What hope can there be for the future, when our senses are assaulted daily with news of the latest environmental disaster or economic failure? Why be hopeful when 24,000 people die every day of starvation or preventable diseases in a world of plenty? Because what we see, hear and experience is only part of the story, belying a larger reality behind the appearances. In the bigger picture, we are in a time of extraordinary transition—the turn of a century and the end of a cosmic cycle (The Age of Pisces). As old structures resist and then break up to make way for the new, turmoil and upheavals ensue. People and issues become polarized, and the inevitable conflicts lead us to think it’s the end of the world, instead of the end of an Age.
Behind the chaos, however, lie two major reasons for optimism. For one, the incoming cycle is governed by Aquarius, which brings the energy of synthesis, brotherhood, and cooperation. Evidence of Aquarian energies is already obvious in the unprecedented global changes of the past two decades—the breakup of the Soviet Union into sovereign states, reunification of East and West Germany, the end of apartheid in South Africa, and peace in Ireland. These events would have been deemed impossible even twenty-five years ago.
Today, we’re seeing further evidence of change in the rising power of the people and their growing dissatisfaction with a status quo that fails to meet their needs. The happenings of the "Arab Spring," which saw the overthrow or destabilization of several repressive middle-eastern regimes, was followed by the "American Autumn" – the Occupy Wall Street movement initiated in the United States. This movement has similarly inspired demonstrations around the world, and organizing for future actions to stimulate change that will benefit everyone is ongoing. The young people are leading the way, and there is no reason to believe the protests will stop until real systemic change toward justice and peace takes place.
The second reason for hope is that unbeknownst to most of humanity, we have powerful and beneficent help. The Masters of Wisdom, a group of evolved teachers who have guided and stimulated our evolution for millennia, are now emerging into full public life with their leader, Maitreya, the World Teacher for this Age. Maitreya is awaited, albeit under different names, by all major religions as the one destined to lead humanity into a golden age of peace and justice.
The fact of his presence has been announced over the past 35 years by British author and esotericist Benjamin Creme. According to Mr. Creme, Maitreya has been physically in the world since 1977, assisting from behind the scenes until December 2009, when he began his public emergence with his first television appearance in this country. His basic message is "share and save the world." If we elect to change our current destructive course—that is, if we choose to redistribute the world’s resources more equitably, address our poisoned environment, and convert our rampant consumption to sustainable living—he is prepared to lead us into a brilliant new civilization such as the world has never known.
We don’t even have to know how to make the necessary changes. Disciples of the Masters are waiting "in the wings" to assist in transforming every field of activity when we decide to make the world work for everyone. And new technologies, such as the Technology of Light, will be given to aid us once we are firmly set in the new direction.
As basic human needs and the survival of the planet are addressed, humanity will also be offered spiritual training. Mystery schools will be re-opened, teaching about our true reality as souls in physical incarnation, and ways of manifesting our latent divine powers. This single fact—that of our spiritual identity—when known and accepted by the majority of humanity, will transform every aspect of life and every field of endeavor. For example, psychology and education will change with knowledge of the seven rays that govern the soul, personality, and mental, emotional, and physical bodies of each individual. Human behavior will become more understandable and predictable with this new information. As individuals become more educated about their ray makeup and soul purpose and align more fully with their true spiritual selves, they will begin to form intimate partnerships based on higher (soul), rather than lower (personality or physical) considerations.
The inspiration of the Masters will reorient educational institutions toward the needs of developing souls rather than the demands of the marketplace. Teachers will be trained to assess the ray structure and soul purpose of their students and tailor instruction to the pupil’s point of evolution. This will allow a rich and meaningful unfolding of creativity and soul potentials.
Because machines will gradually take over the tasks of manufacture, much of humanity will be freed from the drudgery of needless work. Increased leisure will evoke undreamed-of skills and talents, allow men and women to reach their full potential, and permit their close involvement in community and national life. As a result of the changed conditions on earth—the reduction of tension and fear, greater leisure, the eradication of disease through new technology, new meaning and impetus to life—the health of mankind will improve enormously and the physical body will take longer to ‘wear out.’
A wealth of more information is available through Benjamin Creme’s books, and on the web site www.share-international.org. Meanwhile, if you want to bring the future closer, share this message with others, according to your level of belief. Avoid buying into, or spreading, fearful prognostications. Volunteer to help an organization working toward changes you want to see in the world. Find ways to share your surplus with others. And by all means keep a joyful heart, for the best is yet to come.
For more information, visit www.Share-International.org.