“In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order” Carl Jung

There appears to be a tremendous increase in incidence of negative news in our lives over the recent past. Natural disasters, climate change, violence, financial crisis have run havoc in people’s lives – better monitoring and live media coverage notwithstanding. The 2004 Tsunami killing over 200,000 people, Cyclone Nargis leaving 100,000 dead, deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China that rendered over 4.5 million homeless. Similarly, the impact of climate change has been alarming – worldwide, the proportion of hurricanes reaching categories 4 or 5 has risen from 20% in the 1970s to 35% in the 1990s; the increased frequency of extreme local weather like the 2003 heat wave across Europe that killed over 30,000 people; the receding glaciers (according to the UN, Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035 possibly impacting over two billion people); the increasing deterioration of ecosystem and the ensuing diseases with newer mutants of viruses; and the disappearing bee colonies, impacting agricultural produce in many developed countries. Then there’s the destruction caused by social strife – the reduction in rainfall in Darfur has turned millions of hectares of already marginal land into desert, leading to one of the largest social conflicts. Simultaneously, we still have about half of world’s population living below incomes of US$2 per day (World Bank, 2001). Violence emanating from wars, terrorism, religious fanaticism, and social-strife has been enormous – over 10,000 people died or got injured from terrorist attacks during 2008; the number of casualties from Iraq war alone is estimated to have topped a million; over 200,000 people killed and over two million displaced in Darfur. Finally, there’s the recent economic crisis, worst since the great depression – adding despair to millions. The global chaos and despondency is all around us.

“You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Based on numerous spiritual scriptures, it appears the time for a new world order to be born on Earth maybe upon us. For example, Hinduism has the concept of four Yugas (ages or eras), Satya Yuga (Golden Age), Treta Yuga (Silver Age), Dwapara Yuga (Bronze Age) and Kali Yuga (Iron Age), which succeed each other endlessly. Satya Yuga is the age of Truth, where everything is perfect, every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal, and mankind allows intrinsic goodness to reign supreme. A decline marks the Treta Yuga, followed by Dwapara Yuga and finally the Kali Yuga, considered to be the darkest time of all, where wickedness and violence rules. It is believed that such an awful time is eventually followed by Satya Yuga, leading to reestablishing of righteousness, social and income equality, and peace and joy for all. This concept of Golden Age is also found in several other faiths – the Greek mythology, Islam, and Christianity. The Biblical Revelation 21: 4, describes the time when God will “wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain…” Further, most interpretations of the Hindu scriptures believe that Earth is currently in Kali Yuga, reinforced by the despair I talked about above, and that it will be followed by Satya Yuga. The above chaos may well get worse in coming years before such an evolution is underway. Interestingly, a number of spiritual faiths believe that 2012 could be the year of this transformational shift. As per the Mayan calendar, believed to be one of the most advanced in time-science knowledge, 2012 is interpreted to herald a major change in world order through spiritual transformation. Remote viewing Tibetan monks are understood to see special powers saving the world from destroying itself in 2012. Founders of Golden Age movement strongly believe that there would be enough enlightened souls in the world by 2012 for the new Golden Age to be born and slowly spread around the world….

“Let chaos storm! Let cloud shapes swarm! I wait for form.” Robert Frost

While the increased violence, natural disasters, and climate change are signs of worsening life on Earth, there are simultaneous signs of change towards a more peaceful, harmonious and spiritually conscious society. Dissatisfied with the outcomes of the material world and searching for new answers, a growing number of people seem to be turning towards spirituality. Like in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, science provided new direction to mankind, in form of reason and potential economic well-being, and away from the dogmas of religion, the new spirituality offers a way forward from the current social crisis in meaning and the clash between religious fundamentalism and modern values. Appealing to both religious and atheists, this spirituality is about committing to inner personal growth and building a sensitive and contemplative relationship with the universe. It appears this shift maybe gathering some critical mass. BBC’s recent survey of “Soul of Britain” revealed “In 1990, 54% of us called ourselves ‘religious’. Today, that figure has fallen to 27%, while 31% now prefer to call ourselves ‘spiritual’.” Everyone I personally know in India has had exposure to some form of spiritual practice – among yoga, meditation, art of living, reiki, pranic healing and so forth. Growth of spiritual books, dedicated TV channels, vegetarianism, and human potential movement further reflects this growing shift. Another significant area of international development over the past decade has been the remarkable growth of civil society and “giving” around the world. In countries like Netherlands and Belgium, over 10% of the economically active population is involved in non-profit sector work. There are over a million non-profit organizations in India, engaging close to 20 million people (including volunteers), more than the number of people employed in the central government.

There are other powerful trends too. There’s the emerging proposition of a one country/ one world model, where geographical boundaries can lose much of their historical meaning. Given the issues facing the individual countries today are global in nature, be it terrorism, climate change or the financial crisis, the idea has definite merits. We also have a great example, in EU, of an international Government for 27 countries – with its currency, independent laws and civil service. In that context, I was also impressed by the philosophy and growth of the Bahá’í movement. Over five million in numbers, spread over 189 countries, Bahá’ís are dedicated to creating a new and peaceful world civilization based on principles of justice, prosperity, and continuing advancement. Their vision reflects not only an appreciation for humanity’s historic longing for peace and collective well-being, but also relies on the possibility of a society founded upon cooperation, trust, and universal love.

“Peace comes within the soul of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its power.” Black Elk

All these factors make me believe that we are on to some transformational change in our societal being in the coming future. The question is how prepared are we and what role can we play in it? Even though conflict and suffering may make us feel vulnerable, we must remember they only serve as important steps in the soul’s journey and growth of human spirit. We also know that despite the apparent broader trends of cosmic changes at work, spirituality teaches us not to be a passive bystander of the universal events or depend upon a messiah to come and lead us to safety but instead work with our inner selves to actively participate in co-creating and evolving universal consciousness. Divine intervention manifests through us only and it’s our spiritual state that determines the shape it takes. As spoken by a number of indigenous tribes, the climate change may well be a cyclic purification of Earth, but we all can play a role in the manner it impacts life. With greater awareness of our environment and an approach of thoughtfulness towards Earth and its inhabitants, we can possibly make the evolutionary process easier for all. Simultaneously, we can continue with our journey of personal growth, joyous in the knowing that post this makeover, a lovely new way of life will indeed appear on this special planet!!