Klaas-Jan BAKKER - AMORC

Divine created the basic causes from which the
particulars of the world came into existence. To
refer again to our analogy, eyes and ears were
not arbitrarily designed to serve their function.
Rather, they came out of the necessity of the living
organism adjusting itself to the forces acting upon
it. Consequently, from this point of view, we are
It must be realised that things that are new are
not necessarily better than things that are old.
not static entities. There is the potentiality in of us
for many changes in qualities and characteristics.
Life is fluid, and it can and will adjust itself to the
impact of its environment. Only as humanity tries
to resist the fluidity of its nature does it remain
stationary and encounter serious difficulties.
Change
We all know that social and environmental
changes are exceedingly rapid in our times.
Up to about two centuries ago our method of
transportation was the same as it had
been for thousands of years. This was
principally horse and ox drawn carts
on land and the sailing or rowing
vessel on water. Also, as recently as
two centuries ago, communication
was substantially the same as it was
during the time of the ancient Greeks
and Romans. The method was mostly
by private courier. Today, millions of
people do not know whether to cling
to what seems the stable past or to
pursue lustily each new trend.
It must be realised that things
that are new are not necessarily better
than things that are old. It is still too
recent an advent to determine whether
a closely knit world, a compression of
peoples, is good or bad for the individual. Is a
mass parcelling out of knowledge via written,
televised or computerised media, beneficial or
harmful We all come to know things alike by
such mass methods of communication but are
we getting to think too much alike Is it not true
that a certain amount of isolation with one’s own
thoughts is preferable Can properly stimulated
individual thought spill over the boundaries
which have been set by regimented education Or
is individual thought too limited in contrast with
Is it not true that a certain
amount of isolation with one’s
own thoughts is preferable
the standards of the day Whether we realise it or
not, there is a gradual drifting away from those
factors which once shaped our thoughts.
Change for the Good
The new generation appears to be far less
mystically, metaphysically and philosophically
inclined. Values in life appear to
be tied less fast to the moral and
spiritual goals which were once held
to be the highest ends. Today we
find utilitarianism (the doctrine that
the greatest happiness of the greatest number
should be the guiding principle of conduct)
and pragmatism (a philosophy that evaluates
something solely by its practical consequences
and bearing on human interests) dominating the
lives of many of us.
There is no tendency to establish, as
philosophers and mystics have done, a broad
abstract ideal as to one’s mission in life. Expediency,
that which serves the moment, is the dominant
factor. Most people come to view life with the
attitude that “Man is here; never mind
why; let him make the most of it.”
Science and its attendant technology
prove that this or that is the best
to meet the problem of living and
momentary pleasure. If uncurbed,
this attitude can have a tremendously
adverse influence upon the aesthetic
pursuits of humanity, and upon the
emotional and psychic sides of life.
It undoubtedly can come to affect
spiritual idealism and the search for
a union with our understanding of a
universal God.
It is impossible, in a few words,
to provide any adequate defence
against this trend. The most we can
do is to suggest an attitude of mind
that will let one intelligently adjust to the influences
of our times. It is necessary to realise that there is a
difference between a cynic and a sceptic.
Cynicism
The cynic is a downright pessimist. He expects
everything to be wrong or to be false and illusory.
For the cynic, nothing is ever right; there is always
some flaw to highlight The cynic is not ready to
accept reality even when he actually experiences
it. He is the type who thinks advertising billboards
The Rosicrucian Beacon -- December 2007
45