I am anxious to read a book recently published by Sir David Attenborough, the well-known narrator of many wildlife documentaries. The ninety four year old has written this as a result of a lifetime, witnessing the degradation of our planet and the loss of species. PBS did a short interview with him about his new book, A Life On Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future. The sadness and despair that I saw in his eyes is something that I, and many others, share. It is we, and our ancestors before us, who have brought so much suffering to the world. The die-hard Christians can try to blame it on “god”, but the truth is, that we did this. And, we are still doing it.
Our propensity for war, coupled with our egoistic tendencies, have created a collective consciousness of hatred and malice towards each other, towards other species, and towards our planet. Karma is rarely instant, but it is as certain as night and day. There is no “sin” that goes unpunished – no good that goes unrecognized. We cannot escape the consequences of our actions. The devastating wildfires, the floods, the hurricanes, the droughts, and the diseases that have befallen us are a direct result of what we have done to others (i.e. all life on this planet) either consciously or unconsciously. This is not simply bad luck. It is not poor “management”. What we have given comes back to us whether good, or bad. What we have taken, will be taken from us.
If we are to save our race and save our planet (as we know it) we need to raise our collective consciousness. There is no better time than during this period of pandemic isolation, to come together and unite for a common purpose. COVID19 has given us the opportunity to set our selfishness aside and to realize our oneness. We are all connected and if we are to change the course of our collective karma, we must take responsibility for what we have done personally and collectively. We may not be able to change the attitudes of those who choose to live selfishly; but we can show through our actions a different path; one which can lead us to hope rather than to despair. By collectively tipping the balance towards the light, we can begin to change the essence of our collective karma.
