The Collapse of Civilization

Fear also brought violence with it, and when that violence is sustained, people grow accustomed to it. Once people get used to violence, it does not hurt as much anymore, so people stop seeking a way to correct these unfavorable conditions. When people are so lethargic that they don’t even raise an eyebrow when faced with life-threatening conditions, we call them mad. When we become accustomed to evil, madness sets in. This madness is becoming increasingly common on our planet. While under the influence of this madness, we embrace the notion that our ruling class will protect us from all the dangers. Unfortunately, this ruling class is also suffering from the same madness, yet our ears are closed to anything else.

This situation will not go away by itself. The madness will continue to grow until civilization as we know it has collapsed entirely. I am not sure if humanity will disappear as well, but it will certainly need a radical transformation. This civilization, however, is nothing short of a disease, a kind of cancer nourished by our ignorance. We will disappear and take this cancer with us. Maybe we will change our understanding and stop feeding this cancer, so it will diminish and die. In either case, our civilization will also die. It’s just a case of how it will come about.

Social liberation is just a dream. We just need to focus our light on the individual level. If you hear this, consider the situation carefully, but never lose your light. Performing a clear evaluation is not an act of pessimism, and preserving goodness and being hopeful is not just dreaming. Just look at what happens plainly and understand it, but also preserve your heart and your hope. You will join those who suffer in madness unless you preserve your heart, your hope, and most importantly, your compassion and generosity. What brought humanity to this stage was greed and anger, and both of these are fueled by ignorance.

Protect yourself and your mind with generosity and affection. Don’t worry—this darkness will give birth to an incredible light. Just continue to purify your mind and heart.

Get rid of the television.

Get rid of your smartphone, or at least only use it when you really need to. If you can’t do this, just lock it away.

Don’t listen to the news.

Don’t be fooled by consumerism.

Only buy into the right values.

Invest in inner development rather than material experience.

Read.

Meet up with good, generous, brave, and compassionate people and talk together. This will give you the strength you need to take action. Be gentle with others who lack these qualities and treat them like you would your children. Don’t keep them in your life, though, but rather let them drift away before they pull you into their quagmire.

Stop with the “must” and “should.”

Stop trying to define yourself and realize your desire for admiration and get rid of it.

Become aware of the social bribes you gave and why you gave them, and then stop doing it.

Don’t be fooled by the images of leaders and teachers. You will see how deceitful they are once you defeat your own expectations.

Be ordinary and spontaneous, and don’t try to control your attitudes.

Be aware of your own protectiveness and realize the fear behind it. Develop generosity and courage.

Don’t criticize, but rather take action.

Don’t complain about something. Accept it or take action.

Don’t attribute blame, but rather forgive and take action.

Don’t stop. Take action.