The last few weeks, I have been observing public behaviour. I noticed complete unawareness and selfishness. I witness and don’t get involved.
Over the years, my wife and I have noticed that people lack self-responsibility. They blame other for their predicament. In this world we are all brothers and sisters, part of the ONE. If we don’t take care of each other, there will be chaos in this world. We need to make decisions and own it, whether they are right, or wrong. We need to be aware of each other in our daily lives and not hurt one another. There is a lack of awareness and care, on an individual level, an organisational level and even on a country level. People don’t see that they are part of the ONE. They see differences and thus allow quarrels to manifest. None of us should dictate what anyone should do. That would be controlling. We can be respectful of each other and the planet. We can become aware, witness, and choose to act with compassion.
A Lack of Awareness
Recently, there was a guy who stood in the middle of the public path doing his exercises. We had to go around him onto the cycle lane to move forward. He saw us coming and refused to move. I wondered if he was aware of what he was doing, as we had eye contact. A few minutes later an older guy in his sixties or seventies while cycling lost his helmet, he stopped in the middle of the cycle lane to retrieve his helmet, slowly put it back on and adjust it in the middle of the lane, completely unaware that there were other cyclists riding on the lane. Both of them could have moved about five feet to one side to do their business and avoid blocking others. They seemed to be quite selfish in their behaviour ignoring others. Later we went to Sainsbury’s and as we were leaving, we had to wait for a lady who was glued to her mobile phone while crossing the road, she was not looking out for traffic. This reminded me of the incident in Spain last week of a woman who crossed the road glued to her mobile, completely unware of her surroundings, in the middle of a cycle race. She was seriously injured by a racing cyclist just before the finish. If only she looked up and paid attention.
This week there were grandparents strolling with two toddlers on children training bicycles on the cycle lane completely unaware of the cycle traffic and the danger to the children. I wondered if the grandparents were senile, or unaware of the dangers of the cycle lane.
Time to Pay Attention
Recently, we watched a few nature documentaries on Netflix like, “Seaspiracy” and “Cowspiracy”, that reveal, if people stop eating meat or fish, it would stop the destruction of our planet. It is our ignorant behaviour and addiction to meat and fish, which destroys millions of acres of forests to feed cattle. The destruction of the oceans are caused by large trawl nets scooping up everything that lives for a small percentage of fish. There is also an unhealthy desire for profits, no matter what the costs. A lack of control over our senses of taste and desire will ultimately destroy this planet.
It’s Your Choice
David Attenborough’s “Life on Our Planet”, showed the melting of the poles due to the warming of our planet, as the increase in carbon dioxide is keeping the heat in. Everything is connected, whatever changes each individual makes, is reflected by the earth. Think of the 8 billion individuals that affect the earth. In nature each large predator needs a large space to survive. We are 8 billion large predators and the Earth does not have enough space for all of us to indulge in eating meat. Vegetarians have survived thousands of years without eating meat. So, why do some so-called authorities claim that you have to eat meat for your protein. The answer is simply that these people are addicted to meat and need an excuse to continue this behaviour. If vegetarians and vegans can survive without ill-effects and enjoy their meals and their life, so can you. So, if you want to stop the destruction of this planet, don’t eat meat, or fish, or at least cut down on them. It’s your choice, the planet, or your taste buds. Time to snap out of a selfish lack of awareness and pay attention. Know that we are ONE, dependant on each other and the planet.
Eddie Appoo is a spiritual teacher and author dedicated to guiding others on their journey of Self-Realisation. He embarked on a journey of spiritual exploration from a young age and had his first glimpse of Self-Realisation in the early 1980s. In 1992, Eddie experienced himself as Atma (One with God) guided by his spiritual master Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Alongside his wife, he co-created LiberatingTouch®, a spiritual development system. Eddie’s teachings and writings, including “Detachment: The Secret to Infinite Peace,” reflect his dedication to sharing joy and facilitating spiritual progression.