Looking out into the garden, in late March, it is inspiring to see the renewal of the natural world in early spring – the warm, golden glow of sunshine, the faint whispers of green foliage adorning the trees in the woodland beyond, the fresh gentle sprinkling of rain showers, the red hue of Japanese Acer, the colourful display of early spring flowers, and the birds foraging for twigs and the like in their quest to build nests. It seems nothing has changed, and yet everything has changed. Whilst the natural world pursues its vibrant seasonal rituals, the human family retreats. A quietness descends.
All over the world people are withdrawing from social interaction: school closures, draconian restrictions on travel, shop shutters pulled down, lockdowns of societies and communities far and wide, and if these were not enough, financial markets in chaos, civil disorder and health systems in dire crisis… the list goes on. The frenetic pace of life that has engulfed so many, for so long, is giving way to a universal stillness, rarely, if ever, experienced in the modern world.
Scything its way through continents, nations and diverse communities, coronavirus casts its invisible shadow. Struggling to check its relentless advance, people are left exhausted, bruised and bewildered, and worse still, many tens of thousands are falling victim to its tightening grip. One thing is clear though, it affects rich and poor alike, it cuts across all social classes, and it knows no national or geographical boundaries.
In this time of unprecedented global crisis, only comparable in time of world war, the spread of the coronavirus for some is prompting inner reflection on its underlying causes, its meaning, and what is to come in its eventual aftermath. Could this crisis of historic proportions mark a turning point in the affairs of humanity?
We look to esoteric philosophy, to religious teachings, to creative spiritual thinkers and to our own intuition to try to make sense of what is going on all around us. It is impossible for us to understand with any degree of certainty but nonetheless we avoid addressing the underlying problems at our peril.
The esoteric sciences, like the conventional sciences, reveal that all is energy. When energy flows relatively unimpeded, when there is a free circulation of energy (free from obstruction and congestion) then health and balance are maintained, and spiritual, psychological and physical well-being improve. But separative thinking ripples around the world, thwarting and disrupting the divine circulatory flow, the very flow of energy which helps to heal, to unite and to bring together communities and nations for the general good. What have we unleashed? Unsurprising, though, this deepening human crisis is bringing about an outpouring of goodwill and cooperation. Volunteer armies helping struggling health services and communities, and simple acts of kindness and generosity. It is humanity at its best.
That there are other kingdoms on the planet higher than the human has ever been alluded to in spiritual philosophy and religious scriptures alike. But, we are informed, it is only the human and the kingdoms below it, which are subject to disease, and only because of a lack of harmony, a dis-ease, a disruption of the flow of energy, and a constant struggle between what has been described as the ‘imprisoned spirit’ and the ‘imprisoning form’. This disconnection between life and form, spirit and matter, brings about ill-health, and the coronavirus is probably no exception.
In this period of growing universal quiet and deepening crisis, the roar of life retreats, and the gaze of humanity withdraws temporarily from the outer world. Is it possible, under these circumstances, of collective soul searching, pain and turmoil, that in this interlude of such a point of spiritual world tension that those great Lives who guide human evolution can draw closer?
One thing is clear though, life will never be quite the same again. For surely, such is the magnitude of the challenges ahead that life in the future will be talked about as ‘before’ and ‘after’ coronavirus. A turning point towards a new and better direction beckons if we can avail ourselves of this profound opportunity for reflection on the state of the world and its future, and a collective resolve to work for the common good for the benefit of all. And, like the natural world, renewal and rebirth can take place in consciousness too. One has only to listen to the truth that echoes throughout the ages: “Behold, I make all things new”.
