CIVILIZATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES

We are definitely entering into a new global age made possible outwardly by science, technology and rapid advances in communication, the so-called information revolution. Yet the spiritual side of this new age has yet to fully emerge. What is called the New Age is a mixed affair containing important new spiritual teachings and connections with venerable old traditions but along with the same old commercialism, fantasy, and exploitation applied to the spiritual life, often projected high tech or via a commercial mass media approach.

Hinduism generally finds an ally in the New Age because it also is looking for a planetary spirituality to reemerge. Hinduism encourages freedom of thought and exploration of both occult and spiritual realms such as is occurring in the New Age movement. Yet as an older tradition Hinduism sees the dangers of wishful thinking and of getting trapped in the occult, which many New Age groups are caught in.

While we should endeavor to create a New Age it must be based upon the Eternal Truth and not upon transient desires or ungrounded speculations without any true realization. We should not overlook the older proven spiritual teachings of humanity and their practices and disciplines, though they may be difficult and laborious, in our attempt to be modern and to find quick and easy ways of achieving our goals. We must adopt them in a realistic way to our situation today. Then a real New Age will be not only possible but inevitable.

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