Page 490 of
Print Edition Expressions of anticipation of the arrival of understanding of the human condition

The insights expressed in Mark Seymour’s Holy Grail as to what it will be like when understanding of the human condition arrives are exactly the same as those expressed in Bob Dylan’s song The Times They Are A-Changin’, the words of which were included at the end of the Resignation essay. Other prophetic anticipations of the arrival of the human-condition-ameliorated new world were included in the Introduction, in particular Jim Morrison’s song Break On Through, U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, John Lennon’s Imagine and the Rolling Stones’ I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.

The immense paradigm shift that occurs with the arrival of the understanding of the human condition has been anticipated throughout history. The awareness is embedded in all mythologies as illustrated in the following examples.

Notice that although these prophetic works come from vastly different times they share the same imagery. This coincidence arises because all humans are acutely aware, albeit subconsciously, of what occurs when understanding of the human condition arrives.

Cat Stevens’ 1971 Peace Train: ‘Now I’ve been happy lately / thinking about the good things to come / and I believe it could be / something good has begun / oh, I’ve been smiling lately / dreaming about the world as one / and I believe it could be / some day it’s going to come / cause out on the edge of darkness / there rides a peace train / oh peace train—take this country / come take me home again…everyone jump upon the peace train / come on now peace train / get your bags together / go bring your good friends too / cause it’s gettin’ nearer / it soon will be with you / come and join the living…now I’ve been cryin’ lately / thinking about the world as it is / why must we go on hating / why can’t we live in bliss / cause out on the edge of darkness / there rides a peace train / oh peace train take this country / come take me home again…’

Bob Dylan’s 1964 When The Ship Comes In: ‘Oh the time will come up when the winds let up and the breeze will cease to be breathing / Like the stillness in the wind before the hurricane begins / The hour that the ship comes in [when the liberating but also confronting truth about humans arrives] / And the sea will split and the ships will hit / And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking / And the tide will sound and the waves will pound / Page 491 of
Print Edition And the morning will be a-breaking // The fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path / And the seagulls they’ll be a-smiling / And the rocks on the sand will proudly stand [nature is going to be immensely relieved by the arrival of the peace-bringing reconciling understanding for humans] / The hour that the ship comes in // And the words that are used for to get the ship confused / Will not be understood as they’re spoken [the denials will be seen through] / Or the chains [holding the truth back] of the sea will have busted in the night and be buried on the bottom of the ocean [the denial will try to reimpose itself but it won’t be allowed to succeed] // …Oh the foes will rise with the sleep still in their eyes / And they’ll jerk from their beds and think they’re dreaming / But they’ll pinch themselves and squeal and they’ll know that it’s for real / The hour that the ship comes in / And they’ll raise their hands saying “we’ll meet all your demands” / But we’ll shout from the bow “your days are numbered” / And like the Pharaoh’s tribe they’ll be drowned in the tide / And like Goliath they’ll be conquered.’

Cat Stevens’ 1971 Changes IV: ‘Don’t you feel a change a coming / from another side of time / breaking down the walls of silence / lifting shadows from your mind / Placing back the missing mirrors / that before you couldn’t find / filling mysteries of emptiness / that yesterday left behind // And we all know it’s better / Yesterday has past / now let’s all start the living / for the one that’s going to last… // Don’t you feel the day is coming / that will stay and remain / when your children see the answers / that you saw the same / when the clouds have all gone / there will be no more rain / and the beauty of all things / is uncovered again… // Don’t you feel the day is coming / and it won’t be too soon / when the people of the world / can all live in one room / when we shake off the ancient chains of our tomb…’

The Bible, Micah 7:4,6,9,16,17,18,19 (parts of this quote also appear in Matthew 10:35): ‘The day of your watchmen has come…Now is the time of their confusion…For a son dishonours his father, a daughter rises up against her mother…a man’s enemies are the members of his own household…I will bear the Lord’s wrath [bear condemnation from cooperative idealism], until he pleads my case and establishes my right [until the knowledge that explains who I am arrives]. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his justice…Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power. They will lay their hands on their mouths and their ears will become deaf…They will come trembling out of their dens…Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression…You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; and will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.’

Page 492 of
Print Edition The Bible quotes many other anticipatory references to the arrival of understanding of the human condition. A powerful description is given in the Book of Joel, a quote from which has already been included in this essay. Isaiah gave a clear description of the arrival of the reconciling, peace-bringing understanding of the human condition when he talked of the time when, ‘the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord…[and, as a result] the wolf will live with the lamb’ (11:6,9). Daniel anticipated the time that has now arrived when alienation and its pseudo forms of idealism—referred to as ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ (9:27, 11:31 & 12:11)—would threaten to destroy humanity. Daniel described the arrival of the exposing truth that would bring an end to all the artificiality of human life as, ‘a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations’ (12:1). He also anticipated the difficulty resigned minds would have in hearing the denial-free truth, saying, ‘None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand’ (12:10). The prophet Hosea described the arrival of the cleansing honesty of ‘the day of reckoning’ (5:9) as going to be so relieving it ‘will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth’ (6:3). Like Daniel, Hosea anticipated the deaf effect the truth will cause when he said, ‘Who is wise?…He will understand…[while the rest will] stumble’ (14:9).

The song Aquarius from the 1960s rock musical Hair, lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni: ‘When the moon is in the Seventh House / and Jupiter aligns with Mars / Then peace will guide the planets / And love will steer the stars // This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius / The age of Aquarius / Aquarius! Aquarius! // Harmony and understanding / Sympathy and trust abounding / No more falsehoods or derisions / Golden living dreams of visions / Mystic crystal revelation / And the mind’s true liberation / Aquarius! Aquarius! // [chorus repeated] As our hearts go beating through the night / We dance unto the dawn of day / To be the bearers of the water / Our light will lead the way // We are the spirit of the age of Aquarius / The age of Aquarius / Aquarius! Aquarius! // Harmony and understanding / Sympathy and trust abounding / Angelic illumination / Rising fiery constellation / Travelling our starry courses / Guided by the cosmic forces / Oh, care for us; Aquarius.’

A poem I wrote in 1965 at the age of 20: ‘This is a story you see, just a story—but for you / Um—I remember a long time ago in the distant future a timeless day / a sunlit cloudless day when all things were fine / when we all slow-danced our way to breakfast in the sun // You see the day awoke with music / Can you imagine one thousand horses slow galloping towards Page 493 of
Print Edition you across a vast plain / and we loved that day so much / We all danced like Isadora Duncan through the morning light // We skipped and twirled and spun about / Fairies were there like dragonflies over a pool / Little girls with wings they hovered and flew about / their small voices you could hear / You see it was that kind of morning // When the afternoon arrived it was big and bold and beautiful / In worn out jeans and bouncing breasts we began / to fight—our way—into another day / into something new—to jive our way into the night / from sunshine into a thunderstorm // We all took our place, rank upon rank we came / as an army with Hendrix out in front / and the music busted the horizon into shreds / By God we broke the world apart / The pieces were of different colours and there were so many people / We danced in coloured dust, we left in sweat no room at all / We had a ball in gowns of grey and red / There were things that happened that nobody knew / Bigger and better, I had written on my sweater / Where there was sky there was music, huge clouds of it / and there were storms of gold with coloured lights / It was so good we cried tears into our eyes / In a tug of war of love we had no strength left at all / Dear God we cried but he only sighed and / whispered strength through leaves of laughter // On and on we came in bold ranks of silvered gold / to lead a world that didn’t know to somewhere it didn’t care / It couldn’t last, it had to end and yet it had an endless end / We were so happy in balloons of coloured bubbles that wouldn’t bust / and we couldn’t, couldn’t quench our lust / There we were all together for ever and ever / and tomorrow had better beware because / when we’ve wept and slept we will be there to shake its bloody neck.’