Part 4:   WHAT HAS GONE WRONG

Human beings have been training on Earth for millions of years. Each historical cycle has provided us with a unique set of conditions in which to practice revealing the qualities that make us human.

The last two centuries have seen an incredibly growth in scientific and technological knowledge, accompanied by rapid social change. This "progress" has been made at a terrible cost. We have destroyed plant and animal life, fought constantly among ourselves, disrupted our weather patterns, exploited our natural resources in non sustainable ways, etc.

What we have created is a crisis in our relationships with all forms of life, one that no amount of science or technology on its own can correct. Both the problem and the solution relate to our collective state of being. How?

Events reflect the nature of their participants. The environmental destruction, wars, poverty, social injustice, crime, competitive and materialistic behaviour, etc. we have been experiencing in the last 200 years are not acts of nature. They are the symptoms of an imbalance in our human development.

As the Earth's guardians and dominant species, our internal state and external behaviour affect all living things on this planet. If the world is not in balance and harmony, it is because something has gone wrong within us. That "something" can be described as follows:

1. A CRITICAL MASS OF PEOPLE ARE NOT FULFILLING THEIR TWO DUTIES ON EARTH: WORSHIP AND RELATIONSHIP WORK

To remain aware of our true human identity while working with the energies of the material world, we must continue to maintain a connection with our Creator i.e. to worship. Failure to worship upsets our material-spiritual balance and limits our awareness to our present material reality.

Today billions of people do not worship. They live as if their physical body is who they are and the material world is all that exists. Having lost their spiritual connection and their awareness of their own spiritual nature, the sole (soul) focus of their lives is satisfying their material needs and comforts.

Without the guidance and purification of worship, many of our fellow humans beings are falling prey to the materialistic belief that all living things are merely objects to be manipulated and controlled for personal gain. While this approach may produce great science and technology, it is destroying our respect for all the different forms of life on Earth. History shows us that what people don't respect, they manipulate and eventually destroy.

2. FOR MANY OF US MENTAL ACTIVITY NOW DOMINATES OUR INNER FEELINGS.

Thinking is a valuable personal resource that helps us organize and plan the structure of our material life, i.e. the details of doing. It is a process in which our brain analyses, compares, labels, categorizes, and stores the information it receives from our senses.

While vital for our well being on Earth, thinking is an incomplete way of experiencing life. It must be supervised and accompanied by our inner feelings, the part of our awareness that provides us with the details of how to be. It is through our inner feelings that we identify our human needs and those of other life forms. Inner feelings come alive through worship.

Our neglect of worship has created a developmental vacuum within our being. The place formerly occupied by spiritual receiving (worship) has now been filled by an over-stimulated intellect. While our brain can create high-tech toys, its computer-like functions are of limited value when trying to create and maintain harmonious relationships with others. That's the work of our inner feelings. Without worship and the awakening of our inner feelings, many of us now have a tendency to think our way through life. Unless we can balance our thinking with feelings that are sensitized to the needs of others, we leave ourself open to the three human plagues of recent centuries: materialism, competitiveness, and egoism.

3. MANY OF US ARE NOT GUIDED BY A CLEAR SENSE OF HUMAN PURPOSE

The Creator has designed every form of life with a purpose. Our purpose on Earth is to develop our human qualities through relationship work i.e. creating balanced and harmonious relationships with all the forms of life we encounter.

We have been provided with all the spiritual and material resources we need to create these healthy relationships. When we worship, the proper guidance sequence is created. The process works as follows: we receive spiritual guidance from our Creator … under the influence of this spiritual guidance we supervise and guide the actions of our mind and body … our mind and body then manifest our human qualities of compassion, tolerance, patience, co-operation, etc. when relating with all forms of life we encounter.

Without worship we are cut off from our spiritual lifeline. Our only input is from the beings and energies of the material world who have their own agenda and purposes to fulfil. Under their influences, we can forget our human purpose and focus our resources on acquiring material possessions, controlling our environment, seeking power and status, and other activities associated with non-human behaviour.

Restoring balance and harmony on Earth begins with the restoration of these states within our own being. It requires an awareness of the need to:

• Fulfil our two human duties: worship and relationship work
• Use our compassionate feelings to guide our clever intellect
• Use all our resources to serve our human life purpose

Experiential Exercise: Conscious Relationships

Try to stay attentive during an eight-hour period and be aware of the energetic exchanges that are taking place in your encounters with other living things. Be aware of how your energy partners effect your state of being, and vice versa. example # 1. I was feeling light and happy until I went for a walk with Mary and then I felt "heavy". example # 2. I noticed a change of body posture in that sad little puppy left alone in a car when I gazed at him affectionately. Be sure to do this with food, plants, material objects, etc. as well as with the people and animals you meet. Along with the energetic effects of your exchanges, see if you can sense what your energy partners need or are trying to obtain from you. If you can sense their needs, make a conscious choice to give or receive energy according to both your needs. Remember it's not just people who exchange energy. Everything is alive and effects you in some way, and vice versa.

END OF PART 4.