Ethics of Tomorrow

The Dalai Lama recently said 










 "The time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics, that is beyond religion" 
I totally  agree with this - isn't it true that although, theoretically, most religions value similar moral principles, when it comes to practice, the religious bias so often leads to conflict and strife rather than harmony between people? Perhaps part of the way forward is a more individual approach. For each person to take guidance from their education and backgrounds, but  individually to come to their own values and principles which then become like an internal spiritual compass  - orientating a person from the inside.  
At the same time as this more individual 'hands on' approach, there are so many fundamental issues which are totally relevant to all people....like why are we here on earth? Is there a deeper reason for life beyond the obvious?  ....perhaps it is under this larger 'humanity' umbrella that is beyond nation or creed,  that we can find the real importances, that provide a solid foundation for a kinder, more compassionate way forward?
So, first research and discover the collective issues, then take an individual stance?

Plant Life in Danger of Extinctions

     
I saw a fascinating program about an expedition by a chap working at Kew Gardens to Kenya. The purpose of the trip was to gather seeds. One of the rather gripping and concerning issues being raised was that it is estimated that 25 % of ALL plants on the planet are currently in danger of extinction. Whilst there is quite a high public awareness of endangered animals like the tiger or panda, not so many people are aware of the situation in the plant kingdom. In particular, seeds were being gathered from a variety of plants which had the capacity to withstand extreme temperatures,both hot and cold, as a preparation for the impact climate change could  have on plants upon which we currently now depend.  One example of this was in the gathering of seeds from a variety of wild rice.... thought was being given today as to how to avert possible future problems.

I found the fact about the expected extinctions a little shocking, but was encouraged by the practical preparations being made today in readiness for what the future might need.  As awareness of our changing times grows, it is just this conscious pioneering of the needs of tomorrow, that, to me, is a brilliant mind set to develop ..... rather than worry over much about the problems, seek to understand the situation as thoroughly as possible, and then volunteer to be part of the solution in whatever practical ways we can !!

Animals Intelligence and Sensitivity

I seem to be receiving a lot of emails and links recently from friends about the sensitivity and intelligence of animals.  One which particularly caught me was of a monkey rescuing a puppy from high flood water ..as shown here...sorry for the quality of photo but isn't it amazing ?  Another was of a video showing one dog risking its own life to pull another dog off a busy motorway and onto the verge after an accident. It makes me ponder to what degree we under-value the sensitivity and intelligence of the non human lives of the planet. Not that this is a new idea..about 2500 years ago, Pythagoras said "Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul"
It feels like a really important part of building a  more humane society, to develop a greater value for the fauna life and to appreciate their lives for what they are in themselves, and not just for what they do for us. 

Gender Balance

I had a fascinating conversation with an old friend recently. He had just returned from Bahrain, where he had been working intermittently over a number of years.

I asked him what was his take on the Arab Spring from his own experience in Bahrain.
He said that he felt nothing could really change long term in the governments unless things changed within families and the gender balance....that the masculine influence was too strong & dominant...the feminine influence too absent.    Intrigued, I asked further and he went on to explain that his experience was that  behind closed doors, even amongst some of his educated colleagues, the man of the family was a bit of a tyrant...viewing both the women and children as his to do with, as he chose, and that physical violence was still not that uncommon. The autocratic governments which we have seen in the Middle East, he felt, are a like a large scale reflection of this family pattern.

This gave me food for thought....as it demonstrates how change at the ground level, could  influence  society. So often people feel they personally cannot make a difference, but in fact everybody can and does contribute to the status quo ...either by confirming or changing it.  Perhaps part of our changing  times is the breakdown of this 'top down' kind of influence and the appearance of much more personal responsibility from individuals....as well of course as a natural and balanced working partnership between the genders.

You become what you think about !

I saw this post on one of my friend's Facebook yesterday
(thanks Russell!) and absolutely loved it! 









 It seems that one of the important features of life today is the growing recognition  of the unseen  worlds of energy, and their enormous influence on every aspect of living.  Even a few decades ago, it was seen to be a bit  'flakey' and 'alternative' to be talking  about that side of life and yet it holds the most profound of clues  to living a progressive and conscious life.  As Einstein says here, it's not philosophy, it's physics!! What a great encouragement to know that if we put ourselves on the frequency of what we want, it will become reality. I think this is maybe another way of saying that we become what we think about !

Nelson Mandela

One of my colleagues from Templates for Change recently visited South Africa. (New U-tube about this appearing on TFC soon on the Human Heritage Series ! )http://www.templatesforchange.org/discovery-zone/human-heritage/ 

He told a couple of stories about Nelson Mandela on his return. One was from the day Mandela was released from prison after 27 year's incarceration. He apparently looked back at the prison on Robben Island and realised that if he didn't let go his anger and negative feelings, then, whether freed or not,  in reality  he would spend the rest of his life in prison ...WOW!!!!  What a very inspired realization...to be a big enough person to let go the negative, and then go on to make the extraordinary difference he has in our fast changing world is so uplifting and inspiring !  What an example !

The other was a quote from him on Resentment which is so profound and so deeply  intelligent.   "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies"

More on Elephants

Talking to one of my friends about the previous blog, she told me another amazing tale about her daughter working with elephants. Having recently taken a job with elephants, she was warned about a particular large bull called Max who had been cruelly treated. She was told to be careful because his behaviour, not surprisingly in the face of his history , could be dangerous and unpredictable. Ignoring the warning, her daughter was drawn to this elephant and stood close to him stroking the elephant's trunk. He then stroked the girl's shoulder with his trunk. The two stood close  together looking into each other's eyes.

 The girl said she felt such intense hurt and pain coming from Max that it caused her to start crying ... at the same time, she said she felt an extraordinary healing energy surrounding them both. At this point the elephant too began crying ..and both stood with tears pouring down their faces for some time. She said she felt the elephant was being healed of all the hurt and pain that had been inflicted upon him.

After this experience, Max was, in her words, like a little lamb who followed her around - no trouble at all !  This story again made me reflect, not only on how sentient and sensitive elephants can be ...but also how amazing that there are  such healing energies which can soothe and heal some of the ghastly amount of hurt and pain there is in the world....and of course the magic of this story also evokes how that energy can be attracted by a person sensing the need and taking the time and care.