2015-01-30

2015年〜謙虚さと共に

2015年1月4日掲載分

「時が来た。声を落とし、機械的な振る舞いを地球のいのちのプロセスに押し付けるのを止める時が。支配、命令、強制、制圧するという衝動に抗い、全生命の拠り所である大きなコミュニティーの導きに実に謙虚に従い始める時が。」 トマス・ベリー

また一年が終わり、新たな年が始まった事をカレンダーが教えてくれています・・・

私の愛情と幸せを願う気持ちは、この地球中の友人たちに向けられています。優しい心を持ち、理にかなった世界を作ろうとしている、平和と癒しをもたらすためにできることをしている友人たちに。
2015年も良い年に!

ニュース報道は、驚天動地の現実(巻きこる異常気象、うなぎ上りの絶滅率、悪化する社会的格差)と、くだらない戯言(誰も大きなお尻を気にしてないでしょ?)を並べてごちゃ混ぜにしたものばかり。

この日記を読んでいる多くの人と同じように、私は(あらゆる種類の)情報を受け取り過ぎていて、適切に処理できないし、行動を起こしてみても自分の小さな行いなど無益だという感覚を振り切れません。例えば、毎日行くビーチで、小さなプラスチックのゴミを両手いっぱい拾っているのに、他にどれだけたくさんあるのかしらと想像せずにいられません。至る所で、歩く人誰もが、新しい水のペットボトルを持っているようで、個人個人が変わるようにするのは、ちょっと無理なのではと・・・

現在の環境ムーブメントや環境政治活動は、私たちが直面している恐ろしい現状を作り出してしまった構造と支配的思考パラダイムにしばられていて、それを若干の嫌悪感をもって見ている自分を否定できません。それでも、あちこちで最善を尽くしている運動家たちに感謝しています。ただ、私はどうしても同じことを何度も何度も繰り返すことには耐えられません。また、これを「仕事」としてすることも、まず無理でしょう。ヘレナ・ノーバーグ=ホッジ と共に活動し、ローカル化ムーブメントに取り組むことが一番納得がいきます。また、少し「踏みとどまり」、家族を優先する方法を学んできています。

自然や海が近いとは言え、街に暮らしていると気持ちが落ち着かず、行き交う車や大看板、ショッピングセンターのネオンライトに心を乱されます。そして、子供たちは「モノ」に誘惑され、挑発されています。

母と暮らすのは素晴らしくて、思うに、私たち全員が驚くほど、とても上手くいっています! 気の向くまま朝食や夕食を共にして、テレビの陽気なコメディーを一緒に観て、世界中にいる家族と「スカイプして」、学校での事や最近の政治の「時事問題」を話し合う。私たちは本当に恵まれています。

それから、彼女の健康「問題」のどれもが改善してきたようです。彼女はジムで運動し、働き蜂のように忙しくして、時間もエネルギーもいつも他の人と分かち合っているのです。なんと感化されることでしょうか!

私たち家族はみんな健康に恵まれています。パチャとヤニは、あふれんばかりの活力と精気で輝いています。
彼らの輝きに浸り、エネルギーを充填。また同時に、私は、(出来れば)彼らを正しい方向へ導くため、彼らにおいていかれないようにしています。

だから、この暮らしに深い感謝の念を抱きつつ、みなさんに友好と感謝の気持ちを送ります。私たちがこの美しい地球(ほし)にいられるうちに、心からの平和と人生の明確な意味を見いだせるように、この祈りを分かち合いつつ。

愛を込めて


アンニャ

【翻訳:沓名輝政】

2015-01-29

Election time...



We joined the call to protect our local area from a casino/cruise terminal...
Is it worth voting?
Yesterday, my Mother and I went along to a meeting of candidates for the upcoming state election.
The good news was that the hall was packed with over 100 locals - though mostly over the age of 50.
The bad news is - as time goes on I find myself more and more cynical about politics - a quaint little game to fool people into believing they really have some democratic rights - with the major parties policies and actions dictated by corporate interests.
I did believe in political action -  ran as a candidate for the Greens political party 7 times - in some of the most successful campaigns ever seen in this area, full of enthusiasm and creativity and passion. Through this experience, I learnt that the election was not about the best candidate, or the best policies - but about who had the most money to pay for advertising. It didn't matter where that money came from - as long as you had it. We did the best we could with no budget - creative marketing to try to get media coverage and grassroots campaigning from door to door to attempt to communicate a message – but it was hard to see a real result.
Watching and listening to this panel of 6 candidates, I felt almost physically repulsed. It was the same talk about 'growth' and 'development', 'free trade' and 'technological solutions', it was talk about polarising local issues - stopping mosqes and 'protecting persecuted Christians'.
I longed to hear a vision of a better world, I yearned to hear someone, anyone - present a positive vision of a sustainable future instead of stopping 'this' or 'them' or 'that'.
But worst of all was my own feeling of defeat and despair - why can't I articulate clearly and succinctly what I know in my heart - the words seem naive and no longer even able to be heard in the current atmosphere. My perception of the world has been dismantled from the conditioning of conventional schooling and the pressure of ‘fitting in’ to what I now know is the engine room of consumersim for a capitalist, heartless society.
Of course I will go along to vote this weekend. And of course I will vote for the Greens (despite feeling that they sometimes try too hard to speak the language of conventional politics) – but I long for something more. Something deeper and more meaningful…hopefully it will come…
Making the most of the present - following Pacha around on her surfing adventures!

2015-01-04

2015 - the year of humility?



"The time has come to lower our voices, to cease imposing our mechanistic patterns on the biological processes of the earth, to resist the impulse to control, to command, to force, to oppress, and to begin quite humbly to follow the guidance of the larger community on which all life depends."


Thomas Berry

The calendar tells us that another year has passed and we are beginning a new one...
My love and best wishes go out to my friends around the planet - kind hearted humans trying to make sense of the world - doing what they can do to bring peace and healing. Welcome to 2015!

The headlines are full of the same mixture of earth shattering reality (as climate chaos ensues, extinction rates soar and inequality escalates) juxtaposed with the most trivial nonsense (who really cares how big some butts are?). 

Like most of you reading this - I get too much information (of all kinds) to properly process and that lingering sense of futility in the tiny actions I take in response. Like picking up handfuls of little plastic rubbish pieces on our daily beach visits - yet I can't help imagining how much more there is out there, everywhere and how every person who walks by seems to have a new plastic water bottle...just can't seem to make an individual change...

I find myself slightly repulsed by the environment movement and even green political movement - constrained by the structures and the dominant paradigm thinking that got us to this frightening place, yet still feel grateful to the campaigners out there trying their best. I just don't have the heart to do the same thing over and over - and could never do this as a  'job'. Working with Helena Norberg Hodge and the localisation movement seems to make the most sense - and I've been learning how to 'hold back' a little and prioritise my family.


Living in the city, despite being close to nature and the ocean, has rattled me...distracted by traffic and billboards and neon lights in shopping centres -the children tempted and taunted by 'stuff'.
It has been wonderful to live with my Mother and I think we've all been surprised about how well this has worked out! Sharing spontaneous breakfasts and dinners, watching light hearted comedies together on TV, 'skyping' family members around the world, sharing stories from
school and the latest political 'issues' - this has been a real blessing for us all.


And it seems that every health 'issue' has improved for her - as she works out at the gym and is a constant hive of activity - always sharing her time and energy with others...what an inspiration!
We have all been blessed with good health. Pacha and Yani glow with exuberance and life spirit...I 

bask in their glory and am fuelled by their energy - even as I nip at their heels to (hopefully) guide 
them in the right direction. 

So, with a deep sense of gratitude for this life - I send my goodwill and thanks to you, sharing this prayer to find deep peace and clarity of purpose in the time we have left on this beautiful planet...
Love, 
Anja