On the occasion of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 23) in Bonn, Germany, the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in partnership with the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (DDMBA) convened the third Inner Dimensions of Climate Change gathering for emerging ecologists and Earth activists. This program was focused on the European region and was attended by 25 youth participants representing the following nations: Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Lichtenstein, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In an effort to build continuity between the preceding Inner Dimensions gatherings organized for Africa (Nov 2016) and the Americas (Jan 2017), the Bonn program included prior Inner Dimensions participants representing the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, and the USA.
The program was supported by a diverse group of international spiritual mentors from the GPIW global network. This included representation from the Buddhist, Christian, Indigenous, Sufi, Yogic traditions and included
Bhante Buddharakita
, Founder of the Uganda Buddhist Center (Uganda);
Ven. Chang Ji
, Representative, Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (USA);
Žarko Andričević
Founder of the Zagreb Buddhist Center (Croatia),
Hyon Gak Sunim
, Zen Scholar & Teacher (
US/
Germany);
Rev. Richard Cizik
, President of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good (USA);
Teny Pirri-Simonian
, Faculty at Webster University in Geneva (Switzerland);
Chief Tamale Bwoya
, Herbal Ecologist and Spiritual Head of the Buganda Kingdom (Uganda);
Tiokasin Ghosthorse
, Lecturer and Advocate Cheyenne River Lakota (Sioux) Nation of South Dakota (Turtle Island);
Hanne Strong
, Founder of the Manitou Foundation (USA);
Angela Fischer
, Author & Mystic, Golden Sufi Center (Germany); and
Sraddhalu Ranade
, Educator & Scientist, Sri Aurobindo Ashram (India).
The gathering comprised two focused days of dialogue, an ecological learning tour on Rhine River, a ceremony in honor of the Earth’s sacred waters, a visit to the United Nations NGO Forum on Climate Change, as well as activities in meditation from the Theravadan Buddhist tradition and exercises in martial arts practice led by a master of Kung Fu. A GPIW public interfaith event, with support from
ITRI
of Japan
and
the International Council for the Day of Vesak (ICDV)
was offered to the city of Bonn called Honoring the Earth. This included statements from
Bishop Bärbel Wartenberg-Potter
, a preeminent German theologian and
Andreas Mues
of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation.
PHOTOS (L to R):
Bishop Bärbel Wartenberg-Potter of Germany leads panel at the interfaith program supported by ITRI & ICDV
Bjarte Hiley, Kung Fu Master, leads mindful movement during Inner Dimensions of Climate Change
|
|
The dialogue content began with opening statements on Europe’s environmental issues. This informed the group of the eco challenges in the region less publicized in general media. For example, Germany’s Rhine River has the highest level of microplastic (not detectable by the eye) pollution measured in any river globally. A special presentation from the Swiss participants, led by Teny Pirri-Simononian of Webster College in Geneva, offered an extensive account of the rapidly declining Alpine glaciers, which are among the most sensitive glaciers in the world impacted by global warming. This has imminent consequences for the 14 million inhabitants in urban and rural villages at the base of the mountain range spanning eight countries. A statement by the delegate from Croatia showed the insidious reach of environmental pollution even in remote, highly pristine islands in the Adriatic Sea. His personal volunteer project involved cleaning the refuse on these islands from the careless disposal of waste.
As articulated in the conversation and presentations, the global north is significantly impacted by changes in the climate and environmental landscapes. It is documented that Europe’s leading ecological threat is industrialization: the burning of fossil fuels from coal power and nuclear plants, factories, and automobiles, as well as changes to water composition due to pesticide use, the introduction of hazardous substances from municipal sources, urban development/agriculture production and bio waste from sewage.
The dialogue’s participants reflected the groundswell of concerned European citizens and young people who say that to deal with these challenges a new mindset rooted in spiritual, ancient Earth practices and indigenous values is greatly needed. The group emphasized that the Earth’s living systems must be central to plans for human development when envisioning the future.
The gathering content focused on the problems that arise as a result of disconnection from nature and what it means to renew a relationship with the Earth. Addressing the topic of disconnection, the delegate from Germany shared his ecological awakening. After participating in a four thousand person environmental protest of a German coal mining pit, he felt a reverent energy from the collective taking action for the planet. Another youth participant, a permaculture specialist and deep ecologist from the Netherlands, offered that restorative work is needed to help awaken a reconnection with Mother Earth among society. Others spoke to the problem of dualistic thinking, which allows for humans to see themselves separate from the Earth, not as a whole. In this regard, spiritual mentor, Sraddhalu Ranade emphasized the importance of stopping, especially in moments of agitation of critical global issues, to allow for Mother Earth to tell you what is needed —a principle necessary to respond appropriately.
Other proposed directions for rebalancing humanity’s relationship with the Earth included: reconnecting with the source of universal love through self-love, plant communication, the integration of feminine wisdom, growing from eco-awareness to eco-embodiment, as well as deconstructing language that defines and codifies nature with a mindset of domination.
PHOTO BELOW:
GPIW SIDE EVENT AT THE NGO FORUM OF COP 23,
HELD IN THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' PAVILION
|
|
Reflecting on these ideas, Angela Fischer offered that “Though we may not be supreme beings, we are given spiritual consciousness that happens in the heart, where deeper underlying spiritual awareness is. We are all capable of going within to access this.” In context of the gathering’s theme —
Inner Dimensions
of Climate Change
— her statement identified how an individual can begin the process to bring about changes sought after in the external world.
Two representatives from the Spiritual Ecology network,
Devin Tellatin
and
Kyle Lemley
, offered a presentation on ways to catalyze action for transformative change. They started by describing spiritual ecology as an integrated response to ecological problems based on five values: interconnection, service, stewardship, compassion, and reverence—the awareness that all is interconnected. Next they asked the participants to identify the ways these values are integrated practically into work and daily life. Smaller working groups were formed to examine Personal Intention and Embodied Action.
Personal Intention was defined as the spiritual tenets each person holds reverent, such as interconnectedness/interrelatedness, meditation, love, service, and surrender to the divine, as well as the daily practices (or “Spiritual Technologies”) that help align your soul and the soul of the Earth. The second breakout asked participants to evaluate how they are actually bringing spiritual ecology values to application within communities and organizations. To engage in the inquiry process, each participant joined one of four working groups that defined Embodied Action. You could identify as a Reimaginer (conceptualizing new systems); Reformer (working within the current system); Resister (working on the current system) and Recreator (generating new systems). In conclusion, the session’s facilitators acknowledged that whether you identify with one or more of these spaces it is important to remember how to remain aligned with one’s spiritual intention for engagement in the world.
|
|
The session on Compassionate Action delved more deeply into the outer world by offering guidelines to be effective when addressing systems of opposition. Zen scholar and teacher, Hyon Gak Sunim, gave an account of his experience with passionate activism against apartheid in the 1980s. He said that before finding true spiritual alignment his approach to activism led to righteous anger and was counterproductive to his vision for positive change. He shared that addressing critical issues with greater balance came about when he connected with solitude, nature and what he called the activism of meditation. Chan teacher, Zarko Andr
i
cevic, shared a similar perspective, reminding the group that often activism is fueled by negative emotions and despair. He emphasized developing an inner practice/meditation in order to approach global issues with deeper equanimity, and offered a quote from the late
Master Sheng Yen: "Wisdom is not creating trouble for ourselves. Compassion is not creating trouble for others."
Putting the dialogue content into life context, the program involved two experiential outings: 1) A boat tour of the Rhine River and Sacred Water Ceremony and 2) Participation in the NGO forum of the UN Climate Change Conference, where participants could network with organizations focused on climate action and environmental preservation.
|
|
The Rhine River tour and Sacred Water Ceremony were presided over by leaders from indigenous nations in the Americas: Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Lakota Leader from Turtle Island/USA and Benke Piyako, Ashaninka Leader from the Amazon of Brazil.
Tiokasin’s statement offered the European participants an anthropomorphic, Indigenous world view of water, which is called Mni (Min-ee) in his native language of Lakota. He explained the “Mm” sound of Mni translates to that which is related to you, I, and all things. The “Ni” translates to life. The E sound translates to the voice -- the voicing of the living that is related between you, I, and all things. He said that in the Lakota view water is considered the first communication, the consciousness of all life; it is in all things, everywhere. To tap into water’s sacred nature, Tiokasin emphasized listening to Mother Earth and seeking her direction, guidance and permission of how to be with her living forces. He suggested that to become more human, you have to get over the human aspect of life/interaction and connect with all that is.
Following a scenic boat ride of the Rhine, the group gathered at the river’s edge for a prayer circle from the world’s worship traditions. The spiritual offering from
Benke
Piyako
, indigenous leader from the Amazon, illustrated the non-separation between his being and life in nature. He said:
“I see the earth just like my body. I see my heart just like the sea water. I see the rivers just like the veins that circulate over my body. I see my lungs just like the forests of the earth. I see my brain just like the world. If we reflect and understand who we are, then we can also understand what the earth means. The waters are the life spirit that feeds all human beings; without the waters we cannot be alive. The creator gave one instruction: Take care of yourself, take care of the Earth just like a part of you because all human beings are linked to each other, and this will feed your energetic world.”
|
|
The closing day of dialogue reconvened the participants for a more reflective exchange. Returning to the spiritual container created in the group dynamic was welcomed, as some spoke of the frenetically paced activities of the UN NGO forum the day before.
The concluding conversations explored the paths in personal transformation that can lead to systemic changes in society. Part of this included an exercise to explore the physical, emotional, and mental visions for a new earth. In reflection, some said that there is value in acknowledging feelings of guilt and fear at the shifts underway, and that to truly move forward the human community has to understand what went wrong. One delegate said, “People who represent the greatest darkness (e.g. Donald Trump) are an opportunity for me to bring forth my light.” Another offered that “We are the light in a sea of darkness outside this room. If we maintain light, love, kindness it will attract others.” The group seemed to agree that something positive can be born from the depths of the ecological and societal changes taking place right now through inner resilience and outward action that heals, not divides.
Addressing the role of economy in facilitating positive change, Rev. Richard Cizik asked the group to think about how we can rearrange the household, which he explained has origins in farming, the land and earth. His sentiments reiterated that outer transformation in society must begin at the personal level. Others said this includes addressing the household of the mind, such as how we see ourselves and relate to the greater whole. Another delegate spoke to the aspect of relationship in monetary exchange —conscientious decisions on where you put your money and how you make your money can also catalyze a healthier economy.
The concluding statements to the gathering underscored the value of intergenerational exchange in such dialogues. Ven. Chang Ji shared that among older generations there is a strong sense of I, but Millennials are tied to the entire world because of globalization. She mentioned that technology also allows young people to connect in ways unprecedented. Reflecting on these assets, she advised that planting seeds of connection is the gift of this generation. Similarly, Chief Tamale Bwoya reminded the group that the upcoming evolution is not for older generations. It is made for the young where they can enact their spirituality, which is ultimately about taking wise action. He said,
“Activists are connecting the present and future, and leaving the past behind. We as mentors are here to reflect on the past to help you move forward. Our job is to see how to support this evolution. GPIW is building ground for this very transformation.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
