These days, people from all walks of life are turning to ancient cultures for help with daily issues. Eastern traditions like Buddhism and the meditative practice of yoga have led many Westerners to peace. The faster society moves forward, the more important it is to keep the ancient wisdom alive.
Although the trappings of society have changed from fire pits to ovens, from hides to manufactured clothes, humans still have the same need for spiritual continuity. But modern societies have lost their traditions. The ones that survive have had their spiritual meaning eroded by consumerism. Meanwhile, government-decreed holidays offer national pride as an inferior substitute for heartfelt connection.
This isn't to say that modern people should trash their iPods or cut the cable TV. Worrying about change will never stop; neither will change. Therein lies the beauty of our advancing enlightenment: people blend the best of the old with the best of the new to create their future. Echoes from the past resonate with the now to transform what will come.
It used to be that this transformation happened on a small scale. Clans interacted with other clans to transform their communities. Neighboring tribes shared and even clashed to generate new relationships. During the Industrial Revolution, nations enhanced their own people by interacting with other governments. Now citizens bypass official ambassadors and reach out through technologies to create a truly global society.
At times the process becomes chaotic. Nuclear weapons allow the dictators of small countries to wield global threats. The speed of progress pushes humans into ever-faster adaptations. The culture of celebrity buries the quiet culture of life experience beneath glittering photos and instant video feeds. The chaos is neither good nor bad. It is only a symptom of growth.
The modern age is like a teenager casting about for what he might become or a young woman trying on fancy clothes to see which might suit her. The global society is barely more than an toddler so growing pains are natural. Guidance, as always, comes from the elders, the systems that predate our global society. The parents are the cultural and religious traditions that developed over the last few thousand years. The grandparents are tribal societies that are older still.
Tribal-based cultures like Native American, Australian Aboriginal and Hawaiian (Polynesian) systems had-and still have-different perspectives. By learning from them, people from every nation can better their lives. In the process, they will also cross boundaries of race, religion and other social boundaries to create a better world.
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