World Happiness Fest describes itself as “the world’s most diverse, polycentric and comprehensive forum of happiness and well-being thought leaders, activists, shapers & game-changers.” With hundreds of speakers across dozens of cities and online agoras, this forum showcases how science, policy, and contemplative practice are increasingly speaking in one voice – a voice advocating human flourishing as the new measure of progress. Sessions at the festival range from the latest findings in neuroscience and economics of happiness, to workshops on compassion meditation or indigenous approaches to community healing. Such cross-pollination is steadily breaking down old silos and building a global community united by the quest for peace and well-being.
Likewise, educational and policy initiatives are echoing this alignment. The Gross Global Happiness Summit, co-hosted by the United Nations-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica (and supported by WHF), integrates academic research with experiential workshops to help leaders “learn, unlearn, and share” strategies for happiness and sustainability. Cities of Happiness and Schools of Happiness are being piloted in various countries, infusing urban planning and school curricula with principles from positive psychology and mindfulness. Even at the highest international levels, we see a recognition of the need for a more holistic approach: the UN’s International Day of Happiness (March 20) and the 2024–2033 International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development both call for collaboration across disciplines and sectors, implicitly inviting spiritual voices into conversations traditionally dominated by technical experts. The World Happiness Foundation, holding consultative status with the United Nations, has contributed thought leadership in these arenas – for instance, offering recommendations on how fostering inner development (like mindfulness and emotional resilience) can accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Crucially, many spiritual and religious communities have also embraced scientific findings to enhance their peacebuilding and development efforts. We see faith-based organizations working with neuroscientists to measure the impact of compassion training, or climate scientists partnering with indigenous elders to blend empirical data with traditional ecological knowledge. This mutual respect – scientists acknowledging the value of ancient wisdom, and spiritual leaders welcoming the insights of modern science – is a hallmark of the wholebeing movement. It reflects a growing consensus that to solve complex global problems, we must mobilize all dimensions of human intelligence. In practical terms, that means meditation and mindset-shifts are being discussed in the same breath as policies and technologies. A compelling example was the “Global Call for Conscious Leadership” launched in recent years, where Nobel laureates in science stood alongside spiritual luminaries in urging leaders to cultivate consciousness, compassion, and evidence-based strategies in equal measure. From community peace programs that teach conflict mediation alongside yoga, to national happiness indices that combine economic data with surveys of mental well-being, the seeds of a new paradigm are sprouting everywhere.
These global trends are profoundly hopeful. They show that we are not starting from scratch – the bridge between science and spirituality is already under construction worldwide. Each collaborative project, each festival or summit, each contemplative science research study is like another plank laid down, bringing humanity closer to a solid bridge that anyone can walk to travel from the realm of knowledge to the realm of wisdom and back again. Every successful crossing – be it a policy informed by compassion or a meditation informed by data – carries us further toward the ultimate goal: a world where peace and happiness are not lofty ideals, but lived realities.
Standing at this crossroads of science and spirit, on a day dedicated to peace and development, we are called to action. Advancing the “wholebeing” agenda worldwide means committing – as individuals, communities, and nations – to foster both external progress and internal progress together. It is a call to every sector of society:
Finally, let us hold a shared vision: imagine a planet in 2050 where, thanks to our combined efforts, violence has markedly declined, sustainable technology is ubiquitous, and people everywhere have access not only to education and healthcare but also to practices that nurture inner peace. In this world, a wholebeing ethos guides us – governments routinely consult councils of scientists and spiritual elders; schools teach meditation in the morning and coding in the afternoon; economic planning goes hand in hand with cultivating gratitude and generosity. Peace and development are no longer pursued in separate silos but in a unified framework of human flourishing.
This vision is not utopian fantasy; it is a practical roadmap being charted today by pioneers like the World Happiness Foundation and countless partners in the global happiness, peace, and contemplative science movements. As Luis Gallardo and colleagues at WHF often remind us, humanity can rise above old paradigms of conflict and separation. We have within us the creativity, the knowledge, and the spiritual depth to solve our greatest challenges and heal our deepest wounds. To do so, we simply must continue building bridges – between disciplines, between cultures, between heart and mind.
On this World Science Day for Peace and Development, let us answer the call. Let us bridge spirituality and science in the service of peace. Let us dare to advance the wholebeing agenda – so that every policy, every innovation, every teaching is infused with wisdom and compassion. In doing so, we honor both the rational genius of humanity and the timeless spirit that connects us all. The result will be a world where peace is practical, development is holistic, and happiness becomes not just an individual pursuit but a collective reality. This is our chance to create a legacy of harmony for future generations. As we move forward, guided by both head and heart, we make one simple yet profound declaration: Science and spirituality together can light the way to a more peaceful, sustainable, and wholly well world – and we will walk that path, together.
Let us begin today.
Sources:
UNESCO – World Science Day for Peace and Development (Objectives and 2025 theme)
The Nature of the Soul and the Divine Self At
After lighting up Buenos Aires with the World Happiness Fest
Executive Summary The Doha Political Declaration adopted at the 2025