What does it take to have a good life? People read books, blogs and other posts, listen to taped and video media and take numerous classes, all in an effort to enhance their living experience. Most people strive all of their lives to try to live “the good life”.
As we age, what makes for a good life changes and, as our experiences widen at any age, so do our choices. However, not enough people associate living a fulfilled life with caring for the planet. Without the basics, such as quality food and water supplies, it would be hard to live a good life. Increased pollution has now surpassed the earth’s ability to eradicate its negative consequences. In addition, the global population increase has generated more demand than the earth’s natural resources can supply, especially for the next generation.
Sadhguru explains how we can help tend the planet and live the good life.
Sadhguru: “Right now, we have the necessary technology, the necessary resource and the necessary capability to address every issue on the planet. Never before in the history of humanity have human beings been as capable as we are today. The only thing that is missing is inclusive consciousness.
The preservation and nurturing of this planet is not different from aspiring for a good life for ourselves, because there is no good life without a good planet. We are looking at ecological concerns as some kind of an obligation that we have to fulfill. It is not an obligation, it is our life. The very breath that we inhale and exhale is just that.
Unless people feel this and have an experience of this, I don’t believe they are going to truly act in any big way. If people don’t take care of the land, they will ruin the whole country. Whatever our economic concerns are – we need to do many things – we must always keep ecological concerns a part of our economic development. Otherwise, we will pay a very big price for it. This is something the policy-makers, the industry and the public should constantly be aware of and strive for.
Raising the consciousness of the whole world may be a long-time project in terms of work, but if the leadership – people in positions of responsibility and power – experience and truly feel this within themselves a huge change can be brought about in everything that we do. If the consciousness of a few key people on the planet – the way they think, feel and experience life – can be altered even a little, and if the necessary focus and investment of resources is made in the right direction, I think Mother Earth will correct herself.
If we just provide her with an opportunity, she will turn everything back into absolute abundance and beauty. We don’t have to do anything great; we don’t have to fix the earth. If we reduce the meddling to whatever extent we can, without making ourselves suffer, if we just lessen the damage that we are doing, the rest will happen by itself.
Scientific studies say that if all the insects disappear tomorrow morning from this planet, the life on this planet has only twenty-five years left. All life, including us, will die within twenty-five years’ time. Not a single life will be left. Including bacterial life, everything will die if the insects go away. But if human beings disappear tomorrow morning, in twenty-five years’ time, earth will be flourishing. Though everything that we do is not biodegradable, fortunately we are biodegradable and so the world can do fine.
Spiritual process without concern for life around you is not a spiritual process, because anybody who looks into himself, anybody who turns inward, naturally realizes that his existence and the outside existence are not different. Spirituality essentially means an all-inclusive experience. When there is an all-inclusive experience, being concerned and being caring about everything around you is very natural.
It is my wish that we as a generation do not become a disaster in every sense. In our lives, if we do not do what we cannot do, there is no problem. But if we do not do what we can do, we are a disaster.”
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