We are living through the most exciting and most challenging times in human history, if not the history of planet. In but a flash of cosmic time, a species has arisen capable of love, an appreciation of beauty, and the creation of great art, music, and poetry. We find meaning in our lives and have a sense of justice. We can look ahead, imagine a better future, make choices, and reshape the world to fit our needs.
Yet, despite our intelligence, creativity and technological prowess, we are destroying our planetary support system at an alarming rate. In the worst case, the planet will be so changed by our actions that human beings themselves will not survive.
At the same time, there is a third, equally significant, trend that can help us navigate these times with freedom and grace. We are collectively honing in on the essential wisdom of the world’s spiritual traditions, exploring the nature of consciousness itself. Our first awakening was becoming self-aware, and the emergence of an individual self, or ego. Now we are waking up from the dream of the ego-mind, to discover who we truly are. Together we are learning to die to what holds us back from becoming more fully alive.
