Transforming Our Spiritual Crises and Global Conflicts

In the West, those who have found an interest in New Age and Eastern spirituality often times gravitate toward concepts like social progress, environmental protection, and peace. Yet most of us are still locked into societies that are in many ways destructive or repressive, both toward their own members and very often toward others abroad. Those of us who are aware of the problems we face in the world can feel deeply disturbed not only by the fact that atrocities are being committed, but that we are not doing enough to prevent them, and that we are in some ways complicit as we participate in societies that perpetuate violence, materialism, and environmental destruction. This knowledge can be disconcerting to many of us who don't want to be overwhelmed by the negativity of the world or who are struggling ourselves with our own stresses and uncertainties. How are we to maintain our inner peace in such troubled times?

Each of us navigate a daily reality with its own stresses and joys. Yet we all participate in a wider reality that encompasses humanity and all of life. Those of us fortunate enough to live in the West often forget about the vast amounts of suffering beyond our castle walls as we see only one small aspect of the larger world each day.

With the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, mounting tensions with Pakistan, suspicions of foul play in Iran, and Venezuela and North Korea still on the radar, the US continues to be embroiled in a host of international conflicts to varying degrees of engagement. Of course, there are many other armed and unarmed conflicts going on in the world today which the US is either opposed to or not terribly interested or involved in. Still, whole economic sectors depend upon the refinement and production of weapons and militaries whose capabilities always exceed the capabilities of those considered to be current or potential enemies. This means constantly overshadowing other nations economically, which fuels bitter sentiment in the competition for resources and dominance. Thus a model of continual growth, which funds the militaries that protect the mechanisms of unending economic growth, insures that conflict will likely continue to be the global norm.

The weapons and information technologies that have resulted from thousands of years of human creativity and instinctive urges toward dominance have fallen into an increasing number of hands, making threats difficult to isolate. Notions of sovereignty and national culpability are being challenged as the nature of warfare has changed, and the UN continues in its struggle to assert itself as a important player.

The destruction brought about by war and environmentally degrading practices has put a strain on life on Earth. Many biologists are saying that we have entered a new die off period for life, the Holocene Extinction, as species continue to disappear from the planet at an alarming rate, commensurate to other mass die offs in the past.

Economic disparities mean that vast numbers of people will never know anything but a life of poverty, will never even know what the Internet is.

To think of these issues as separate is a mistake. They are all intertwined.

As all things are connected, all of us are participating in this current state of affairs. The question is, what do we do to change things, when much of what we are doing, through the payment of taxes, the purchase of consumer goods, or the perpetuation of our own personal traumas, has the effect of building on a micro level the foundations of the very social structures that enable, even necessitate, warfare and environmental destruction. As the population continues to grow well beyond six billion people, and as multinational corporations continue to seek the path of unfettered growth, the competitive, violent, and holographically replicating human societies of the world appear to be swayed more by carefully orchestrated perceptions of progress or "justifiable" rage rather than the desire for deep inner looking required of real transformation.

When people ask, what can we do, the response often is, write your Congressman or a letter to the editor, attend a protest or public forum, or run for office. All of these options should be considered, but they will not be enough. We need to grow in wisdom.

Those who are willing to take upon themselves the task of personal transformation in order to effect social change are needed now more than ever. It has been said before that no one person can do everything, but everyone can do something. It may be nearly impossible for each of us to live in a way that is entirely nonviolent, spiritually aware, and ecologically conscious. Yet we can all choose to awaken to the transformative energies that permeate the world and that invite our acknowledgment in a way that will begin to create momentum in a new direction.

First of all, know that life is a deep mystery. Let that really sink in and it will inspire you. Embracing the mystery of life gives you the breathing room for magic and creativity to truly change things for the better. Enjoying nature, music, sacred art and sacred geometry, are ways to keep you connected to the beauty of life as a means to develop inner strength and transform the more painful and terrible aspects of reality.

When looking for concrete methods for transformation, meditation also is truly a powerful tool. Just remember that meditating as a form of putting one's head in the sand and avoiding difficulty is not the same as using the meditation as a ground from which positive action can occur. In my own life, meditation has been one of the most beneficial and anchoring practices that I have embraced. It has given me the ability to transform actual conflict situations in positive ways. The ability to cultivate a calm and clear mind should not be underestimated, and though it takes time and effort for most of us to achieve, it could be one of the most substantial things we can do.

Get informed about what is going on by learning about peace makers and by consuming alternative media sources. Bring your calm, clear, critically thinking, meditative mind, and engage with other individuals in a way that fosters further learning, growth, discussion, and solutions. Talk with people you disagree with so that you can learn where people have common ground while discovering first hand the dynamics of conflict resolution. See the dialogue as a chance to learn and grow rather than as a chance to simply win an argument, though if you feel strongly about your perspective, don't be afraid to assert it.

Though we will always be consumers, we can be conscious about what we consume, selecting, when we can, goods that will further a dialogue toward peace and sustainability. Vegetarianism and veganism are examples of environmentally conscious decisions regarding consumption that, though by some considered extreme, are really much easier than one might imagine, and make the truly profound statement of putting the welfare of other living beings above one's own personal desire for flesh.

Growing your own food is another powerful lifestyle change that many of us can do. The grassy lawn does little more than drink water and serve as a marker of social status. Put a large garden into the backyard if you have adequate sunlight. The effect can be providing nutritious, organic food for your family while reducing the energy intensity of production and transportation, which if done by a large percentage of Westerners, could have a serious and positive impact on communities across the globe. For those who don't have access to backyard farming, consider starting a community garden, or supporting local agriculture through a Farmer's Market or CSA (community supported agriculture).