A dream is a reification of longing - the longing of the heart,
mind body and soul. A dream is a consummation and crystallization
of hope. A dream is expression of the deepest withing the human
being. And for this the dream contains the beacon of light in the
world.

It is for this reason necessary, for the ongoing vibrancy, energy,
passion and indeed health of humanity that there be living, walking
dreams that contain and embody the longings of different portions of
the civilization - and that they live lives that are beautiful and
good and thus likewise encourage others to hope and to dream. And not
only that; but to craft and refine their dreams, and thereafter pursue
them, making them applicable to reality; in so doing adding to richness
and happiness of human experience and helping more people to greet
each morning with ardor and vibrancy and purpose and happiness
necessary to make each coming day a dream for those around them and
for themselves.

And it is indeed people who were dreamlike that did the most for
humanity. Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Gandhi, St. Francis, Keats,
Lermontov, Da Vinci, Carnegie, Robin Williams, Covey, Rumi, Rollo May,
Patch Adams, Einstein, Buddha, John Stuart-Mill, R. D. Laing, were
dreams.
So were Nefertiti, Cleopatra, Sappho, Elizabeth I, Akhmatova, Veronica
Franco and Mother Theresa. The people - not only the people who dream
and
make their dreams manifest, but people who in fact are dreams - perform
an
invaluable social service. THey give people courage and hope to face
the
next day.

And indeed if we are to take the sum total of contributions of
benefectors
of humanity - and by that I mean great men and women who strove for the
benefit of their people or for humanity - we see all of them pointing
toward the same end. That end is a world in which dreams can live and
succeed and produce lasting product and masterpieces. I regard the
endeavor
of the civilization as that of striving toward the world in which
fulfilment of dreams - fulfilment of the deepest longings - can be
attainable to more and more people and, ultimately, to the whole world.
And
for that it is a social service, not only to dream, but to be a dream.

What is vitally important for the Western civilization - indeed for the
world - is that livingt dreams have beautiful lives and happy lives;
lives
that would likewise enocurage ohters to be dream-like and make our
world the
most wonderful place it can be. I therefore regard it as social
service, not
only to encourage people to become dreams through education, but to
likewise
help along those who are so and enable them to triumph. The purpose of
that
endeavor is to make life on Earth bearable - to impart hope and courage
to
people and to direct their efforts toward making life beautiful, for
the
people now living and for the future generations.

Ilya Shambat.