With another new year about to begin, as usual there is hope of something new happening – new opportunities, developments, and new ways of doing things. It is with this expectation of newness that we wish each other a happy new year and look forward to the next twelve months. However, other than a change of date, what is really new in a new year? The people and circumstances are mostly the same; in some ways the challenges only increase.
We tend to see human history as a steady progression towards greater knowledge and a better life. In material terms, human development is said to have brought us from the Stone Age to the Space Age. Advancements in science and technology over the past hundred years alone have transformed our lives, bringing greater comfort, amenities, and ease of doing various tasks.
But at the same time, we have suffered a spiritual decline, as denoted by the characterisation of history as a transition from the Golden Age, or Satyug, to the Iron Age, or Kaliyug. The Golden Age was a period of unalloyed purity, peace, and happiness. The defining qualities of the Iron Age, in contrast, are falsehood, conflict, and sorrow. The present condition of the world is definitely akin to Kaliyug and far from that of Satyug. We remember that earlier period of joy, and worship those who lived at that time as deities.
These deities, who lived thousands of years ago, are venerated to this day because of their sterling qualities. The period when they lived, sometimes referred to as ‘Ram Rajya’, is regarded as an ideal rule or kingdom defined by righteous governance, equality and justice, peace and harmony, prosperity and welfare.
It is a telling comment on the present state of mankind that ‘Ram Rajya’, which was once a reality, is now an aspirational goal, periodically invoked in speeches but tacitly accepted as impossible to achieve.
The root cause of this decline is our spiritual downfall, gradually brought about by repeated compromises with our original qualities of purity, peace, and truth, and succumbing to vices such as greed, selfishness, ego, and anger. The current state of the world is a creation and reflection of the souls living in it.
For the new year to be truly new, the newness will have to begin in the soul. When our thoughts and actions begin to be guided by the soul’s innate virtues, and not by vices, our experiences, relationships, and our entire life will change.
The first step towards this newness is to recognise the fact that we are souls, not bodies. We are children of the Supreme Soul, endowed with His qualities. When we accept this reality and live with this awareness, it will transform the way we see ourselves and others. The resulting spiritual upliftment and bonding with other souls will lay the foundation of an enlightened society.
Without this spiritual rejuvenation, we will persist with our old ways in the new year, and continue to suffer the consequences. The new year will be truly a happy one when we develop a new awareness of the self, our relationship with God, and our spiritual kinship with the entire human family.
B.K. Brij Mohan is Additional Secretary General of the Brahma Kumaris.