“Our world is divided is not divided by race, color, gender, or religion. Our world, is divided into wise people and fools. And fools divide themselves by race, color, gender or religion.” Nelson Mandela
I saw a neat quote on the Sustainablehuman.com website. “The goal of life is not to survive it” Chris Agnos. I was talking to some people about sustainability and as usual it revolved around the usual suspects – the big bad corporations, technological green improvements and more stringent policies to protect our environment. As soon as I mentioned worldviews and the need to change how we live with each other as a species, the steel mind-gates of ‘it cannot be done’ slammed down in front of me. Sadly, a typical reaction. So many people are so locked into the ‘system’ as it is that they are incapable of believing that the system can be changed. WE, yes, the all we, created and continue to accept this system, and so we can create a new system if only we could accept that we have the power to create change regardless of the fear that we allow the hierarchy in controlling us. Humanity flourishes when the culture in which everyone lives supports its ability to grow and develop in a healthy and vigorous way.
To flourish requires a particularly favorable environment, and that environment is NOT one that expresses more Fear, Criticism, Anger and Aggression but instead embraces Love, Peace, and Acceptance. If you’re already thinking this cannot happen you have defeated yourself – Fear has a way of doing that. There are so many rigid belief systems that hold us prisoner to the way we live and who we think we are. To create a better world means working together in understanding and acceptance regardless of any differences we might think we have. We have to express empathy for those differences. “Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘you are not alone.” Brené Brown. That is the goal of civic agency (see earlier posts Reality 5-7 – Restarting Civic Engagement and Citizenship).
But first, we have to work on ourselves and start to become empathic human beings – being authentic to who we truly are and not servants to an illusionary image of who we think everyone else thinks we should be, i.e. dropping the labels of our ego-identity (see last post). We need to establish a new code of ethics of what our culture allows and what doesn’t work. Many indigenous cultures prior to our consumer culture lived in ways that respected individuality yet considered the group as a whole. I came across the ‘Lakota Code of Ethics’ as an example. Look at this list and feel for yourself if this could fit with your personal philosophy for living and where it couldn’t – then think why. It’s not important that you accept this specific code, but how this code speaks to you are an empathic human being. Where would you make changes and why? Remember, at the end of the day, we have to find a way to live peacefully with each other and respect our unique individuality, while maintaining a way to serve the culture of sustainability that we desire to live within.
Lakota Code of Ethics
1. Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.
2. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy – and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.
3. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.
4. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.
5. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.
6. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth – whether it be people or plant.
7. Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.
8. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you.
9. All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven.
10. Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism.
11. Nature is not FOR us; it is a PART of us. They are part of your worldly family.
12. Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life’s lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow.
13. Avoid hurting the hearts of others. The poison of your pain will return to you.
14. Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the test of ones will within this universe.
15. Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual self, Emotional self, and Physical self – all need to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.
16. Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react. Be responsible for your own actions.
17. Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Do not touch the personal property of others – especially sacred and religious objects. This is forbidden.
18. Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first.
19. Respect others religious beliefs. Do not force your belief on others.
20. Share your good fortune with others.
He Sapa Wicouncage Okolakiciye
None of the code above below interferes with any other existing cultural expression – they are more a personal code that can be applied within any existing culture. Ponder how different these 20 principles are from the consumer mindset that we currently live within. I gave something like this to some people at a conference and all expressed their feelings that this is a way to live, but several said, nice as these kinds of principles are, they cannot work in our world. That’s the point, they don’t work in our current world, but they do if we move beyond the so-called civilized system we accept without question – we need to move beyond civilization as Daniel Quinn would (see earlier post Reframing and Visualizing a New Society 1).
To Be Continued ………….
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