THE DAWN OF A NEW DAY

"Soon will the present day world order be rolled up,
and a new one spread in its stead." -BAHÁ'U'LLÁH

A new and stupendous force, unifying in effect, which emerged with the birth of 20th century in man's evolutionary history, is now exerting itself to take its rightful place in the scheme of things. As a bewildered humanity looks on, still unable to understand or bear the full impact of events in the 19th century, the forces of nature ever at work invisibly and mysteriously, have brought mankind at the threshold of its next higher stage of development - the World State. Perhaps the maturing of nation states, industrial revolution, unimaginable progress in the fields of transport and communication, and the tremendous increase in the knowledge of man are only a prelude to the magnificent enfoldment of the next scene in the human melodrama.

The new scene brings in its wake a new and glorious future for the whole of mankind based on a new world order. At one time mankind was, writes Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, "passing through its stage of childhood, at another its period of youth, but now has entered its long-predicted phase f maturity. The evidences of which are every where apparent ......Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standard, new capacities  .... The gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although timely and sufficient during the adolescence of mankind are now incapable of meeting the requirements of maturity."

Mankind has yet to understand its new role fully. It will not be wrong to say that we are living in a maladjusted world; in a civilization which has lost its faith and is adrift and rootless in the universe; in a world where belief in God died a century ago; and where the only philosophical question of importance left is: why not to commit suicide ? Skepticism has risen to such heights that Jung had to observe, 'Skepticism can be a burden rather than remover of tensions.'

Why are we facing all these problems and confusion ? Human civilization is at present in a transitional phase. It is passing from one phase of its evolution to another. As a child cries when it first comes out of its mothers womb - unable to adjust itself to and bear the exposure of a new and wider world, so is the civilization crying today. Or is it going thought the lab our pains, being in the process of giving birth to a new and 'greater era of truth and wisdom - the glorious world of unity, universal peace and happiness ? A new say is dawning on the world. The need if the time is to understand the present stage in our evolution - to rediscover ourselves and our surroundings. Evolution is the insuperable law of the contingent world. The old world order always changes, yielding place to the new.

 © Prof. Anil Sarwal