Throughout the history of human civilisation, every culture has had its own idea of the future. The crushing disappointments that are so often part of the human condition have sometimes led to crises of confidence in the future, replacing hope with despair.
There is always something special about trees. Entwined with the mythologies of every civilisation, trees have outlived humans by hundreds of years and stand for continuity, security, strength, stability, community, wisdom and generosity.
Whatever may be the case, today in this high tech age, among the 150 calendars, the Gregorian calendar introduced in 1582 A.D. based upon the Julian calendar of 45 B.C. has become the de facto global calendar. It reckons time by determining the start of a New Year from the midnight of 31 December although in our country the New Year celebrations continue month after month.
Just as a fire is screened by smoke or the sun by the rainclouds, similarly our inveterate egotistic desires screen our innate urge for knowledge and spiritual growth.
