| I was talking to some friends the other day who | | | | feeling that something big is about to happen, and |
| just returned to Florida. They have a home down | | | | maybe this is the real basis of our out of control |
| here as well as one in Philadelphia, and when I | | | | anger, because what might be about to happen |
| asked why they came back so early, they said | | | | could foster the greatest of fears. |
| that they just had to get away from their | | | | A possibility exists that we know, collectively, |
| relatives! | | | | intuitively, that our world is about to change, a |
| They went on to tell me about their daughters | | | | sudden, dramatic change that would be above and |
| tragic divorce, how they had to bail her out of | | | | beyond economics, or anything that we have |
| the financial end of it and buy her condo, and how | | | | ever experienced before. (Nature has a way of |
| all the kids and grandkids in the family are going | | | | wiping out any smugness that we foolishly |
| wild; uncontrollable they said, while their parents | | | | develop when things are going too good!) It is as |
| are making unbelievable amounts of money. | | | | if the entire world is about to experience one of |
| Also, they said that they were abused at the | | | | those life-altering tragedies that turns individual's |
| airport and on the flight by two different people | | | | lives around, but this time it will turn the entire |
| who were so impatient they physically pushed the | | | | world around. |
| elderly couple aside; both on the plane and in the | | | | If you type "2012" into your browser, you will see |
| baggage area. | | | | that many diverse prophesies are pointing toward |
| I have observed the same kind of rage | | | | that date, including the Bible and other sources |
| whenever Janet and I drive anywhere in | | | | that predict some sort of cataclysmic sun event. |
| southwest Florida. (I heard that the east coast is | | | | The Mayan calendar actually sets the precise date: |
| even worse!) People routinely drive seventy miles | | | | Dec. 21, 2012. |
| an hour in 45 or 50 mph zones, cutting in and out | | | | Some say that 2012 will usher in a new |
| of traffic as if they are on the NASCAR circuit! | | | | consciousness after the apocalyptic sun event, |
| And it seems to be getting worse. Americans are | | | | which is described by various prophets as an |
| getting angry, very angry - you can barely watch | | | | orange fireball in the sky, a comet, gigantic sun |
| TV without seeing pundits screaming at each | | | | flares. And perhaps what happens during the next |
| other about things they discussed civilly not many | | | | five years will lead up to it, or maybe it will |
| years ago. So what's up with all this rage? | | | | happen suddenly. Who knows, maybe the source |
| People are scared. Afraid that they won't have | | | | of global warming involves much more than |
| enough, and afraid that what they do have will be | | | | merely humankind's follies! |
| taken away. Everybody is walking around bone | | | | At any rate, it's a good time to begin looking |
| tired all the time, we don't even have enough | | | | inward. Regardless of what happens to the world, |
| time to sleep - too much to do, too little time. | | | | what we develop inwardly cannot be taken away. |
| And we no longer have faith that things will work | | | | As practicing Buddhists, we consider every day to |
| out. We have lost our confidence. | | | | be our last. We understand that our personal |
| As the rest of the world catches up to us, we, | | | | world will most likely come to an end before the |
| as a society, must face the possibility that we will | | | | world does, but either way, it's the next world |
| no longer be the super power we once were; | | | | that we will have to deal with, based on whatever |
| those days may be long gone. Soon, we could | | | | understanding we have developed down here. |
| just be another country because of the | | | | Christians with faith in God, and Buddhists who live |
| enormous amount of debt we have run up in | | | | each moment, need not concern themselves with |
| maintaining an unsustainable, wealthy lifestyle that | | | | the end of the world. |
| was so far out of synch with the rest of the | | | | However, those that have their entire existence |
| world. We have always been able to grow out of | | | | grounded in the things of the world could |
| this, but China and India might change all of that. | | | | potentially have a lot to worry about! Think about |
| Our great country is losing its prestige. As a | | | | it; if we woke up some night and found the sky a |
| country, we have a very big national ego, and we | | | | bright, reddish orange, and the temperature |
| get angry when things don't go our way. We're | | | | outside our homes about 150 degrees, what |
| worried that we cannot sustain our current | | | | would we do? The water would run out, no food, |
| lifestyle in a shrinking world, and we are getting | | | | bands of marauders looking for water and |
| scared, and anger is a direct result of fear. | | | | anything to eat. We wouldn't be worrying about |
| Soon, China will have the economic power of ten | | | | our 401k! |
| Japans, and will dwarf anything that we can do. | | | | This kind of reality, where our families are about |
| Already, most of our manufacturing has gone | | | | to lose their lives, is about as tough as it gets, |
| overseas, just as Japan's has, and what has | | | | and unless we have taken time to contemplate |
| happened economically to Japan over the last ten | | | | death, our relationships, and the deeper aspects |
| years could happen here - no growth and a | | | | of life, we could easily fall over the psychological |
| steady deflation set off by a housing and a stock | | | | edge. |
| market bubble. | | | | Some say that although many will live through this |
| Japan has an aging population, as do we, and their | | | | upheaval, their lives will change dramatically, living |
| growth rate has stopped; a trend that cannot be | | | | in small groups and barely surviving. The economic |
| changed easily. Neither Japan nor the United | | | | and political concerns of today would be long |
| States can compete with the rest of the world in | | | | forgotten, as people's lives more closely resemble |
| manufacturing, and the things that we can | | | | the wandering lifestyles of Christ or the Buddha. |
| compete in, our technology and our | | | | When the chips are down like this, things get real, |
| entrepreneurial talents, the rest of the world will | | | | quickly, and spirituality naturally floods our souls, as |
| soon learn how to do as well. The Chinese and | | | | we survive together in loving clans and groups. |
| Asians are incredibly intelligent people, and diligent, | | | | How else could spirituality ever happen? It could |
| too and there are lots of them! | | | | never happen in our present states of mind. |
| But if we can get by all of this without nuking | | | | It takes an exceptional astuteness and awareness |
| someone, or some such nonsense, as a last gasp | | | | to practice austerities and difficult observances |
| effort to reestablish our dominance, then, as we | | | | when things are going so good, but those that |
| accept our new role in the world, we have a good | | | | sacrifice now will be ready, whether the calamity |
| chance of coming out of this relatively intact. And | | | | involves the entire world or only themselves. |
| maybe even a better country for it - perhaps not | | | | It's just a matter of time, and time goes by |
| financially, but psychologically and spiritually. | | | | quickly . . . |
| But then again . . . there is an almost palpable | | | | |