Have
we not got enough?
It
never ceases to amaze me just how much luxury we all currently have,
both material objects and levels of longevity. Well of course that
is not the case for the majority actually, though to us in the west
it would appear to be the case. The real truth is that almost 80% of
the worlds populations have very little of these commodities, and
their lives are often cut prematurely short through hunger and
disease. Kind of odd wouldn't you say? That 20% of the people of the
world have more than enough and may not even realise their good
fortunes. A conundrum indeed, do we need more or do we need less (to
share more)?
The
undertones of the issue I see, are the feelings of not-enough-ness. A
supposed lack of Abundance. People seem to think that in having more
(mostly material things) they will somehow escape the feelings of not
being enough. The evidence is however, that many if not the majority
of these poor souls never reach a point of satisfaction. They
continually strive for more and newer gadgets and clothes and wealth.
Now I am not here to criticize any of this, simply to point out a few
fundamental facts, that may be escaping these people, and potentially
direct us all to a way of peace and freedom from the outcomes of this
preoccupation. (Who's eventualities end in mental dis-ease and many
other devastating physical health symptoms)
1.
The items we strive after, are intrinsically dead. They are lifeless,
motionless, without animation, created by destroying that which is
living. Its a type of necrophilia to be killing the living earth and
creating lifeless gadgets and other material objects. No-one (not
even me) would argue that some of these items CAN have a beneficial purpose
and serve us well. They are tools to give us ease of life and help us
to be able to achieve many more tasks and objectives than we
previously were able to achieve in our lives or certain time-frames.
However we are all aware of many things that we hardly ever use, but
do very little about this if we are honest. We stick them in
cupboards and attics and garages and sheds and containerized storage
facilities, for a day that often never arrives. My grandmother had
plates and crockery which I never actually remember her using, and
when she died all that happened was that the family argued and
fought over who got what. And for what? So that they could also stick it
away in another drawer, cupboard and garage....
I
hope that you see what I'm saying. Billions of created (dead) objects
are not even serving any useful purpose at all, except possibly
the occasional reminder of a loved one. We all know someone who's
house is so full of 'things' that their life is cramped and
challenged by fear of someone stealing their dead goods. If we were
actually using this stuff, then it wouldn't feel so destructive and
harmful to mother nature. But in the main we all do this. We take and
we take and we give little mind to what the effects of our
wanting/taking will have on her.
2.
We really don't need all of these things to have a happy life. Before
they were invented, we managed. We made the best of our situations
and got on with appreciating Nature and our natural environment, the
beauty in it and how to enjoy it. Gatherings with friends, shared
meals, sharing of tools and equipment, resources and the abundance of
mother earth.
An example of this:
In rural communities the farmers
would employ the local people to produce the crops and when harvest
time came, even the villagers whom usually had other jobs,
businesses, pretty well all gave a hand to bring in the sheaves. This
provided unity of purpose, a shared income, and meaningful work for
many people.
When mechanised farming came in,
the farmer needed less farm hands, was able to create more product
from less resources of labour and create larger profits. (The debate
about profits/loss can go on all year, and I'm certainly not
inferring farmers were/are greedy and therefore the cause of the
suffering) But people were the ones to lose out in this scenario, and
also the earth. Because labour wasn't needed so regularly and
tractors, combined harvesters and ploughs, harrows and crop-sprayers
used resources of the planet to be made. And then buildings to house
them. (Have you also noted the amounts of old rusting, rotting
machinery there is laying around in farm yards/buildings? These could
have long since been recycled)
3.
The clothes, shoes, jewellery, ornaments, make-ups, perfumes,
designer things, named brands and technology have all come at the
cost of using natures stored resources, and not always in very
environmentally friendly ways. I too like some of these items and get
great satisfaction from having their service. But it bothers me, that
we as a race, have not really considered the long term damages we
have wrought in having these things. Our wants have overtaken sense
and reason, our needs have given us almost no conscience for the
results of this action. We need to see that coexistence and longevity
as human beings and Nature is a fine line that cannot be crossed
without huge impacts.
A
great friend of mine and a psychic, Mandy Peterson recently wrote an
article likewise describing this very phenomena and what she
considered the causes to be, and noting the increasingly damaging
side affects of such behaviour. We have both actually been
championing this very issue for many years. The ways in which it has
become so evident that we, human beings are causing the majority of
this problem is clearly documented in scientific studies and
ecological research. Al Gore, Severn Cullis Suzuki, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace are amongst the main body of action being taken to
re-balance this caustic behaviour. And others like Mandy, Radical Routes, Abundant Earth Community, P4eace, Fellowship of Intentional Communities, Diggers and Dreamers (and the groups/communities and
organisations they champion) and many many more are all taking
positive steps towards de-cluttering the earth of the materialism and
its cruel harmfulness towards Nature.
As
a warrior for change and respect for Nature I have cut down
significantly on using carbon energy. I make more informed choices
now with regards purchasing products (which does not mean, buying
nothing) so that I can have a clearer understanding about how these
actions have impacted on physical resources. I am not totally against
people benefiting from creating items for people to use, nor in
favour of suddenly closing factories. But I am saying that I have
seen other ways of providing things that have less impact on the
planet and communities. I also gave up collecting huge stores of
material items and now I share the things I had previously and keep
little more than what serves me daily. I don't own a car either. That
way I don't need to impact on using petrol (who's companies destroy
and harm the planet more than most) need insurance (another largely
greedy commercial enterprise) nor roads already laid. I ride a
bicycle and walk everywhere I can, and I occasionally ride in a car or on a
bus or train. I buy foods from local enterprises and check that they
have acquired them from greener sources as much as is humanly
possible. I work to support myself, which as I have little outgoings,
is far easier than before. Which gives me some free time to pay
attention to the beauty all around me. Walking is a fantastic way to
see Nature and engage with it and reconnect with the beauty it shares
for free. Travelling at speed means that we miss most of this
engagement.
I
recount the above measures I have taken merely to highlight what is
possible and not to say anything heroic about these actions. There are many more besides. It is
far easier though to go with what everyone else does, but it would
not be the right thing to do. As I have seen the benefits of this
choice, I wanted to share the idea that I am helping to implement
here in Lincolnshire. It is presently called the Abundant Earth Community. Please check out the google group, read the blog entries
and share whatever you can if you feel the passion to help create
sustainable alternatives for our futures.
And
please remember, that you are enough. Without all the trappings of
the world and its greedy, selfish negligence of the planet.
I
AM ENOUGH..!
Love,
peace, light an harmony.
Namaste.
) 
