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| ~ ∞ ~ Towards an Era of Transformation 1/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~ |
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In the following few pages, we will take a look at some of the underlying issues that are causing problems in our world today. A contrasting perspective is provided in later chapters, namely “The Emergence of a New Vision,” “Ancient Wisdom Resurfaces,” and “Metaphysical Paradigm Shift,” respectively. To someone who subscribes to a consensus view of reality, the contrast may be immense, enormous, or even monumental.
In that case, the rest of the book might have a whole lot of nothing to say – unless, of course, such people are ready to transcend their views and beliefs and consider other approaches and points of view. You see, without transcending our beliefs we will never be free from the ignorance of dogma that separates us from universal wisdom.
The goal here is to share paradigm shifting ideas that can open up the doors of perception by breaking down old patterns, which in turn can create new pathways of thinking and seeing, living and being, doing and acting – this is the whole purpose of this work, after all.
It goes without saying that one doesn’t need to be especially observant or to have a keen eye for detail to see that we live in times of profound transformation marked by a crisis of sustainability – this and many other related processes together will have a lasting impact on every aspect of our lives.
And so it goes that at this critical juncture in human history, we find ourselves at a crossroads – a point of no return, where a decision is made to either continue our old ways, repeating our past mistakes – plunging deeper into confusion, disillusion, and ignorance, and eventually – into oblivion, or to take the critical first step towards the process of adaptation, change, and transformation.
Against this backdrop, it is clear that this juncture is a time in which there is an ending of one age, and the beginning of another, which goes on to say that in all areas of society, there will be a new beginning – such is the nature of transformation, you see?
By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to ongoing transformation, it can be said that at the moment we are going through something we don’t have words for, and we point to the nameless experience by saying, “it is like this, and it is like that.” Only afterwards, when all is said and done, when a new metaphor is created, can we name similarities that make the metaphor work, and then generalize these similarities into concepts that describe our experience.
At best, this nameless experience can be a great transformation, or conscious transformation – a renaissance of humanity, if you will; at worst, it can be a messy decline of humanity into a hopeless void of disorder and chaos.
As obvious as the crisis of sustainability, so is the case with the current system we have in place. Indeed, there is no doubt about it, the current system we have in place is in full decay – it is on its last legs, simply because it depends heavily on finite resources, and hence it would be an understatement to say that infinite economic growth on a finite Earth is the epitome of unsustainability.
As a consequence, a centuries old modern industrial world is coming to an end and a new world is being born. An optimist would say that this may be a blessing in disguise, for we can see that a new world is being born from the ashes of the old. Another way to look at this is to say that the world itself will change as the people on Earth themselves change. There are changes taking place at all levels of society in the world, are there not?
Indeed, there are changes happening from education, to medical advancements, to political changes, to weather alterations, to religious and spiritual understandings, to the philosophies, to the theologies, to the social status of individuals, to the supply and demand of goods and services – all are changing. In what direction will these changes move us, forward or backward, for better or for worse – is entirely up to each and every one of us, is it not?
Considering all the aforementioned, it is against this backdrop that we can arrive at the following conclusion: it has never been more clear than now, in the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century: we as the collective human species are in dire need of conscious transformation. There has been a great transformation brewing under the surface for a quite some time, ready to burst wide open with the full force and might when the time is ripe, which goes on to say that such transformation is long overdue.
It always requires the will of the people and concerted effort to move toward something new, to initiate a shift in perspective, which in turn can lead to a conscious transformation of both the self and the world, you see? As this shift continues to gain momentum, much that we now take for granted in the world will be irrevocably transformed – for better or for worse, we shall see in due time. In what direction will this shift move us – is entirely up to each and every one of us.
Over the course of the last decade, preliminary signs of the beginning of such transformation were seen in almost every area of life, most of which were the symptoms of a crisis much bigger than we can imagine – for the simple reason that in order to conjure up reasonable solutions to the problems we face, humans as we know humans, seem to need to go through processes of struggle, contestation, conflict, and reconciliation – which in turn gives room for more mature approaches.
Granted, some of these preliminary signs were also strides toward better ways of doing things, toward sustainable living, toward a better future – but for the obvious reasons, such strides belong to the minority – at least for the time being.
Unfortunately, humans, as we know humans today, are particularly good at putting off the inevitable, and so it goes that ripples get bigger and bigger each generation, crisis gets ever more severe, struggle gets more intense, and conflict gets more widespread – until such time when either civilization destroys itself or consciously decides to evolve. This goes on to say that there is yet much more to surface, a lot more crisis to overcome, and much more processes to go through before the deeper aspects of the transformation begins to take form.
The question facing humanity at this critical juncture in human history – a time of convergence, a turning of the tides, is whether we will embrace our inherent unity, interconnectedness, and interdependence as a species and self-consciously adapt to the new conditions of our existence, or whether we will cling to inherent patterns of belief and behavior that are driven by ignorance and hubris – and learn the lessons of interdependence the hard way, through the deepening social and ecological consequences of a failure to adapt, change and transform.
This process implies not only the change and transformation of the individuals, but also the structure of society that will reflect the underlying principle, or truth, of the oneness of humanity. This principle entails the emergence of a consciousness that recognizes and acknowledges this oneness, which in turn establishes equality between all people, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, nationality, language, and culture, you see?
Considering all the aforementioned, one should be inclined to ask the following question: Why is it that we are in the midst of this crisis in almost every area of life? Could it be that we as the collective human species have been suffering from a certain level of self-pride and arrogance, or more aptly – hubris of monumental proportions? Could it also be that this type of behavior has caused us to deteriorate and fragment from within?
Now, let me ask you this: Is it not obvious that we are, indeed, suffering from a disease that is eating us from within – a spiritual disease of immorality and inhumanness, inauthenticity and insincerity? Against this backdrop, one should be asking themselves: Could it also be that all of our past actions of ignorant nature has ultimately caused us to distance ourselves from the natural Living Life, which in turn has created profound difficulties in understanding the Mysteries of Life?
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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~
Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony
~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~
Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony
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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
