Campbell Meditation Column - We Need A New Sensation.
These days, most people can check emails, play games or do some work with a smart phone in one hand at any time. Various kinds of telecommunication devices have become the necessity for modern people. It is not unusual to see people use such devices all the time. It is now the generation that whatever happens around the world can be easily encountered in your hand wherever you are – in a room or on the street. There has also been news that a new form of computer that you can wear as clothes would be available in near future.
As it was said earlier, smart phones or PCs being used every day is a reality of 2013 but in the old days, it couldn’t have been imagined. Similarly, the scenes of people riding horses to deliver mail and news from place to place or times when people lived without electricity have become a scene in history to modern people. Until mankind reached today’s advanced civilization, so many sensations have continuously occurred over so many years, yet before their time, they too couldn’t be imagined.
Representatively, the invention of paper initiated recording activities for mankind and activated the learning of such topics as philosophy and science. In addition, wheels were invented, which caused a big sensation to mankind. The convenience of logistics and moving that wheels contributed made the interchange between people very active. Most of all, a generator that brought the light to mankind’s darkness was a sensational invention that changed mechanical energy to electrical energy. And, due to the invention of computers, mankind greeted the generation of information. Likewise, many sensations have been created continuously throughout history through a variety of inventions and discoveries.
What will be the next new sensation in the near future? Mankind has been running forward focusing on development of the material civilization. In particular, people have become adamant about having to be up to date in this rapidly changing generation of information and communication. They are keen on becoming the fastest to encounter and take up the newest information from the information flood. Maybe because of this, people tend to build up their own fence against the world by falling into their own world. People’s mind seems to gradually become as dry and inhumane as machines. In some cases, of course, people reap benefits while conveniently using communication devices and have access to a lot of information that is available on the Internet. If there are benefits, there must be corresponding side effects too. That is, as we have only pursued material wealth, we have been neglecting spiritual richness.
Only 20 years ago, we seldom heard news about shocking and inhumane crimes. However, frequency of its occurrence has been increasing so much that it is regarded as serious. Not only do criminal cases increase day by day, many people suffer from stress and depression, and in a worst case scenario, they show a life altering mental destruction. I believe it is now the time we should rather take care of improvement of spiritual civilization. No matter how abundant information and materials exist, we have spiritual pain and burden within us. We need to carefully think about what is more important to us.
In the coming days, we need to welcome a new sensation by taking care of our human mind that we have neglected so far. When the mind and consciousness of humans become one with the great nature and the great universe– where we are originally from, the spiritual richness would come about. Upon looking at animals and plants that already live as one with the universe, we can easily find the answer to which kind of mind we should live with. All creations in the world live becoming the universe mind, as the universe itself. Although they do not possess material and information, they have spiritual richness, and therefore lead a true life. Humans also should have a true life. If we throw away unnecessary mind like stress and depression and recover the origin, i.e. the universe mind, mankind will enjoy true life by becoming one with one another. Wouldn’t this be the sensation we are waiting and hoping for?