Auckland - Opine on Sustainability, Consciousness, & Buddhism

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Light mind Light Print
I have been in AKl the last 10 days, spending time with Ella; a dear friend, wise, kind and loving Buddhist eco warrior, and with myself and my experiences of the past 3 months.

I have been running each day, meditating, studying teachings of Lord Buddha and thinking about sustainability.

As this trip was an exploration of such it is suffice to say that as in much of the world many people in NZ are very much doing their part to at the least, lighten their footprint on the planet if not live according to a great and high standard of sustainability. Of course, there are many who give it all not a thought.

The environments I have been immersed in have been varied, with some places/people making a concerted effort to do certain 'acts of sustainability' - composting, vegan ism, not buying packaged products, even growing the majority of their food, collecting rain water etc. Then, there are people whose entire way of life is centered around sustainability and it is not even a thought or effort, it is encompassed in every action, interaction, and intention, from the garden to the kitchen to the toilet to the bedroom. This is in one aspect, Permaculture.

What I have concluded at this very moment is that although actions are important as well as key to helping the planet, they are not enough.

What is even more serious that we pay heed to, is our minds. Particularly our mind of desire. For Buddha, the "mind" refers to 'the entire spectrum of our inner experiences: thoughts, feelings, tendencies, personality traits, perceptions, intuitions, and dreams'.

Is it good for the planet to cut down on or cut out getting take out food stuff? Yes. Does it help heal the planet when we consciously conserve energy and resources? Of course. Could it potentially have a more lasting effect to pay attention to what it is in our mind that tells us we need it in the first place? I think so. To inquire into the part of mind that tells us we are too busy, too overworked and overtired to cook and take care of our self, or that it is just easier to get take-away.

It is just a thought really, but something I have felt strongly about over the course of this last week - that although our actions in the world can be highly un-sustainable, I believe that it is our consciousness and our mind states that are even more un-sustainable.

Until we truly deal with our minds (the entirety of our inner selves)- with our attachments, our over-inflated sense of desire, our self obsession, our unconscious eating/drinking/talking/screwing-we cannot remotely deal with the state of this planet in a way that will create permanent change for the good.

For clarity, I am not saying that our positive actions are meaningless, obviously they are not, but I do feel that it is our responsibility to attend to our personal awareness.

And so, I leave it at that, for now, and with a wish being sent that we all can make use of our unlimited potential for consciousness, for love, for compassion, and for service.
Light Mind Light print