2012 Doomsayers

2012 Doomsayers

It is interesting to cruise the electronic noosphere (aka the World Wide Web) and see what people are thinking about the Mayan Calendar ending in 2012. There is a large contingent of doomsayers, some of whom claim expert knowledge of cataclysmic events expected to occur. They speak of immense solar flares neutralizing earth’s protective shield, the magnetic poles reversing, huge meteors plummeting and even large segments of the crust slip-sliding around while the oceans inundate every continent.

Needless to say, not many people would survive such devastating scenarios. One author’s recommendation? Get a boat and lots of survival gear. He admits life on earth would be hell for a long time after, but the upside is that the few who made would get to start a new society - and maybe they would make a better job of it than what we have seen in the past.

Scriptural references to the last days are every bit as brutal, though not couched in modern scientific jargon. St. Peter says “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10) and the Book of Revelation seems to gloat over the vast numbers of dead bodies to be strewn around the planet. These casualties will be brought about by a succession of plagues, natural catastrophes and human conflict.

Biblical prophecy may sound far-fetched, but it should not be discounted. Once Jesus’ disciples were expressing admiration for the immense Jewish Temple of their time and he replied, “As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Luke 21:6).

This must have been hard for the disciples to imagine, since that structure had taken forty-six years to build and was huge. But only seventy years later Emperor Titus fulfilled the prophecy exactly. The temple was burned to the ground and today not one stone of it is standing upon another.

A blue-ribbon panel assembled by Congress has just concluded that terrorists are likely to use a biological weapon of mass destruction somewhere in the world by 2013, and that the effects of this would be way beyond 9/11. This possibility fits both the Mayan calendar time-frame and Scriptural indications.

What’s more, the official word is that the U.S. is presently in recession, and the world at large in deep financial straits. The pleading of auto executives now willing to work for one dollar instead of twenty million sounds like the shock portrayed over fallen Babylon – a “city” which could well symbolize today’s global materialistic culture: “And they cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, what city is like unto this great city? And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, in which all were made rich . . .” (Rev. 18: 19).

Nevertheless, to focus attention on descriptions of death, deprivation and destruction is to miss the salient point of end times considerations: namely that if such calamities do occur it is to bring closure to things that are not going to continue in the new age of the new world. And that any people who die are most likely the ones who aren’t willing or prepared to live in the new age of the new world.

One of the biggest messages of the Bible is to be alert and prepared, after all. “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). And the appropriate survival gear for the experience of this “return” is not to be found in boats or bullets, but rather within a humbled and broken heart.

So whenever the doomsayers begin to sound too convincing, let us remember that, “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And great earthquakes shall be in different places, and famines, and pestilences, and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But there shall not a hair of your head perish” (Luke 21:10-18).

The Galactic Underworld

The Galactic Underworld

As stated in a previous entry, we are currently in Day Six of the Galactic Underworld according to Carl Johan Calleman. The Galactic Underworld is supposed to last from January 5, 1999 to October 28, 2011, and be thematically described as: “The evolution of galactic consciousness,” characterized by transcendence of the material framework of life, telepathy, living on light and genetic technology.

The ninth "Universal" Underworld is yet to come. It is the last and the shortest, lasting only 260 days - starting February 2011 and ending (as do all the underworlds) on October 28, 2011 (per Calleman). The Galactic Underworld is intended to prepare and unify people for the Universal Underworld, which should bring about an enlightened state for all mankind: “The evolution of cosmic consciousness – no limiting thoughts, timelessness, no organizing boundaries.”

“Prepare and unify”? Hmm. For me a more accurate description of the sensation would be: “Cut into tiny pieces, beat with a meat cleaver and subject to intense heat until thoroughly burned.” But maybe that is how “preparation” feels to certain people.

Though a firm believer in the proposition that “with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:6), I have noticed that even things that are predicted and prophesied can appear in unexpected ways. Therefore I don’t have the comfortable conviction that God will effortlessly bestow cosmic consciousness on the world at large within a few short years.

It is certainly true that fault lines can appear in history and bring sudden developments that seem like miraculous non-sequiturs to what was before. But somehow these are generally things that no one – or almost no one – had been thinking about - whereas "enlightenment" or whatever you want to call it has been in the background of human aspiration for as long as anyone can remember.

Given what’s going on in the world right now, terrible killings in Mumbai, people being trampled to death by frantic Walmart Christmas shoppers, Detroit automakers on the verge of bankruptcy, worldwide economic collapse with millions unemployed, etc., it is hard to visualize the kingdom of heaven suddenly appearing on earth or the New Jerusalem descending from the sky.

Such things may very well occur – but will they happen “on schedule” and according to preconceived notions? Sure, the Mayan calendar ends in 2011 or 2012 (depending on who you ask), marking an extraordinary conclusion to a vast span of planetary time-keeping. But it is also quite possible that nothing will seem different the following day – at least outwardly.

As usual, I think the transformative work has to be done within each person, and if it doesn’t happen there, it just doesn’t happen. So, if angels DO appear, they may well end up tapping their toes while waiting for lots of people to get with the program.

The Climb Toward Uncertainty

The Climb Toward Uncertainty

The more scientists discover about the workings of the universe, the more that knowledge reveals a profound innate uncertainty. For instance, quantum physics has proven that minute particles of matter are actually influenced in their actions by the observer himself, so that their behavior cannot be predicted by purely mechanical or logical definitions.

According to Wikipedia, “The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that the values of certain pairs of conjugate variables (position and momentum, for instance) cannot both be known with arbitrary precision. That is, the more precisely one variable is known, the less precisely the other is known. This is not a statement about the limitations of a researcher's ability to measure particular quantities of a system, but rather about the nature of the system itself.”

As revelations about uncertainty on a micro level become known and experienced, it seems that a similar process is occurring on the macro level of human society. In centuries past, entire generations could live pretty much exactly as their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had. Change was slow and unexpected.

In these days however, change is the norm and almost nothing remains as it was for long. New developments in technology are rapid fire, yet the hunger among consumers for what is faster, smaller, cheaper and more exciting never seems satisfied.

In human interactions transformation is also evident. Relationships shift, people move to other geographical areas and take up different occupations, all with a fluidity and dispatch that is unique to our times.

“Our times” is the key word here. For the Mayan calendar indicates that this period will continue to exhibit dramatic change that will even escalate in intensity – at least until the year 2012. We are currently in Day Six of the Galactic Underworld’s seven day cycle, which according to Carl Johan Calleman’s analysis is characterized by the theme “flowering” and “coexistence between new spirituality and the remnants of the global materialistic power.”

For people or collectives to function and find peace in these times means accepting and adapting to uncertainty. The “global materialistic power” is not merely “out there” in the world at large. It is in everyone to some degree. It is evident in the egoic mentality that revolts against uncertainty and seeks stability according to its own views. How to spot it? Watch for the following ego-reinforcing attitudes:

“This isn’t how my life ought to be right now. This shouldn’t be happening. Things are supposed to be different. “

Embracing uncertainty is not easy, and could be likened to a steep hike - the effort of climbing through dark woods toward the sunlight. Yet indications are that uncertainty is an aspect of the greater life of freedom that humanity craves.

Wise Guidance

Wise Guidance

In the face of the radical change, what do people really need? Entities who successfully answer this question will be the survivors of our current global crisis. They will be the ones emerging as leaders in the years leading up to 2012 and beyond, because they perceived and responded to the shifting tectonic plates of human consciousness.

Radical transformation is disorienting – just take a look at the global economic situation for proof. People are scared and angry; they want someone to “take control” and make everything all right again – preferably “the way it used to be.” There can be a profound sense of loss, vulnerability, helplessness and uncertainty.

In this climate people do not need new cars. They don’t need new high definition televisions, fancy gadgets or non-essentials of any kind. They don’t need to give or receive unnecessary gifts just because it is the holiday season and merchants want to sell wares. The sense of crisis forces them to evaluate what is vital (from Latin vite, “giving life”) and what is not.

Someone lost in a blinding snowstorm needs one vital thing: guidance. They want to know how to find safety and how to get to it before freezing to death.

BUT! The guidance must be true – that is, it must be based on wisdom, and wisdom comes from real experience combined with insight. Anyone with wise guidance has something priceless to offer in a crisis. This is a service that can generate life-saving hope. It is like giving a blind person sight again.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). In this world right now are millions of people without a vision who don’t know what is happening or why it is happening. They may feel death looming - figuratively if not actually. What they want more than anything is wise guidance.

Michael Brown’s “Living in Aberdeen” blog (http://navigating2012.blogspot.com) has a fascinating quote from the late Nelson Fernandez of the Mohave Tribe:

"Dreams are for sleeping people - waking people have visions. This is why America is in such a mess; the people here are chasing their American dream. What about their American vision?"

The Bible suggests something similar through the Old Testament prophet Joel. An idea so important that it is repeated also in the New Testament Book of Acts:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).

The old men, which is to say the “old man,” dreams. But the young men, or the new men, the people of the new consciousness, have visions. And those visions can be a source of hope for new life to those who are still asleep and dreaming.

Crisis for the Global Materialistic Culture

In the countdown to 2012 we continue to see the world economy collapsing. The S&P 500 has now slid to an eleven and a half year low. The Dow and NASDAQ both closed at their lowest points since March 12, 2003, which was just above the low of the last bear market. The big three automakers in Detroit are looking for a government bailout with taxpayer money, while flying to Washington in private jets to ask for it. Why are they in this predicament? Because they have not been interested in building what people really need.

According to Carl Johan Calleman, the Mayan Calendar suggests that this present period is characterized by a “deep crisis for the global materialistic culture.” Although media pundits anxiously speculate on when the crashing economic picture will “bottom,” it is quite possible that the world is changing permanently, and will not ever return to what it has been.

Much of the global materialistic culture has been devoted to creating consumer addicts, people who want products not out of need, but for superficial and spurious reasons. This ultimately depletes and wastes not only finite and precious planetary resources, but it also militates against the authentic nature of persons, who exist in a multidimensional reality that includes more than this physical universe.

The global materialistic culture MUST collapse, because it is fundamentally unhealthy. This process, while necessary, is likely to be rough and painful. It will be a collective experience similar to that which someone goes through personally when he or she finally becomes willing to face their own inner state of dysfunction.

The good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that the tunnel isn’t really that long. And the main question for everyone involved is this: are we going to accept the change, or resist it?

The Kali Yuga - Ending in 2012

The Kali Yuga, or of Age of Vice, is what the Indian scriptures call this present age which began in the year 3102 BCE. It is considered to be one of the four ages of mankind’s development, the darkest age of materialism, egocentricity and spiritual blindness. The Kali Yuga is destined to end in 2012 and lead to another age, a new golden age for mankind. Rene Guenon writes:

According to the Hindu tradition of cosmology, we are now nearing the end of the Kali Yuga (the Age of Iron) which is the final and most negative of four evolutionary Yugic cycles.

Each Yuga is like the season of a super-cosmic year, even greater than the cosmic year of the precession of the equinoxes. When the Earth came into its current phase of manifestation and the first Yuga began ('Satya' Yuga, meaning 'Purity') humanity was barely removed from its original state of God-like innocence. This was the original Golden Age. As time progressed the planet underwent the influence of a negative descending spiral, and the quality of life in each successive Yuga became further and further removed from the knowledge of truth and natural Law (in other words, 'Reality'). In the second, Treta Yuga (Silver Age) spiritual awareness decreased by one fourth and by the time of Dvapara Yuga (Copper Age) negativity had a 50% holding. In the Kali Yuga the vibration has become pretty murky and humanity is labouring against heavy odds. Righteousness (right-use-ness) has diminished to scant one fourth of its original strength.

Throughout our current history we have created and been assailed by all the evils of Pandora's box. No wonder the human race is having such a difficult time. But the turning point has now arrived, and the dawn once more sheds its light on a confused and ignorant planet. The Vishnu Purana, one of the oldest sacred texts of India says about the Kali Yuga, "The leaders who rule over the Earth will be violent and seize the goods of their subjects... Those with possessions will abandon agriculture and commerce and will live as servants, that is, following various possessions. The leaders, with the excuses of fiscal need, will rob and despoil their subjects and take away private property. Moral values and the rule of the law will lessen from day to day until the world will be completely perverted and agnosticism will gain the day among men."

There are many other references to this division of time. For instance, in the Bible, Nebuchandnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:31-45) was of a bright and terrible image with a head of finest gold, chest of silver, hips of brass and legs of iron. The feet and toes were of iron mixed with clay. This image was destroyed by stone, unmade by human hands, which crushed the feet to dust and the pieces blew away in the wind. Although Daniel the prophet interpreted the various metals as the world empires which succeeded Babylon, the dream also has a more cosmic meaning. It represents the great yugas. The iron legs are the Iron Age or Kali Yuga which deteriorates at the end of its cycle into the present unstable civilisation symbolised by the feet of iron and clay. The prophet interpreted the stone as the true kingdom of God which would replace the other civilisations as the real and lasting Kingdom.

This end only appears to be the "end of the world," without any reservation or specification of any kind, to those who see nothing beyond the limits of this particular cycle; a very excusable error of perspective it is true, but one that has nonetheless some regrettable consequences in the excessive and unjustified terrors to which it gives rise in people who are not sufficiently detached from terrestrial existence; and naturally they are the very people who form this erroneous conception most easily, just because of the narrowness of their point of view. ...the end now under consideration is undeniably of considerably greater importance than many other, for it is the end of a whole Manvantara, and so of the temporal existence of what may rightly be called a humanity, but this, it must be said once more, in no way implies that it is the end of the terrestrial world itself, because, through the "reinstatement" that takes place at the final instant, this end will itself immediately become the beginning of another Manvantara...if one does not stop short of the most profound order of reality, it can be said in all truth the "end of a world" never is and never can be anything but the end of an illusion.
(from "The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times" by Rene Guenon)

This information may provide some intellectual comfort, but the emotional experience of it is another matter. We may feel intense anger about living in a world where so much goes wrong, inside our own selves that we don't understand but are held accountable for. Where we don't know how to love or be loved. Where there is so much excruciating pain that we have closed ourselves off so as not feel to anything - just to survive and function.

We may feel anger that we hurt people and don't know how to not hurt them. Anger at this frustrating, problematic, wounded life that has broken our hearts from the beginning, broken us so completely that we don't want anything, don't care about anything, just wish we could fall into oblivion and forget it all.

We don't know what to do - We cry and weep and hope those dark depths of sorrow could somehow find their end and give just a hint of sunshine. And the Mayan Calendar offers some hope that indeed, the dawn is about to break. The countdown to 2012 will not last much longer. Of course, this doesn't mean we can simply do nothing and let everything happen around us. Our intent must be to enter the dawn consciously by courageously facing the darkness within our own selves.

The Mercy of Crisis

The Mercy of Crisis

Is mercy in crisis during the countdown to 2012? There is a sub-current of dissatisfaction with our lives that we generally try to avoid becoming aware of. Is the daily routine what our existence is supposed to be all about? The constant effort to survive and hopefully prosper? The endless conflicts, both little and great? Frustrations both within and without?

We look at ourselves and see a mean, self-serving person who is preoccupied most of the time with what he or she can get, which is anything that can make the seemingly endless drudgery of life “easier.” We do our work but resent it, and wish there was more “free” time – then we use the free time we get doing mindless, pointless things such as watching other people on TV likewise doing mindless, pointless things.

We want the world at large to be orderly and predictable because if it isn’t our inner sub-current of dissatisfaction increases and becomes even more uncomfortable. We have this vague idea of enduring till the “end,” when death will mercifully set us free from the constant stress and misery of living in a world where no one, most especially ourselves, is at peace. At the same time we dread the idea of dying before we’ve learned how to really live.

In human history’s past such a condition could continue without apparent change for an extremely long time, perhaps through a person’s entire life, without resolution. The message of the Mayan Calendar is that this is no longer possible. Crisis has been brought to bear upon humanity, both individually and collectively, in order to force into conscious awareness what has been hidden in the depths.

We are not meant to live pointlessly, purposelessly. We are not meant to be consumed by our culture of materialism and ignorance. We are not meant to be so little, so self-absorbed, so dead. But the process of changing from that condition into a genuine existence is neither easy nor painless. It involves plunging into the inner condition of our hearts and experiencing this directly. It requires touching that sub-current of dissatisfaction and feeling it thoroughly, out to the extremities of our finger tips.

The crisis is there to destroy what no longer truly serves, and force us to abandon our dependence on outer, superficial validation for the interpretation of reality. The crisis is an expression of ultimate divine mercy.