The Climate Crisis and Our Collective Need to Wake Up

[Aloka]

An article from the Buddhist Door website:

https://www.buddhistdoor.net/feature...eed-to-wake-up

Any thoughts about the article?

[philg]

We don't have long before the weather system breaks down, and then it will be too late. It shows that the true power lies with a few mega rich individuals who control the media and politicians, who could have done something about it. They don't seem to understand that their money (or rather, ours) will avail them nothing if the world's weather and climate break down. We are all in it together.

[lisehull]

I think it's too late.

[Polar Bear]

I think the article offers no solution because Buddhism doesn’t have a real solution to structural evils and plutocracy.

This isn’t a very Buddhist thought, but I’m at the point where I’m wondering if the choice we’ll have to make within the next 10 years is between passively watching the biosphere and civilization collapse or engaging in violent revolution to remove all those who stand in the way of radical change.

[Aloka]

This isn’t a very Buddhist thought, but I’m at the point where I’m wondering if the choice we’ll have to make within the next 10 years is between passively watching the biosphere and civilization collapse or engaging in violent revolution to remove all those who stand in the way of radical change.

Hi Polar Bear, good to see you again!

I wouldn't want to to speculate about violent revolution and I sincerely hope that goverments around the world will find peaceful solutions to the climate crisis before its too late. Also, without getting into any arguments about politics, I think as a Buddhist, its worth remembering Ch.10 "Violence" from the Dhammapada :

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipi...p.10.budd.html

and also Sutta Sn4.15 "Arming Oneself":

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipi...4.15.olen.html

[Polar Bear]

Thanks for the Dhammapada verses, yes, my thoughts have been unwholesomely stirred up over the last few days regarding climate change, something I need to check. I also hope for peaceful solutions to the climate crisis.

[Olderon]

Here's the Deal! The human species just doesn't live long enough in it's current evolved biological format to concern itself with climate change as it has ocurred over the last 4.5 billion years. Life forms will adapt, and continue to evolve and then will become extinct. Earth will eventually be consumed by our sun. Eventually what remains of our solar system will be consumed by the super massive black hole at the center of our galaxy. Eventually entropy will win and all stars will extinguish. So, why worry? Be happy.

[lisehull]

I guess we could say the same about things like children in concentration camps here in the States, genocide, or even the political upheaval around the world, the devastation of countless species, environmental pollution, rampant crime, and on and on. Why worry, be happy. It's all going to end in a solar flare someday.

[Olderon]

Petty perspectives due to our limited human capabilities. The universe is repleat with dangers over which we humans have no control. Yet, like passengers in an airliner falling in its vector to its crash site we foolishly imagine that if we jump up in the air just before the plane strikes the earth we can save ourselves. Just so we were all placed on a terminal path the moment we were reborn from the residual elements of the last super nova. Relax and be patient. You will again be recycled. The concept is "Mental Equanimity." It is a very effective Buddhist concept taught by The Tathaghatta, Sakyamuni-Buddha, reborn several thousand times, until he discovered it.

[lisehull]

I don't think these are "petty". I think you are minimizing the problems and making a mockery out of what is meant (at least in some circles of Buddhism) by compassion.