In Focus

• Meditation gives a new quality of mind - OSHO
• Global Harmony by Ma Prem Tao
• Globalization by Swami Satya Vedant
• Globalization: Only Consciousness Can Be The Way by Ma Anand Bhagawati

A disciple asks Osho:
Modern man, in this industrialized age of speed, hurry, activity and tensions, feels completely exhausted after a day's work. In this situation it becomes difficult for him to have inner silence and stillness. Please explain what are the reasons and what is the way?

Osho's response:
The situation appears so. It is not. Rather, the situation is quite the vice versa. You are not exhausted because of this industrialized age and the work and the tensions. You are exhausted because you have lost contact with your inner stillness. The work is not the problem: you are the problem. Neither is the age the problem: you are the problem. Do not go on thinking that modern man is more burdened with work. He is less burdened. A primitive man is more burdened. Mechanization, industrialization, they all help to save time. They are for saving time and they have saved much.

But because you now have time and no stillness, because you now have time and no use for it, it creates problems. A primitive man has less problems, not because he is silent and still, but because he has no time, no time, to create troubles for himself. You have more time and you do not know what to do.

This time can be used for an inner journey. And if man cannot use it for that inwardness, he is done for. Then there is no hope because now more and more time will be saved. Soon the whole world will be under automatic mechanization. You will have time and you won't know what to do, and for the first time in history man will have achieved the utopia he has always longed for, desired. Then he will be at a loss as to what to do with it. You have more time than any age, and you are not exhausted because of the work. You are exhausted because you have lost the inner contact -- because you do not know how to go deep in yourself and be revitalized. You have even lost the ability to sleep. That used to be the natural method to go in. Then one would be fresh in the morning, recharged, revitalized. But now we have lost the ability to sleep, and we have lost it because of the mechanical revolution, because now your bodies are not forced to work. Because of less work you are less exhausted, and because of less exertion you cannot sleep.

A villager still sleeps deeply; because his body is so exhausted, he falls deep into sleep. Your body is not exhausted; that is why you go on turning in your bed. Machines have replaced labour and you are less exhausted -- remember this. And then you cannot sleep, and even the natural source of inner revitalization is lost. In the morning you are more exhausted than in the evening, and then the whole day begins again and you feel again exhausted.

You are living an exhausted life. It is not only that you are exhausted in the evening: in the morning you are also exhausted. What has happened? Man needs continuous contact with the inner source. So do not ask me how an exhausted man can meditate. It is like asking me how a diseased man, an ill man, can take medicine. He needs it, and only he needs it.

You are exhausted, so meditation will be a medicine to you. And do not say that you have no time. You have much time, much that you can use. Everyone is wasting time in so many ways. People are playing cards. If you ask them they will say, "We are killing time." The cinema houses are packed. What are people doing there? Killing time! They go to hotels, clubs. What are they doing there? Killing time!

But you cannot kill time. Time only can kill you. So no one is now without time. And do not think that time is a limited quantity. Do not think that every day consists of twenty-four hours -- no! It is up to you. It depends on you how many hours you put into it. It depends on that.

Someone asked Emerson, "What is your age?" He said, "Three hundred and sixty years." It was unbelievable, so that man said, "Pardon me! It seems I have not heard you rightly. Tell it again. How many years are you saying?"

Emerson repeated loudly, "Three hundred and sixty years!"

But the man said. "I cannot believe it. This is impossible. You are not more than sixty."

Emerson said, "That is right, you are right. My actual age is sixty, but I have lived six times more than you. I have used my sixty years in such a way that they have proved to be three hundred and sixty years."

This man was about fifty and Emerson said, "If you say you are fifty, the same will be the problem for me. I cannot believe it because you look to me not more than thirty. You have simply wasted life. You have not lived."

The wasting of time is one thing, living is another. So every day is not a fixed thing. A Buddha can use it in such a way that it becomes a life. It is not "how much" -- it ultimately depends on how much you put into it.

You are a creator. We create our time, we create our space, we create our milieu, through living. So whatsoever your position in life and whatsoever your work and whatsoever your outward situation, do not make it an excuse. You can meditate all the same, and meditation doesn't need time. It needs a deep understanding, not time.

And it is not in conflict with other things. For example, if you are eating, eat with awareness. No extra time is needed. Rather, on the contrary, you will save time because you will eat less. With awareness you will eat less; with awareness you will become more efficient. You will save time. With awareness you will lose less energy, you will dissipate less energy. And even after a whole day's work, you will be as fresh as in the morning -- because it is not work that exhausts you: it is the attitude.

You walk to your office on a two-mile walk. You go to your office, and that exhausts you. But if it is Sunday and you are just walking for pleasure, and you walk to your office and come back, then it is just a play and it is not going to exhaust you. Rather, it will refresh you. If you are doing a certain thing as work, it will exhaust you. If you are doing the same thing as play, it will refresh you. It is not the work: it is the attitude. The mind which lives in meditation transforms all work into a play, and the mind which is not meditative will transform even a play into a work.

Look at people who are playing cards. They are tense. They are not "playing" cards -- it has become a work. Now there is a problem of life and death. It is not a play. If they are defeated they won't be able to sleep in the night,, and even if they win they will not be able to sleep in the night. Either way they are going to be exhausted. It is not a play; it will not refresh them. It will only exhaust them.

Look at children. They are doing more work than you, but they are never exhausted. They are always bubbling with energy. Why? Because everything is a play. And because of industrialization, and sooner or later because of total automatic processes coming in, man will have only one dimension -- that is the dimension of play. Work will be useless then, and all the old teachings that "work is Divine" -- that "work is duty and work is Divine and one must do work" -- they all will become nonsense.

Leisure, pleasure, fun, festivity, play, will be the key terms for the future. Seriousness will be taken as a disease; playfulness will become the symbol of sanity. Time will be saved more and more, and even old men will have to be like children playing. Only then will they be able to exist; otherwise they will commit suicide.

The whole human history up until now has been work-oriented. From now on it will be play-oriented. And meditation gives you a new childhood, a new innocence, a new festivity. Then the whole life becomes a ceremony. It is not work.

So do not make excuses. They may look valid, but they are dangerous. And meditation is not in conflict with anything. If you are going to your office, go meditatively. If you are doing work in your office, do it meditatively, do it relaxedly. Then you will not be exhausted. Take everything as a play, and you will not be exhausted. Rather, the work will become a pleasure.

Meditation gives you a new quality of mind, so it is not a question whether you have time or not. I am not saying that you have to meditate for three hours daily, that you should take three hours out of your life, out of your work-life -- no! If you can take it, it is good. If you cannot take it, do not make an excuse. Then try to turn and change and transform your work into a meditative act.

You are writing something: write with full awareness. You are digging a hole in the earth: dig it with full awareness. Whether you are working in the street or in the office or in the market, do it with full awareness.

Remain in the present and then see: you will not be exhausted. You will have more time, more energy, less dissipation, and ultimately your life will become just a play.

The Ultimate Alchemy
Vol 2

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“This time the transmission of the lamp is going to happen to millions of people. The old buddhas had a very small company; my company is worldwide. I don't belong to any nation, to any religion, and I don't want you to belong to any nation or any religion. I want you to belong to the whole universe and spread the fire. It is going to happen to millions of people. Belong to the whole universe and spread the fire!”
OSHO: The Original Man - Aug 1988.

Globalization in its literal sense is the process of the transformation of things or phenomena into global ones. It can be described as a process by which the people of the world are unified into a single society and function together. This process is a combination of economic, technological, sociocultural and political forces. Globalization is often used to refer to economic globalization, that is, integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, and the spread of technology…..Wikipedia Online.

Here’s a little history of the term from Wikipedia Online:

"Globalization" has been used by economists since the 1980s although it was used in social sciences in the 1960s; however, its concepts did not become popular until the latter half of the 1980s and 1990s. The earliest written theoretical concepts of globalization were penned by an American entrepreneur-turned-minister, Charles Taze Russell, who coined the term 'corporate giants' in 1897.

I’d like to take this a step further out, to the personal and social spheres that must surely follow the economic survival and material trends of these new partnerships, mergers and expanded levels of cooperation. I personally am excited by this new turning of the tides and by the vaster concept and vision to which globalization refers, namely union; and a greater union at that. Caring about others doing well and thriving, as well as yourself.

I was sitting in a marketing meeting with the Marketing and Sales Directors from our local resorts and hotels, along with representatives and owners of our Big Island’s top Visitor businesses, organizations, activity and adventure companies. As the owner of a wedding company, I was there representing the Romance Industry. Because of a slowed-down economy, some enterprising and visionary people are globalizing islandwide.- And THAT was fantastic to see and experience. Businesses from the east side of the island partnering with those of the west side of the island, something previously unheard of. Joint ventures and some very exciting, out-of-the-box, mutual mergings are taking place, where none had happened before and in fact, those who are now joining forces were until very recently, staunch competitors.

What I saw so clearly in that meeting is a REBITH now occurring on our island. And I’m sure, well at least I hope and energize this thought, that this is what is also happening world-wide. Although the initial catalyst for globalizion is survival, the outcome can be oneness, alignment, harmony, cooperation and mutually contributing to the greater whole and its well-being…. Rebirth.

We as human beings of this often two-dimensional-reality world, have been getting more and more separated from one another, and are conditioned to do just that, with the learned us and them mentality; the me/me rather than I/Thou. So I see one of the higher octave potentials of this global movement as being Existence’s way of tackling that hard nut, beginning to bang away at the structures and dividing walls that people have placed around themselves.

I can see much good coming from a “hooking up” internationally in all ways, and for a dissolving of boundaries and borders, distinctions and restrictions, limitations and divisions.

For people, just people, sharing their vast wealth of resources, ideas, knowledge, wisdom, their creativity and passion and working cooperatively. I’d like to see a blurring of what has needlessly separated us from one another.

If the whole existence is one, and if the existence goes on taking care of trees, of animals, of mountains, of oceans from the smallest blade of grass to the biggest star -- then it will take care of you too. Why be possessive? The possessiveness shows simply one thing that you cannot trust existence. You have to arrange separate security for yourself, safety for yourself; you cannot trust existence. Non-possessiveness is basically trust in existence. There is no need to possess, because the whole is already ours.
OSHO: (discourse source unknown)

From a whole other perspective, it is a natural stage in one’s growth to evolve away from the group (consciousness) and seek oneself, to discover oneself as an individual; what one feels, thinks and understands, who one is. The timeless question, who am I?

I see the journey, for example, in the religious context. As people are newly being introduced to God and exploring the world of divinity, love, a higher consciousness, they first join a Church or some religious grouping and follow those teachings (as Gospel), merging with the group and the teachings, becoming a part of them and integrating them into oneself. And that needs to happen. The organized religion serves a very important purpose at a certain stage/s of one’s life.

However a point will come sooner or later, maybe lifetimes later, when questions arise, incongruities, inconsistencies or contradictions may emerge and there is a desire, a need for a shift, independent of the group philosophy and away from it. And so begins the creation and development of one’s own philosophy, the awakening of one’s true essence.

22 years ago a woman came to me as a client. She was a very courageous woman and my heart just opened to her. I felt an instant rapport with her. She was a very loyal and long-standing Catholic and for a long time now was troubled by certain behaviors of Church members and Clergy which to her seemed hypocritical and inconsistent with what she believed to be loving, holy, compassionate and integrous with Spirit. She was palpably shaken and frightened coming to see me, not only as this might be considered devil-worship and worthy of excommunication, but she was frightened at how she felt and what she wanted to do. At the same time, she could no longer believe that her thoughts and feelings were wrong or evil, or something for which she should be eternally damned.

So she came to see me and to consult the cards. She had spiritually but not yet physically left the Church. When she left me, she was calm, reassured, strong, fear and judgment dissolved ready for her new life.

Only a ripe fruit falls to the ground. Ripeness is all. An unripe ego cannot be thrown, cannot be destroyed. And if you struggle with an unripe ego to destroy and dissolve it, the whole effort is going to be a failure. Rather than destroying it, you will find it more strengthened in new subtle ways. This is something basic to be understood: the ego must come to a peak, it must be strong, it must have attained an integrity — only then can you dissolve it. A weak ego cannot be dissolved.
OSHO (discourse source unknown)

I remember when I was doing psychic readings at the Tarot Patch, a darling booth, a calm peaceful oasis in the middle of the Lahaina Marketplace in Maui, where you could come and sit on a stool and be welcomed as you are and enter into your inner world. The Tarot Patch is no longer there but I believe the Lahaina Marketplace is still, and it’s a gorgeous place! It certainly was then; filled with art and artifacts, surrounded by lush trees and tropical, dynamically-colored, fragrant flowers, and the local marketplace kitties and generally a most pleasant and divine place to be. I would sit there like a queen on her throne which is how I felt – in heaven, in pure bliss and joy simply to be there. I’d lean back relaxed on my comfy stool with a big fat smile on my face, waiting for people to come for a reading and enter into our (short but) rarified partnership. I found out about the smile when people came over to tell me that I was sitting there beaming and that is what drew them over. I was happy as a clam to be there, sitting in my power spot, waiting eagerly to step in and share the goodies.

It was my favorite thing to do, to give these readings. They were wonderful and I believe it’s because of the people who dropped by my booth. They were from all over the world and of every age. The youngest person I read for was 8 years old. She came with her father. I saw her pull him over to the booth and he translated for her as she spoke no English. They were from Finland. How lucky she was to have such a father. I remember their amazing and mutually respectful relationship. So rare between parents and children.

I started taking pictures of my clients mostly after their readings, sitting or standing by their card spread. Every once in a while I get out that photo album and have a look through. And I remember the people, and the stories around them. Almost all of them, and especially certain ones. It was pure pleasure, a real love affair and a deep, albeit short relationship. One of the folks I recall was a well-known comedian/writer from Hollywood whom I later visited in their home to do full readings for both husband and wife. Down to earth, funny, good people.

Our world is getting smaller and smaller. We have to eventually come to see beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are all the same. No matter what religion, education, language look, color or style we represent. I believe that the opening towards globalization is the palpable beginning of this movement. I can watch the wars on TV that are going on in the various countries (although I don’t). And the people, irrespective of which country it is, feel, think, long for, suffer and hope in the very same ways that we do in this country or in any other country that I know of.

I remember listening to a radio interview of one of the villagers in some out of the way village/town in Iraq. As I listened to the language and the way he spoke, I imagined (I don’t why exactly) a relatively uneducated, more simple, countrified-style of man speaking. Maybe it was the rough sound of the dialect, or the halting way in which he spoke. In any case, I won’t be thinking like that again. When the interviewer began to translate what the man was saying, it was mind boggling.

The man being interviewed could have been standing in Manhattan, or in Chicago, or Honolulu, or London, commenting on the effect of the war on his village, his business, his family, his neighbors, his children and his country. And he spoke about what he wanted for them; and for the war to be over and for their lives to begin to rebuild and begin again; for stability; and for his children to be able to play in the street once again and lead a life free of constant terror. His comments about society in general and about his neighbors and about the occupation showed such intelligence, compassion under the most difficult circumstances and was absolutely the same as anyone from anywhere else, no matter where on the globe.

Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny - he has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally - you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you."
OSHO (discourse source unknown)

We are indeed in a time unlike any other that I have experienced. Anything is possible. Nothing is fixed. We have, none of us, any idea what exactly lies ahead, not that we ever

did, but at least now we know we don’t. We are moving in a new way, towards a new grouping with globalization, yet it’s different. It can be different. It can be better, more conscious and from a stronger essential base, so that not only do we harmonize globally

and become one world, but we do not lose the individual essence.

A free man belongs to himself and nobody else. A free man is simply an energy with no name, no form, no race, no nation. The days of nations and races are past, the days of the individual are coming. In a better world there will be no Germans, no Americans, no Indians, no Hindus, no Christians, no Jews ... there will be pure individuals, perfectly free, living their life in their own way, not disturbing anybody's life and not allowing anybody to disturb their lives.
OSHO

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The word “globalization” first appeared in the early sixties. Since then, it has gone through different perceptions. According to some experts it is "the most abused word of the 21st century." No word seems to have meant so many different things to different people. Although, primarily it is seen in terms of global economic and material achievement, Osho has gone far beyond it and has presented a different “global” view -- more as a state of universal peace, prosperity, and consciousness.

Indeed, as we can clearly see it, the distances have been largely overcome and man-made barriers removed to facilitate the movement of goods and ideas. We see both the interconnectedness and interdependence have grown at the global level. However, Osho’s foresight is that increasing “connectivity” at the current economic level must also grow at human and spiritual levels as well to avoid imbalance and bring a unity of inner and the outer world. Osho has clearly stated:

“And particularly in the modern age to talk of East and West is sheer crap. The globe is one. For the first time this beautiful phenomenon has happened in the world: we are global, we are universal. Nations are just hangovers, just hangovers from the past -- old habits that die hard.”
(The Secret of Secrets, Vol.1, Ch.16., Q.1)

“The world was, in the past, divided. The world was very, very big. People remained confined in their own countries. Teachings were not meeting: a Mohammedan lived like a Mohammedan, never aware of what the Vedas say; a Hindu lived like a Hindu, never knowing really what Zarathustra has taught. But now the world has become very small, a global village; the world has shrunken tremendously.” (Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Vol-5,Ch. 8)

Osho’s concern is, however, far deeper. Seeing from a global perspective, his observation is that, if the entire world seems to be blanketed with clouds of hatred one only needs to have to look into the heart of each individual to find the source of the personal anger, ambition, pain, misery and hate that have combined to form those clouds.

Osho explains, when one man stands against another in hatred or in violence the effect multiplies. It spreads all over. It becomes like a shadow of death, encompassing the earth. And the totality of this hatred and violence is far greater than the sum-total of individual hatreds, of individual acts of aggression. Hence, proposing an option, Osho says:

“My emphasis is that our problems are international but our solutions are national. No nation is able to solve them. I take it as a great challenge and as a great opportunity: nations should be collapsed into one world government.

It was tried by the League of Nations before the Second World War, but it could not succeed. It simply remained a debating club. The Second World War destroyed the very credibility of the League of Nations. But the necessity was still there; therefore they had to create the United Nations organization, the U.N. But the U.N. is as much a failure as the League of Nations was. Again, it is still a debating club because it has no power. It cannot implement anything; it is just a formal club.

“I would like a world government. All nations should surrender their armies, their arms to the world government. Certainly if there is a world government, neither armies are needed, nor arms. …Nations have become out of date, but they go on existing -- and they are the greatest problem. Looking at the world, just like a bird looks, a strange feeling arises: we have everything, just we need one humanity.”
(Hari Om Tat Sat, Ch. 5)

Taking a wider view of the existing global realities, Osho is clear that, what is needed is to look at the world, all over, as one unit. Our problems have brought us to a situation where either we will have to commit suicide or we will have to transform man, his old traditions, his conditionings. “Those conditionings and those educational systems, those religions that man has followed up to now, have contributed to this crisis. This global suicide is the ultimate outcome of all our cultures, all our philosophies, all our religions. They all have contributed to it -- in strange ways, because nobody ever thought of the whole; everybody was looking at a small piece, not bothering about the whole.”
(Hari Om Tat Sat, Ch. 5)

Thus, taking a holistic view, Osho’s vision is, “Now a new world is evolving, a new man is emerging out of the historical process -- a man of the future who will be neither of the East nor of the West. A new mind is coming into being: a global mind, a universal mind. So we have to discard our obsessions.

“The East has to discard its obsession with the third dimension: the religious; and the West has to discard its obsession with the first dimension: the empirical, the scientific. We have to see the world, the reality, through all three dimensions. Only then -- through all the doors that are potentially available to human beings everywhere -- can a synthesized knowledge, knowledge that is total, be gained.

“A person becomes whole when he becomes three-dimensional: simultaneously philosophical, religious and scientific. If these three dimensions are in the mind simultaneously, then the mind knows reality through all the doors of perception.”
(The Eternal Quest, Ch.1)

In the global context, as an enlightened mystic and a visionary Osho brings to our awareness, the urgent need for bringing about a synthesis for saving and nurturing the entire humanity -- which precisely is the nature of his work:

“Now man is just around one of the greatest turning points. It always happens after twenty-five centuries that humanity takes a turn; the circle is complete. The human consciousness had taken one turn at the time of Buddha. Now twenty-five centuries are over and the turn is just in the near future…. It is just like the earth takes one round of the sun in a certain period of time: the whole human consciousness moves in a circle and comes to the original source in a certain time, that is, twenty-five centuries. That critical moment is near. It can become very radical. If in your mind you are synthesized, you will be able to use that turn. If you are not synthesized -- you remain a Mohammedan, you remain a Christian -- you remain out of date, you remain of the past. You are not here; you are not available to the present. To make you available to the present, to make you capable of understanding what is going to happen soon, that's what this whole synthesis is all about.”
(Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Vol-5, Ch. 8).
---Swami Satya Vedant

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Whatever argument there is for or against ‘globalization’ is immaterial. We have it. We are stuck with it. I liken it to a huge hot air balloon, generously adorned with many fancy colors and advertisements. All to make it look good, safe and endearing and who wouldn’t want a ride on this beautiful chariot?

Globalization isn’t such an entirely new concept. In recent history, the first known expansion of capitalism occurred during the 16th century in Europe after Ferdinand Magellan successfully circumnavigated the planet. And then the big increase in world trade and investment during the late 19th century came to a crushing halt because of the First World War, followed by anti-free trade protectionism which led to the great depression in 1930.

However, after the Second World War another great era of capitalism began. Multinational companies were eager to produce and sell their goods in markets all over the world. Air travel, expanded tourism and the development of international communications enabled international business to soar.

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union ended the cold war between the forces of capitalism and socialism, with capitalism decidedly the winner. And because of the development of the internet, businesses were able to interact on a global scale with ease. The buzzword ‘globalization’ was born.

The idea of a global market is intrinsically good but as we have it now, the power and the money is in the hands of far too few individuals and groups and that is indisputably unhealthy. Corporate trade and banking institutions are not accountable to democratic processes or national governments. There are corporations with so many subdivisions and businesses under their wings that the employees often don’t even know who employs them really. The anonymity of who is in fact running this planet is dubious and chilling. That includes The World Trade Organization (WTO) who is among the most powerful and secretive international power groups we have. It already acts like a global form of government with more than 150 member countries supporting it and the power is starting to become totalitarian.

Osho says, “There have been economic revolutions in this world. The capitalists have been removed and the laborers have occupied their place. But just by occupying that place has the laborer become a capitalist? No, capitalism has gone and professional managers have come in. They also have become as dangerous as the capitalist exploiters. Nothing has changed -- classes have continued. In the beginning there were two classes: rich and poor. Now there is a class to which money is distributed and there is a class which distributes the money. Whosoever has enough power remains in power, and those who are powerless are those who are not in power. New classes are formed but classes have remained.

Whatever experiments have been made so far in four or five thousand years for the welfare of humanity have all been failures.” (Revolution in Education, Chapter 1)

Through globalization people’s welfare has been upgraded but somewhat unevenly. The rich have definitely become richer; the poor are basically still poor in spite of marginal improvements. What happened is that wealth has been amassed but not distributed and the exploitation of all resources is rife and continuing.

While integrated into global economy, countries are obliged to ensure social protection and full employment for their citizens; increased education for all is a must. More investments in scientific and technological research must be made rather than spending a disproportionate amount of a nation’s budget on military objectives. Then the riches globalization can bring about can be put to good use. But all that necessitates politicians with a vision and the well-being of their constituency in their foremost thoughts. Alas there aren’t many of those around.

Almost thirty years ago Osho said, “Poverty should go, but the only way for it to go is to produce more wealth, to industrialize society more scientifically, to bring more and more technology, and with a deep understanding of nature so your technology and industry don't destroy nature. They should become part of ecology, they should not go against it. That is the highest scientific development. It cannot happen through socialism; it can happen only through capitalism.

The word "capitalism" has become very derogatory, but I am not worried about that. I believe in capitalism and not in socialism, because to me capitalism is the only hope for freedom, for growth, for individual uniqueness. It is a respect for the individual; socialism is disrespectful of the individual. Socialism does not believe in the soul of man; it cannot believe because if you believe in the soul of man then you cannot behave as if man is a machine. You have to give respect to the uniqueness of every individual. Not to give that respect means committing suicide.” (I Am That, Chapter 11, Q1)

In this era of globalization there isn’t much thought given to the individual’s freedom, soul, consciousness. Only few make the effort to seek within and find meaning in life. The masses are concerned about food, shelter, gadgets, entertainment. As long as all this is provided they will not question the shady sides of globalization. I am reminded of the words ‘panem et circense’s (bread and circuses), an ancient Roman metaphor for people choosing food and fun over freedom. It often appears in commentary that accuses people of giving up their civic duty and following whichever political leader offers to satisfy their decadent desires.

There are groups of individuals who demonstrate against the powers of the G-8, against globalization, against the raping of this planet and are trying to put global warming to a stop. There is rebellion and fighting going on in favor of democracy, against the various wars that are being currently waged. And those people are earnestly engaged in making a positive difference. But amid all this ‘against’ has anybody simply stood up to encourage love? To love this planet we inhabit, to be grateful to the bounty it offers? Instead of ‘fighting against’ we can monitor situations and change them with a loving heart; enough wealth is there to be used in a positive way. And with love inherent, man’s consciousness will take that quantum leap we came for. With love inherent, the new man emerges. And that is you, and you, and you…

Osho said years ago, “But now a new possibility has opened up. For the first time, particularly in the West, man is free from his day-to-day needs. Now we can experiment with new possibilities for the mind. It was impossible to do this in the past, because bodily needs were such a heavy burden, so unfulfilled. But now the possibility is there. We live on the threshold of a deep revolution, a revolution such as human history has never encountered. A revolution in consciousness is possible now. With more facilities to know and understand, we can change. Much time will be needed, but the possibility is open to us. If we dare, if we have courage, it can become an actuality.

The whole humanity is at stake. Either we will go back to the past or to a new future. It is not a question of a third world war, not a question of communism or capitalism. These problems are out of date now. A new crisis is nearby. Either we will have to decide that we want to have a new consciousness, and work for it, or we will have to fall back, to regress to the old patterns.”

The Psychology of the Esoteric, Chapter 12, Q 6

LET US BE THIS NEW MAN!

Ma Anand Bhagawati

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