Around 360 B.C, the great Greek philosopher Plato spoke about the mythical land of Atlantis. It was a utopian civilization inhabited by beings with abilities of demi-Gods. Atlantis was one of the most technologically advanced civilizations that lived on Earth, and despite their highly advanced scientific knowledge, they lived in complete harmony with nature. The civilization was based on many islands surrounded by water and the lush green islands were abundant in precious gems, minerals, metals and a diverse array of exotic wildlife.
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Apart from the technologically advanced superior race which Atlantis was known for, what stands out in the legend of Atlantis is that the people who lived there were highly spiritual, moral and they had created a utopian society. They understood that all beings were connected and came from one source. They possessed esoteric knowledge that only a highly advanced and spiritually aware race would.
However, the people of Atlantis became a victim of their own ego. Gradually, they became greedy, cruel towards other beings and eventually there came a point when they became morally bankrupt. As the legend goes, after witnessing the immoral pursuits of Atlanteans, the Gods destroyed the island and Atlantis sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
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Many believe that Plato spoke of Atlantis as merely an allegory, so that he could better impart his philosophical teachings. But there have been several convincing accounts in history which indicate that Atlantis may not have been just a legend. From Edgar Cayce to Helena Blavatsky, several prominent figures have spoken and written about the mythical civilization with claims that it indeed existed.
As our own scientific advancements took place in the centuries that followed, our myopic scientific materialistic outlook has failed to see the lessons in the story of Atlantis. It has been reduced to mere nonsensical fantasy propagated by the establishments in power.
Standing at the pinnacle of our own technological progress in this era, I sometimes wonder what it must have felt like being the inhabitant of the lost civilization of Atlantis in the final moments before the cataclysm, watching your world fall apart as darkness engulfed the once beautiful island. The citizens would have had no choice but to helplessly watch their dreams, creations and the perfect world be so ruthlessly annihilated.
If we take a moment to pause and look around us, we will comprehend that we already are in the final moments of our time. We already know what it feels like to be at the tipping point. We are, much as the Atlanteans, citizens of an advanced civilization on the brink of extinction. Whether our society collapses through our own actions or through an act of God or whether it happens in the next decade or century is immaterial, because the outcome remains the same.
Several such apocalyptic tales of civilizations being reduced to nothing have been taught to us by the past. There is an uncanny consistency in all of these legends from different points in history. The cataclysmic events were not a random accident, but brought upon these civilizations through their own actions. Whether we choose to learn from these stories or react with contempt, the key message is that we have lost touch with our own spirit.
We have ceased to nurture the divine within ourselves. We have stopped looking at the sky with admiration and no longer realize that we are a part of a Universe with a greater plan. While we once used to love the Earth and care for her, we now only use her abundant resources for our own selfish gain. Like in the past, our cruelty to other beings and the darkness in our hearts will one day anger the Gods.
We are a species that has forgotten how to cherish the divine within our hearts and carry our technology in an equilibrium with nature. Our own success has blinded us.
If there is a civilization that could become the next lost civilization, then it is obvious that it will be our own. We are driven by materialistic pursuits, we embrace a consumerism culture, pollute the air, the lands and the oceans with toxic waste, remorselessly cut down our rainforests to occupy more land, endanger the most majestic of species that inhabit our ecosystem and abuse and rape the planet off its resources.
We let love be replaced by jealousy, fear and petty conflicts, let millions suffer everyday while we are entertained, we focus on trivial and narrow minded differences like skin colour that keep us divided, become ignorant of the fact that we are all one being in different manifestations, kill people in the name of religion, politics, nation and beliefs, inflict dreadful pain on others just to satiate our own greed and never-ending hunger for power and we have become egoistical in our pursuit of superiority over others.
We look down upon those who speak of Spirituality and unity because the conquest of materialistic science proves that matter is everything, and that there is nothing beyond our realm of existence. We have forgotten our role in the divine plan. We have become the spoilt children who, instead of exploring our own consciousness, are hoarding things we do not need. In our pursuit for prosperity, we have sold our soul.
Things look bleak for us. Ancient history tells us that we are heading towards a total collapse. Perhaps, it is time for us to stop and reflect on our own actions. It is time to listen to the message that our ancestors have left for us. It is time to put our greed aside, muster the courage to see our similarities rather than differences, spread love and joy, find strength in unity, respect all beings on our planet, practice compassion, show gratitude for all that we receive and spark the divine in our heart again.
When enough time has passed on Earth and our descendants have rebuilt the world again, they will look back and share a legend that told of a time when a technologically advanced and evolved civilization existed, that once lived in harmony. But the people of that civilization gradually became greedy, cruel towards other beings and eventually there came a point when they became morally bankrupt.
When our tale is told in the future, they will look back on us in much the same way that we look back on the legend of Atlantis, with the same scorn and toxic skepticism. The archeologists will dismiss us as just a myth, a nonsensical fairytale concocted by pseudo-scientists with no proof. We will have become just a myth.
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It is our choice. We can either let our story be told in the way the story of Atlantis is now told, or we can make an impact by changing our ways. The damage we have done cannot be fully reversed, but we can learn and teach the younger generation about what we have learnt from history. Let us make sure that we do not become the next lost civilization forgotten by time.
