ENVIRONMENT & CONSCIOUSNESS
Conscious Planet:
The Only Solution to Create a Brighter Future for Humanity
The current COVID-19 pandemic may just mark the beginning of a deadly trend that could ravage human life as we know it. Sadhguru talks about ways to save ourselves by living responsibly and harmoniously and prevent future crises.
Sadhguru: I’ve been talking to various scientists who are doing fundamental research on how genetics and the genome function, and how they can be altered by external situations, as well as the inner ambiance that one can create within oneself.
Many of them are making this connection between genetics, genome functions, and external and internal factors. There is no doubt that these are connected. The question is, how directly are they connected? That is not for me to ponder about; it is not my area. I know this much about life – the earth is sensitive, and everything we do impacts everything else.
We thought the Earth’s capability to rejuvenate and recoup is limitless, but it is not. It is enormous enough to support life. Even now, do not get grandiose ideas that you will save the planet. The planet is not in peril – human life is. And unfortunately, many other innocent lives.
What Drives Us to Destroy Mother Earth
Before we come to what we can do, let us first understand that there is only one problem on this planet – that is human beings. If you do not address this issue and come up with solutions, it will only be postponing disasters that may evolve.
What is it that we need to address about human beings? Right now, human beings are in pursuit of their happiness and wellbeing. But, even if you allow people to shave half the planet bald, dig up holes all over the place, and build 50-room homes for themselves, they will still not be happy. This pursuit of happiness which is the basis of all human activity – their ambitions, their desires, their conquests – is all rooted in the search for joy, fulfillment, and a sense of completeness within themselves.
The Only Way to True Joy and Fulfillment
We have to make everyone realize that if we want to eat mangoes, there is no point in digging the earth in search of them. Digging the earth will only destroy the mango tree, and there shall be no possibility for mangoes to grow.
When it comes to human health, wellbeing, joy, and fulfillment, in is the only way out.
The same goes for our search for joy and fulfillment – human experience happens within. Joy and misery, pain and pleasure, agony and ecstasy are manufactured within you. You need to take charge of your inner mechanics, not dig the planet. When it comes to human health, wellbeing, joy, and fulfillment, in is the only way out.
If we do not get this across to every human being, our pursuit of happiness will destroy everything. No insect, bird, or animal does this – they do everything sensibly, as it is necessary for their lives. But, human beings start doing something, then forget that it is supposed to be for their wellbeing and keep going on with it endlessly, causing misery to everyone. Because they think, “Yesterday I did this, so I have to keep doing it today.”
Why the Current Pandemic Could Be Just the Beginning
Creating a conscious planet is the foremost responsibility we have right now. I beseech every one of you who has some footprint or influence on this planet, to come together. We must ensure that the human population understands the nature of the problem that we are facing within the next six to eight years’ time.
Scientists say that with the present ecological conditions, new pandemics may come every two to three years, and one may be more virulent than the other. If we do not consciously correct ourselves, nature will correct us – but that is going to be very cruel. The United States and European nations have faced it, India is facing it right now, and every country in the world has gone through it to some extent – unable to find hospital beds, people have died in their homes, on the streets, in hospital corridors, without receiving the love of their loved ones, and without even being honored in places where mass burials and mass cremations had to be conducted.
If we do not consciously correct ourselves, nature will correct us.
At least now, with such a horrific tragedy unfolding, it is important that we not only come out of the pandemic but create a conducive atmosphere for all lives on this planet to exist. That is not possible without human beings behaving consciously. If human beings do not wake up to their consciousness, we can have all the technologies, but still, we will not get anywhere. Let us not waste our time and energy on band-aids when there is cancer. The planet has more than cancer, but she is competent enough to rejuvenate herself if you give her a letup.
Population Growth: The Crucial Factor That No One Wants to Address
How do you give the planet a letup? The largest scratch on the planet is agriculture, and then mining. To bring these two things down, we must change the way we eat, and become healthy. We must reduce the human population by conscious action or inaction – whichever way you want to see it – not by culling human beings with pandemics, not by killing people who are beyond a certain age, which is what is happening right now.
Creating a conscious planet means both transforming the individual human being and in turn transforming the conditions upon this planet.
It is important for human beings to understand that they are carrying the baton of the human species just for a blip of time. The amount of rancor, jealousy, hatred, anger, and fear that you see on social media is distressing. This shows that we have not invested in raising human consciousness. Creating a conscious planet means both transforming the individual human being and in turn transforming the conditions upon this planet.
The Way We Live Is a Ticking Time Bomb
The way we have structured our economy, political realities, religious attitudes, and ideological and philosophical identities, is essentially violent, and every one of these aspects is a potential bomb. They are either violent against human beings, other life forms, or Mother Earth. If we do not strive consciously to structure societies to be in alignment with the nature of life and all that supports life, we will create a situation where at least the next few generations will have to bear the brunt of our actions. Do we want this to be our karma for the children of today and the unborn life of tomorrow? It is time to give it serious consideration.
One Simple Solution for Our Health and That of the Earth
The soil on this planet is degrading because of aggressive agricultural practices. Scientists say that in another 40 to 50 years, we may not be able to grow the food we need anymore. It is very important to understand that the way forward is enriching the land. And, you cannot enrich the land without the green litter from the trees and animal wastes.
If only we change the way we eat, the planet will thrive. To put it into perspective, we are farming approximately 51 million square kilometers of land, out of which 40 million square kilometers of land is used for grazing animals and raising their food or feed.
If we reduce meat consumption by 50 percent, about 20 million square kilometers of land on this planet would be free. Your doctor will tell you that if you cut down your meat consumption, you will be healthier, and your medical bills will be lower.
If human activity is restricted to this land, all other life forms will flourish. We can use these 20 million square kilometers of land to do tree-based agriculture. With tree-based farming, you can grow paddy, wheat, barley, soybeans, vegetables, and fruits, along with timber. Every human being on the planet can be fed the most nutritious and natural diet. To sum it up, we have to look beyond our short-term requirements and commit to the long-term wellbeing of humanity, not only for now but for the future.
