Increasing Disorder in the World

Increasing Disorder in the World

Why is there such an increase in disorder in the world, especially among the youth? Western examples are, on the small scale, escalating violence between girls, and on the large scale the riots in England.

Of course there are many contributing factors, but we need to simplify and look at the major influences, ignoring complications such as the increasing use of technology – since these powerful new tools can always be used for good or bad.

Increasingly, education has been about developing the intellect of children, but not teaching appropriate use of the intellect. That is, our young are lacking in moral and spiritual education. This will be discussed later.

The vacuum left by the weakening of religion, which for all its faults was the greatest means for the pacification and disciplining of humanity, has been effectively filled by the mass media, especially by a bombardment of messages of one’s need to have the latest goods, and of “labelled” goods.

Religion has to an extent been responsible for its own demise, as its descent into superstition, and failure to interpret the scriptures symbolically to accord with evident science, has encouraged many in the western civilisation at least to conclude that all that is worthy of regard is detectable by the senses, and therefore scientific experiment. This is the true definition of materialism, a creed causing great destruction to our civilisation. How often do we hear it said in the media, that man is just an animal, except with an opposable thumb and a larger brain? 

“Should the lamp of religion be obscured, chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness and justice, of tranquillity and peace cease to shine.”

            (Baha'u'llah)

Do we instruct our children and youth that the reality of man is his truthfulness, trustworthiness, kindness, dignity and compassion, and all the other qualities which lead to the building of civilisation, and which were originally promoted by each religion?  Without these qualities, we are lower than animals.

We have left our youth adrift, believing that life’s enjoyment is about ownership of things, and personal pleasure seeking a priority. And now, many have no prospect of work, their benefits are being reduced or stopped, and tertiary education intakes of students cut back, so they cannot be educated into the jobs that are available. We are all given the ability to discern true values for ourselves fortunately, but how many more would attain true wealth if living in a supportive culture?

Discerning a True Leader

Discerning a True Leader

Discerning a True Leader

In order to make the distinction between an authentic leader and a false one, it is necessary to look for certain qualities and characteristics in the individual. As pressures grow on populations around the world, there is a tendency to look for a “strong” leader, and to consider radical methods for change, thus moving away from the old “tried and true”.

A false leader is likely to make passionate and radical statements that lead to his/her popularity in difficult times, but such ascendancy is fortunately short-lived, though considerable damage can be done in a short space of time (remember the Second World War!). Radical statements can be divisive and can be used to portray certain sections of society as the cause of one’s miseries, resulting in racial, economic, religious, or other groups being blamed for societal deterioration.  Truth will be very much manipulated to suit the circumstances, but the detached observer, who does not get caught up in the passions provoked by oratory, will notice untruths, or at least half-truths mixed with falsehoods. Examples abound in the politicians of this day in all countries.

One key-identifier of a false leader is the offer of a “quick-fix” for community problems.

An authentic leader, a real statesman, will be detached as regards personal position, seeking only to serve and ensure the progress of the community. Though also a “strong” leader, the strength exhibited is of a different kind. The individual expresses his or herself with restraint yet is inspirational, identifies and describes a process that leads to a gradual improvement of circumstances, in contrast to the “quick-fix”, and allows for minor setbacks along the way. For this true leader, truthfulness and trustworthiness will in no way be sacrificed for political expediency, yet cooperation and compromise will also be employed.

“Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues”  (Bahá’u’lláh)

Some may say this is an impossible ideal, and it is true that we all have imperfections, but think of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.  A noteworthy characteristic of theirs was personal sacrifice. Consider that sacrifice is giving up something that is lesser for something that is greater. That could be physical comfort for intellectual and spiritual growth and fortitude.

The present day true leader can never contradict certain principles that especially apply to the age in which we now live, such as the equality of people of whatever sex, race, or religion. That is, by belonging to one group by no means gives ascendancy over other social groups, and no such group is responsible for all the difficulties in society. We all have certain human rights.

The heaven of statesmanship is made luminous and resplendent by the brightness of the light of these blessed words which hath dawned from the dayspring of the Will of God: It behoveth every ruler to weigh his own being every day in the balance of equity and justice and then to judge between men and counsel them to do that which would direct their steps unto the path of wisdom and understanding. This is the cornerstone of statesmanship and the essence thereof. From these words every enlightened man of wisdom will readily perceive that which will foster such aims as the welfare, security and protection of mankind and the safety of human lives.

                                                                        (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah)

The Existence of Spirit

If the world of spirit exists, even surrounds us, why are most of us in this day unaware of it?

Using a metaphor, Baha’u’llah, in common with other holy writings, uses water as the symbol of the spirit. In His metaphor, fish represent people. If a fish lives continually in still water, as do deep water fish, is it aware of the existence of water?

“Say: My creatures are even as the fish of the deep. Their life dependeth upon the water, and yet they remain unaware of that which, by the grace of an omniscient and omnipotent Lord, sustaineth their very existence. Indeed, their heedlessness is such that were they asked concerning the water and its properties, they would prove entirely ignorant.”

            (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)

A thought arrives; if we learn to use this spirit which surrounds us and create movement, we may gain greater awareness of this world of spirit, as a fish could feel the movement of turbulent water.

“The greatest power in the realm and range of human existence is spirit, -- the divine breath which animates and pervades all things. It is manifested throughout creation in different degrees or kingdoms. In the vegetable kingdom it is the spirit augmentative or power of growth, the animus of life and development in plants, trees and organisms of the floral world. In this degree of its manifestation, spirit is unconscious of the powers which qualify the kingdom of the animal. The distinctive virtue or plus of the animal is sense perception; it sees, hears, smells, tastes and feels but is incapable in turn, of conscious ideation or reflection which characterize and differentiate the human kingdom. The animal neither exercises nor apprehends this distinctive human power and gift. From the visible it cannot draw conclusions regarding the invisible whereas the human mind from visible and known premises attains knowledge of the unknown and invisible. For instance, Christopher Columbus from information based upon known and provable facts drew conclusions which led him unerringly across the vast ocean to the unknown continent of America. Such power of accomplishment is beyond the range of animal intelligence. Therefore this power is a distinctive attribute of the human spirit and kingdom. The animal spirit cannot penetrate and discover the   mysteries of things. It is a captive of the senses. No amount of teaching, for instance, would enable it to grasp the fact that the sun is stationary and the earth moves around it. Likewise the human spirit has its limitations. It cannot comprehend the phenomena of the kingdom transcending the human station, for it is a captive of powers and life forces which have their operation upon its own plane of existence and it cannot go beyond that boundary.

There is however another spirit which may be termed the divine, to which Jesus Christ refers when He declares that man must be born of its quickening and baptized with its living fire. Souls deprived of that spirit are accounted as dead, though they are possessed of the human spirit. His Holiness Jesus Christ has pronounced them dead inasmuch as they have no portion of the divine spirit. He says: "Let the dead bury their dead." In another instance He declares: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." By this He means that souls though alive in the human kingdom are nevertheless dead if devoid of this particular spirit of divine quickening. They have not partaken of the divine life of the higher kingdom; for the soul which partakes of the power of the divine spirit is verily living.”

            (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 261)

For thoughts on the inter-relationship of religion (using spirit) to science, go to my World View page.

Making Actively Aerated Compost Tea AACT

After reading of actively aerated compost teas, I have decided to try the proces for myself. It is a way of building the soil without having to create and move large volumes of compost - so it is a possible future answer to large scale farming as an alternative to chemical fertlisers.
Here is a description from Soil FoodWeb International's New Zealand site:

Compost Tea Information

The two key reasons to use compost tea are:

1. Impart microbial life into the soil or onto the foliage fof plants
2. Add soluble nutrients to the foliage or to the soil to feed the organisms and the plants present.

What is compost tea?

Compost tea is a liquid produced by extracting bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes from compost.  Compost tea production is a brewing process that is as simple to master as making a home brew.  Just like perfecting your home brew, brewing compost tea may at times seem frustrating.  However, if you concentrate on what you are doing and choose a suitable compost tea brewer that meets your specific needs, then creating a compost tea that will improve the health of your plants is relatively easy and well worth the effort.
If you want to introduce a highly beneficial group of bacteria and fungi, protozoa and possibly nematodes, buy good compost that has these organisms, and make Actively Aerated Compost Tea.  There are a number of compost brewers available to choose from in the market.  When purchasing a tea machine, you should ask the manufacturer to provide information on oxygen levels during the tea brewing cycle (the brewing process has to be aerobic) in addition to a standard food web analysis (molecular analysis of diversity, and total and active bacteria and fungi, and protozoa, present in the tea made under standard conditions).
The benefits of using a compost tea that contains ALL the food web organisms are:

• Improved plant growth as a result of using beneficial organisms to protect the plant surfaces.  The organisms occupy infection sites and can also prevent disease-causing organisms from finding the plant. 
• The tea improves the nutrient retention of the soil thus stimulating plant growth.  If your soil can retain its nutrients it helps minimise the need to use fertiliser.  A healthy soil is less likely to leach its nutrients into ground and surface waters. 
• Increasing the nutrients available to the root system leads to a stronger healthier plant.  The predator-prey interactions increase the available nutrients required by the plant and enables it to absorb them in the correct dosage at the time the nutrients are required.
• Compost tea assists in reducing the negative impact that chemical-based pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers have on beneficial micro-organisms in the ecosystem.
• Improves the intake of nutrients by increasing foliar uptake.  The beneficial micro-organisms increase the time the stomata stay open, while at the same time reducing evaporative loss from the leaf surface. 
• Reduces water loss and improves the water retention of the soil thereby reducing the need for frequent watering. 
• Improves tillage by building a better soil structure.  Only the biological components in your soil can build its structure, and ALL the organism groups in the food web are required in order to have this occur.  Thus your soil must contain not only bacteria but also fungi, protozoa, nematodes and micro arthropods. (Please be aware that the plate count method on its own does not supply you a complete overview of your existing soil foodweb.)

Deciding to make a start, I put a plastic drum in the narrow space connecting between my house and garage, which I grandly term "my conservatory", and filled it with rainwater - to avoid chlorine. First I created an air bubbler with calf tubing with holes along one blocked-off end, to sit at the bottom of the barrel, and an electric air mattress pump. I have suspended an old pillow case with good quality compost I have made from garden waste, and worm casts (with some worms) from my compost tumbler (which is fed with vegetable scraps and lawn clippings).

As I expected, the pump only lasted a few hours before a pivot began to seize. I read that the aeration should not be interrupted, but it was several hours before I realised I had a much better solution - if only I had thought of it sooner. I connected the tubing to my air compressor, reduced the pressure to minimum, and now I have an air bubbler which can easily go for the required 24 hours, and indeed the compressor motor hardly ever starts up. It is important to fasten up a loop of tubing high in case of pressure loss, and backflow of water.

It is best to keep the tea at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, but I have not yet worked out this little problem. Later today I intend to put the tea on areas of vegetable garden using a watering can (low tech!).
Now I need a microscope, to see the differences between where the compost tea has been used, and where it hasn't. 

The idea is that true fertility is in the soil life of algae, protozoa, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, arthropods, etc. As each of these levels consume the other, nutrients are released. This sounds much more suitable to me than the New Zealand system of having rock phosphate mined in Morocco, shipped to NZ, treated with sulphuric acid and spread over the land with spreader trucks or top-dressing planes!

The Lamp of Religion

Alkyd on Board

Should the lamp of religion be obscured, chaos and confusion will ensue and the lights of fairness and  justice, of tranquility and peace cease to shine.

                             - Baha’u’llah

The light of religion has throughout history caused great civilizations to emerge. But after a time superficial interpretations and attachments to the form of a religion and not its reality causes the disintegration of society.

There are more paintings under Contributors/Paintings

Climate Change and Emission Trading Schemes

Climate Change and Emissions Trading Schemes

This is another attempt (actually it was my first) to defuse the “bomb” of a contentious issue in our society, by viewing it from a wider perspective. It is hard to write a simple outline of the matter as it touches on so many aspects of human society.

Many refuse to accept that human civilisation is capable of causing worldwide climate change. It is accepted that forces within and without the planet can make huge changes, but usually over a very long time scale. However, human activity on earth has changed much of the surface of the earth over the millennia, yet never so much and so rapidly as in the last 200 years, with the exponential growth of science and technology over the decades of this period, not to mention the vast growth of human population.

 Photo from Biopact

 As for the more topical and even more controversial Emission Trading Schemes, which many countries are considering, whether they turn out to be good constructs, or detrimental to our community, and our environment, is yet to be seen, but we are very likely to be feeling their effects soon.  Perhaps the usefulness of these schemes will be determined by whether people engage in them to genuinely enhance the environment, or in order to make undue profit. Any potentially useful construct can be undermined by false motivation, as was proved in the US where so many people’s savings were “made off” with recently.

"We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions."

                                                            (Shoghi Effendi)

Whether we believe the world needs to cut down on its carbon emissions or not, it can be seen that trading of ephemeral products for the sake of ever-increasing trade and consumption is not possible in a finite world. This trade, which has some positive aspects in uniting countries around the world, has brought us to the limits of our ability to exploit fossil fuel at this time, and also now of fresh water.

We may be awaiting our scientists to make new discoveries to rectify our problems. There is no doubt that there are unthought of resources within this earth, within creation itself. But every new scientific discovery brings its own problems, and every discovery can be used for good or for ill in the world. So once again we come to the prime importance of motivation, and the negative results of greed.

Most evident in the world is the effect of greed on distribution of the earth’s resources to the populations of the earth. Most of the resources, the energy, the world’s wealth, is in the hands of a few. By some ways of measuring, we of the western world could be considered to be that few, even if we do not consider ourselves wealthy, compared to the grinding poverty experienced by the majority of people on this earth. And yet, when we start to feel ourselves constrained, having to cut back slightly in our lifestyle, how much we protest!

And why should we care about all these people? If we understand that they are no different to us, except by accident of birth, and if for no other reason than:

“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established”.

            (Baha'u'llah)

Black and White Thinking (Racism)

Black and White Thinking (Racism)

None of us are racist, are we?

Have you ever said, “I’m not racist but…”?

Actually there is a tendency to gravitate towards those who think, act, and to an extent look like us. Generally the term racism is used when a larger group favours their own kind, automatically discriminating against a smaller group.

“Cleanse ye your eyes, so that ye behold no man as different from yourselves. See ye no strangers; rather see all men as friends, for love and unity come hard when ye fix your gaze on otherness”

                                                (Abdu'l-Baha)

Of course, we see differences in skin colour and in culture, but surely the difference being referred to here, is the inner essence of a human being.

We need to take this further, to a new concept - unity in diversity. If we learn to appreciate the differences between people and cultures, rather than resort to assimilation, we will have a much more interesting world.

“Humanity may be likened unto the vari-colored flowers of one garden. There is unity in diversity. Each sets off and enhances the other's beauty.”

            (Abdu'l-Baha)

If a garden has only a few special flowers, it is natural for a gardener to nurture, encourage, and safeguard these plants, but in the garden of society when the minority or indigenous culture is favoured, many people view this as reverse racism. Remember that, according to an earlier statement, the minority is automatically discriminated against, so surely some encouragement is appropriate.

At different times in the world’s history, different races or cultural groups have had the more developed civilisation. Through the empire-building times, those groups have used superior force of arms to take over other communities, often replacing the culture of those vanquished, with their own. The culture of the subjugated community would have evolved from their religious understandings, the firm bedrock their way of life was built on. All around the world we see the apathy and social problems manifest in oppressed communities, due to the loss of their cultural values. But some mistakenly interpret what they see and hear about these subjugated peoples as evidence of a racially weak people. The difference in genetics between any two random individuals is 0.1% and between the races is 8% of that difference.  And it has been proven through recent developments in genetic research that all of us have our origins in Africa.  So differences between communities must be differences of education.

 “Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess… The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”

                                                                                    (Baha'u'llah)

This statement needs consideration. No matter our race our culture, these are gems inherent in every one of us.  They cannot be forced into us.  Like a diamond, we are in the rough and education is the tool that will reveal our treasures.

The End of the World! Ooh,Scary!

The End of the World

It seems that among many groups in society, and especially amongst young people, there is now a lot of discussion about “the end of the world”. This, not so new, topic of interest, is of course visibly manifest in movies such as “2012” and many of the other disaster movies. A worrying effect of this topic is the negativity towards life and the community that can ensue for those who dwell on problems and disastrous potentialities. The origins are to be found in many diverse sources, such as the Bible, especially the Book of Revelations, and The Koran,

(Thou seest the mountains and thinkest them firmly fixed: but they shall pass away as the clouds pass away.)

                                                                        (The Koran Surah  27)

Then there are Nostradamus’ prophecies, but there are always problems due to interpretation.

The Holy Writings especially, but many other literary works of varying worth, use a lot of symbolism and metaphor. Problems occur when people take such passages and apply them in literal ways. The best way to interpret a prophecy is after the event – which could be difficult after the end of the world!  There have been numerous interpretations of Bible prophecy since about 1800AD, but even within the writer’s lifetime, say about 1970, the protagonists were Christians versus communism, especially the Soviet version.  Of course, the main adversary is now often interpreted as Muslims. Might not the main adversary at this stage of human development actually be the tendencies within ourselves towards materialism, hedonism? Or even literalism? (Not to mention certainty of opinion :) ).

Human civilisation has actually been through many “ends”. As a crisis occurs in our collective development, and sometimes humanity has passed the test and made a great leap to another plateau in the advancement and complexity of our civilisation, and other times been reduced back to simple living such as tribalism or even family communities. Either way, the world as it was known “ended”.  After a time of comparative peace, a civilisation encounters issues and limited resources, which cause crises and impel that community to either make a significant leap forward or suffer a catastrophic collapse.
(for a much greatly detailed explanation go to Giuseppe Robiati's document "Toward a New World Order"

                              (Caption: Spiders retreating from floods in Pakistan, into the trees)

A positive attitude would then be best on the part of that civilisation and its members.

Perhaps this is what Charles Dickens was expressing:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

            (A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)

It is evident that our current civilisation has reached the point of limited resources, such as with energy and water for our current level of knowledge and organisation, and related issues abound. Yet fantastic opportunities lie ahead of us. People do not like change, but we are impelled to make a quantum leap forward.

What lies ahead of us? The next great resource in the development of mankind is knowledge, but knowledge is of two kinds.  The first is intellectual and scientific knowledge, which has grown exponentially since the mid 19^th century. But this same knowledge has made the world a global village, with tensions ever growing between the villagers. In 1844 Samuel Morse sent the first telegraph “What hath God wrought?” 

The other knowledge, which is needed to accompany and balance out the first, is knowledge of the heart, or of the spirit. Every scientific discovery can be used for good or ill, and every invention for right or wrong.  The goal we are forced to reach for is the unity of mankind. This is our Judgement Day, and we must not fail the test.

“All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization”.

            (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 214)

 “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established”.

                                                (Baha'u'llah)