The environment is not a question of religion or morality; it is a question of survival of all beings. Life on earth depends on nature, and we simply cannot survive if we act against it. Moreover, we must take into consideration future inhabitants of the earth. Our responsibility is to hand down to our children and grandchildren a healthy world, if not a healthier world than we found it. One person's capacity is limited, but together we can make a huge change in preserving the earth's resources, and protect the environment. (Stril-Rever, pp. 152-153).
Since the 1990s many United Nations declarations have been written to inspire people around the world to a new sense of interdependence and share responsibility (universal responsibility) for the well-being of humanity and all living beings on earth. When we look at the earth from outer space, we don't see borders of separate nations, we see only ONE PLANET. Why don't we join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace?
Humanity is facing two choices: either to form a global partnership to care for the earth and one another, or to risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life on earth. The choice is ours. To survive, we need to have fundamental changes in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We also must identify ourselves with not only our local communities but also the whole earth community, and live with a sense of humility, universal responsibility, and human solidarity. (Stril-Rever, pp. 158-159).
Source:
The Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Journey (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2010). Collected by Sofia Stril-Rever and translated by Charlotte Mandell.
No comments:
Post a Comment