It is an understatement to say that civilization is operating under a very dark cloud. Whether it is Covid, the conflict in Eastern Europe, political and social division, environmental degradation, economic uncertainty, a loss of confidence in our institutions, or the breakdown of the family unit, it is impossible to deny the painful shadow this cloud is casting on humanity. Of course, many factors play into this difficult situation, but I would like to underscore what I believe to be the heart and soul of the problem. Yogananda’s saintly disciple Daya Mata says it with amazing accuracy: “There are problems everywhere, and in every nation… Why? We have wandered from the truths which have been expounded in the Ten Commandments, the scripture of Christ, and the science of Yoga; we have wandered from the principles of right behavior that we should embrace and those principles of wrong behaviors we should shun… They are all part of the universal absolutes, divine laws, given to us by our beloved God. God created this world in a most scientific and mathematical manner.”
Everything in creation is structured to operate in a very specific manner, what we may call “the natural order.” For example, we know that the human body functions better when we eat organic food, and it weakens when we consume processed foods. Gazing on a sunset, a lush forest, or a waterfall settles the nervous system and induces a sense of interior peace; by contrast, binging on the news agitates our nervous systems and creates disturbing moods. Whether we are talking about individuals or society as a whole, whenever we try to bend the structure of reality, violating the natural order, life necessarily becomes chaotic, and everyone suffers. When our moral lives operate according to the natural order, dharma, we become solid, healthy, and more productive. God never punishes us; we punish ourselves.
Beloved God,
Keep me awake and aware
So that I may live
According to the dharma
You have so generously given us.
