The end is near...maybe

Twelve years ago the clamber and hysteria of Y2K reached a feverous pitch as the world wondered if any of the hype was true.  Grocery shelves were emptied of water and corn pops, generators were in short supply and the entire world seemed to be anxiously awaiting the end of the world, and all because of a computer glitch, a man made apocalyptic disaster that proved, obviously, to be nothing but a self-induced frenzy.

As we all know history repeats itself, were repeating the same hysteria with the newest installment in the very successful franchise coming very soon to your neighborhood, The End of The World, revisited (I tried to put a number after world but I lost count in trying to figure out how many dooms- day predictions we’ve had over the last 100 or so years).  This year it’s the 12/12/12 version of death to all.   A little side to the 12/12/12 is if you cut that in half you have 6/6/6 the eternal sign for the Hades under lord.  It’s not really related but fun to think about.  

When the Mayans created their stone calendars (did everyone have a stone calendar, were there swimsuit additions, did they have cute marsupials or monkeys on the stone flaps, and did each family hang one on their carved stone refrigerators?) around 3114 BC they predicted a great change would occur in seven days from now.   The references are not specific and do not include a cataclysmic event per say but they do refer to a “rebirth” and I must admit having gone through a number of birthing sessions for my own kids I would not be too excited to witness a rebirth of the earth.

What’s interesting is that the Mayans are not alone in these dire predictions, The Hindu Kali Yuga calendar began on 18 February 3102 B.C. There is only a difference of 12 years between the Hindu version of annihilation and the Mayan version of total destruction.  Ooh my gosh, the number twelve again?   In the “Brahma-Vaivarta Purana”, Lord Krishna tells Ganga Devi that a Golden Age will come in the Kali Yuga - one of the four stages of development (is global warming one of the cycles?) that the world goes through as part of the cycle of eras, as described in Hindu scriptures. Lord Krishna predicted that this Golden Age will start 5,000 years after the beginning of the Kali Yuga, and will last for 10,000 years.

From two divergent cultures that knew nothing of each other and had no interaction whatsoever comes two separate and very distinct prediction of a worldwide change, both making their predictions over 5,000 years ago and ending in the same month and the same year, that in itself is astounding.

The subtle and not so subtle changes that occur in our world are usually the result of technological advancement, extreme weather events, wars and political power.  Some of these changes are welcome while others are despised and feared, but with the Hindu and Mayan predictions the “World” is mentioned as the primary antecedent of future changes.  The world will be going through a new cycle, a rebirth leaving little room for puny man to intervene, manipulate, cajole or even force our way through the changes that might be coming.  It would be like trying to regulate and manage a volcanic eruption or a massive earthquake.

Whether you believe or not this world is changing.  The morals have changed; the decency of man is altered, and the overall view of humanity has degraded.  I am a believer in change and I suspect the Mayans and the ancient Hindus new something, why else would they spend the time to predict events thousands of years in the future, which makes no sense politically.  If you want to inspire change or control you make predictions that cause fear and distress in order to garner the needed effect from the population and you do so within a timely manner, not thousands of years hence.

We’ve known of these predictions for hundreds of years and we’ve had time to prepare, but most do not care and most do not dare allow the beliefs of antediluvian minds to sway our way into preparations or improvement’s.  The boy that cried wolf one too many times was eventually consumed by the wolf.   We’ve had numerous dooms day expectations with so many disappointed after each failed prophesy.  Perhaps it’s not the prophesy that’s important, perhaps it’s the idea that we need to change, alter our life style, say I love you more often, do a good turn for a stranger.

Perhaps with this dire revelation of impending doom we should alter the course of our own demise and use it to help another.  Let’s use these last days of existence to increase our charity, improve our relations, and expand our humanity.  If not for the fear of dying in ten or so days lets change because we want to continue living.    One of these days, one of these predictions will have to come true and when it does will we be ready?  Go out now and do something good for someone else, pass it on, we don’t have much time or maybe we have all the time in the world....