Asia Beyond the Millennium of Modernity:

A New Years’ Message for Butterfly Futures

Butterfly Futures is a newsletter published by Pipal Tree in Bangalore, India, on behalf of the Alliance for a United & Responsible World. Siddhartha, an old friend, co-founder of Asian rainbow, and the Asian Coordinator for the Alliance, asked me to write something for their millennial issue. They produced another visually beautiful edition that is also strong in content. Highly recommended.1

While the Y2K hoopla has been rightly scoffed at by those who follow Buddhist, Islamic, and other non-Western calendars, Y2K actually signifies something of great importance. Changes are occurring in Western culture that commentators label "post-modernity." These changes bespeak the unraveling and rejection of a modernity that has given the world Western cultural arrogance and imperialism, materialist science, democracy, the rational Cartesian self, world wars, information technology, and so much more. While modernity’s full flower occurred with the European "Enlightenment" — not to be confused with Lord Buddha’s Great Awakening — its beginnings go back to the 11th century CE. Then, massive shifts took place that gave rise to all important modern institutions, such as, the nation state, trades and professions, universities, legal systems, and science. What began then is now petering out. This is the real significance of Y2K: the millennium of modernity is passing.

While many have wasted their breath in debates about East & West, the twain never meeting, and the like, the more important division has between modern and pre-modern. Starting in the 11th century, "The West" began making distinctions and building separated institutions in ways that never really happened anywhere else. They were later imposed on the colonies of the European powers and then imported by the elites of "developing countries," but never really took root or flourished outside their home territory. Now as modernity winds down into post-modernity, what does this mean for the rest of the world? While the cities of Asia — like Bangkok, Manila, Mumbai — have modernized in many ways, while the political systems have democratized, while free market consumerism sweeps over everything, while Asian fields, forests, and fisheries are plundered, modernity — as culture, values, and ideology — is petering out in the lands of its birth. What, then, will be its fate in Asia?

Modernity with it’s universalism and superiority complex assumes that the rest of the world must follow the path of "progress" through modernity into post-modernity. Yet, post-modernity has debunked such hollow beliefs. Is Asia ready to throw off such fictions? Throughout the 20th century, Asian leaders — both genuine and sell-outs — have claimed to modernize while remaining Asian. They pretended that the choice was between East and West. In fact, modernization requires being Asian in very new ways, yet Asia has pretty much mimicked the West’s modernization rather than find its own path.

Our leaders should have asked, "what of modernity is beneficial for all of us (not just the elites) and what do we, as Asians, have to teach modernity?" It is not too late to ask this question. However, it requires a political, economic, and cultural leadership that has become more modern than Asian to throw off its intellectual shackles. I believe the ordinary people of Asia — peasant farmers, factory workers, school teachers, small merchants — will make a better job of it.

"Pre-modern," "modern," "post-modern" — these are mainly Western labels. In fact, they define the West as we have known it. Asia need not define itself in the same terms. Modernity lost sight of important truths that Asian spirituality has specialized in. As post-modernism reveals the West’s crisis of confidence, it is time for Asia to regain its confidence, not the confidence of bullies, despots, and tycoons, rather the confidence of knowing where it is, where it has come from, and where it is going.

What might be Asia’s own terms? The terms of the Buddha are dukkha and its end; Dharma, the law of nature; inter-relatedness and change; wisdom and compassion. This millennium can be one of peace, justice, understanding, and kindness. Asia’s role in such a millennium must be significant but not hegemonic. To fulfill that role, we must draw on the deep sources of wisdom and compassion in our cultures and spiritual traditions while simultaneously facing the mixed up modernizing and de-modernizing world. May we have the necessary strength, courage, joy, and love.

Santikaro Bhikkhu
21 January 2000