What can we do to help the Burmese monks? Their answer would be: Pray. Well, let’s do that then. At a certain stage in their training Buddhist monks take the following oath: ‘Countless are the Beings; I promise to save them all’. So the Burmese monks are now doing what they have promised. This is a very positive development, deserving of imitation in the West. The monks are protesting peacefully, for that is the only way. You cannot complain of brutality and then start behaving like a brute yourself.
Ghandi said: ‘Prayer is not an old woman’s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action’. The Burmese monks know this. So let’s help them. It has been prophesied that during this time of transition to a New International Democratic Balance, we will see horrific wars, but also many peaceful protests. There will be social change all over the world. We believe Burma is part of this international process.
World in fermentation
Ever since 9/11 the world has been in fermentation. Little bubbles of activity have popped up all over the world. Many people have found a new interfaith spirituality. People are migrating, fleeing, fighting and interacting everywhere, in ways and on a scale different from before. Most people are not yet aware of the challenges facing us, but these will knock on all our doors. You cannot stay neutral. The end-goal will be a new planetary civilization. But we will have to do something to get there. The monks are doing something.
For this New Balance to be a civilization, we will have to choose for democratic globalization and take a stand against totalitarian globalization. The situation is complicated, for the very champion of democracy (the US) is being ruled at the moment by a regime tending towards totalitarianism. So a transition to real democracy has to take place within the US too. Unfortunately, many Americans don’t see this yet. Despite many ominous signs, they still believe that America adheres to its own democratic values. It does not, or at least not as convincingly as it used to. We do believe democracy will survive in the US, but at the moment it is in grave danger.
Let us pray …
Let us pray for the monks and the Burmese people. They can make the change. They need our spiritual assistance. It is a well-known fact that if many people focus their prayers with strong intent on a specific result, it will materialize. So we contradict those who would argue that prayer cannot bring about any social change. It can. So pray, to help the monks. Pray that they may succeed in the junta finally recognizing Aung San Suu Kyi’s 1990 electoral victory.
The monks are in a land far away from the Caribbean, but it’s the principle that counts. What happens in Burma can happen here too. This is brought out by today’s video, the view of a number of European scientists explaining that the world is interconnected by consciousness. This means that what happens in Burma is actually also happening in the Caribbean as well, in consciousness. This makes sense. Why else would we be writing about the events in Burma? This also explains why focused prayer can change the world. Consciousness is the medium.