I hope you had a good week. How was it to reflect on and limit your plastic consumption last week? Being mindful of consumption is such a wholesome practice.
As I shared last week, for the next few weeks I am inviting you to join me and thousands of others to take one specific action step everyday around a certain theme towards saving the planet. Yes!
Today, I wanted to talk with you about Satyagraha.
What is Satyagraha?
“Satyagraha” is a compound of the Sanskrit words satya (meaning “truth”) and agraha (“polite insistence”, or “holding firmly to”). Satya is derived from the word “sat”, which means “being”. Nothing is or exists in reality except Truth.
Truth therefore includes:
- Truth in speech, as opposed to falsehood
- What is real, as opposed to nonexistent
- Wholesome, as opposed to evil, or bad.
This was critical to Gandhi’s understanding of and faith in nonviolence: “The world rests upon the bedrock of satya or truth. If untruth does not so much as exist, its victory is out of the question.”
Truth being that which is, can never be destroyed. For Gandhi, satyagraha went far beyond mere “passive resistance” and became strength in practising non-violent methods. Truth (satya) implies love and firmness (agraha) engenders force. Satyagraha is the force that is born of truth and love.
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they will always fall. Think of it always.” Mahatma Gandhi
There is a lot of non truths being told in the media and in the highest of offices in our government today. The mind creates beliefs that are often NOT TRUE based on what we repeat over and over or what is being repeated to us over and over. This is what the mind does, but we have choice about what we choose to think, believe, and therefore act. The basis of mindful training is to be with experience and to notice when we are believing thoughts that are not true.
Situation- Thought- Feeling- Behavior
Every thought creates a behavior or in Gandhis famous words.
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
How do you know that something is True? You can see, feel, and sense it is true in your mind, body and heart. You listen to and take in facts, research, and expert opinions on particular subjects. You then blend your internal knowing and outer knowing.
This is what I know to be TRUE.
Climate change is REAL and our time is running out.
The deniers of this truth are feeding thoughts of greed, aversion, and delusion, and as a result they are creating unwholesome thoughts, that are resulting in very detrimental decisions and actions that affect the whole of our species and planet.
I am on a mission to inspire the world to wake up. We need everyone to be part of the solution. For the month of April, I am committed to supporting and encouraging you to wake up and take simple action steps each week with a new focus.
Together we can be stronger and better.
Put action behind what you stand for.
BE A TRUTH TELLER TODAY. Yes!
Fossil fuel use kills people and is killing our planet. Most of the fossil-fuel-related deaths are associated with coal pollution. “There are 3 to 6 million people who die each year from air pollution around the world.
Will you support me in saying No! and yes to a future with clean air for all?
Step 1: Sign this Petition and fight for clean air
Step 2: Watch this Video and learn how we can lower our carbon emissions and create renewable jobs and save the planet! Bring your own cloth bags to buy groceries and other items. Plastic bottles, bags, and all the other items that contain plastic are harming us and the earth. Put some bags by your front door tonight and leave them in your car. Replace them when you have used them.
Step 3: Take Action and call your congressman or woman and ask for them to advocate for you and your views on climate change. It is Easy and will ONLY take a few minutes. Click Here.
Step 4: This week, car pool more, take more mass transit, walk more, buy groceries that are local, not shipped from overseas or far away if possible. Be mindful of how you are using and expending energy.
Step 5: Spend time in nature today and multiple times during the week. When you are in nature, feel grateful for the presence of the earth and all the things that we receive from nature (food, fresh air, peace of mind, joy, water, etc.) We were born from the earth and we must protect and love it.
Share what you are doing to save the planet on the Living Well Awake Page. Lets keep our motivation and momentum high! 🙂
Will you share what you are doing on the Living Well Awake Facebook Page? Go ahead and like the page and then share so we can support and encourage each other for the month of April in honor of the Earth. Please like my Facebook page today and share.
