One might imagine a joyfully wild person coiling up with leaves, smearing color toward the sky, kissing the sun back with eyes closed to the yellow light. Unwinding with sleep of sweet dark dreaming—of lands not appearing upon opened eyes. One might imagine innocence and trust of a person who lives in a nameless land, who grows out of the ground and out of the sky, where all is sacred and rare, who leaps and bounds upon song and sensuous findings, who hungers, who cries, who laughs, and heals, who is never alone. One might imagine the light of love that is ever-kindled in the heart of the flute player who steps with barefeet on smooth stones of the vivid spring, care-full and free, who is buzzing by the ear, sprouting from the seed, soaring potent medicine in the sky, gathering lovely things, breathing. One who is eternal in death and in life, who says farewell with a colorful wave fading in the West, who is turning with the light of the moon, turning with the leaves, turning with the tide, turning, turning, turning….
I am a mere human being. I perceive, learn, and express in a way that makes sense to me right now. It might not make sense to me at another time, and it might not make sense to you. So, in attempting to cover such an important topic, I must ask the reader to take what I am saying without assumption, with an open mind, and with forgiveness.
What does Earth ask of us? This question is not asking what we owe that thing that we build our houses on and jumble up in odd ways. The question is the same as “What do we ask of ourselves?”, the word we being as general as possible, meaning all beings. The question is asking what our purpose is, in and of life (including death). That may sound like a daunting question to answer, but I think the answers can be simply put. Do not be afraid: this is not something we have to take on alone. There are many of us who are increasingly ready to join together into a movement of mending what has been enveloped in delusion for many, many years. If Earth asks something of us, we must strive to do it.
- We must be aware of truth, yet have an ever open mind.
- We must listen to ourselves and understand that all is a fractal.
- We must act in our lives based on what we find to be true.
- We must have gratitude; we must give to and care for the collective whole. We must honor the natural cycles and systems of nature.
- We must LOVE—from the outside to the inside. From the inside to the outside.
In order to be aware of truth, one must quiet the chatter of their mind. Our minds are filled with distractions and fleeting thoughts that we have fed with our excess energy. Sometimes, the information that is most easily accessible is the least useful. Take media, for example: media is designed to be extremely accessible and to make money for corporations who have political sway in favor of their own profit. Advertisements are very accessible too, even inescapable. They are also used to raise the profit of corporations or other businesses. Tune them out, do not let yourselves be manipulated, they are not your friends. Dissatisfaction and greed are common side-effects of people manipulated by money or money-driven organisations, which create the illusion of separateness and lack of empathy.
Despite this, great truth and information are available and near to all of us. Look inside yourself; meditate. The patterns that are within you and within every being repeats in all else. We can find truths about the universe through truths about ourselves, or vice versa. Meditation is a good way to become more mindful. Meditating daily can benefit you in many ways, including giving you more time and space between words and actions to think and to be more deliberate with your intentions. Meditation also gives you the opportunity to become more aware of your intentions and to clarify them. Spending time in nature is a good way to enjoy a peaceful and quiet place, as well as learning from silence and the wisdom that is inherent in nature. There, it becomes apparent what Earth asks of us. In being mindful, you will probably find that you are more conscientious. Kindness and compassion for all living beings, communal or individual, are first nature to the mindful person. In addition, meditation often focuses on the breath. The breath is a giving and taking reciprocal action that is repeated throughout all life and patterns of the earth. It is shared by the wind, the lungs of all creatures, the soil, the tides of the ocean, the seasons, and the cycle of life and death. Essentially, it reminds us how connected we all are, beyond any separation. This could be a reminder, an enlightenment, or even a new way of looking at an old thing.
We may find truths of connectedness and compassion, or inspiring intricacies, and we must actively incorporate them into our lives in small and big ways. In reminding ourselves of these truths, we act upon them naturally and genuinely, touching the lives of others in positive ways, encouraging them to do the same, creating a chain reaction. This positive energy can be a part of interaction with other humans, with plants, or with oneself. Even with inanimate objects, such as your car—the energy travels. There are other ways we can spread truth as well. When we discover something wonderful that is healing the Earth and needs more attention, we can raise awareness of it by celebrating, protesting, or in day-to-day conversation. The same goes for when we discover a destructive force upon the Earth: we need to get the word out about it in the same ways. Awareness is always the first step. Gratitude is fundamental when it comes to being aware of truth. In moments of enlightenment we come to realize how blessed we are, and so become grateful, and additionally bless ourselves with gratitude. We must also make ourselves worthy of gratitude, not only for that sake, of course, but for the sake of all beings.
Finally, love is more important than anything in the whole wide world. Love is partially defined by what I’ve already mentioned, but it goes beyond that, and will conclude my answer to “What does the Earth ask of us?”. If there’s anything that all of us are capable of, it is love. But it is not only something to do, it is something to be. After all, we must start with ourselves. Let the love into you from all directions, find the potential in every being to love. Send the love out in all directions, find the potential in every being to be loved. Love is trust in peace, letting go of fear, healing beyond measure, unconditional, boundless, omnipresent, pure, and exponential. If the whole answer was simplified, my answer would be love.
Love is the answer.
