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