Accept & Adapt Before Changing The World
From
the books of Speaking Tree
What if my home ,family and livelihood get
destroyed by rising sea levels brought on by global warning that is melting ice
caps and heating the planet? Will toxic air,water and soil spell the end of
life? Climate anxiety is creating insecurity and panic,spreading a sense of helplessness and dejection.
One view is that we are going to die any way,
so why not make the most of whatever we can enjoy, before anything falls
apart.The other view is that we need to make drastic changes in
personal,professional and public lifestyles to arrest environmental destruction
and reverse the damage.
Between these two views is the one that
promotes acceptance and adaption to face climate change triggered by human
exploitation of the environment and unmindful,polluting activities.
Moderation is crucial in what and how we
consume and also how we re spond to chronic issues that won't disappear with a
few stern measures. We could get inspired by Krishna's advice to Arjun in the
Bhagwad Gita. where he says you need to remain balanced both in joy and sorrow
so that one can aspire for Immortality In this verse from chapter 2, Immortality is a metaphor for personal evolvement that is
akin to becoming immortal, in spirit. When we remain balanced, there is less
agitation and the chal- lenges we face in the material world can be responded
to calmly and logically.
In matters of climate change, global warming,
species extinction and loss of green cover, no individual can hope to reverse
the process or make a big difference. Even if we follow green practices in our
daily lives, the large scale destruction caused by industrial practices,
businesses and government policies are beyond our control. Here, collective peoples' movements may help influence the
trajectory in the very long term. In the meantime, the art of acceptance and
adaptation can help us navigate the crises and survive.
Acceptance and Adaptation require personal
resolve strength,patience and deep understanding.Arjun had to fight against his
will for the larger good to overcome negative forces and establish
dharma.Similarly , we need to find ways to accept the
fact that we have been remiss in nature conservation which is why we are
experiencing its negative effects.
Acceptance does not mean we are shirking from
the responsibility of speaking out or acting against eco-destruction .It means
we accept the factors that led to the crises and while we find ways to adapt to
the situation we will also make efforts to create traction to change the way
been treating our surroundings as exploitative human beings. Since not
everything in life can be changed, we need to focus on those things that can be
changed.We need to focus on those things that can be
changed one step at a time, and for the rest ,we need to adapt.
The story of evolution is all about
adaptation , and species who learn to adapt ,survive .Octopuses,for example
will use any debris they find,including glass and plastic, as items for
shelter.Migratory fish move to colder and deeper waters to survive .Adaptation
helps us discover new ways to survive .It inspires reflection and the gaining
of inner strength to deal better with externalities.
