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Shared
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Contributions and
published articles with photos from people about how life can be
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What
does “living sustainably” really mean?
by Jonathan Evelight (June ‘03) This question has been a burning inspiration for two decades - ever since humanity gathered at the largest summit that had ever been held in Rio in 1992 in fact. The legacy of that event was 1) a keynote, “sustainable development” that rang like a bell with local government and ecology groups but few had a clue what it meant, “to develop sustainably… our profit or our lives?” depending on your motives of course, and 2) a blueprint for the 21st Century for people and governments that set targets and proposed guidelines called Agenda-21. Twenty one years on, despite government fudging and limited commitment, it’s clear that it is with ordinary people where a true understanding of what it means to live sustainably and where new emerging models can be found. If you pose this question “What does sustainable living really mean”, ordinarily it is often answered, “Oh that’s environmental isn’t it?”, or “something to do with life support?” but obviously it’s much more than this. It’s as much about our perception of what life is about as it is about how we support our lives. To live sustainably I believe, is to have a balanced relationship with our inner and outer worlds. Of those who consciously relate to their world, be their approach predominantly an environmental one or a spiritual one, there is a dawning perception that it is balance inside and outside us that we are all seeking. Not a utopia, or an illusory peace in the world, but an intimate and conscious relationship between all beings that maintains, not necessarily even harmony, but evolution. If we can bring these two poles together, because we know “all things are connected”, in our own world, then naturally we will begin to live more sustainably. Is the universe not intended for this - to sustain life throughout countless changes until basically it wakes up and knows itself to be - as the Delphic Oracle challenges us, “Man know Thyself”. Who at least can disagree that life seeks a natural balancing system of change. It is our response-ability that extends throughout our world in the relationships we have with others and the natural world that we must work on. It is neither environmentalists or new-agers but our conscious attitudes of a reverence and oneness of life uniting us all that can “save the world”. In practice this means where there is any form of discord with others I have to find an attitude that can restore the balance. Equally where my daily habits do not relate directly to and find balance with the natural world I must seek to change them. This of course many of us as consumers by our choices are doing all the time. But I wish to challenge this comfort zone by showing where the true adventurer will be journeying. To be part of “the system”, i.e. the state and multi-national corporate world we know as society is to be dependent on it for the supply of the essentials for life: food and water, fuel and energy, money and information. This is a profit driven system that cannot escape from the consequences of its basic profit motive; conflict and war, poverty and suffering. The most selfish entities on the planet at this time are nation states and their corporate masters. You may say, as Buddha or Christ once said, “I live in the world but am not of it”. Or more defiantly you may say, “not in my name” when your government goes to war. But we are paying our taxes aren’t we? The urgent question many of us are asking is something like “do I stay and try to change the system from inside or opt out and move to somewhere I can create a life I believe in?” I firmly believe that in finding the balance inside life reflects back the world we are seeking. I also believe that the best way to help stop the old stuck political economic machine from sucking our last gasp of humanity from us - actually to change it fundamentally, is by withdrawing our compliance, our dependencies, and by deciding to create the world we want to live in. The journey begins by choice. When we know it’s right to consciously choose to live more sustainably we will arrive at our goal. If life is connected this goal is meant to be and we will be helped. For many it is learning and recovering the life skills that can sustain us. Using clean technology and understanding how life works, relating to the earth’s natural resources in a dynamic and personal way will be part of it. Permaculture*, for example, is an incredible design approach for living sustainably applied to any life condition. As we venture down this road we will naturally find other people being drawn to us with whom we can share the journey, perhaps build and co-create inter-dependent sustainable communities and villages. We know things move forward in providential ways when we decide to go for what feels right. This is a fundamental principle of how life really works, not so much coincidence so much as natural selection. Maybe we could tell Darwinists a thing or too. As humanity is moved daily by tragedy and injustice, this spur to seek a more natural balance may well give rise to: 1) a gradual withdrawing from a dependency culture and from an unsustainable mechanistic system, paralleled by 2) an emerging civilisation inherently sustainable because founded on a culture of accepted inter-dependence and responsible cooperation. “Sustainable living” is in fact a quality or a bridge to a new world culture, civilisation and humanity. What will it be like? We know because many models already exists. People everywhere are organising their lives on similar heart-based founding principles. The countless eco-communities world-wide are the first experiments where new culture is being born. These are some of their emerging characteristics: A new heart-based culture can demonstrate a truly democratic process of organising itself when people sit together respectfully to listen to one another to determine a common outcome. A good example of this form of collective self-governance is sometimes called "rainbow talking circle". If you have lived on the streets or in an independent village community of people it is clear that issues and needs can all be met in this way with a sense of celebration and joy – far more powerful than the political 3 or 5 year one man/woman one vote nonsense. Inherent in sustainable self-governance is the art of "true-speaking", non-violent communication and practical conflict resolution - essential if we are ever to respond to our collective needs naturally without third party state intervention. Necessary for supporting a shared sustainable lifestyle will be a truly not-for-profit economy that can be a joy to participate in when you are not caught up in extracting your margins but are willing to share skills and resources in an equitable way that meets needs not so much the wants. How much more fun when people and children participate together in their mutual natural education, to discover and explore how life really works and how to relate to it. Many natural learning and teaching systems now operate at independent schools, via home education or in community groups, but they all have one thing in common; they honour the intuitive in us. Is this what state education has lost out on and aught to be the basis of our science – in fact is not “con-science” a clue to what scientists should be re-searching for? And doesn’t everyone know that inner rightness when eating natural food grown locally, or, drinking spring water right out of the earth, or switching on solar power instead of coal or nuclear? If this is right then let us decide to seek the balance. In order to live more sustainably let us work on this inside/outside relationship. It’s easy to say but not so difficult to do either. It’s only attitude. Put it this way, if we are part of creation seeking balance then we need to know 1) how to release the power of creation within us equals our true potential, and 2) who we are, our true nature! If you’ve got that far (!) the next steps may be less complicated:
Opting out of the present world into a hermitage or eco-village isn’t necessarily the answer unless there is this balance. Like the Philosopher’s Stone it is a hard to find alchemy but I believe it is the Grail of our future living.
*Permaculture – permanent culture and agriculture, is a design approach for sustainable living. (See www.permaculture.co.uk)
For further information please write to “Rainbow Communities”, Caixa
6538, Portas Transval, 7630-066 Odemira.
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