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