A DELICATE DANCE

History has proven that human beings moved from a nomadic life into more permanent communities or villages for reasons of food (to have steadier food supplies: being close to wild game, agriculture, and animal farming), security (to protect themselves or to be the aggressors), and beliefs (deities, Gods, and religions). As these communities grew larger and larger, they became today’s cities and megacities. In parallel, as communities were created and these communities grew larger and larger, people started to move away from nature and started to become more “civilized.” This phenomenon is clearly seen today all around the world.

Civilization is defined as the stage of human social and cultural development and organization that is considered most advanced; the process by which a society or place reaches an advanced stage of social and cultural development and organization; and/or the comfort and convenience of modern life, regarded as available only in towns and cities. (Source: internet) According to this definition, the more civilized we are, the more educated, well-mannered, well-dressed, and well-groomed we are supposed to be. In fact, we can easily conclude that the more civilized we become, the farther away we move from nature.

In this context, civilization and nature are opposites. Essentially, the more we move away from nature, the stronger our perceived sense of security and comfort. Villages, towns and cities are good examples of this. As long as we are grouped, isolated, and protected by walls like our cities and homes, we feel secure. To the contrary, once we are in the open, in the wilderness, we feel completely insecure and vulnerable. The fact is the farther we move away from nature, the more we get disconnected from our own nature and the harder, more unattached we become as humans. Standing Bear, an American Native Chief of the Lakota people once said, “Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.“

In the rush to be civilized, to make things easier, to be more comfortable, we have placed humans on a higher level and animals, plants and things on a much lower level. We think that they are all here to serve us, to be used, and that they are only meaningful in the degree in which they are useful to us. But this concept is completely wrong as we are starting to see and feel the consequences all around us. There is a wise American Indian prophecy from the Cree tribe that applies well to us now, “When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted, when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money.”

We, human beings, are an integral part of nature. Everything has a purpose and is part of the harmonious dance of life happening all around us and within us. This harmony of life is a delicate balance. There are no superiors or inferiors. We are all equal and part of that delicate balance and play an important role in that balance. Chief Seattle of the Dwamish Tribe once said eloquently, “The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to earth. All things are connected like the blood that unite us all. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

We may think that by moving away from nature we are doing something good for ourselves, that we are becoming more civilized. But the fact is that as we move away, we are hurting ourselves more. And the farther away we move, the more we hurt ourselves and the more we lose that essential connection with our own nature, with the foundation of who we are, with the source of life. In essence, the more we disconnect from nature, the harder it is to find out who we really are.

We are continuously being influenced by powerful dynamic forces like gravity, magnetic fields, rays (x, ultraviolet and gamma), etc. The earth, the sun and the moon are always influencing us with the weather, the amount of light, the temperature, and in so many other ways. By moving away from nature, by disconnecting ourselves from it, we lose our ability to feel and experience many of these natural connections and the experiences that come with them. These connections and experiences are very strong and essential to our wellbeing. Disengaging from or losing them can only hurt us. We cannot just be an independent entity outside of this complex, interconnected web of life. It is not possible!

In our race to move away, we have disconnected ourselves almost completely from nature. This is why we are where we are today. As we disconnect ourselves, we think that we are unique, superior, better. We’ve lost our ability to care for animals, plants, and things. Basically, we do not have any regard for the planet and its content outside of being useful to our selfish purpose. Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe once said, “I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man.”

Humans need to come down from the pedestal where they have put themselves (believing they are better or more important that the rest), get back to a more natural habitat, and restore the delicate balance so harmony can be preserved between ourselves and nature, so balance is restored to the planet. This is the best we can do for ourselves and future generations. If they cannot, at least, you can. Get yourself down from your pedestal and reinstate the integrity of your web of life, the harmonious, delicate dance of your life. Always keep in mind this wise Native American’s proverb: “Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.”

--------------------- 

If you like this article, please subscribe (It's free) and/or share it with others through your social media. Your help spreading these messages is greatly appreciated.

Author: Maurice Correa
Website: pathtoone.com
Blog: p2oblog.blogspot.com