A Spiritual Revolution

POST 13:   Great Moments in the Spiritual Revolution

            “Not in the clamor of the crowded streets, not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng but rather in ourselves lie the victory and defeat.” H. W. Longfellow.

            One of the main aims of the lives of a seeker is to evolve and improve. We hope to create change in our souls and in our natural environment by creating profound change within ourselves. By getting in touch with our own Better nature, we can be catalysts for a grander evolution of the species. But looking at the world of chaos we live in, a Spiritual Revolution may seem very far away. In such uncertain times, can we still cling to the hope of changing the world for the better? Is it possible?

            The answer is…Sometimes it works! And we need to be heartened and motivated by the victories we see and let them inspire us to seek out more victories. We need to be proud of any positive change in the world because it came from the good intentions and brave hearts of people who believed it could happen.

            As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Great is not he who can alter matter, but who can alter his state of mind.” It is our hearts that change other hearts. It doesn’t happen quickly but sometimes it works. There’s a Buddhist teaching that “In all things, patience is the key to victory. Those who cannot endure cannot hope to win. Ultimate victory belongs to those who can forebear.” And so we wait. And occasionally, through the dark times, we see the light of proof. We see evidence of a victory in the Spiritual revolution.

            One victory can lead to the next. In 1963, when segregation was still common, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his legendary “I have a dream speech” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 100 years before that, Abraham Lincoln read the Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery. When Dr. King read his speech a century later, no one present thought they would ever see in their lifetime what they saw in November 2007. On that historic occasion, Barrack Obama became the first African American Commander-in-Chief of the United States. It was a great moment in racial equality and an amazing moment in the Spiritual Revolution. It was proof that if we just wait, it can work. It’s “the triumph of hope over experience.”  

             ‘The structure of society is secondary to the human spirit.’  The day free elections were held in the former Soviet Union was another victory, as was the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. These Victories are as grand as they are rare and they are evidence that sometimes it works. There are victories to be celebrated.

            Thomas Edison explained that the secret to his success was to never stop trying until he beat the problem. Once you give up, you are defeated. We have a responsibility to the world to keep trying to recreate these rare victories and to never stop believing that our actions count. When one does nothing, one is responsible for everything.

            There are billions of dreams for a better world being dreamed every day. There are billions of people all hoping that the problems of yesterday will be gone tomorrow. But how many have faith to really believe that? There is so much sadness in history. What about the Native Americans? Look what happened to them! They were conquered and went from masters of a continent to an oppressed minority. That was not a great moment for the species, was it? No, it was not! And the fact is that not every battle will be won. No matter how good your intentions are or how positive your attitude, there are no guarantees in life. But what’s admirable about the American Indians is that they may have lost the war but they didn’t lose their heart.

            Positive change can occur. Not always, true, but sometimes it happens. We’ve seen the proof. It doesn’t come at the point of a gun, but rather in the hopes and prayers of the people who find greatness within themselves. We are, as Tennyson said, “One equal temper of heroic heart, made weak by time and fate but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield!”

            We’ve had our victories in the past. We have proof that battles in the Spiritual Revolution can be won. We’ve done it before and we can do it again, as long as we don’t lose hope.