This
is the 3rd of 3 Discourses on Stewardship.
Part 1 was a brief attempt to Inform the Public. Part 2 discussed The Spiritual Aspects of
Stewardship, and Part 3 will provide some action steps we can take to be better
Earth Stewards.
Part 3:
Actions Steps to be Better Earth Stewards
From the state of our
environment, it would be easy for an outsider to conclude that humans, here on
Mother Earth, tend to give a whole lot of lip service about doing the will of
the Creator/God; we go to church; we pray; we meditate …
As we discussed last week,
all who serve the Creator/God are Earth Stewards. To tend and take care of Mother Earth and all
her inhabitants is a great honor and privilege, as well as a great
responsibility. As a whole, humans are not living up to our spiritual
responsibility. Instead, we tend to
blame others. We
blame our government; we blame our neighbors; we blame big business; we blame
everyone but ourselves.
We may or may not vote at the
polls; we still vote though. Every time
we make a purchase, we cast a very important vote. You see, we vote with our dollars. When we purchase, oh say, Styrofoam cups, we
unconsciously cast a vote against the Creator/God and Mother Earth.
As we grow personally and
develop spiritually, we consciously take better care of ourselves. As we take care of ourselves better, we come
to be aware of our votes and strive to cast votes in harmony with our inner
state of being. There is no more blame,
only harmony.
“… it is who we become that changes the world and our
environment not what we do. Harmony within will create harmony
without. So the true work is learning how to change our thoughts,
attitudes and belief systems … We actually have to work with “the alchemy of
the soul” to really be able to change our inner environment as our inner state
of being is reflected back to us in the outer world. The literal definition of
alchemy is “working within and through the dense darkness inside.” This is big
work and involves committing to spiritual practices that we must engage in
daily and throughout the day.”
Sandra Ingerman
There are many things that we
can physically do to help ourselves and the environment. The following information is not meant to be
exhaustive. If you have a favorite tip
or DIY recipe, please
share it on our Facebook Page. Thank You!
Personal: Avoid
wearing harsh synthetic fabrics, like polyester. Avoid artificial fabric dyes;
instead, make your own. Use organic,
renewable agricultural products, like Bamboo and Hemp. Purchase or make your own natural Health
& Beauty products (soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant,
lotions, cosmetics, perfume/cologne, etc.).
Avoid processed foods; instead make your own. Shop at Farmer’s Markets and get to know the
vendors. When leaving a room, turn off lights and appliances. Unplug
electronics, and turn down your thermostat, before leaving the house or going
to bed. Pick up your pet's poop and dispose of it
properly. Pick up and throw away
litter/trash. When it’s hot, gas up vehicle(s) and other gas powered equipment
(like lawnmowers) early in the morning or later in the evening, and don't top
off the gas tank. Replace
toxic household cleaners with products that have a Design for the Environment
(DfE) label. Better yet, learn to make
natural cleansers.
Practice
the three R's:
1. Reduce how much you buy and use: Buy permanent items
instead of disposables. Buy and use only
what you need. Buy products in
bulk. Buy products with minimal
packaging. Buy products that use less
toxic chemicals. Use durable (real) plates, cups, silverware, etc. Use cloth
napkins or towels. Mend torn fabric. Repair broken items. Reduce Carbon
Footprint (Walk, Cycle, Carpool, Use
Public Transit, Work from Home, Shop Online, Consolidate Trips.)
2.
Reuse/Repurpose: Be
Creative. Make crafts and homemade craft
supplies using household or recycled materials Use empty jars for
leftovers/storage containers. Give Away/Donate useable items.
3.
Recycle: Aluminum Cans, Batteries, Cardboard,
Electronics (cell phones, computers, DVD players, and other electronics),Glass,
Paper (newspapers, catalogs, junk mail, etc.), Metal (Aluminum, Scrap Steel,
Copper, Gold, Silver, etc.); Plastic (food containers, dry
cleaning, newspaper & bread bags; plastic around toilet paper/paper towels,
etc.). Tires, Used motor
oil.
Perform
a home audit: Replace conventional
light bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED bulbs. Repair leaky faucets. Insulate water heater and pipes. Install a
water-efficient showerhead. Repair or
replace old or damaged fixtures. When replacing fixtures and/or other products, look for Energy Star or
WaterSense labels.
Conserve Water: When using a dishwasher, scrape plates instead of pre-rinsing them. When using a dishwasher or washing machine,
wash a full load. Wash clothes in cold
water. When hand-washing dishes or
clothes, turn the water off between rinses. Instead of using a clothes dryer, hang clothes
on a line or drying rack. Take Showers instead of baths. The
toilet does not need to be flushed, every time it’s used. “If it’s yellow, let it
mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” Turn the water off while
shaving or brushing teeth. Refrigerate drinking water.
Lawn & Garden: Invest in, or make your own compost bin, and compost as much as you
can. When mowing, do not bag grass
clippings; leave them on the lawn. Fertilize after, not before it rains. Instead of
using pesticides and herbicides, weed by hand, purchase or make your own
natural pest control products, attract and utilize beneficial insects in your
garden(s). Water the lawn or garden during the coolest part of the day (early
morning is best). Set sprinklers to
water the lawn or garden only - not the street or sidewalk. Use a soaker hose
or trickle irrigation system to water trees. Install gutters and rain barrels.
Let us continue to grow personally and develop
spiritually; let us consciously take better care of ourselves; let us be aware
of our votes; let us cast votes in harmony with our inner state of being; let us pray:
Dear Mother, our human
species, thanks to the precious gift of awareness, has been able to learn to
recognize its own presence and has found its true place in you and in the
Universe. We know that we are tiny and insignificant, yet our minds are capable
of encompassing three thousand worlds. We now know that our beautiful planet
Earth is not the center of the Universe but we can still see that it is one of
the Universe’s most wondrous manifestations. We have developed science and
technology, discovered reality’s true nature of no-birth and no-death, neither
being nor non- being, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither the same nor
different. We realize that the one contains the all, the greatest is in the
smallest, and each particle of dust contains the whole Cosmos. We are learning
to love you and our Father more and to love one another in the light of such
insight. We know that this non-dualistic way of seeing things and the teaching
of inter-being help us to transcend all discrimination, all fear, jealousy,
hatred, and despair. We aspire to transmit this insight to future generations.
We are no longer naive in thinking that
humans are the masters of the Universe. Many of us have gone beyond dualistic
views of right and wrong and are no longer puzzled about what we used to call
the Will of Heaven and Earth.
We have transcended the concept of a creator in human form– we are no
longer able to believe that God is an old man with a white beard, sitting in
the sky, controlling everything on Earth, or that there is a Goddess on a
cloud, finding and helping us every time we are in danger. God, for us, is the
Ultimate Reality, the true nature of no-birth, no- death, no-coming, no-going,
of all phenomenal manifestations. But some of us, when going through suffering,
believe absolutely that whatever brings suffering is evil and whatever brings
happiness is good; not knowing that suffering and happiness are just
perceptions. All our perceptions are based on our sense organs, which are
inherently limited. If our sense organs were differently formed, then our
perceptions would be correspondingly different. Thus we see that happiness or
suffering, the Pure
Land or the mundane world
depend very much on our way of perceiving. (Thich Nhat Hanh, Intimate
Conversations with Mother Earth)
So it
is, sealed in trust, faith and truth, in the Sacred Divine Light/Jesus. Amen.
