Our spiritual nature is the key to unity and progress
Humanity, knowingly or not, awaits the full outward emergence of Maitreya, the Teacher for the new age, and the ‘life more abundant’ his presence will bring. Maitreya is the leader of a group of highly evolved humans known as the Masters of Wisdom. He is here to inaugurate the Age of Aquarius and to point us in a more wholesome direction. In the meantime, this period of preparation calls for fresh introspection if we are to acknowledge the very source of our problems. Never in our history have we had such potential to connect, geographically and socially, and yet we remain out of touch with each other on a deeper level. The partisan discord, the grip of commercialization, our insatiable consumption habits, the mindless distractions, the tribal nationalism, the deceitful maneuvers of politicians, and the intense struggle to save Earth’s fragile ecosystems. This sad picture surely stirs the average conscience. Might it now be reaching the tipping point so as to engender action in all but the most “head in the clouds” spiritual thinker?
It is time to affirm not only where we stand but what actually binds us together. Students of the esoteric teachings know the growth of consciousness results from the higher spiritual life interacting with the lower planes and centers such as the mind, heart and brain. The finer indwelling soul produces the outer good and beautiful. Our divinity — intrinsic and permanent — must therefore become the new pivotal starting point if we wish to enhance the discussions on human progress. Even if not fully manifest in each of our lives, this innate divinity is universally shared by our very existence rather than acquired knowledge or beliefs.
In past moments of global crisis courageous leaders have implored us to recognize our underlying commonality and its vast potential. In 1955 activist and intellectual Bertrand Russell issued a manifesto, endorsed by Albert Einstein and other peers, calling for the renunciation of war amidst the grave threat of nuclear annihilation. The final words of this declaration are still relevant today as they evoke a sense of interconnectedness that can overcome any challenge: “There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? We appeal as human beings to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise.” [1]
Attempts to connect to God, or a higher aspect of life, have long been confined to religious systems of thought. The following passage from author and esotericist Alice A. Bailey’s “Problems of Humanity”, given by means of telepathic communication from the Master of Wisdom named Djwhal Khul, encourages an atemporal view of our inherent divinity while rebuking the churches’ focus on the outer cleavages of mankind and its inevitable evolutionary mistakes.
“Brotherhood is a great natural fact; all men are brothers; under the divergences of colour, creed, cultures and civilizations, there is only one humanity without distinction or differences in its essential nature, in its origin, its spiritual and mental objectives, its capacities, its qualities and its mode of development and of evolutionary unfoldment. In these divine attributes (for that is what they are) all men are equal; it is only in relation to time and in the extent to which progress has been made in the revelation of innate divinity in all its fullness that temporary differences become apparent. It is the temporary differences and the sins which ignorance and inexperience betray which have engrossed the attention of the churches to the exclusion of the penetrating, piercing vision of the divine in every man. It is the fact of brotherhood which the churches must begin to teach — not from the angle of a transcendent God, an external unknowable Father — but from the angle of the divine life, eternally present in every human heart, and eternally struggling to express itself through individuals, nations and races.” [2]
Despite the ongoing news stories of corruption and neglect, there exist many indications of a growing spiritual awareness in our public discourse and attempts to evolve as a society.
A more humane approach to criminal justice
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the democratic socialist wunderkind and likely representative from New York’s 14th Congressional District, has already inspired countless Americans around the nation without even being elected. An ardent supporter for criminal justice reform and guided by her Catholic faith, her sensitivity on the theme of judgement indicates a genuine connection with people on the street. “Innocence, in its mercy,” she says, “partly excuses us from having to fully reckon with the spiritual gifts of forgiveness, grace and redemption at the heart of the Catechism: I believe in the forgiveness of sins.”
Consider Maitreya’s commentary on our counterproductive mindset toward imprisonment.
“Although prison is the only alternative for violent and dangerous criminals at present, this condition cannot be cured by sentencing people to prison. Not all people, however, are in prison for violent crimes. Many who are in prison are not criminals. An energy has been released in the world which counteracts these negative forces. The trend will be for the prison population to decrease.“ [3]
In a similar way, Ocasio-Cortez’s response to the War on Drugs, the levels of mass incarceration and mandatory sentencing are that “we should pursue such conversations with an openness to change and an aim to rehabilitate our brothers and sisters wherever possible and wherever necessary. By nature, a society that forgives and rehabilitates its people is a society that forgives and transforms itself. That takes a radical kind of love, a secret of which is given in the Lord’s Prayer: Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
“And let us not forget the guiding principle of ‘the least among us’ found in Matthew: that we are compelled to care for the hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked, sick and, yes — the imprisoned.” [4]
The awareness of the younger generation
Maitreya’s forecast on the environment becoming the ‘number one’ issue throughout the world is becoming more evident as each day passes. As He explains, “there is a link between the inner and the outer environment. The moment you become aware of yourself, the environment within your mind, spirit and body is under your control. Then this development spreads to the family, then nationwide.
“Politicians will no longer be able to control the people through the rule of Parliament without adequate representation of the people’s will. The will of the people will prevail.” [5]
Benjamin Creme (1922–2016), British author, artist and editor of Share International magazine, also had a telepathic rapport with a Master of Wisdom, similar to Alice A. Bailey. In March 2012, Creme’s Master predicted this rising force of social change to be led by the young. “Governments, and the media under their control, largely ignore or vilify the voices and aspirations of the young; yet it is the young who have the answers, who understand that humanity is One, who call for fairness, for justice and sharing, and an end to war. The voice of such young people can never be silenced, and will not for long be ignored.” [6]
2018 continues to witness the uprising of the younger generation demanding better modes of living together. From the Youth Climate March sounding its alarm for action on environmental justice to the youth-led March for Our Lives rally that inspired action to reduce school violence, they refuse to stand idly by and wait for our politicians to act. It was fitting that in 2017 the chosen Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year was “youthquake”, defined as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.”
On July 21, thousands of people gathered in streets across many cities for a Zero Hour Climate March to fight climate change. The rallies were organized by a group of teenagers who are here to say that for the climate crisis, this is “zero hour”.
As one of the organizers, Nadia Nazar, put it, “we are mobilizing for climate change mainly because this is about our survival, because Generation Z is going to be the generation that is most impacted by climate change, and we’re going to have to take the burden that we did not decide to make. So this really is an issue of survival. And it’s also a really urgent issue. If we don’t act now then there’s going to be no hope left. So we really, this is a really urgent issue. We have to act at this time. We can’t act in 10 years, in 20 years. This is not an issue to put aside. So we just want to live, have a livable future, a livable planet, and have clean air and clean water for our generation.” [7]
Acknowledging spirituality in the health industry
In the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, Danish Zaidi calls on medical professionals to be more cognizant of the moral underpinnings — spiritual or religious — driving their care-seeking behaviors and preferences so as to achieve a more holistic practice. More importantly, his concern is that awareness of patient’s spiritual beliefs helps medical clinicians to be more aware of their own motivations.
“Educators across the country have noted the need to incorporate resources into the curriculum to help medical trainees better understand their patients’ spiritual backgrounds. In recognition of the role that spirituality plays in the health of people, Christina Puchalski founded the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish) in May 2001 with the aim of bringing increased attention to the spiritual needs of not only patients and families but also health care professionals.
On an individual level, recognizing the roles of religion and spirituality in medicine can help clinicians approach their patients with more empathy and trust and strengthen team-based collaborations between clinicians and chaplains. Further studying the impact of religion and spirituality (and openly discussing it) can then help to clarify why clinicians may feel moral distress when their values conflict with their patients’ — and how they can address it.” [8]
(Note: see www.share-international.org for more information about Maitreya, the World Teacher for the new Age of Aquarius; the Masters of Wisdom who oversee the spiritual evolution of our planet; and the work of author and esotericist Benjamin Creme.)
References
1) The Russell-Einstein Manifesto, https://pugwash.org/1955/07/09/statement-manifesto/
2) Problems Of Humanity, Alice A. Bailey, pg 147–148
3) Maitreya’s Associate, Maitreya’s Teachings — The Laws of Life, September 1988
4) “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her Catholic faith and the urgency of a criminal justice reform”, AmericanMagazine.org
5) Maitreya’s Associate, Maitreya’s Teachings — The Laws of Life, April 1989
6) Benjamin Creme’s Master, from “Youth at the helm”, Share International Magazine, March 2012
7) “Youth Demand that Adults Stop Destroying the Planet”, TheRealNews.com, July 18, 2018
https://therealnews.com/stories/kids-demand-that-adults-stop-destroying-the-planet
8) “Influences of Religion and Spirituality in Medicine”, Danish Zaidi, AMA Journal of Ethics
https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/influences-religion-and-spirituality-medicine/2018-07
