At this point in our current experience on the planet, during a time of fluctuating global pandemic and social unrest, we are confronting the fact of our interconnectedness—personal and public. With ubiquitous job losses, individuals have had to rely on each other and their communities for food and supplies to feed and clothe themselves and their families. Governments have been almost forced to share medical knowledge, medicines, vaccines, and equipment for the immediate and future survival of their populations. Economies have been fractured and are severely challenged by the widespread quarantine, lockdowns, and protests; as a result, business activity has been significantly damaged.

Protests of varying origins are happening in many countries—in Palestine, Israel, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Algeria, India, Burma, Belarus, Hong Kong, France, Ukraine, the USA, and elsewhere. 

Such protests are giving an ongoing voice to world public opinion—the voice of the people, as it stands up to governments, which are protecting corporate interests and boosting military readiness inordinately with public funds. The protests are also efforts to end oppressive taxes, restriction of movement, restriction of individual rights, and the outright accosting and killing of people in the street by brutal policing—reminiscent of the fugitive slave and vigilante patrols of the pre-and post-U.S. civil war eras. In some countries, assassinations and disappearances are commonplace.

Through these happenings occurring every day, we are compelled to face our blindness to the signs of interconnectedness and interdependence developing in every aspect of life in our world family (the sacrificing of fear for trust and love). These signs are almost completely overshadowed by “breaking news” (fear again overtaking trust and love). In spite of that, we may ask, how can we change outcomes for 95% of the people who experience loss and suffering, 60% of them to a severe degree? 

The question then becomes: what if everyone had access to free food and clothing, had subsidies to obtain and retain housing, and were able to freely petition national governments for the redress of grievances without a harmful military response? What if Universal Basic Income were available to everyone? UBI has been mentioned in the United States Congress and provided in Stockton, CA; Evanston, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Jackson, MS, and in Alaska. It is also used in Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Scotland, France, Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Israel, Iran, India, and other countries.

Separation and Complacency   

We are slowly but surely working through the issues that divide us and are gradually implementing solutions, but we are often stopped by the “elephant” in the room: the belief in separation upon which complacency is based. 

Separation denotes distinction, difference, differentiation, division, dissociation, disconnection, severance. It is at the root of human ,problems such as racial bias and segregation, among others, and is viewed as a crime or heresy by advanced thinkers, who see the idea that we are separate as the cause of spiritual angst and as responsible for the pain and suffering of others. Complacency follows from the belief in separation, produces inaction in the face of misery, empowers implicit bias, and allows injustice and cruelty to remain unchecked in the world. 

The information about separation and its connection to complacency comes from the work of Benjamin Creme (1922-2016), a visionary, artist, lecturer, and author. He talked about the presence in the world of Maitreya and the Masters of Wisdom—though not yet known publicly—who are here to guide and assist us in solving our most intractable problems. He telepathically received messages from Maitreya, and articles from another Master whose name has not been given. Their statements are bold and clear and never as relevant as now, to current world events. 

The belief in separation has been generated by patterns of living that we have chosen over time. These patterns have set up strong conditioning, which has been passed on generation after generation for millennia. This conditioning affects our reaction to and judgmentof other people and groups by color, gender, appearance, religion, wealth, heritage, and nationality. Thus, traditions of focusing on the differences among us have become institutionalized—in general, to promote economic gain: rich vs. poor, black vs. white, male vs. female, documented vs. undocumented. But the trend of separation and resulting complacency has become destructive for the world. Racism is said to be about complete separation from Divinity and total ignorance of oneself. Benjamin Creme postulates that fear of the other, fear of ourselves, and fear of death ¹ keep us blind to our Oneness. 

Self-Respect and Self-Realization     

Maitreya, as the World Teacher for the new age, tells us that the way forward is through the Art of Self-Realization, which he comes to teach: 

• Be what you are, the immortal Self. 
• Don’t cheat yourself. Respect yourself. 
• See your neighbor as yourself, because he is yourself. 
• Be harmless as ordained by the law of cause and effect (karma). 
• We can change the effect if we alter the cause through sacrifice. 
• Adopt honesty of mind, sincerity of spirit, and detachment.

“You have physical eyes. You can see what is good and what is bad, what is pleasant or harmful. When you practice honesty, sincerity, and detachment, awareness grows. You can experience peace, grace, happiness, serenity. This is so even when everything around you is totally negative.” ² 

For the Future   

Maitreya outlines his work this way: “My task will be to show you how to live together peacefully as brothers.” ³ Benjamin Creme said, “The Masters, with Maitreya at their head, have provided a blueprint for the future of a brilliant, transformed world free from want and war.” ¹ 

The admonishment is to feed the hungry, house the houseless, clothe and educate everyone, provide health care for all, and provide security in disability and in advanced years. These basic human rights were adopted by the United Nations in 1948 as Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; however, they have been actualized to some degree only by some Scandinavian countries. Among theseare Norway and Sweden. 

Maitreya exhorts us to “Manifest Love through Sharing and change the world.” ³ In another direct way, Maitreya says: “Think widely. Think that your brothers and sisters are yourselves, the same throughout the world no matter the color, the race, the religion. Do this my friends and see Me very soon.” ⁴ 

Benjamin Creme has underlined the idea that: 

“The people have to make their demands known and act. You have to act. If we want the process of sharing, we have to force the governments to accept it. … when every day there is a march, thousands, hundreds of thousands of people who fill the squares and the streets of the towns and refuse to move, then they can force the hand of any government.” ⁵ Maitreya advises us, “Wait no longer for the manifestation of the changes which are to come. Bring them about by your actions.” ⁴ Maitreya, the teacher for the new age, with his group, having worked behind the scenes for the last 98,000 years, will at some point soon emerge into public life. He will then work openly with us to finally end separation and war, to cleanse us of guilt and fear, to restore goodwill and trust, and to help us proceed with all due speed to build the new structures needed now, based on sharing and justice. 

The Master says: “There is no alternative to sharing, all else has failed. … A united voice of the people of all lands calling for justice and sharing will set up an invocation which nothing can resist.” ⁶ To show our committed intent to reach that goal, much of the work must be started immediately. To that end, it would help to envision how society could meet the needs of all on the ground, and start there, working in groups. Examples of needed changes might be free food banks in brick and mortar; adequate, safe, free housing; free health clinics restored and multiplied; free 100% broadband network availability; free laptops and software available everywhere for schooling, reference and connection; plenty of childcare centers, widespread after-school programs, and visiting teacher sessions; and most importantly, lifelong guaranteed income, starting at $100,000/year or more provided to every person; plus rapid environmental restoration. 

There will be funds available for all these programs when governmental policies are put in place to assure that the welfare of the people is prioritized before corporate profit and military expense. (Satisfied people may significantly reduce the need for excessive military outlay.) The Master indicates that: “men have to realize that the world is One— one humanity. The rich, who manage the resources based on greed and competition, deny this truth at their peril.” ⁴ 

Maitreya states, “My teaching should precede my presence and prepare my way… When mankind is somewhat prepared, my voice shall be heard.… but first I would point the way into the new direction which man, if he would survive, must take.... men must see themselves as brothers… must share the produce of this most bountiful of worlds among your brothers and sisters everywhere. … you must make the choice—whether you share and learn to live peacefully as true men, or perish utterly…” ³ He adds, “All depends on you: you have to take the steps… We have to see ourselves as One, brothers and sisters, and work together for the good of all. We are not separate, despite appearances. We are one group. … Live simply and with love.” ⁴ 

Benjamin Creme tells us plainly: “People should understand that the Day of Declaration—the day when Maitreya steps forward—is not a fixed date; it depends on us. We can bring it about through our work.” ⁷   

When we accept our interconnectedness as a world family, we will realize the mutual interdependence of nations as a fact of life on Earth—and by providing for the needs of everyone through sharing, secure our future. Our courage and tenacity in every effort we make toward this goal is supported by towering spiritual giants who “see the end in the beginning” and who must await our action. 

“Seize the time and act.” ⁷ 

 References: 

1. Benjamin Creme, The Great Approach, 2001 
2. Benjamin Creme, ed. Maitreya’s Teachings-The Laws of Life, 2005 
3. Messages from Maitreya the Christ , from Message No. 82, and Message No. 11, 1992 
4. A Master Speaks , Volume Two, from ‘Master’s Comment,’ 2016; and from Addendum-Messages from Maitreya 2000-2010, ‘Radio Interviews,’ Paris, France, 2006, 2008, and 2010; 2017 
5. Benjamin Creme, Unity in Diversity, 2012   
6. A Master Speaks , Volume One, from ‘A New Era Dawns,’ 2004 
7. Share International magazine, February 2014