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The world is always a play of forces. Some are progressive, some are resisting. Some are inspired by the divine, others by matter; some are unifying, others splitting and dividing; some are dogmatic, others open. In non-dual reality however, every division is but a temporary illusion within eternal oneness. But illusions may fight each other as long as humans and humanity have not realized essential non-duality. Opposition is the very character of the soul’s pilgrimage of evolution through duality, the manifested Universe.
If Theosophy has stirred one thing, it is reinforcement of such apparently opposing forces. The environmental situation is worse than ever, and still more lethal and terrifying weapons are developed and used. The 21st century did not begin with a vow to peace, but started wars almost immediately. No human being knows on every level what will happen tomorrow with our planet, climate, geology, and what sudden changes may take place in the human mind or physiology. If we prepare a better soil, better souls will be attracted and incarnate. That is why our preparatory work is so important.
We cannot say whether we are not heading towards disaster. It happened in Atlantis and many times before and after that on smaller scale. Perhaps Mother Earth has to take karmic “revenge” for our blatant misuse. Already the more spiritual and peace-loving people are fighting a gunless war against materialism and psychism. Maybe millions or billions will perish. If the wisdom of universal respect, interdependence and non-violence will not awaken at large and guide us, a purification may be unavoidable. If so, we have to face the challenge of practicing the noblest in our nature. What a small thing after all means our personal death for the eternally progressing soul?
But no calamity can erase the future from eternal time. When old trees burn down – though we would wish to prevent their pain – new saplings get a chance. It is to us to sow the seeds for the future. In that sense, we as theosophists may even be more responsible for our grandchildren and future generations than for present problems. Theosophists work on the side of causes rather than of effects.
I suppose that the Lodge behind the worldly founders of the Theosophical Society knew what was to come, and the message they gave and which stirred the inner being of humankind was meant for larger cycles and for all the billions of souls who will incarnate, evolve and again create causes in such cycles. So let us continue to spread and sow the seeds They have handed out to us, let us do our humble task without weakness, and let the future unfold itself naturally. Other tasks may lay in store for us in a much further future, according to our quality and training. We’ll then have to pick up the thread and the axe as we left it last time.
Though, personally, I am not too optimistic about the coming decades, I am very optimistic about the larger future, when we can put all our modern discoveries and inventions to wise use and abandon some others. Theosophy as we know it today is but a first step, meant to break down the “Berlin wall” between human hearts and minds. What lies in stock for us humanity when we become real global citizens in space and time in the field of scientific knowledge and real, unbiased, dogmaless, direct, indubitable knowledge of the Divine is enormous. There is much even in the ancient writings, especially of, from which we can draw, let alone in the unrevealed esoteric explanations of all ages.
One day we will be able to see through the heresy, or rather illusion, of separateness, and see the essential Oneness of all, which is but emptiness for the divisive mind.
– Rajasthani
9 August 2007
