.JPG "Earthen Spirituality")
Living within a living, loving planet
Posts tagged Gaia consciousness
A Political Process fit for Purpose
Apr 25th
“The growth of emissions can be slowed, relative to the growth rate of the economy. However, emissions cannot conceivably be stalled or reversed while the economy continues to expand, however great the carbon-saving technologies of the coming years.
If our political processes cannot conceive of a non-growth future, and yet a fundamental rethink of growth is the only honest starting point for the fight against climate change, then those political processes are clearly not fit for purpose.”
Oliver De Schutter at the Guardian. Tuesday 24 April 2012
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/apr/24/climate-change-human-rights-issue?INTCMP=SRCH
There are two points that I would like to make about the quote above.
[1]
Fighting against climate change is ridiculous. Just a slight glance at a graphic of temperature variations over a few hundred thousand years reveal that it is always changing. There is no or practically no long period of stability. Over the last million years, at least, we have been going from quick zips of warming squeezed into long periods of increased glaciation and decreased glaciation. Talk about fighting climate change just understandably fuels the skeptics and “deniers.”
I read a lot about the climbing anthropogenic CO2 and steadily rising temperature. The level of CO2 in the air is unquestionably higher than any of the last 4 interglacial periods. Since we as humans had no modern recording and measurement devices, we just don’t know how the CO2 will affect climate. The best we can do is run computer models and simulations. These help us to see into the future but just don’t impress a large segment of our population. Ironically, to make a side step, these same people don’t seem to mind listening to the results of simulations so long as they reveal a story that they agree with.
I’ve said before and continue to claim that we are barking up the wrong tree. Our scientists, driven of course by what governments and multinationals want to hear, focus on why we are still experiencing increasing temperatures, when after around 12,000 years of interglacial warming, compared to the last 4 periods, we should be into a downward dip.
I suggest that we should be concerned and be trying to discover what brought the temperature (and CO2) down in the past. We need to do this as precisely as possible and then when we understand which of the factors discovered are now missing, for instance, millions of trees and immense grasslands and savannah, and then how we can either get around the situation or if not, how we had best prepare for the unknown. Scientists do agree that there are triggers, tipping points, that appear to spearhead the change up and down. I suggest that we have a lot of adequate information about the causes of the upward climb of temperature and emergence into an interglacial period. Whether CO2 climbed first or temperature climbed first is a side issue – important but a mystery that we can live with – while we deal with the known. As I have just said, we spend little time and effort revealing and I argue, explaining to the public that we will most likely skip a whole glacial- interglacial cycle. [An Exceptionally Long Interglacial Ahead?
A. Berger and M. F. Loutre in 23 AUGUST 2002 VOL 297 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org]
Another issue that bothers me is that of our worldview or how we look at our planet. As I’ve tried to suggest and support in my book, Planet as Self, we don’t understand how our planet “works” primarily because we see it as a large and intricate machine. We use the limited views within a pragmatic, physicalist, mindset, with instruments designed to measure machines, to understand a living being. We are IN a planet not on it. We have studied and know that a star, our sun, has a birth and death cycle of increasing heat output on its way to becoming a red giant then a white dwarf and finally a black dwarf. Gaia Theory explains how living beings on the outer skin, so to speak of Gaia, actually work together to counteract this heat increase and maintain Earth’s temperature to the benefit of said life-forms. That’s why we need to work with nature and honour the wisdom inherent in the life of Gaia. After all, we are all first and foremost Earthlings.
[2] Looking again at the quote above, I am extremely pleased to read a critique of the idea of unlimited growth. Out of control growth is known as cancer. Surely it is common sense to agree that a planet with finite resources cannot support unlimited growth. As the author points out, we need to adapt a political (economic) process that is fit for purpose. That purpose being, as a famous American document proposed, the purpose of maintaining a government of the people, by the people and for the people and not just the 1%.
Humanity’s Second Spiritual Age
Jun 12th
Humanity’s Second Spiritual Age
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/duane-elgin/coming-together_b_870538.html
In this new post, Duane Elgin speaks eloquently and forcefully for the ideals of the living universe. For those who wish to read further, they might find his 2009 book, “The Living Universe” helpful.
Although I am aware and appreciate the high ideals and emphasis on love of neighbour within the major religions, I can’t ignore that the two largest major religions have manifested almost continuous warfare and contention. In a little over 300 years after the death of the Christ, King Constantine made the Christian God a God of war; even placing the sign of the cross on his war banners.
Only 10 years after the founding of Islam and the Hijera in 622, Muhammad’s successors began their campaign against neighbouring empires. By 732, they had threatened Europe as far north as Poitiers and were stopped by Charles Martel just south of Tours, France. Islam’s last thrust into Europe occurred at the second Siege of Vienna in 1683 which lasted over two months.
Love of others has always been and still is trumped by politics and economics. There are even state churches like the Anglican church and the church of Sweden. One of the goals of the English settlements in the New World was the separation of church and state and resulting religious freedom.
Although I honour the effort of all major religions, what I am saying is that the “the need to put compassion at the forefront” as Duane has stated has not brought peace on Earth.
Will knowledge that we are not separate from the living universe be enough to bring us to peaceful intents and the end of our raging ecocide? Will this knowledge really bring us to “communion with the living universe,” and an “experience of unity and intimacy within the universe”?
I find Duane’s writing inspiring, especially the paragraph quoted below and find myself wanting desperately to believe that it can happen, but I have grave and serious doubts. “When our aliveness consciously connects with the aliveness of the universe, a current of aliveness flows through us. At that moment — when life meets life — a direct connection between the living universe and ourselves is realized and we have an awakening experience. We no longer see ourselves in the universe, we experience that we are the universe.”
Our aliveness is and has always been connected and has always flowed through us. A current of aliveness is and always has flowed through us. My question is: Will just reading about this or being told this “cause” an awakening experience? Perhaps the trouble with me is that when I look out onto the Milky Way or think about star systems and galaxies, I don’t receive a “direct experience” of the aliveness of that part of me. I cannot develop a closeness with a group of stars or even Rigel, the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the sky. It is too big, too distant, too remote for me to form a loving relationship with.
What I can and do feel and enjoy is that part of me that is the Earth, Gaia. So, for me, the love of the Earth is the direct experience that has been the awakening experience of my life.
Sparkling Meadow of Primal Iridescence
Jun 11th
‘The sea and sky are our shrine room.
The natural elements are our meditation.’
Lifted from this website: http://arobuddhism.org/
I am a “Friend” of a group of Buddhists who work within the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition which in turn falls within the Nyingma tradition of Buddhism, the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Lamas and ordained teachers are Westerners and The Aro teachers are not monks or nuns. I’ll leave other interesting background to those are interested. The website cited above is an interesting and rather complete source of the essence and practice of Aro Buddhism.
The purpose of this post was not only to introduce Aro, but to reveal the first words on the home page copied above. This quote reminds me of my thoughts and writings on the subject of Earthen Spirituality. I quite happily admit that it is, to me, the alpha and omega of all that I have been trying to express over the last couple of years about an Earthen Spirituality, a spirituality that honours our beautiful and bountiful, living, loving planet Earth.
On a more personal note – after all this is a personal blog! – the local Sangha, forgive me if I am using the word incorrectly, appears to be somewhat centred around Bristol whilst Lamas, teachers, apprentices, and Friends live mainly in the Southwest of England and Wales, near my home in Devon.
A few years ago, I became acquainted with a married pair of Aro ordained teachers who have recently become Lamas. They introduced and made me aware of a local project and appeal aimed at establishing a retreat centre which I expect will be located somewhere in the Southwest or Wales. It is named Drala Jong.
Years ago, it came to me that I wished to establish a garden. In that moment, I thought it might be a “church.” Since then, it has emerged that it would be a garden dedicated to the memory of a wonderful spiritual teacher – Jean Klein. Although Jean was not a Buddhist, my reading of the insights from Aro reminded me of what I had learned from Jean and his teachings along the lines of Advaita Vedanta.
Having asked my friends if they thought the retreat centre might be open hosting the garden, I was thrilled to find that my wish could be granted. I envision a small rounded area with flowering bushes and trees, a few large stones and a bench with a small plaque containing a quote from Jean and his name inscribed. It would be a place for quiet reflection and meditation.
Recently there has been renewed energy placed on fundraising for Drala Jong. Jong means meadow and there is no direct translation for the word drala. According to Ngak’chang Rinpoche, as I understand it, Drala Jong is the ‘Sparkling Meadow of Primal Iridescence’. Rinpoche says: …drala relates to the fact that the world is not inanimate, insensate, or uncommunicative. Drala is the living ambience of the world in terms of the personality of a place.” Here again, I am reminded of what Earthen Spirituality means to me.
Synchronicity is an amazing experience for many including myself. When I was granted permission to establish the garden, I had no idea what Drala Jong meant and had not developed my understanding and interest in Earthen Spirituality. I am convinced that both Drala Jong and the little garden are both on a path with heart.
Drala Jong
An interview with Ngak’chang Rinpoche
Introductory Post
May 14th
Gaia Consciousness
This is my first posting on this new blog. I hope to stimulate discussion as to what we can and what we cannot say about spirit, Earthen Spirituality and Gaia consciousness. By Gaia consciousness I mean the idea or realization that there is only one consciousness available to us as an Earthling and it is Gaia. So I suggest that our assumption that we are a separate conscious being looking out onto a separate world is an illusion. We are more ‘being lived’ than living. Now let me make it clear at the outset. Yes, we all, all creatures to an extent, have a thinking function. But, we are not our thinking function. Thinking is a tool, a wonderful tool. However, we seem to be content to eat the icing off the cake and ignore the cake. Why does that ancient text, the Hsin Hsin Ming, by the Third Chan patriarch say: “Stop thinking and there is nothing that you will not be able to understand?” Why because our thinking function is limited and is not at all in touch with our deeper reality, our deeper connection with Gaia and the creative spirit that forms the basis of life as we can experience it. The Psalms say – “Be still and know that I am God.” The word still is probably not a very accurate translation. But turning it around the other way, one can perhaps agree that we don’t engage in endless debate over the nature of God. The thinking function is totally inadequate. However, intuition is a subject for further enquiry at another time.
Please post your ideas.
Choosing accurate and meaningful words for what I am getting at is difficult because our acceptable language terminology has been determined largely by our world view. As we feel deeply into what it is to be alive; what it is to be an Earthling and learn more and more about the intelligence and wisdom of Gaia, we discover how utterly limiting our vocabulary is. What a barrier it is to thinking out of the box so to speak. Traditional science has been very little help by defining truth as that which fits into their measuring instruments and worshipping certainty as it emerges from their measurements. If phenomenon does not fit the instruments, then it is worthless and any thoughts on the subject lack certainty. I have a lot more to say about certainty. Moving on however, Let me suggest a question, a discussion item perhaps.
How would our worldview change if we saw ourselves as actually IN the planet, integrated like the roots and the trunk of a tree? An ancillary question. Is it not probable that a planet such as Gaia, has great spiritual power? The kind of power that fuels the immense diversity and creativity, not to mention the sometimes awesome, breathtaking beauty that some of us have experienced. What is the whole philosophical subject called aesthetics but simply Gaia’s loving energy?
Unfortunately, our vocabulary is limited to the accepted scientific and philosophical terminology largely determined even before the world was proven not to be square and that the sun did not circle the Earth. Don’t we still speak of sunrise and sunset? I don’t have a problem with that but does it not illustrate how we tend to hold on to outdated terminology and ways of thinking?
I have a lot more to say about how our ways of seeing the world limit our ability to learn deeper meanings and relationships.
Please post your ideas, I would really like to hear them.
I find it difficult to keep myself constantly aware that Gaia has wisdom, intelligence and a huge spiritual envelope. My concern is that we continue our destruction of other lifeforms because we don’t love the Earth. We don’t love the Earth because we have not been taught that the Earth is lovable. How much of the loveliness we feel outdoors comes to us through Gaia as a Mother being?
Spirituality and certainty, now there is a provoking subject. I recently discussed global warming with a chap at a private art and sculpture showing. The word certainty came up. Where was the certainty when it comes to global warming. I didn’t have time to develop my thoughts on this. However, when we consider that Gaia is a living being, then we should recognise that living beings simply do not conform to mathematical certainty. Consider: When your medical doctor says that he/she does not know exactly what is wrong with you but puts you on a course of medicine, do you ignore it out of hand because the diagnosis lacks certainty? When scores of research projects link smoking to cancer do you totally deny the probability because the math has no absolute certainty? Will you certainly awaken tomorrow morning? Smog in Tucson Arizona is a certainty. It wasn’t there just after World War II. Are you going to tell me that humans did not cause it? Phoenix Arizona was the place where asthmatics, hay fever sufferers and people with breathing problems were told to move to in the period before 50 years or so ago. Not now. No, for humans by the thousands sunk wells into the precious acquifer and sprinkled blue grass while farmers ploughed and watered the desert. That was called making the desert “bloom.”
Is it certain that humans caused these changes? I think so, don’t you?
Again, concern for the human interference with the manner in which Gaia maintains our health – her health is our health – is earthen Spirituality practice. One last question with this post: Can we damage the planet without damaging ourselves?
Randazzo, Sicily 2011