You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind these days to miss the messages that nature is sending us. My question is, given that everything is in such turmoil, what can we really do about it? Everything I think about doing seems like 'too little, too late' and doing nothing seems equally disagreeable. I want to be socially and morally responsible, but I feel somewhat helpless. Please point me in the right direction?
Please begin by becoming aware that the world is not in as much turmoil
as is being painted for you, 'in living color' as a previous generation
once pointed out. Also notice, that in every landscape painting one
color seems to stand out more than the rest. In your current
landscape/timescape green is the most outstanding color. Green, as in
the color of your currency and Green, as in the color of your
environment. Sometimes, even a trained eye can be fooled into believing
that it is seeing the outstanding color when it is absent altogether!
How? Because the absence of something is felt more strongly by the
emotional body than the same item's presence. That is why a loved one
is missed more dearly once they have departed than while they were
present. It is also why hindsight seems clearer than the light of the
present moment. With this primer, that things are not always what, why
or how they appear, we will explore your question more deeply.
To be specific, nature is not sending you messages that the world
is in turmoil, those messages are being broadcast by those who do not
see nature as natural,
as well as by those who would further their interests in commanding
nature as they see fit. It might seem that their interests and yours
are similar, but that is not true. Nature is sending a message, but the
message is not a new one, it is still the same. Basically, the message
is this: "We are what you are, without exception. Why be without when
you can be within? Why stand outside the circle of life as if you were
apart from it when you have always been a part of it, without
exception."
Nature's message has never wavered and it has never been louder or
softer. Humanity's perception of the message, on the other hand, has
wavered. The volume at which Nature speaks, as well as the language
(gentle or harsh) that Nature employs has varied over time, depending
for the most part on how humanity perceives itself in relationship to
everything else, including Nature. Then as now, humanity has not looked
favorably upon itself, judging all too quickly that which it has barely
begun to understand. What is the hurry? Why castigate and condemn? In
attempting to cut away a cancer another grows before the first has
healed.
Since Nature is incapable of judging (itself or you) it is also
incapable of thinking thoughts of scarcity. The 'too little, too late'
schema does not apply to Nature. It is too busy being what it is and
doing what it does within the greater context of things. And here, as
we arrive at the main difference between Humanity and Nature, it
becomes more obvious. Humanity does not regard itself as creators of
its world or its experience. At best, it believes it has inherited its
world, At worst, it believes it has been marooned upon this world by
another race, by a less than compassionate God, or a variation of both.
Humanity is a species, a kaleidoscopic vehicle of light, a
spiritual organism, and much more. Humanity as whole can best be
described as a conservatorship.
A conservatorship is an entity that is responsible for the preservation
and protection of something of great value and consequence to many, a
guardianship and trust to ensure a future for the competent and the
less than competent alike. While being fascinated by its individual
nature, humanity has forgotten the cardinal laws that providence has
imbued it with. Cardinal Laws, or those that lesser things
hinge upon, are pivotal and to overlook them is folly. In ignorance,
humanity (as less than whole, or a fractionalized version of itself)
has set itself apart from its true nature, as part of Nature. The
answer then, or its beginning, is the restoration of that which is
natural as and within Nature, beginning with Humanity itself and
extending to all that is native to Humanity as a whole.
Is it possible to restore the earth and its relationship with
humanity or is it too late? Let's explore the 'too late' schema first:
Using this mental pattern humanity would judge itself destined to
endure misfortune, disaster and finally failure. But what then? What
happens after that? Imagine the worst-case scenario as many do and make
it as real for yourself as you can. What happens next? And after that?
And a thousand years hence? Now explore the 'too little' schema: In
this mental construct there are too few left among you who care enough
or are able to effect any kind of change in any measurable way. Apathy,
cynicism, and misanthropy reign. What happens next? And after that? And
a little later on? And a thousand years after that? The point that we
are making is that any scenario you envision or imagine has a context
worth exploring, as well as a possible end, as well as a next beginning
within a different contextual expression. There is always the next
moment even when that moment is nothing like the last.
This moment that humanity calls now is nothing like the last. It is
not like the last time humanity went in search of itself, it is nothing
like the last New Age, and it is nothing like the last period of global
warming (of which this is the seventh). If it cannot be compared to its
predecessor than perhaps it is an original moment, the first of its
kind. Perhaps it is a beginning. Perhaps many millennia ago, in someone
else's schema, someone just like you imagined this is what the next
beginning would look like. And perhaps they projected themselves
forward in time and painted themselves into a landscape that was
missing a shade of green so they would remember what was missing in
time to do something about it?
It is not too late and no amount of caring is too little. And
whether or not others believe this has no measurable impact on what you
decide to think, believe or do. You are the only one who matters in
this regard. You are the one who has imagined the next beginning. And
because you have already imagined it, you are standing upon its
threshold . . . or at least where the threshold will be as soon as you
imagine (image) it into place. Again, it does not matter that others
may be standing upon the brink of despair or the threshold to nowhere;
that may be where they want to go or feel they must go.
So are you alone in this? If your imagination is not grand enough
will the world slip away between your fingers or your thoughts? No,
because there is enough will and force in the world to sustain and even
revitalize life as you know it. But if there wasn't enough will, would
the world be dissolved or destroyed? Yes and no. An honest and
practical answer is that as long as there is purpose there is also
presence; there is also now.
Depending upon how you choose to see things, you can either place
yourself near the end, or sunset, in which case you would be around to
see the next beginning or the dawn. Or you can place yourself at the
beginning, in which case you may as well beginning creating until
others join you, contextually speaking. The end and the beginning are
both places where realities collide.
Many are looking for 'reality checks' now, but whose reality is the
reality? Will you surrender your vision of reality simply because there
is less agreement for your version? Is the consensus of your media,
governors, scientists or those who dwell with the ordained more
substantial than your own? Soldiers have ever gone to battle to test
their mettle. Yet even without a battle, a banner or a belief to
defend, every life is one of spirited determination and every life is
an exploration of both tempest and temperament. Personal hates all too
quickly become personal Hades (hells); devils and deliverers are neighbors and friends when no one is looking.
Personal morality (a more pure distillation of social morality)
is a characteristic of pure conscious awareness. It is developed within
and then tested without. Personal morality is based upon higher law and
not upon the right and good opinion of men. A moral victory is a
personal one that guides and encourages grace, goodness and honor.
Whether or not others conform, convict or condemn is irrelevant since
you exist independently of their superior or poor opinions. You are
still developing your moral responsibility, it is not mature enough
yet, but it is ripening quickly! Do not give up on it nor chastise
yourself for not exercising it often enough. Vigor and valor dwell
within you, but you have not yet been properly introduced, these twins
are still relatively unknown to you, but not for long.
As you begin to develop your own personal morality you will also
explore several different moral philosophies. Eventually you will
arrive at one that is perfect for you and through the experiences that
you choose for yourself in this life you will continue to make your
philosophy more perfect. This life is, after all, an extension of your
soul's philosophy and your journey (also called the Heroic Path) an
expression of that. A personal philosophy is an important tool, and
longer ago than history allows you could not graduate from an academy
or university without first demonstrating that you had developed an enterprise toward inner knowledge.
In the long ago that I now relate, Ethics and Morality were a branch of
philosophy, a science in the tradition of Mathematics and Logic. The
former were called normative sciences and the latter formal sciences.
Chemistry and Mathematics were then associated with the empirical
sciences, and Psychology (the design and designation of the soul) an
empirical social science. Much later on, a less substantive study of
the human mind within a social and cultural context emerged and was
also called Psychology.
In these ancient schools of philosophy, whose teachings are still
relevant today, Philosophers (scientists) learned to determine and
express goodness in content and goodness as conduct, as both of these were deemed indispensable companions. The lesson always involved the ability to discern that which was good
or desirable in itself, as opposed to that which was desirable as a
means to an end. The former implied an ultimate or higher value, a
living example of the highest good.
Most ethical doctrines were divided into categories such as prudence,
pleasure or power, and unique tests of discernment governing each of
these categories were presented to candidates for graduation at almost
every turn. Invisible tests were administered by graduates; thinkers
of the time who wore blue cloaks and indigo colored rings. Because the
tests were subtle in nature, the undergraduates rarely saw the trap
they were about to stumble upon. They were given to say that the tests
had been influenced by the blue cult, or "out of the blue" as is said today.
The ultimate value of a doctrine or principle is not easily revealed.
You are also a candidate who is being presented with several different
challenges. Your lessons may be less formal than those described here,
but their importance is of equal measure. Are you certain where you
stand on the issues of the day? Could you make a formal decision that
affected the lives of many for better or worse and be at peace with
your decision? The ultimate value of a moment, a thing or even a
relationship is sometimes impossible to determine until in hindsight
wisdom is born, which is why the development of a personal philosophy
can be both useful and practical. Presence, fortitude and satisfaction
are but a few of the benefits associated with a personal philosophy.
These, along with the doctrine of natural human fulfillment lead to the
expansion of ultimate good.
Those who lack the motivation to exercise any preference resign
themselves to accept the decisions of others, for better or worse. The
life of these individuals would include a philosophy of prudence and
they would live in conformity with the moral conduct of their culture
and society. Those who follow a philosophy of prudence from ignorance
rather than choice often look back upon their life with bitterness or
angst.
Hedonism, a philosophy that promotes pleasure as the highest good
is especially popular near timescapes where dimensional shifts are
possible and likely. Even in a philosophy of pleasure challenges will
greet the candidate along the way. A hedonist must decide between
intense pleasure and enduring pleasure, as well as when to deny
pleasure for the sake of comfort. A hedonist struggles in the
preference between mental and physical pleasure. Their journey may lead
them through halls of addiction where mirrored distortions offer an
escape to a self-imposed prison.
Those who crave competition sometimes develop philosophies where
the highest attainment is power, a form of control. Each victory,
however sweet, raises the level of competition to the next level.
Eventually, absolute power becomes a subjective rather than objective
desire. In this philosophy one eventually defeats oneself of causes
others to do the same. Those who seek power and control conform to the
ethics of others as long as it supports their rise to power, but often
deviate from the same ethics once they become successful enough to do
so. Their pursuit of the ordinary rewards of an ethical life will mask
their ulterior motives for power for a time, but these will be
discovered as absolute power always begins to corrode and corrupt from
within.
The development of a personal philosophy will strengthen you and
deepen your purpose. Your purpose is not what you do or why you were
born, but it does enhance and expand your awareness as well as your
desire to grow. Your purpose is like the roots of a tree. It reaches
deep into the earth so you can reach high into the heavens. You rarely
need to take the time to check the condition of the roots as they are
being nurtured from below and within. The roots maintain the tree in
every season, weathering storms, draughts and more. The leaves and
branches of a tree may grow far away from the roots and in a variety of
different directions. Regardless the roots will continue to be and do
anything and everything that is in he best interest of the tree. Even a
tree that has been cut down continues to be useful.
Look beyond the shortcomings of others and you will rise above your
own much faster. Begin anew just beyond where you think you are. You
are always a little further along than you give yourself credit for,
mostly because you spend so much time looking backward. Remember that
in the beginning everything was chaos, but it was not in chaos. In the beginning everything also seemed to be in turmoil, but it since it was natural for it to be so, no one questioned it. It was understood that the all within the ALL was in process. No one doubted it then. The same is true today.
Now is the next beginning. Yes, there are endings as well, but the Law
of Continuity encourages you to pause rather than to come to a complete
stop now. Notice that others may stop where they are now and decide
that they cannot or will not go forward. Honor their choice and
appreciate them for the contributions they have already made. The Law
of Continuity honors that something (or someone) must pass through
several intermediate states or condition on its way to becoming to
something (or someone) else. Those who pause or stop now may choose to
rest or stay in one of these intermediate places. In that case, they
are creating the bridge that you will soon walk across, upon their
backs, as it were. The more grateful you are for what they have
accomplished, the stronger the bridge that you cross will be.
Look beyond appearances and beneath the surface of things,
literally so. Some time ago, an evolving humanity decided that they did
not want things to continue as they were. A percentage of the
population thought so, said so, and began to imagine a different future
for the earth. Since thoughts become things, a variety of potentials or
earths were 'born' and several of these are now being explored. The philosophies we have explored also apply to the earth. The earth serves at the pleasure of humanity,
meaning that the earth recreates itself based upon a collective
philosophy. Given this truth, much of what you see now is normal, one
of the intermediate steps described earlier.
Comets, eclipses, and other 'star works' encourage you to see how
different the sky looks. This is not a time for the faint of heart, and
you may note an increase in the heart rate and rhythm of those who are
accelerating or ascending to a new truth. Begin each day by being
comfortable with yourself as you are, regardless of what you think of
your contribution to the earth or to humanity. Acknowledge that you are
an integral part of a changing world and that every thought, intention
and action you take matters. Change the world as you see fit or not at
all. Thoughtless problems and solutions are temporary; however,
thoughtful solutions are permanent. This is because when you realize
the cause of the problem consciously, you will not have a need to
repeat it or be intimidated by it. Ask to be part of any solution that
interests you and, as you become this, grant yourself the wisdom and
compassion to share the knowledge with others. That is the gift of
everlasting.
©2012 Pepper Lewis and The Peaceful Planet. All of the information presented is for your reading and enjoyment. It can be shared in whole or in part with others who may find it of value as long as it is for personal use. In so doing, we ask that you always include the copyright notice located at the bottom of each document. This ensures our ability to make this information available to those who do not have access to the Internet. All other reprints including electronic transmissions designed for commercial use must receive permission from the author. Publications and websites interested in carrying this information as monthly columns or special features are encouraged to do so. If the material must be shortened in length, please clearly state that it is an edited version and refer the readers to the original full-length version.
Comments
Wow! Thanks for the deeply resonating insights! Thanks for writing this. A LOT of good stuff here. Real good!