A Declaration of Interdependence - General Sources of Inspiration

I am not who I was, I am a part of something greater that is always changing.

I take the view that we should live lightly on the planet, with the aim to pass this beautiful planet to future generations in better condition than we ourselves found it. Yet the likelihood of this coming to pass is poor. The human species has probably already changed the face of the planet in ways that will take millennia to rebalance. We have added more carbon to the atmosphere than there has ever been, and added polymers to delicately balanced eco systems.

But in light of this great failure I plan, through these blog posts, to explore the ethical, spiritual and practical dilemmas (or trilemmas; when adding the Buddha’s middle way to the mix) of being a modern human. Trying to live with wisdom and compassion while being one part of the most destructive force of nature ever to have walked on the planet’s surface.

Before I get going I want to apologise, briefly.

I know that I shall fail to reference all the sources of knowledge that substantiate this blog. Many things I have read will come out through these words, even an idea that feels original to me will no doubt have been formed by other’s ideas I have consumed along my path to make sense of being human. It is not in arrogance of thinking myself original that will lead to the lack of accreditation but a poor memory. I will update this page’s list of the dominant influences as soon as I remember, while within each post I will provide links to the specific influences for that topic.

I have been touched and inspired by reading “The World without Us” by Alan Weisman. The book envisions a world suddenly vacated by the dominant species of humankind, exploring how our influence diminishes, whether slowly or quickly, across many spheres of life. The cities we’ve built dissolving, the transport systems collapsing, the cultivated plants reverting to the wild, and the atmosphere, last of all, reabsorbing all the extra carbon we’ve released through our excessive use of fossil fuels.

I am inspired also by the wisdom of ancient and modern spiritual teachers, Ken Wilber and Alan Watts come to mind first. Because for me they have crystallised wisdom teachings and found vibrant and accessible means to communicate it. One thing I would like to share from their over flowing pots is this. If you are able to see a situation you are no longer stuck in it. There is a freedom in knowing that we are stuck. This is not the time to feel sorry for being stuck, or beating ourselves for being where we are, now is the time to act, to move forward.

May we all seize this opportunity to benefit ourselves, our friends, our friends to be, all living beings, and ones to come, this fragile yet resilient earth, and all that is beyond the knowing of this complex being that is just coming and going.

Nathan