One of the most interesting calendar coincidences in relation to theMayan 2012 information, is the similarity between the start dates of the last long count cycle of the Mayan system and the Hindu’s Kali Yuga. Yuga’s are vast periods of time, epoch’s that relate to the Earths journey around a cosmological central sun. The four Yuga (Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga) together make up an entire world age between creation and destruction events, held to be around 4,320,000 years in total duration.
Most 21-12-2012 researchers are aware of the 3114BCE start date of the current long count cycle, less people are aware however that the Kali Yuga, a predicted era of moral decent and spiritual bleakness, began in the year 3102BCE. A startling similarity, a mere 12 years difference for systems on different sides of the planet. TheBrahma Vaivarta Purana Sutra from ancient India depicts a period which has many of the failings visible in our modern society, such is the backdrop of the spiritual decline in the Kali Yuga.
It is however a mistake for people to seek a link between the Mayan 2012 end-date and the closing of the Kali Yuga. Though their starts may have links the ends do not (although some suggest this is an error). The Kali Yuga is set to continue on for a vast period of time, at least 432,000 years, well eclipsing the 5126 years of the Mayan Long Count. Scholars from philosophies such as Buddhism, and from religions such as Brahmanist Hinduism, often discuss ages as being many millions of years long, entire vast Kalpa of time are addressed.
There is an excellent Buddhist parable that depicts visually an era of time described as an Aeon, far more effectively than a string of numbers. A teacher monk explains that an eon can be likened to the great stone mountain Meru. Once every year a man passes the mountain and lightly brushed against it a strip of the finest silk. The mountain will be completely worn away by his action well before the aeon closes.
Its worth noting that the Buddhist philosophy does not tend to hold with the idea that a time of any great Universal significance will happen in our near future, every moment carries the same inherent problems and their solutions. The only significant events predicted or prophesised are the ending the vast epochs, or the extremely intermittent arising of new Buddha’s. There have been suggestions in relation to 2012, that the next Buddha will arise at this time in a rather Judeo-Christian end of days scenario. Unfortunately anyone educated in Buddhist lore will know that it is made clear that fully enlightened Buddha’s only arise millions of years apart. Buddhism is prophesised to completely disappear during the Kali Yuga, and that during that time it will be virtually impossible for seekers to find any opportunity for spiritual realisation at all by any system known now. Only when such utter darkness has shrouded the world will another being become fully realised wholly by their own efforts, without any guidance, and become the next Buddha, named Maitreya.
The most notable discussion on the Kali Yuga by Buddhist teachers actually refers to how lucky a being is to be born as a human in such a time. To quote the master wisdom teacher Pabongka Rimpoche, “Most important of all through this physical rebirth you are able to achieve the state of Vajradhara [unification of the illusory body and great bliss] within one short lifetime in this degenerate age; otherwise it would take thee countless great aeons to achieve. Thus this rebirth is worth more than one thousand billion precious jewels.”
21-12-2012 may close a cycle of time related to consciousness change within our species, after all the Mayans were highly focussed on biological and environmental cycles. It would make sense that they had tried to do the same with psychological and spiritual forces. This would be in accordance with the great Asiatic measures of Yuga and Kulpa, as they too relate to the evolution of human consciousness. This considerably shorter cycle of the Long Count would only relate to a significant change in thought process’s however, not to a sudden total self enlightenment of the human species in totality. Even if we take into account the entire Great Year of the Galactic Alignment (26,000 years max.) it is vastly less that the periods Asiatic teachers consider necessary for super-massive consciousness upgrades.
The talk of 2012 consciousness change is by needs somewhat vague, nobody knows for sure just whatmight happen. That said it is wise to perhaps disregard the position which suggests suddenly every person on Earth will automatically become fully enlightened spiritual beings, ready to embrace a world of spiritual concerns, peace and compassion. It is self evident that the last time a Great Year period ended we did not have this happen, nor in prior cycles. The fact is that we are still here and not fully self realised, so we know it does not tend to happen that way. Whether perhaps some certain persons were especially effected or did somehow ascend to a higher dimension remains possible, but as stated that’s not everyone on Earth.
If this cycle is important in regards to the evolution of consciousness then its more likely that the effect is far more subtle, either an evolutionary change in our neurological system, or perhaps a general refinement of the functioning of mental energies. The advantage given would perhaps make self realisation somewhat easier only because the tools, the technology of self development, gets upgraded. If you were a psychopath on 20-12-2012 it strikes me unlikely that even this cosmic-consciousness change will cause you to become a saint in under 24hrs.