Compassion is an intrinsic part of us all, existing in one or more forms. One would hope that all people develop their compassion even further over time; yet, in so much of our world, we see a lack of compassion all around us. Starvation amidst plenty; homelessness amongst mansions; pollution of many kinds impacting mostly on the poor and disadvantaged; and even the simple courtesy of greeting people properly is often missing. What has changed?
In our so called ‘modern’ world, almost everyone has been made to believe that the route to “success” (unfortunately generally only measured in financial terms) is to compete; however, humankind has survived the last 150,000 years or so, solely due to co-operation. Imagine a tribe surviving winter if they had not co-operated in spring, summer and autumn, to ensure that there are adequate supplies to see them through… imagine people trying to hunt down an elephant without co-operation… even growing and harvesting crops for the tribe without all helping… It would not have worked…and if you had to grow your own food, build your own home from local materials, spin and weave your own clothes, make your own furniture, build your own car, and so on, life as we now live it would not be possible…
It is this shift of our natural intrinsic being from co-operation to competition is what enables the social, economic and environmental problems we see all around us today. And someone, somewhere, pays the price – both people and our environment…
Most of you are aware that “the system” is highly problematic – and one systemic approach to use to find a way forward is to add the notion of Justice in our environment, both natural and built. A link often not made to matters environmental, is that between Justice and compassion. Confusingly, people assume compassion for animals and Nature has the same meaning, but far too often, simply becomes a Conservation agenda, not Environmental Justice. Perhaps surprisingly to some is the fact that the apparent separation from Nature by people is actually a European construct, and exported to the world. Traditional societies have always been close to, and saw themselves as part of, Nature. It is in realising that ALL life is sacred, that we can give full reign to our compassion, in the way we live, work and play.
It is in deconstructing our beliefs and value systems, and re-building them based on what we know, what we have learnt, rather than sticking with what we had before, that enables us to grow. Embracing change is a powerful way to live, and one could argue that there is nothing more valuable to oneself than to shifting oneself along one’s life path… so whether it is seen as a religious, spiritual or human journey, a journey it remains. Journeys imply shifts through space and time; similarly, we need to shift ourselves, if we are to grow and learn and be better.
