CONDOR AND EAGLE

Nearly every culture I know prophesies that in the late 1990's we entered a period of remarkable transition. At monasteries in the Himalayas, ceremonial sites in Indonesia, and indigenous reservations in North America, from the depths of the Amazon to the peaks of the Andes, and into the ancient Mayan cities of Central America, I have heard that ours is a special moment in human history, and that each of us was born at this time because we have a mission to accomplish.

The titles and the words of the prophecies differ slightly. They tell variously of a New Age, the Third Millennium, the Age of Aquarius, the Beginning of the Fifth Sun, or the end of old calendars and the commencement of new ones. Despite the varying terminologies, however, they have a great deal in common, and "The Prophecy of the Condor and Eagle" is typical. It states that back in the mists of history, human societies divided and took different paths: that of the condor (representing the heart, intuitive and mystical) and that of the eagle (representing the brain, rational and material). In the 1490's, the prophesy said, the two paths would converge and the eagle would drive the condor to the verge of extinction. Then, five hundred years later, in the 1990's a new epoch would begin, one in which the condor and the eagle will have the opportunity to reunite and fly together in the same sky, along the same path. If the condor and eagle accept this opportunity, they will create a most remarkable offspring, unlike any seen before.

"The Prophecy of the Condor and Eagle" can be taken at many levels — the standard interpretation is that it foretells the sharing of indigenous knowledge with the technologies of science, the balancing of yin and yang, and the bridging of northern and southern cultures. However, most powerful is the message it offers about consciousness; it says that we have entered a time when we can benefit from the many diverse ways of seeing ourselves and the world, and that we can use these as a springboard to higher levels of awareness. As human beings we can truly wake up and evolve into a more conscious species.   JOHN PERKINS

Chicago's Green Festival was held at McCormick Place in the south side four months back. I rode 3 miles along the coast through a heavy mist in a light rain jacket to get there. It cost only $5 to get in due to my eco-friendly mode of transport. I was there to meet John Perkins.

Before telling the story of the condor and eagle, he spoke of how some indigenous cultures from North America believe that each of us are born into this world with a specific purpose, or "legend". They say we are born into certain surroundings among particular people and circumstances exactly when and where intended. We are born to spend our lives working towards the achievement of whichever specific purpose we were brought here to perform.

What a clear and uncanny perspective. How contrary to so much of what we've been led to believe in western culture. By now you're well aware that thinking is not taught, and far from encouraged in our society. Assimilation is the norm. Pick an established field based first on its expected paying salary, then on its interest to you, and fall in line. What if instead we were convinced of our unlimited potential at an early age, that those who blaze their own paths rather than following crowds have historically made greater progress and led more fulfilling lives? Quite simply, positive changes would emerge and the planet would begin to mature as a whole. They've always said one should decide what he or she loves most; then find a way to make money doing it. But how many of us actually do this? How many of us earn a living and feel rewarded with our labor at the end of the day? How many of us have jobs that truly make a difference? (other than numbers on the bank statements of those at the top of the pyramid) The answer is simply not many.

Somewhere along the line, emphasis went from progress to profit. We lost our way when materials began to take precedence over ideals. The outside became more important than the inside. The goal has become to acquire and amass; human achievement has become essentially a bi-product of our efforts.

The unification of the condor and the eagle is coming.

The choices we're offered are unacceptable. Left versus right is an invalid contest. The system is broken. Our decisions and actions must soon be based upon common sense and the common good. What works best in one nation need be what works best for the entire planet. A time is coming where fake politics and the economic shell game will be a matter of life and death.

Balance is what's required. Balance between light and dark, masculine and feminine, left and right, mind and heart.

The prophesy must come to pass; all other outcomes lead to failure.

Each time we choose a new way to deal with the challenges of life, our solution contributes to the diversity of human will that ensures our survival. As one of us pioneers a new creative solution to the seemingly small challenges of our individual lives, we become a living bridge for the next person who finds himself or herself faced with the same challenge, and the next, and so on. Each time one of us faces the condition that others have faced in the past, we have more options from our collective response to draw from. Relatively few individuals may create possibilities that become choices for the whole.  GREGG BRADEN