Earth Awareness, Conscious Evolution, and Practical Action

Earth Awareness, Conscious Evolution, and Practical Action

What we mean by “earth awareness” and “conscious evolution” is a little different from some of the other ideas out there —which is not to say that those ideas are wrong, or misleading, or unhelpful — but simply that ours are different.

 

Earth Awareness

“Earth awareness” is absolutely central, not simply as a felt attachment, but more importantly as a grasping of the entire systemic life-nurturing, life-sustaining, and self-regenerating system that the Earth is.

James Lovelock

Whether or not you see James Lovelock’s “Gaia hypothesis” as scientifically valid, it reflects a deep and imaginative understanding of the relationship we have with “Mother Nature.” We are, after all, products of, and intrinsically linked to and dependent upon, whatever it is that we call Nature, and this turning, glittering, and sometimes implacable planet we call Earth.

Consequently we need to understand and be vividly aware of our critical life-supporting Spaceship Earth, and make sure that our actions are aimed at restoring its health rather than depleting its resources for a short-term gain.

We can think of Earth awareness in terms of what we know

Conscious Evolution

Similarly, we need to be present to the ongoing evolutionary struggle of our species against its own blinders and weaknesses, and to our effort to bring into being a shared consciousness, the collective conscious self-awareness of the species as the guardians and gardeners of Earth.

 

Practical Action

We’re into “meditation in action,” not simply contemplation: our economies and indeed the bulk of all of our human activities, need to be focused on the living and breathing biosphere which sustains all of life.

 

“Imagine”

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today… Aha-ah…

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace… You…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world… You…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one