Global Interconnection and Transformation
Over the last few decades, as the human population has grown and the Planet’s resources have become scarcer, our ability to work, live and think collectively has become increasingly important – and certainly increasingly inevitable.
Materialist science has represented an evolutionary leap from a mindset that relies on religious authority to verify truths, to a view of reality based on objective analysis. In this era of rapid change, the time has come for another leap forward, one that will encompass not only research into objective and verifiable data, but also the rigorous study of subjective, inner experience and the scientific investigation of the world of consciousness.
From a global perspective, we are realising more and more that we live in an era in which transformation is brewing across the entire Planet, and on many fronts: personal, collective, spiritual, social, economic and scientific. An ever-growing proportion of the population is recognising that our habitual ways of thinking and acting will have to change in the near future, or we risk catastrophic consequences:
“Human actions are depleting the Earth’s natural capital, causing such damage to the environment that the planet’s ecosystems may no longer be able to sustain future generations.” (United Nations, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005)
There is evidence of a global shift in values and in our way to look at the world, capable of bringing about profound transformations. Local communities and international groups are proposing a new perspective on development and human rights; the world, now smaller and ‘interconnected’, calls for new ways of relating to one another, based on fraternity. At the same time, we are becoming increasingly aware that we are constrained by limited ways of thinking about the Planet and human potential; these limitations, inherited from the past, may render us incapable of managing change unless we have developed flexibility, the capacity for ‘lateral thinking’, vision, trust and creative imagination:
“You will never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that renders the existing one obsolete.” (Buckminster Fuller)
When we develop and apply our positive traits, or “evolutionary strengths”, to the various aspects of our lives – work, relationships, creative pursuits – we find ourselves living a more authentic life. And when we use these strengths in the service of a greater Cause, one that transcends our small, individual selves, we live a truly meaningful life, one that might be described as “happy”.
From an individual point of view, transformation is not merely a change in the person but a shift in perspective; it is a metamorphosis of consciousness and worldview that concerns one’s relationship with oneself, with others, with culture, nature and the divine. Many aspirants and researchers, faced with the evolving situation of humanity – both internally and in its relations with the environment and the cosmos – find themselves increasingly confronted with ethical and spiritual issues; that is, they are confronted with “inner” dimensions, even in fields that are considered “outer” ones, such as physics, biology, chemistry, as if the “inner” and “outer” dimensions were merging and were now to be regarded as interconnected, thus requiring a unified approach.
In this era, rich with often unique events, great potential is emerging for the development of individual and group capabilities, and of humanity as a whole; for, on closer inspection, the world’s primary tendency is to reveal the great treasures it holds within, which have not yet been unveiled. This gives rise to a responsibility – both personal and collective – that is perhaps greater than at any other time in history. Hence the emergence of new ways of thinking and feeling – less one-sided and formal, and more holistic and fraternal – as well as newly conceived organisational, social and economic frameworks, based on participation and sharing; ways of operating inspired by intelligent Love and loving Intelligence.
It is essential that an ever-increasing number of individuals and groups form a “critical mass” that is so large and cohesive as to:
- permanently prevent a regression towards models based on fear, individualism, hoarding and greed;
- ensure that the concepts of Service and Brotherhood become firmly established in the consciousness of as many human beings as possible.
Cells of the Whole
It is through the gift of self that the ego will dissolve, along with its retinue of vanity, superficiality, falsehood, greed, arrogance, materialism, cruelty and narrow-mindedness; we shall then become ever more sensitive to humanity’s cry of pain, and we shall know how to respond to it with care and fervour, avoiding emotional and fleeting reactions which often bring confusion rather than help.
On the Path, the awakened individual leads a life of moderation and vigilance in all things and, through the constant activation of the “silent inner witness”, becomes master of their own thoughts, which are increasingly imbued with Purity:
“What is purity? Contrary to what many people think, it is not so much a matter of sexuality; sexuality is but one limited aspect of it. There are other, higher and more essential forms of purity. True purity is found first and foremost in one’s thoughts, feelings and desires: it is a virtue that consists in not keeping the good things one possesses solely for oneself. Of everything one learns and everything one acquires, one must seek to ensure that others benefit from it in some way.
As for impurity, it is tantamount to self-centredness in all its forms. Wishing to be pure in order to better protect and save oneself is not yet purity. Those who are truly pure seek purity for the sole purpose of being able to give more to others, and to give them only what is most precious to them. Only those who have striven to attain this purity are worthy of receiving Initiation.” (Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov, Daily Thoughts)
Alongside the development of higher qualities, Purity and “Sacrifice” appear ever more clearly as “obvious” and natural attitudes for the mature soul, which aspires to the evolution of the Whole; this becomes evident in thoughtful and benevolent action towards humanity, for it springs from the realisation that “Life is one” and that mutual Service, operating as a law of the Universe, enables all that exists to manifest itself within a vast network of interaction.
In this perspective, we understand that the well-known saying “He who harms others harms himself” must be taken literally:
“Realise within yourselves that you are the vehicle of all humanity; regard humankind as a part of yourselves and act accordingly.” (H. P. Blavatsky)
In this work, we are sustained by the awareness that every step of progress we make will reverberate throughout the whole of humanity; everything we think, feel, do – and become – “is one, and the common property of all mankind”, as H. P. Blavatsky states.
If we imagine humanity as a container filled with clear water and individuals as coloured liquids, it is as though every one of our actions or thoughts – a tiny drop of coloured liquid – mixes with the water in the entire container, colouring it, drop by drop, and slowly changing its overall colour. By the end of the process, the entire body of water will have completely changed its original colour, which will now be the result of all the small contributions made by the various coloured liquids.
When humankind, a tiny drop of water in the ocean of life, awakens to its own responsibility, it opens itself up to compassion and altruism, beginning to infuse the entire Manifestation with brilliant, luminous colours.
Man then realises that he will have to work even harder on himself, because:
“When a new idea, when a new wind of change is to be conveyed to the whole of humanity, psychological preparation is essential for those who wish to work towards this. If those people are not psychologically prepared, not only will they fail to offer what they wish to propose, but, on the contrary, their efforts could have exactly the opposite effect” (Osho, The Eternal in Time).
This article is published on the day of the new moon in Virgo, the sign of the Mother of the World, into whose fiery chalice we pour thoughts of constructive unity in human minds.
🙏🏼❤️🍀🌟