The question arises...

The question most definitely will arise in you. It happens to all of us eventually. Maybe during a short commute to the corner grocer. Really it could happen anywhere. The removal of another wooded corner lot, or even a vast stretch of forest, though preferably not ancient or virgin forest. But it really doesn’t matter what triggers it, but it always, eventually, gets triggered. You ask yourself, and I know you have… you ask yourself… “Is this happening everywhere?” You ponder the consequences. Is it happening everywhere? What if it is, what if it is. You ask yourself this a couple times, and again question the significance of your question. There is an answer. You know there is. If the answer is no, no worries! But, if the answer is not no, if this is happening everywhere, what are the repercussions? What could it mean? You are intelligent. You easily imagine these nightmare scenarios of a world stripped of nature. Very frightening. It bothers you for a second, then, when the light turns green, it is gone, you continue on with your morning, convincing yourself that everything is as it should be.

Everything is not as it should be; everything is NOT as it should be.

POPE QUOTE: "We all see that today man can destroy the foundation of his existence, his Earth... Our Earth is talking to us and we must listen to it and decipher its message if we want to survive,"

If we want to survive? Is this really an issue of the survival of the human race? And if so, he says, you must listen to what our Earth is saying. Well, you heard her, you heard her loud and clear. She spoke to you earlier, during that uneventful drive to this event this evening. She pulled herself together, centered herself on you, got your undivided attention, and SCREAMED! Like the innocent victim in a mall parking lot who is being beaten and robbed, she screamed in the only voice she knows, she spoke in “spirit language” directly to where it matters most. Right here (heart). Right here. Now, are you going to just walk away, or is enough enough? If the pope says we must listen to mother earth if we are to survive, does he mean this literally, that she can really talk to us, or is he asking you to listen to your heart during these moments of reflection. Ah, to find the screaming truth in a moment of silence. That’s what he is saying. The truth is there. It is there in these tiny moments. They are all there, all the answers, all the solutions, all the fixes, all the motivation, all the righteousness, all the hope, all the sacrifice, all the compassion, all the love. It is all there. Not only is it all there, but, believe it or not, they, those little nuggets of wisdom and love, are seeking out your questions, your worries, your fears, and trying dearly to find you, to show you the light and the way. For what you are witnessing, this insignificant destruction of an inconsequential piece of land is not an isolated incident. It is global, it is planet-wide. It is happening to a greater or lesser degree TO THE ENTIRE LIVING WORLD. IT IS EVERYWHERE. You are not witnessing just the removal of a few trees or a few acres, what you are seeing is a global genocide. Unknowingly, we are witness to the final death throes of a struggling, ignored, and traumatically beaten geological epic; as the Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences so eloquently puts it, “We are into the opening stages of a human-caused biotic holocaust--a wholesale elimination of species--that could leave the planet impoverished for at least five million years.” E.O. Wilson is a little more spiritual. In his book The Future Of Life he writes “An Armageddon is approaching at the beginning of the third millennium. But it is not the cosmic war and fiery collapse of mankind foretold in sacred scripture. It is the wreckage of the planet by an exuberantly plentiful and ingenious humanity."

Time is not running out, it already has. We should have seen this coming decades ago and done something then. But we didn’t, and we find ourselves where we are today, balanced precariously on the edge of global environmental collapse. It has progressed too far for us to not feel some significant repercussions of our destructive actions in the coming years. We may be able to avoid total collapse of Earth’s living systems and the collapse of society as we know it, but our window of opportunity is closing fast. We not only need to contemplate drastic change immediately, but implement this change of course within a decade. Beyond that and we run into the risk of natural feedback loops, from losing keystone species and/or ecosystems resulting in the loss of all other species/ecosystems that depend on that keystone causing inevitable environmental collapse, to global warming greenhouse feedbacks causing unacceptable rises in global temperatures. We do not actually know if an inevitable chain reaction collapse is decades away, years away, or even a few years behind us, but we must act now.

Wake up.

We, as humans, have defined ourselves, both physically and spiritually, as seperate from nature and our environment, and this couldn't be further from the truth. We are extensions of nature and are intrinsically entwined in it, and we are different in that we have been blessed with the ability to see where we came from and where we are going. I believe in the stewardship of nature, and I also believe that if we ever "wake up", our natural environment will play a central role in our future spiritual evolution.

The Spirit of Diversity

The health of an ecosystem relies in part by the diversity of living organisms inhabiting that ecosystem. This living diversity is one that, unknowingly, works and evolves through the millennias as a unified whole. The illusion of boundaries in this natural system do not exist. All events, all life forms, all inanimate landscape features, all otherworldly influences participate in a single, overlapping, diversified, extremely elaborate, divinely coordinated dance that relentlessly marches forward towards greater complexity and greater diversity. This evolutionary march creates an increasingly diversified environment that further improves the qualities of this living world, which in turn promotes a quickening and improvement upon the prior, completing the circle of life and moving one step closer to the Divine.

This is humankind's future. The realization that through our diversified communities, ideologies, and actions, individuals and society as a whole will be transformed, an evolutionary leap forward towards a just, peaceful, sustainable world that embraces and stewards the wonderful biological diversity we inhabit this planet with. We will be wise to listen to our Earth and how she speaks. A unity of humanity culminating in a cooperative relationship with Mother Earth. This relationship will not only be sustainable, but will be the quickening of our evolution and the Earth's evolution as well. As Pope Benedict XVI said recently in Italy 2007, "We all see that today man can destroy the foundation of his existence, his Earth... Our Earth is talking to us and we must listen to it and decipher its message if we want to survive."

Who are you?

You are God, experiencing You.

Awakening

"The answer is not scientific, but it can be found in your sciences.
The answer is not religious, but it can be found in your religions.
The answer is not philosophical, but it can be found in your philosophies.
The answer is not in your spirituality, but it can be found in your spirit.

When I mention selflessness, altruism, heroism, bravery, having hope, finding joy, loving, sacrifice, charity, forgiveness, what does your heart tell you about these things? Then why don’t you live these everyday? This is where you will find your happiness; this is where you will find the answer to your question.

He is the voice behind your heart. Even though, you are afraid that if you forgive, you will be hurt. You are afraid that if you love, you will be hurt. You are afraid that heroism is too much of a risk; charity is too much of a task. Hope is dangerous. The search for love and joy could be disappointing. Your fear is preventing you from doing God’s Will, and that is what is preventing you from awakening."

-Will Adams

Hatred is not...

"Hatred is not a sign of healing.
Hatred is not part of the healing process.
The Creator will forever continue to challenge your heart,
Until you are able to find Love, Compassion, and Forgiveness…For your Executioner."
-Will Adams

Human Evolution

We are products of evolution. We are the result of 4 billion years of the evolutionary process. The Evolution of Life is the result of the continuing cooperation of Earth systems. Any system that does not participate in the compliment of their larger system will eventually fail, without exception. This is death. Death in the natural world is not the result of competing species. Death is the necessary ingredient life needs to remain in harmony with the bigger process of life called Evolution. If death is not in harmony with the bigger process of life, it is not necessary, and is therefore detrimental to this process of evolution.

Darwin got it wrong in one important aspect: Survival of the Fittest. We have used this phrase to justify our slaughtering of the natural world. It has become our battle cry against nature. Nature is a network of complimentary systems. Any system that does not participate in the complement of another system will eventually fail. “Fittest” does not mean strongest, it means the part that fits best within the whole. The system does not get rid of another part that is benefiting the system. The system gets rid of the part that becomes detrimental to the system, and replaces it with a more beneficial part, one that “fits” better.

With this new definition of the natural cycle, this process of evolution, I can say that what we are doing is not part of this natural process. Evolution did not cease at the creation of Homo sapiens. Evolution continued on to create the mind, what Ken Wilbur calls the intangible noosphere. Through the continuation of evolution, the mind has created language, created writing, created the sciences, religions and philosophies, created society, culture, and laws. It is unique in the natural world, and it is the sole property of Homo sapiens.
The mind is the natural by-product of the Evolution of Life. But it does not end here. Evolution is and always will be at work.

The conscious decisions we make today guide the future evolution of the mind and its compliment to the rest of the system.

Our destiny is to bridge this gap that has been created between humans and the natural world, between what is the noosphere and the biosphere. To become compliments to the system called life. To participate in the creative, evolutionary process that has been guiding life for 4 billion years.

Lay down the heavy burden of fear.

Written just before the new millennium:

"Poised before the new millennium,
we look over the edge and down upon history.
The brief glimpse shows us the awesome destructiveness of the creative mind.
A mind who turns its head towards the bright light of technology,
and shields its eyes from the blinding white of wisdom.
The bridge of evolution is weak beneath our feat,
but the intelligent mind is here.
Will we carry the heavy weight of history as we make the final crossing?
Or will we learn from our past, and lay down the heavy burden of fear,
and co-create with the creatures of the Earth."

-Will Adams

Yoga, the Environment, and Human Evolution

"Above all, we must cultivate great compassion for our fellow beings, including all nonhuman creatures with whom we share this precious planet and upon whom we have inflicted so much suffering because of our profligate and largely irresponsible lifestyle."
- excerpt from "Green Yoga" by Georg and Brenda Feuerstein

Though I have not met Georg and Brenda in person, we have been communicating with eachother through email. They are wonderfully compassionate people and have helped me stay motivated in furthering One Planet, One Life's mission. I hope they can say we have become friends.

Their book Green Yoga provides a blunt and profoundly disturbing look at the environmental challenges we face. The first chapter is a blitzkreig of information on the current state of the world; catastrophic in proportions and globally encompassing. It throws you into the depths of this global suicide, spurring feelings of disbelief, anger, sadness, and even hopelessness, then continues with its relentlessness in the disclosure of the portends of worldwide ecological collapse.

Don't be fooled however. The challenges we face are a catalyst of sorts. Brenda and Georg plead with their yoga brethren to join them in an all out spiritual calling to heal the world. Though they are appear to be talking to whom they've educated and enlightened for decades, the book is a call to each and every one of us; It is time.

It is time to seperate ourselves from the fooling ways of the material mindset. It has brought war, suffering, inequality, greed, and hatred for many millennia. Mankind has finally reached the edges of the Earth and have filled the world. Though material pursuit has brought comfort and pleasure to much of mankind, the wisdom needed to control its destructive power has yet to be realized by the human family.

It is time to evolve past the limitations of a strict material philosophy and guide a wakening spirit to the hearts of humankind. The marriage of an awakened spirit and a material plane that is reaching its pinnacle belies the coming age. This awakening spirit is here. Silently waiting for our call. It is not something that will thrust itself upon ourselves, but instead requires a steadfast pursuit by the adventurers of the world. The new humanity that is bubbling up like islands in the sea, soon to be united as a continent in the coming world.

The joining of like spirit is happening. First a couple friends, then some small groups, then an internet connected community, and finally a global influence.

Help One Planet, One Life and The Green Yoga Initiative in bringing about the healing of our wonderful world. Join us today.
http://www.traditionalyogastudies.com/
http://www.oneplanetonelife.com/

The Perfect Storm

I was meditating the other night and a thought hit me concerning this environmental crisis we are in and its something I want to eventually speak about. It has to do with three challenges humanity faces, any one of which could influence how tough things are really going to get for humanity.

I have always been concerned with species extinctions. It is believed that if we continue to drive species and ecosystems into extinction at our current rate, humanity will have an extremely difficult time, if we survive. That's number one.

Number two is over-consumption. At present consumption rates, we would need 1.2 Earths to be sustainable. In other words, at current rates, their will eventually be no more natural resources left. If things don't change, it is believed that by 2050 we will need 2 Earths to be sustainable. If everybody in the world today lived like an american, I believe we would need between 3 and 4 Earths. Any way you look at it, if we don't drastically change, we will run out of Earth. That's the second.

Third is Global Warming. Recent research on polar melts is showing melting rates leaning towards the side of "worst case scenerio". Global Warming is the nuclear bomb of this environmental problem because it dramatically effects my first two points, extinctions and natural resources. Global warming alone may drive somewhere between 14% to 28% of species to extinction (if my numbers are accurate!). Add those numbers to the current species crisis!, and then accelerate the whole thing because of feedback loops! Global warming is to dramatically change weather patterns for the worse: water resouces, cropland, floods, droughts, sea level rise, etc.

Now, if species extinctions alone will do us in, what happens when you accelerate this crisis with global warming? If our natural resources will run out eventually, what happens when you global warming also plays a part in depletion of natural resources? For whatever reason, these 3 studies have not been tied together as a perfect storm scenerio. They are definately not on the mind of public.

I don't like preaching all this bad news stuff, and this whole thing has definately been a catalyst for positive change in my life. I want to talk about all the good that could come out of these challenges, but at the same time, I believe the media sugar coats this bad news. Does the public think we can actually stop global warming like some of the media outlets state? Isn't more of a matter of lessening the damages and preparing now for what is surely coming?

Higher Conscious

My first OBE happened when I was traveling the country after college. My twin brother and I had bought a small trailer and traveled the country with some friends who make a living detailing motor coaches.

Anyway, one night while I was trying to go to sleep I began to feel an extremely faint buzzing through my body. At first it was a comfortable thing. Then, as the buzzing got more intense, it started to get a little scary. I could have shaken it off and gotten up, but I was curious and decided to sit it out and see what happended. The buzzing seemed to start to harmonize and my body began feeling like it had very small ripples of energy rolling through it. Very small ripples at first, then these seemed to coalesce into large ripples until it felt as if my body had 2 or 3 waves gently rolling though me. After the waves seemed to get to a point where my entire body was in sync I got the sensation of sliding headfirst off my bed downwards. Curious, I continued to just go with the flow.

At the time I had an idea of what happened next, but I never wrote it down and have forgotten the details. I do remember being escorted by a couple "entities" of some sort, one on each side of me. I was being taught about the way things are and the way they are going to be. It finalized with a tour of the material universe. The last thing I remember was overlooking the entire cosmos as the two entities showed me a final lesson. I do not remember what it was, but remember it being significant. Then, I found myself floating above my body back in my trailer. I decided not to go back to my body and instead decided to "fly" through the rest area we were staying at. After what seemed about 15 minutes, I returned to my body and sat up. I sat for awhile pondering what just happened and at the time wrote it off as an extremely real dream. After more experiences with OBE's some ten years later, I now know what it was. The memory of details have faded unfortunately through the years.

My OBE's of late are of a slightly different nature. I had begun working on astral projecting out of curiosity and became convinced I could do it. My OBE's usually happen without notice. I wake up from a nap or in the middle of the night buzzing. My mind feels slightly different and I know I am in the right mode. Its weird to describe. For all intents and purposes you feel you have woken up, but there's something different about it.

I know I am buzzing and am in the astral mode, now is the challenge of getting out of my body. My body holds me like a magnet. I can get my hands out, thats not a problem. I wave them in front of my face and confirm that its my astral hands. I have difficulty seeing them, but when I shake them a bit, I can see their outlines a little better. Now, I try to get my head up. My head comes out with some resistance, but it came out. Now I have my chin down near my chest and I'm gonna try and sit up. I try and try, but my chest and stomach are not budging. Then with more effort, my chest comes free, but my stomach, no matter how hard I try, will not release. OK, this isn't working. Instead of sitting up and trying to get out, I'm gonna try swinging my feet off the bed and kinda roll out sideways. That works! Some resistance, but for the most part, it worked. I stand up. I'm completely free of my body.

I walk around my bed. Its hard to see, my vision is kinda like tunnel vision, only what I'm concentrating on is in focus. I walk to the bedroom door. I decide to try and walk through it. At first there's slight resistance, but as I start to make it out the other side, it gets easier and I'm through. Wow, this means I can go through walls, windows, whatever. As I walk thru the house, getting further away from my body, I can feel my consciousness slipping back to my body. Its hard now to keep my focus. I can feel it all slipping. Briefly, I feel I'm in two places at the same time. I can no longer keep my concentration and I slip back into my body and lay there awake. The buzzing comes back after about 20 seconds and it all starts again. Sometimes this will happen only once, sometimes I'll get 5 or 6 OBEs in one night. Most of them are similiar to this.