How Can Global Consciousness Respond
to the Cry of the Least Developed Countries?

In Observance of World Invocation Day
The Festival of Humanity and the Festival of Goodwill

May 31, 2007; 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Dag Hammarskjöld Room, Millennium UN Plaza Hotel
Introduction to the Seminar and a Talk by
Ida Urso, Ph.D., President, Aquarian Age Community 

Welcome and Introduction to the Seminar (1)

Good Afternoon Friends. Welcome and thank you all for coming.

It is most auspicious that of all the conference rooms we tried to obtain for this seminar—and believe me there was much effort put into this task—we find ourselves in this Dag Hammarskjöld conference room. As one of the most famous and distinguished of the UN’s Secretaries-General—the one who set the bar by which others have been measured, we also know Secretary-General Hammarskjöld as the designer of the UN Meditation Room as it is today.

His dedication of that Meditation Room is inlcuded in your packets and it is Dag Hammarskjöld, often referred to as a modern day mystic, who stated that unless there is a spiritual renaissance on our planet, there will be no peace on earth.

We have a full program ahead of us and thus, I’m going to jump in, asking you at the outset to be bold and creative in your thinking, to search the fullness of your heart and to aspire to the heights of inspiration, for the next three hours, so that together in cooperative unity we may truly accomplish on behalf of those the UN has designated as the 50 Least Developed Countries of Our Planet.

Although we are featuring two keynote talks and one multimedia presentation, this work of “Attaining Global Consciousness” in order to help meet the needs of the 50 Least Developed Countries, can only be accomplished as each one of us takes this responsibility to heart. Only as each of us take up our own Mastery, can Global Consciousness be attained, leading to changed planetary conditions.

As one person takes a step forward in this direction, so he/she inspires the rest of us—who then, in turn inspire those within our circles—and so on, and on—in ripple-like fashion; the one who inspires becomes the one who is inspired and so the circle grows, becomes enlivened and eventually, encompasses the planet. That is a vision that we can all work to realize.

We are counting on your contributions to help make the next three hours dynamic, inspiring, productive and joyful, for as one of the quotations in your packet indicates, what could possibly weave a better smile than the desire to see the very last child laughing. 
How Can Global Consciousness Respond to the Cry of the Least Developed Countries?

Introduction

Dear Friends, I think that increasingly we are waking up to the fact that if the conditions on our planet are to change, it’s up to each one of us to change them! Increasingly we realize that “they” –over there, or those executives at the top—are not going to solve the problems that beset our planetary society.

“The world is not going to be saved by politicians or corporations”—states one of the quotes in your packets; instead, it will be saved by those in service to that which is spiritual—within themselves and within the world. Higher knowledge, higher consciousness has always come from within, but it needs those committed to this revelation to bring it into life, to unite the inner and outer and to awaken the world to its spiritual nature.

In the words of Gandhi, we each must become the change we seek in the world.

It is helpful to remember that all that IS, is ever present, it is a matter of acknowledging this and then bringing it into the light of day. The Talmud tells us that we see the world not as it is, but as we are. An ancient metaphysical truism states, “The eye sees what it brings to the seeing.” The Quran tells us that Allah will never change the condition of a people until they first change what is in themselves. [The Quran {11:13)]

"The Universe,” according to the first volume of The Secret Doctrine, “is worked and guided from within outwards…every external motion, act, gesture, whether voluntary or mechanical, organic or mental, is produced and preceded by internal feeling or emotion, will or volition, and thought or mind."

It was the 7th Century Buddhist Saint, Shantideva, who wrote,

“Likewise it is not possible for me  
To restrain the external course of things;  
But should I restrain this mind of mine  
What would be the need to restrain all else?”

You all may know of other traditions that repeat this very same concept—so pivotal to the formation of a Global Consciousness. The expansion of consciousness occurs only as each person self-commits to this all-important responsibility.

Global Consciousness

Which brings us to the question, underlying the theme of this Seminar: “What is a Global Consciousness?”

You all will have an opportunity to address this very same question later; for now, I would like to share with you my thoughts on what I understand by Global Consciousness.

The word consciousness comes from two Latin words (con, with; and scio, to know) and means literally, “that with which we know.” 

The Ageless Wisdom tells us that in time to come, the phrase “life in the three worlds” will be discontinued and people will instead talk in terms of life in the five worlds of Consciousness. We are all aware of the physical, emotional and mental states of consciousness and Spiritual or Transpersonal Psychology over the last thirty some years has introduced us to the concept of the Spiritual Self, the Higher Self, the Soul or the Atman—that inner motivating principle that holds a deeper wisdom and knowingness—that part of us that is the cause behind the personal “I”; that part of us, if we pay attention, that brings us flashes of intuition or direct knowledge; and, ceaselessly and consistently helps us refine our consciousness as we become ever more sensitive and responsive to the multidimensional world in which we live and move and have our being.

The ancient sage, Patanjali, who is the first to have put in writing the wisdom of the East, which up until his time was only given by word of mouth to those deemed worthy, provides for us an even more detailed outline. He refers to the seven states of consciousness possible on this the 7th cosmic physical plane of existence. And, the esoteric wisdom holds in trust the detailed diagrams and explanations of six still higher, more inclusive and exalted states of cosmic consciousness, each having their own 7 sub-states of consciousness. 

As I just mentioned, we are all familiar with the first three states of consciousness: the physical, the astral or emotional and the mental plane. Many today are awakening to and responding to that plane of consciousness known by such terms as buddhic, intuitional, group, Soul or Christ consciousness.

And, it is this realm of Soul consciousness that encompasses what we here refer to as Global Consciousness.

All life is ever evolving, ever tending towards expansion. All life takes the form of a progressive series of awakenings and humanity is today evolving from personal or self-consciousness towards this Soul or Global Consciousness. Increasingly, we are learning how to transcend the binding, restrictive sense of separateness and isolation by opening to and striving to attain the expanded love-wisdom of Global Consciousness. 

As a result, slowly, competition is being replaced by cooperation and the power of enlightened reason and dialogue are gradually taking the place of war and brutality. Witness, for example, the new book by Al Gore entitled, An Age of Reason. As a planetary society, we are beginning to move from a separative and selfish culture with its emphasis on “me, mine and my own” to a heart oriented culture where world-wide cooperation for the Common Good—the Good of the Whole—is becoming the acceptable norm. The imprisonment of human consciousness is slowly lessening as we move towards the liberation of the human spirit. 

The existence of the United Nations, the growing number of welfare movements, the increasing number of NGOs committed to solving one or more of the problems plaguing humanity, the interest in spirituality and the growing understanding that humanity and all life are interconnected—all this attests to this movement towards Global Consciousness. 

In one of his talks in 2003, Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented his vision of how he would like to see the world functioning. I think it is a most fitting and apt definition of a Global Consciousness. He said, “I see human beings caring for each other, and states sharing responsibility for the safety and welfare of all people, wherever they may live…I see all peoples working together to care for their common home, the earth, ensuring that its riches are preserved for future generations. And I see decisions that affect the global interest being taken in global institutions, starting with the United Nations. All members will respect each other’s views, and strive honestly to reach agreement.” (Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, June 23, 2003)

His thought is echoed in the following passage from one of the books of the Ageless Wisdom: "The family of nations, viewed as a unit, its correct and proper interrelation, and the shouldering of responsibility for the one, or for the weak, must be the realised goal of all national enterprise; the resources of the entire planet must be shared collectively and it must be increasingly realised that the products of the earth, the gifts of the soil, the intellectual heritage of the nations, belong to the whole of mankind and to no one nation exclusively. No nation liveth unto itself, any more than any individual can happily so live; the nation or individual who attempts so to do must inevitably perish off the face of the earth." (The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, pp. 373-374)

Such to my mind is a Global Consciousness. When the welfare of each individual is equally important. This is also enunciated most clearly and simply in the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights…and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Always there have been individuals on the planet who throughout time have demonstrated this Soul or Global Consciousness. They are the great spiritual teachers and the great servants of humanity in all fields. Today, we are here at this meeting—united with many others on the planet—walking in the footprints they left behind. According to our intentions and aspiration, we are adding our quota to their vision of the Good, the Beautiful and the True. 

Along with many others on the planet, some who are joining with us today, we are a part of the One Stream and we are heading in the same direction because we too seek to serve the Common Good. We too seek to do all we can to alleviate the suffering extant everywhere and we too seek to bring more justice and compassion into our world. 

Whereas in the past we could only point to an individual here or there who demonstrated such a consciousness, today, the expectation is for such a Global Consciousness to become the norm and not the exception.

The Cry of the Least Developed Countries

Soon we will hear from His Excellency, Ambassador Chowdhury who will address the theme of “The Cause of the Least Developed Countries.” 

I would like to briefly address their “Cry.” As we know, this “Cry” often is muffled and even voiceless because the suffering, the anguish and the pain is usually not noted; it is not part of the daily consciousness of most people. 

It was just in 1971 that the international community at the United Nations recognized the existence of a category of countries whose distinctness lies not only in the profound poverty of their people, but also in the weakness of their economic, institutional and human resources, often compounded by geophysical handicaps. 

Identified as the “Least Developed Countries”—this group, which today makes up 50 countries, constitutes the weakest segment of the international community and the economic and social development of these countries represents a major challenge. Constituting about 800 million people, these Least Developed Countries are the shame of the world community. They are the effect of a planetary society who must change from a consciousness of materialism, greed and separateness to one of Global Consciousness—a consciousness of compassion, justice and right human relations.

Here, I would like to share the compelling thought put forward by Professor Muhammad Yunus at the Special United Nations Tribute for this 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate: “Poverty”, said Professor Yunus, “is not created by the poor. Poverty is created by the institutions we have built; poverty is created by the concepts we have promoted; and, it is created by the policies that we adopt.” So, if we revisit those policies and eliminate the biases that we put into those policies, then there will be no poverty. “We can push poverty into the museum.” (November 17, 2006)

The Science of Invocation

Friends, we can accomplish only what we can imagine. Imagination, the metaphysical wisdom tells us is the very seed of Samadhi or eternal Bliss and it is an activity we can cultivate.

In his Report to the 56th Session of the General Assembly in 2001, Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that “The United Nations is an embodiment of the will of humankind to defeat violence with the power of reason and to achieve some betterment of the human condition.”

Without the will of the individual Nation States the United Nations cannot successfully attain its goals. What drives the will of the Nation States but the will of the individual citizens of the world—the will of those of us who care enough to labour for the good of the Whole?

As we know, it is only through a change in human consciousness that the suffering of humanity will eventually come to an end. And, it is only as spiritually aware people learn to “stand as a great army of implacable spiritual will”—behind those who are working for the upliftment and well-being of humanity—that the necessary changes can occur.

In the book, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul affirms that, the main objective today is to stimulate the aspiration in the hearts of men and women so that human receptivity to the good, the beautiful and the true may be greatly increased. These energies will bring in the new creative era; thus, men and women will be free to think and to create the new forms for the new ideals; then they will bring into manifestation in words, in colour, in music and in other creative forms the new revelation and the new world.

World Invocation Day

Today is a special day—astrologically and spiritually. It is the reason why we chose this date for this particular Seminar. On this day of the Gemini Solar Festival, many around the world observe World Invocation Day, also known as the Festival of Goodwill and the Festival of Humanity.

Observed since 1952, it is a powerful and culminating Festival when men and women of every spiritual path join in a universal appeal to those Great Beings who watch over and guide humanity’s evolution. It is a day when, together, humanity—that is, we—can focus the invocative demand for light, love and spiritual direction that is needed to build a world of justice, unity and right human relations.

One of the greatest insights of our time is that of the interdependence and interrelatedness of all life. As a result, millions share the conviction of an inner spiritual unity, which transcends any outer differences of race, nation and creed. As the men and women of goodwill the world over give expression to this conviction in their lives, a process of planetary transformation is taking place. A new civilization is emerging which embraces all peoples and is founded upon the recognition of our common humanity.

The world’s problems are of humanity’s making and they are for humanity to solve. However, the essence of the spiritual life lies in knowing that we are not alone. Spiritual energies are abundantly available, and on World Invocation Day, an appeal can be made for the release of the spiritual energies, which will enable humanity to attain Global Consciousness and create the new longed-for civilization.

An esoteric truism states, “always we get—in time and space—what we invoke; and the knowledge of this fact, scientifically applied, will be one of the great liberating forces for humanity.” (Telepathy and the Etheric Vehicle, p. 57) 

May we therefore join together to lend our voices, our hearts and our minds to humanity’s invocative cry for greater justice, unity and right human relations, with a special focus on the welfare of the 50 Least Developed Countries of our world? United in focused, purposeful and heartfelt invocation, we have the power today in the next three hours of this Seminar to contribute to the healing of the nations and the fostering of world unity.

Thank you.

MEDITATION

The guided meditation we will be using is based on two truisms that used to be considered esoteric, but that today are becoming mainstream knowledge:

1. Energy Follows Thought
2. As We Think in Our Hearts, So We Are

This meditation is based on the raja yoga method of meditation, which means meditation with a seed thought and the whole meditation is leading up to a focus on the thought we will contemplate together: “The Divine Purpose that seeks to guide the work of the United Nations.”

It is based on the six-fold progression of Divine Love—recognizing six different stages of consciousness towards which we aspire and from which we seek inspiration, and which we then seek to express in the world.

It’s a form of in-breathing and then pausing, which is when meditation can take place; out-breathing and then pausing again. This is the “lower interlude”, wherein our minds and hearts are flooded with the energies we have been able to touch and we then focus on how to apply our inspiration in the world.

If you would like to join in sounding the two mantras—the one under alignment and the other under distribution, you are welcome to sound them aloud. As we know, sounding mantric words and formulas aloud can have a powerful effect. However, if you prefer not to sound them, that is fine too.

The Great Invocation

I would like to also say a few words about The Great Invocation that you will have the opportunity to sound at the end of the meditation. By using this mantram you will have the opportunity to radiate the energies of Light, Love and the Will-to-Good throughout the planet, irradiating the consciousness of the whole human race.

Your packets include some information about this invocation, which was given to humanity in 1945 and which has been translated into over 70 languages, provided for you in the six languages of the UN.

Each of the stanzas refers to a different dimension of consciousness and so we will pause at the end of each stanza, giving ourselves an opportunity to focus on the centers of Light, Love and Purpose—and then finally on the one humanity that can implement these energies in the daily life.

As it is explained in the booklet, the mantric power of the words and the phrases used in The Great Invocation create a rhythmic vibration, invoking spiritual energies that can strengthen the work of the United Nations as it strives to uplift the quality of life on our planet.

Many religions believe in a World Teacher—a Coming One who is to reappear, as has been the case throughout the history of humanity. This World Teacher is known by such names as the Lord Maitreya, the Imam Mahdi, the Bodhisattva, the Messiah, and the Kalki Avatar—just to acknowledge a few of the names by which this Coming One is known.

In the English version of The Great Invocation, which is the original language in which this Invocation was given to humanity, the term Christ is used for this Spiritual Teacher. And, it may be of interest to note that in the ancient archives, before Christianity came to be, this term was a title, attributed to the One, Who at any given time in the history of humanity holds the title of the World Spiritual Teacher—the purified or Initiated One. This title and word has great esoteric significance.

Also, the word “man” is a derivative of the Sanskrit term, Manas, which refers to the mental principle—the positive element that characterizes humanity, emphasizing the fact that humanity is able to THINK and use the mind.

Again, you are invited to sound this mantram, if you like, but only if you are comfortable in doing so.

I will call out the stages of the meditation so that it will not be necessary for you to read, unless you want to sound the mantrams.

For a copy of the meditation outline, “The Spiritual Work of the United Nations and the Liberation of Humanity”, you are invited to request it from UN@aquaac.org

You are also invited to participate in the discussion forum about this meditative initiative and the work of the United Nations available in the Aquarian Age Community website: http://www.aquaac.org

(1) The transcripts of all available Seminar materials can be found on-line in the web site of the Aquarian Age Community: http://www.aquaac.org/un/spiritun.html