IN REVERENCE TO LIFE

“THE POWERFUL R’S:

When we watch sci-fi movies of Space Travel etc, we often see people eating their meals out of tubes similar to toothpaste tubes.  During the holiday season, when we see shops full of stuff which is sold/bought in the name of celebration, we need to pause and think, is it necessary to buy the packs of 100 greetings cards, wrapping paper rolls, ribbons, etc?  Is it necessary to gift someone something just for the sake of formality?  Is there another option of celebration which will not create unnecessary garbage for our planet.  How fortunate we are to have been blessed with a spaceship, which travels in the universe on her own without us having to worry about her fuel needs, or her protective shield; or how should we pack our drinking water on board; or keep inventory or having to ration our food tubes…  The more you think about the benefits the Planet Earth provides us on our journey, the more reverence you begin to feel.  I have a simple list of reminders to help me to live in reverence to our Mother Earth, which I call: “THE POWERFUL R’S:

1.  REDUCE:  Can we try to minimize our needs and desires; or at least begin to become aware of unnecessary ones, for a start.  This applies to all of us and begins with everything we buy and use.  Can we do with fewer gadgets, or fewer garments, or own fewer properties.  How can a consumer minimize consumption not just of food but of all the other ‘stuff’.  The less we use, less garbage we create, less clutter is in our homes and the planet as a whole.
2. REPAIR:  What happened to the days when people used to repair stuff if it breaks down?  These days it is so simple and so tempting to walk into a shop and buy the latest model of something that has just stopped functioning. If we consider repair; we, not only save our own money, but also provide income opportunity for the one who will repair.  By repairing, and reusing, we create less garbage and less mess on Earth.
3. RECYCLE:  Try and dispose of garbage so that waste paper, glass, metals etc can be recycled.  It is a bit of work, but does help all of us in the end.  Also recycling the stuff which is lying around you, for another genius use of it.  I once drove past a motor vehicle repair garage, which had used hundreds of old tyres to create a fence around their yard… J
4. REUSE:  In the olden times a woman could gift her wedding gown to another young woman, instead of spending time, money and effort on a new one.  No one really wears the wedding gown often… How can we share and reuse more often?
5. REFUSE:  If we become more aware of the garbage that is created during the holiday season, we could consider discussing with our friends and family on how to gift each other in non-polluting ways.  Perhaps, send electronic greetings cards instead of paper ones; or gift services/help to each other instead of objects; or spend time with each other, saved from the time which we might have spent running around shopping for gifts.
6. REVERENCE:  As per dictionary, Reverence means (noun) – deep respect for someone or something; (verb) – regard or treat with deep respect.  This planet does not just belong to humans only.  The fauna and flora are equal partners of this planet.  Always remembering that other beings have equal right to live; could attune our mind to become more mindful and learn to share eg reduce pollution by refusing to play fireworks at Christmas or Diwali… Reverence will also mean keeping our surrounding clean and working daily to avoid creating unnecessary waste and working to eliminate air/water/noise pollution.  How about planting some trees to create fresh air?  Or, growing a few of our own vegetables… in the garden or indoor herbs in pots… There are so many ways to give reverence to life.
7. REST:  We spend much time, effort and money running around daily eg earning money to buy ‘stuff’, shopping for the ‘stuff’, packing/laying out the ‘stuff’, then displaying and cleaning the ‘stuff’…  The less we need to own, the less we need to earn to buy what we need to own; and the less time we will spend on taking care of what we need to own.  If we own less, we can have more time to ourselves – we can use that time to simply rest and meditate… J  I have not even begun to mention so many ways in which we can express reverence for life.  I, myself, am still learning to.  Can you suggest other ways of expressing reverence, so that we or our future generations don’t end up eating out of tubes???  Please share with me any ideas you have or whatever you already practice in the way of “Reverence for our Planet Earth and for Life on it”… ~Rosy Kaur.  Love & Light, 04.01.2014