March 13

Take 2 minutes to contemplate on each of these little facts first:

In October 1999, the world’s population reached 6 Billion, which is double that of the year 1959 (the doubling occurred in 40 years). The world’s population is currently increasing at the rate of about 80,000,000 per year (about 1.2 %). The current world population is 6.8 Billion (March 1, 2010).

Source: http://globalwarming.sdsu.edu

Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from sea-ice loss.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/

In the developing world, more than 1.2 billion people currently live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day. The United Nations Development Program estimates that the basic health and nutrition needs of the world’s poorest people could be met for an additional $13 billion a year.

Source: United Nations Development Program

The cost of war for Iraq and Afghanistan alone is over $970 BILLION!

Source: http://costofwar.com/

According to Rainforest Action Network, more than an acre-and-a-half of rainforest (an area the size of two football fields) is lost every SECOND of every day. If present rates of destruction continue, half our remaining rainforests will be gone by the year 2025, and by 2060 there will be no rainforests remaining.

Source: http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_007.htm

We are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year.

Source: http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

When I think about the world today, I find myself losing hope every once in a while. Are we going to make it at all? Look at the world! The worst form of virus has infected this planet, a virus that multiplies astronomically, kills anything and everything that can be killed, destroys or alters all else, does not even kill for hunger or survival but sometimes out of sheer fun of killing… and here’s the strangest bit: it kills its own kind and even itself! The virus is called human. And it is about to destroy the very planet it lives on.

Can you imagine this planet 50 years into the future from now if the human race was wiped out today? For one there will be no pollution, no greenhouse effect, no bulldozers and no nuclear bomb testing, no rapid destruction of rainforests, no billions of animals being killed every single day for food and fun. How will earth look like 50 years from now if all humans ceased to exist today?

Now imagine how the planet will look like 50 years from now as we continue ravaging our mother earth, raping it and killing everything that comes on our way. Can you imagine? Can you see the difference?

I was watching the movie 2012 the other day. Just like most Hollywood movies, this too distorted the ancient Mayan prophecy beyond any distinguishable form (In Mayan astrology, 21st December 2012 is nothing but the beginning of the 5th great cycle that will last for another 5000 years or so. It has nothing to do with the end of the world but simply the end of an age and beginning of a new one. It does predict upheaval and gradual change in global consciousness, for the better, but not the end of the world.). However did make me think about something else…

The movie 2012 showed that due to unfavorable aligning of planets in our solar system the earth’s core becomes unstable which causes massive earthquakes and giant tsunamis that wipe out the entire human civilization (or something to that effect). While this is as likely as Spiderman showing up in New York saving orphans from a burning tall building, I believe it’s entirely possible for the Earth to wipe out majority of the human race (if not all of it) through some epidemic or other unknown means. Why not?

Nature in its own intelligence maintains balance by creating and destroying. Why should planet earth remain livable for us humans when all we are doing is destroying the planet and every other living being that lives on it? In our blind arrogance we think we are the ONLY beings that have ANY rights whatsoever to live. We kill just because we can. We destroy trees, mountains, rivers, lakes, islands, oceans, even the atmosphere just because we need more space for our offspring or need machines for our convenience. Everything that comes on our way is wiped out, murdered and turned into paper, meat or leather. Things that don’t come on our way initially, dies too because we destroy everything in the surrounding environment that was necessary to sustain life. Everything dies because we need food and space for our virus race.

There was another movie I watched a few months back and it was called “The Day Earth Stood Still”. In this movie an alien race comes over to do one thing: kill human race. There is a scene in the movie where the representative of the alien race (played by Keanu Reeves) is having a talk with the Secretary of Defense of USA. When the Secretary asks him why they were doing this, he responds by saying something like: Look you don’t have a choice! Either humans die now and the planet gets to live, or humans live for a while longer and you all die along with the planet. You don’t have much of a choice.

Really if you think about it, isn’t that the situation right now? If we live and keep multiplying, EVERYTHING dies. If we don’t, things get a chance. So why shouldn’t mother earth wipe us out through some global catastrophe? Why should we be allowed to live? Why should we prosper at the expense of everything else?

The Mayan prophecies tell us that everyone who is here now has a responsibility. Our planet will be renewed or destroyed. It is our choice. If we choose to awaken, if we choose to see, if we take responsibility and develop wisdom, compassion and love, we will survive. If not, we will not. This is a very difficult but special time. We are going towards a new age where a great fight between forces of light and darkness will ensue; in fact it has already begun. Teachers around the world are awakening more than ever. But the forces of darkness are very strong as well, much stronger right now than the forces of light. Even the teachers who are awakening get seduced by the darkness at times. This time the darkness has manifested in its most seductive form: material success. It casts its powerful hypnotic spell on anyone who is a little unaware. And in this sleep state (hypno=sleep), we forget everyone and kill and rape our own mothers, sisters and brothers.

Look at the world in its ravaged form… global warming, holes in the ozone layer, destruction of forests, industrial pollution… earth is our Mother and this is what we have done to Her. Look at all the billions of animals dying everyday, they are our sisters and we feel NOTHING, not even one drop of tear as she cries her last cry of help before the knife opens her throat. Look at the countries being bombed at wars, children being born with various illnesses due to chemical poisoning of our medical industry, poor getting poorer, elderly having to beg… these are our brothers and there is not a damn thing we can do to stop this madness right now. Even if I set myself on fire in front of CNN and BBC and they covered the story in great detail on prime time, it still wouldn’t matter. Our sleeping race will go on chopping off the next tree, chicken, cow, etc and go to bed tonight flooding their veins with “legal drugs” that control blood pressure, sleep, heart disease, diabetes, mood disorder, depression, etc etc. That’s how powerful the sleep is.

So what do we do then? What is the solution? Are we going to survive at all?

I don’t know. I really don’t know what you are supposed to do. What I know is what I am going to do. I am going to keep writing and keep telling whoever will listen to me to awaken. I will tell my friends and my family, I will tell my students and co-workers that what they are doing is KILLING the planet along with everything else that lives on it. I will tell them to stop killing animals and to stop being so arrogant. I will show them ways to heal themselves and to develop compassion for, before anyone else, themselves first. I will tell them to meditate and to study like a mad person. I will protest actively whenever I see a mindless killing of an animal or injustice to a fellow human being. I will do whatever I can so when I go to sleep tonight I will know even one person or animal has breathed a little easier because I have lived today. That’s what I will do. Do you know what you will do?

Here’s what I have to tell you: Love yourself. Love yourself and you will be able to love everyone else. Be unafraid to speak the truth. In our overwhelming fear of disrupting our comfortable nightmare of unfulfilled desires, we are suffering every single day. Remember: to give up the smaller things for the bigger things in life is not a sacrifice, it’s a bargain. Give up your status quo of numbed suffering for a world of peace and harmony, love and joy. Let us heal the world, let us heal ourselves.

We live in a time where each one of are born with a very important spiritual duty. Our duty is to awaken and help others awaken. There is no more time to dilly dally or play. It’s time to get serious! The world needs YOU… not the sleeping, confused, arrogant, self centered, materialistic you, but the YOU who with unbearable compassion decides to dedicate his or her life to healing this planet.

I know today I have neither been very inspirational nor very optimistic. But sometimes all you can do is express your frustration and anger with your loved ones. All you can do is share your feelings with those who matter. Today is one of those days. I have nothing fun and exciting to tell you. But I am simply here to share with you the heaviness of my heart and the pain of our Mother who needs all Her sons to come to help.

Awaken my brothers and sisters. Awaken… before it’s too late. Spread the message! Carry the light to the darkest corners. Do what you can do TODAY, don’t wait, don’t think, don’t justify. The world needs you. Your Mother needs you. Begin right now…

Shafin
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Shafin de Zane, CHT, MH, MNLP
Hypnotherapist, Author, Spiritual Coach
www.redefineyourreality.com