21st Century Civilization

Dr F. Kenton Beshore was called to preach at the age of eight and was licensed to preach at the age of seventeen. He predicts that the world would end between 2018 and 2028. The well known Mayans predicted that the world would come to an end on 21^st December, 2012. Harold Camping, an American Christian radio broadcaster, author and evangelist, predicted the world would end on May 21, 2011. Various sources also suggested that the computer-reliant global society would implode at the Millennium as devices would get confused at the triple-zero date and reset their dates to 1900. A popular television evangelist Pat Robertson predicted it to end in 1892. There have been several other predictions too, but the question is, when is the world going to end?

Well! Here starts the idea. Do these endings refer to literal collapse of the planet? Mythology is largely based on metaphors. Most of the religious texts and tales are metaphorical and are meant for people to draw learnings. To me, the world has already ended.

The end of a civilization is not just the end of the species as they appear externally, but even as they function internally. The thinking forms civilization; manners form civilization; attitude forms civilization; trust, faith, kindness forms civilization. “7 billion people, 14 billion faces”; this is the end of the world, the end of a civilization.

Living is synonymous to struggling. Children are being prepared for a rat-race without giving it a thought, that these children might be lions. There’s no time. People are in a rush to achieve, to be successful. They’ve become mercenary, covetous, narcissistic, egomaniacal; in simple terms, selfish. They think about themselves, their own growth, personally, professionally, socially. There is no time and space for the other. In fact, the other has become the Other even in Hegelian terms. People are used and things are loved. The idea of giving because someone needs and I have is lost. The idea is, giving because I’ll get something else, but only in a materialistic term.

“Who has seen the next world?” is another question often posed by atheist and agnostics. With this is mind, their actions inevitably get aligned to achieving and losing here, in this world. Most often we conclude that these are the people who will bring goodness to an end, they aren’t God fearing, or for that matter, even God loving, so they only think about themselves. What about the God fearing people? What about those who believe in making overflowing wealth in this lifetime by hook or by crook, and bribing God by partnering him in the profits. Do a lot of charities and God will spare you the rod.

‘Someone laughs at your tears is fine, but your laughter should never make someone shed tears’. Seems like the world works the other way round. Who cares if someone else is crying, nothing should make me cry. Additionally, who cares if my happiness is at the cost of someone else’s. There is no dearth of opportunists. People are just looking for a chance to grab that bite which you are feeding on. Moreover, insecurities do not let them be a part of the growth. If I learn something, I will never teach it to someone else, because I am insecure. I am scared someone else will do better than me. My idea and not an overall performance and improvement of the team, organization, society, nation or the world, my idea is proving how I am better than someone else. There are two ways of being the best: work hard and prove yourself to be the best, or show that others are worthless. The latter is easier.

People go to various Satsangs, and start competing there to gain the Guru's attention. A competition to prove that I am a better disciple that the other. It's all about our mindset and thinking. Our minds are blocked with a think wall of competition. We have forgotten to live, we only remember to compete. Competition is good, but only when it's healthy. When people are trying to attain a win-win state. Competing by pulling others down and irking them is not going to let anyone grow.

Hence, for me the world came to an end, the day people started thinking whether to trust or not. The world came to an end, the day people started thinking whether to give or not. The world came to an end, the day people started thinking how to manipulate others and handle them for personal benefits. The world came to an end, the day selfishness left humanity much behind in the race. There is still a fading ray of hope. There are still a few who live like humans. They struggle all through their lives because someone or the other constantly keeps afflicting them to break them down. They are now an endangered species. They have to be saved and protected. Hey wait! Probably they are string enough to protect themselves. May be we can just learn from them, at least try to reach the borders of their aura. 

The world could have been a much better place to live, had it been ruled by humans.