Where is Heaven?

Some days are so bright with sunshine that one can’t help but feel joy bubbling up and dancing through one’s veins. And then we hear the news reports from around the world about the desperate troubles which still beset humanity in spite of all the progress we have made into enlightened living. Yet, amid all the horror of what is playing out in Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and many regions around the globe, there persists undimmed, and perhaps shining more brightly against the dark backdrop, the love of mother for child, lover for beloved, the heart for the heart’s desire. The ties of the true heart hold when all else is lost. For it is love that inspires, motivates and activates – gives birth to – everything, however misdirected or distorted it may be through our ignorance, fear or desperation. Its lower reflection, desire, can be overwhelming and yet the energy of love is the driving force that eventually leads us through the deepest pain to the finest joy of being.

Images of children playing together in refugee camps and settlements might inspire wonder at the resilience of the human spirit. Despite pain, trauma and inconceivably deep scars of body, heart and mind, the light of life still burns brightly and their sacrifices on life’s altar make sacred their intrinsic humanity – reflecting the interconnected fragments of the One Soul, the true self at the core of being. And thus the One Soul beats through its many parts. As souls, or fragments of the One Soul, we see, know and live the one great web of life – it is indivisible yet sustains the many marvellous and beautiful forms of expression interconnected through the life-breath of the One in Whom we live and move and have our being. Just as the unborn child’s heart beats to the rhythm of its mother’s life, so does everything resound to the pulse of the world. This is graphically illustrated in this video from Sanctuary Asia warning of the effects of climate change without our care: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axJCmDK11nM

We are in painful transition out of the shadowy past illusion of difference and separation and into this enlightened recognition. We are progressing from a collection of parochial communities to a global society; from national exclusivity to common humanity; from fundamentalism to universality; from authoritarian force to cooperative sharing; from fear to freedom; from pain and sorrow to joy and achievement. The Tibetan Master asks:

Have you ever thought, my brother, that just as there is a discipline of pain and of sorrow, there may also be a discipline of joy and of achievement? This is a thought worthy of attention. Men need these days to learn this new truth, and its perception will greatly change human consciousness. That which is bliss is today here or on its way, and the disciples and aspirants of this present time must be taught how to recognise and implement it.” Discipleship in the New Age Vol II, page 671

There is far more love, beauty and peace in the world than we usually consider. We have only to empower it by holding it foremost in our hearts, minds and living. Seeing its presence, the subtle soul, behind all the outer turmoil may inspire us to make beautiful even the dimmest prospects. At the recent Festival of Dangerous Ideas at the Sydney Opera House, Steven Pinker spoke of a broader, more complete view of world events and the trends of history, the human story, that demonstrate progress in reduced violence and increased peace. In a Sydney Morning Herald article he explained that “…higher global mobility and communications have made people more aware of the rest of the world.” And observed that: “We have more of a global moral consciousness and can be upset by events that happen in sub-Saharan Africa, say, and as we’re more aware of them, we think there are more of them. And in many ways this is a healthy development, that we care more about our fellow human beings, – but it does distort our perceptions.” And “…as our tolerance for violence has decreased, it has made violent events more newsworthy.” “I don’t think things are hunky dory and that we shouldn’t work toward further reductions in violence,” he emphasises. “It just means that not everything we’ve been doing has been wrong.” See the full newspaper article at:
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/steven-pinker-interview-festival-of-dangerous-ideas-20140827-108ecf.html
Steven Pinker’s TED talks are available at: http://www.ted.com/speakers/steven_pinker

There is a moment in forward movement, between one step and the next, when the body is caught between the pull of the previous footfall and the tug of the next. It is a small reflection of the principle at the heart of all transitional moments when opposing forces are at a point of balance before intention and the energy of will bring a new force to bear – the renewing and revitalising power of purpose. This greater force drives forward momentum and progress. It is the movement of evolution and becomes the initiatory force when we are consciously aligned with its unfolding purpose. Depending on how we see the world, our consciousness may form a protective barrier around the past or sacrifice its more limiting aspects to step creatively into a new moment and expand into its possibilities. We may find that we vacillate between the two, swinging back to the familiar for comfort one moment then, in the next, opening out into exciting new territory that exhilarates and heightens our creative potential.

Each moment of change through this forward movement is a birth – the often painful transition between past and future generations, when a new life expression emerges into the world out of the relative darkness of the past. It requires effort, submission to the greater forces of Mother Nature, and love – the sacrificial, nurturing love of a creator for that which is created out of its own substance.

Perhaps the external battles we observe through the news are reflections of a far wider tug-of-war that is playing out through human minds and hearts – a war between an old model of human organised living, with all its implicit relationships of people and planet, and something entirely new and different that is still unfolding. As it reveals itself, step by step, something of great beauty is incarnating in our world: the human Soul with all its exquisite radiance. In these critical moments of birthing, the vision of the coming era of soul-infused living can (and perhaps must) be the reality in which we move and the light within which we see all things. It is what draws us forward, what heartens our effort, provides purpose and the clarity to see it, know it and express it through our lives. Just so does the Mother create the Child out of the One substance, knowing what is coming and protecting that life-gift with Her very being.

Together we are birthing the era of the Mother of the World. We are told:

…Verily, the Era of the Mother of the World is based upon realization of the heart….” Heart 106

The teachings also tell us:

…this is a time of painful progress for nations. Each nation evolves in its own way: one by war, another by calamity, by labour, by knowledge, or by podvig. Each nation bears its own karma. This karma can be light, but many nations carry a heavy and difficult karma.
You must tell people that in this evolution of peoples there can be no return to the past. Everyone who realizes the immutability of evolution, has already made his own destiny easier. Everyone who understands the law of labour in the service of humanity helps his own ascent. Everyone who learns to love to serve the evolution of peoples also serves his own evolution. Thus, a great responsibility turns into a light burden.
It will be asked, ‘Why is this time called the Era of the Mother of the World?’ Truly, it must be so named. Woman will bring great help, not only by bringing enlightenment, but also by affirming equilibrium. At times of confusion, the magnet of equilibrium is disturbed, and free will is needed to reunite the broken whole. Maitreya, the Compassionate One, needs co-workers. He who sacrifices himself for the Great Era will reap an abundant harvest.
The Thinker said, ‘Learn how to labour for all humanity.’ Supermundane IV, 772

We are told that

The Mother of the World is the great creative force in our being.” Infinity I, 38 

The Teacher says:

I rejoice to see how the lightning flashes of foresight regarding the people’s welfare sparkle amidst your thoughts. These thoughts have to be launched into space. If you could daily spare half an hour for the future! Verily, the bonfire of your thoughts would receive Our welcome.
Let the things of everyday life vanish, but let the country of the future be embodied in thought. And what cleanses the spirit more thoroughly than the thoughts about the welfare of others? And what tempers the armour of steadfastness better than the wish to lead others to Light? And what weaves a better smile than a desire to see the very last child laughing? I urge you to think thus about the future, to place daily a pearl into the necklace of the Mother of the World. And so, concisely and simply think how to adorn the Hearth of the World.
There should be no comparison with the past, for a wrinkle of the past is usually a nest of errors. One can sail past alien shores; one has only to admire the world of light bestowed upon all that lives. Light is the best bridge between the visible and the Invisible.
When one can think about the future not by the evening fire but in the radiance of the sun, then the dew drops of prana illumine the thinking brow.” Illumination, III:III:10.