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 hardly a thought or effort. But it is a practice;
encompassed in every action, interaction and intention. From the garden
to the kitchen to the toilet to the bedroom. This is
Permaculture. A living model of dynamic conscious integration of human to human and human to environment; not pushing, not forcing, not whacking down but in the Kiwi sense, giving way.
What I have concluded at this 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 the 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 the planet for that matter) and 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. Our crime, our rape culture, our identity politics, our killing in the name of god. Our being offended at every turn and not having the emotional intelligence to manage it. Until we deal with all of that and more, we cannot remotely deal with the state
of this planet in a way that will create lasting 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
Bright amazing hilarious and loving Gen came down from Kerikeri and drove Belinda to Mt. Albert to see me the day I left. I am so blessed to have spent the day with you Gen to receive your light and love before my departure. Thank you! and to boot she gave me the cassette tape of Boney M we have been listening to for 2 weeks!! see this link if interested in becoming a fan :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvDMlk3kSYg
Mt. Albert, Auckland was my last stop. I stayed with the lovely sisters Ella and Wynne where each day I was inspired by sisterly love, teaching myself to cook Indian food, running up Mt. Albert each day to look at the panorama of Auckland environs, and Ella's Thangka paintings and Buddhist teachings.
Tane Mahuta is in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand. Its age is unknown but is estimated to be between 1250 and 2500 years old. Its Māori name means "Lord of the Forest", from the name of a god in the Māoripantheon. We also saw the three sisters and hundreds of other amazing Kauri trees throughout the incredible forest of which contains three quarters of New Zealand's remaining Kauri trees.
immersion in the world of creating environ-human-mental health and healing through sustainable living and food growing practices. and in other words, it is a life education exploration of farming, food culture, and leisure practices that I hope will further my understanding of what nourishes people in the whole of their lives. equally, I hope that it will be a journey into knowing more of my personal roll & skills in being a steward for the planet.