It has been some time since Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake in and tsunami and then more earthquakes in 2011. Struck by a crisis of this magnitude, people naturally ask, Why? Why do things like this happen? Seeing products of human civilization reduced to wreckage in a matter of moments by the unrelenting forces of nature makes me think, What is the relationship between humans and nature? What have we communicated to the Earth, and what message is the Earth trying to convey to us now?
We may consider these events to be natural disasters, but we have to realize that they are actually the result of choices that each of us makes, no matter where we are, and our collective behavior as humanity. We cannot produce greenhouse gases, dispose of our waste the way we do, consume our natural resources and otherwise destroy the environment of the planet we live on without expecting to pay for the consequences. It is truly unfortunate that, this time, Japan footed a hefty chunk of the bill, and even today still has not fully recovered.
The Earth is believed to be five billion years old, and our oldest ancestors first appeared on Earth about three million years ago. It has been only 40,000 years since humans began using tools. In the 200 years since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, no corner of Earth, however remote, has remained safe from the greedy touch of human hands. Always expanding, always profiting, and always hoarding and destroying everything in our path, we have finally come to recognize the cancerous nature of our so-called civilized activities. Just as we realize the importance of health after a bout with a serious disease, we are only now realizing the preciousness of the Earth, as the signs of environmental distress become more evident and urgent.
So, what must we do now? First, we have to know that any time a tragedy like this occurs, those who are directly affected are not strangers. Even if we don’t know their names or faces, they are our brothers and sisters, our elders and our children. They’re precious members of our human family, and we cannot hesitate to offer what help we can to those who need it. We cannot divide the air or the ocean in order to protect our environment from areas damaged by the tsunami. It is everyone on Earth’s problem.
We must also realize that each of us is responsible for the future of the Earth and humanity, and take action. When every one of us thinks, “Change starts with me,” and we focus on the happiness of humanity as a whole, we will really start to see huge changes. Fundamentally, we need to strive for the evolution of human consciousness. This kind of growth involves peeling away the layers of selfishness, ego, and preconceptions that surround our original, pure and loving essence — what makes us human, and our ability to connect with the earth. Only then will we be able to treat all of our fellow human beings with real care and respect.
The two most important kinds of information in this world today are about the brain and the Earth. Not merely geologic information about the Earth, but how we can make the Earth the ultimate, purely objective, and loving judge of our values and information. And not just anatomical information about the brain, but how we use our brains to create the world we wish to see as human beings belonging to the Earth.
What I suggest is that by changing your brain, you change humanity and the Earth. Fill your brain with information that will bring about peace on the Earth and the betterment of all human beings.
