What…ever”
Saying “What…ever…” is not letting go. There is anger in “whatever”. There is aversion there, hence grasping. No freedom, no relief …no “letting go”.
Regarding my periodic suffering from feelings of anger, fear, and despair, brought on by what we are doing to our planet (to ourselves), I know that I must move from “whatever” (I think the fancy definition is nihilism, but which basically is: “screw it, we’re doomed”), to some other understanding.
This seems right, especially because the planet has no problem…really.
We have the problem.
We are the ones who have this quaint notion that this human enterprise of ours (eating, pooping, and forcing our opinions onto each other) is somehow quite important, and needs to continue; but we are the ones who are running out of time.
Our planet, on the other hand, manifesting its boundless patience and love for us, is now kindly offering us, yet again, the signs to which we imagine we are entitled.
We are being told:“If you are so sure that your human ‘mission’ needs to carry on, you’d better smarten up, or you are history. Please believe that I will do what I must to take care of myself and as many other species as I can. I am in no rush. I have time, and will take the time I need (a million years? two million? no problem.), to clean up your mess. I will move on. I must do this. But you…are you in? Or are you out? You need to decide pretty soon.”
So, instead of investing all my hopes on the “visiting team” (us), I’m going to root equally for the “home team” (planet). If the home team wins (and if we have acted in time), we win too. With this understanding I think I can relax, still do my part to help, yet be comfortable in the certainty that things will turn out just as they need to.
Please be kind to yourself (and our home),
Metta,
Michael
