Planet Earth

The state of our planet seems dire to me.

We have contaminated the air with chemicals and electromagnetic radiation.
We have contaminated the water with pesticides, herbicides and pharmaceutical residues.
We have contaminated the soil with herbicides, pesticides, and god only knows what else.
We have contaminated the food supply with these chemicals and god only knows what else.
We are destroying the rain forests that sustain us.
We are rapidly depleting our resources and they are not renewable.
Our economic models are not sustainable.

I believe that all governments and religions are initially set up with the the best of intentions.  Then, while people are busy making up rules, rites and regulations, Truth escapes out the back door and greed and corruption take hold.  This is nothing new.  What is new is the sheer magnitude.

Our planet cannot sustain this.  Our planet is a living organism.  It will cleanse itself of us, if it has to.

We may have already passed the point of no return, I don't know.  I do know that if we don't wake up NOW, we will for sure destroy our planet as we know it.  We must respect the sacredness of ALL life and act accordingly.

My response to this state of affairs has evolved.  At first I just buried my head firmly in the sand (what difference can one person--namely me-- make?).  I am reminded of an image that I will never forget.  It was during the protests in Tiananmen Square in China in the late '80s.  The students were protesting during a pro-democracy movement.  The government response was to send in the army, with a bunch of tanks.  A lone man stood in front of a whole line of tanks and he stopped them.  He must have decided that this was not okay.  This was not something he could bear to stand and watch and do nothing.  I still have the newspaper photo tacked up on my wall to remind me that one person can make a difference.

I woke from denial into passive activism (online petitions, writing letters to government officials, boycotting certain companies etc.).  I still do this.  Numbers matter.  If everyone did it then I think things would have to change.  Why do you think they control the information we get?  They don't want us to know what is going on.  As long as we don't know what they (governments, corporations) are doing, as long as we have enough to eat and as long as we are distracted by our gadgets and conveniences, they are literally getting away with murder.  The murder of Mother Earth.  Will you stand and witness without raising a peep of protest?

This became depressing for me.  The more I learned, the more dire our situation seemed and the more I felt like a voice in the wilderness while the world hovered on the brink of disaster and all the people were busy texting each other.  I developed a very sore shoulder (shouldering the burdens of the world?).  I meditated on that for a week or so.  I received a two-part answer that I will share with you:

Part I:  I am not alone.  I was never alone.  If I just do what I can, in full consciousness, without anger, resentment, worry, or fear, that will be enough.  Just do my small bit, whatever it is in the best way that I can.  I am writing this.  I also offer my services to those groups that I am in solidarity with.  But only to the extent that I am comfortable.  I am not comfortable calling strangers, for example.  So I don't do that.  It won't help my cause, any cause, if I am steeped in anxiety while I am trying to "help."

Part II:  I am a forever being.  We are all forever beings.  Can you even conceive of not being?  This is a grand experiment.  An experience.   If it fails, we will begin again somewhere else.  Not that big of a deal in the grand Universe.  It's like building a castle in the sand.  We know the tide will come in, yet still we delight in building our castle.  Should we not build our castle because we fear the tide?

Perhaps it is just time for high tide.  Perhaps there is nothing to be done except stand and witness.  Fear not, for you are a forever being.  And you are not alone.

Another helpful analogy is of a storm.  The storm is cleansing.  It may be violent and destructive, but the aftermath is beautiful.  The world is fresh and clean.  I think we are in for the mother of all storms.  We may not survive in our physical bodies.  But, in case you haven't noticed, there is only one way out of here and we must all take that route.  This is your life.  When are you gonna show up?