REFLCTIONS YARO -- JULY 2022

 

                                                                                       Climate change image from TIME magazine

REFLECTIONS YARO - JULY 2022 BLOG

 

Dear reader,

 

The month of July is significant in history. The French revolution of 1830; the American revolution or Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July).and many more important events that changed the world.

I am sitting at home and reflecting on the events of the current year. Again, the news is bad for everyone on this planet. The future has not much hope for humanity. The pandemic crisis, the war in Ukraine, the economic disasters are only a few examples how we are dealing both with Nature and Culture.

My favourite writer in the weekend Australian, Phillip Adams, just wrote an excellent article entitled “U.S. OF FAIL”. He reflected that the once Democratic Republic called “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is no longer united but BROKEN” – he said that it is a failed state.

  One example is what seems an endless shooting as people with guns enter schools and kill children. In the first 22 weeks the state had 246 deaths. And these are the consequences of wilful disregard of the old constitution that permits everybody to carry arms for ‘self-defence’ and the Rifle Association is spending millions of dollars promoting that old right.

And as we are still suffering the outcomes of the Pandemic crisis, some people are turning more and more their attention on the CLIMATE CHANGE issues and how the Pandemic can lead the world to a better, greener world.

Although we have known the science of climate change for many years now, there is still a lot of nations that are in a denial stage, but the reality is that in the last year or two, we have witnessed fires in Australia and California, flooding in India and earthquakes in Afghanistan. Pacific islands on the edge of being inundated, and there will be more to come.

Now, spurred by the alarming scientific facts, there is a growth of public fury everywhere. The deadly Pandemic is by enlarge being controlled by multiple vaccinations, most government, corporate bosses, and political leaders are finally waking up to a practical and necessary idea whose time has come and that is: CLIMATE CHANGE.

The notion that even in the darkest times, there are surely bright lights if we care about our Earth - collectively. A new definition has emerged from young people who are working as so called    ecopreneurs. The assumption that government leaders would lead the climate solutions, but recently the young entrepreneurs declared that “this is a war in which all nations must be allies” (Ed Felsenthal - Time editor).

I am now reflecting on a notion that has been for some time, but science is still confronting and that is that humanity will suffer a collective crisis and we may go the same way as the dinosaurs – become extinct! However, there are other people that believe that any crisis is an opportunity to change and learn from the consequences. Today I found two TIME magazines and one University of Toronto journal exploring the possibilities to resolve many cases such as:

1.      Eliminate carbon emissions much faster

2.      Improve youth mental health worldwide

3.      Prevention of a new pandemic

4.      Build robots for any purpose to facilitate the workforce

5.      Advances in artificial intelligence leading to a better future for all.

All these ideas and ideals are great but 7,8 billion people on Earth have not reached that stage and those ecopreneurs must lead the way to not only to do things better but also teach people how to be HUMANS. Here is an example of a professor in Toronto, Canada who has developed a teaching style called: COMPASSIONATE TEACHING that resulted from the shift to online teaching due to the pandemic. Determined to promote single acts of kindness among her students, she was able to reduce student mental health and inspire many to go out into the world and engage everyone in kind and compassionate activities.

Here is one way to enable yourself and others around you to be more human and this small exercise is a simple way to BE!

There are some questions to answer by yourself. Pause after reading these statements and reflect on: “I do not know” Realize that we are a vast mystery that holds you and all life.

1.      Become aware of that mystery that is your body. Note the trillions of synaptic connections in your brain. The 100 trillion of bacteria in your gut. Your liver processing millions of cleansing reactions. Your body is awash with in fluids, tubes of blood, urine, bile, and spinal fluid all collaborating to keep you healthy and well.

2.      Look into the eyes of a small child. See the spirit born into a new form. Where did this child come from? What will it become?

3.      Get a spoonful of soil. Discover that it contains billions of bacteria, millions of fungi, thousands of protozoa etc. There is more in a spoonful that is all the planets combined.

4.      Visit a cemetery and quietly contemplate death.

5.      Sit in a park and contemplate about love and desire.

 

We are all humans and when we accept our humanness, we discover a remarkable transformation.

by Jack Kornfield,

 jackkornfield.com

Finally, here is a quote from the Buddha who lived about 4,000 years ago:

Live in Joy and love

Even among of those who hate

Live in Joy and health

Even among the afflicted

Live in joy and peace

Even among the troubled

Free from fear and attachment

Know the sweet joy of THE WAY!