Dispossessed of Gaia-consciousness

Dispossessed of Gaia-consciousness

In ch6 of the pathtivism manual I started to describe how I felt dispossessed. This is a cultural feeling, my culture dispossesses me. What does it dispossess me of? Gaia-consciousness. What does this mean? I don’t really know but now I am being properly aware of it, it is bringing on a sense of futility and depression.

For me as an adult there has always been my path, despite the time of upheaval that was difficult I have been fortunate. I am particularly fortunate now because I have the freedom to be myself – not restricted by the need to earn money. But I have now become aware that I have accepted dispossession throughout that time. When working I fought for education but I was so immersed in that struggle I lost sight of the only meaningful struggle – the struggle for Gaia. We humans are being lost to Gaia.

There are apocalyptic visions everywhere in the creative realm, we have to note this. We have to see that this is Gaia’s creativity, this is Gaia telling us where we are going. In these visions are we seeing the death of Gaia? Sure life is not flourishing as well but we are seeing the death of humans; Gaia will survive – depleted but surviving. I don’t want this, (my) Gaia-consciousness does not want this.

My dispossession took away my Gaia-consciousness, it separated me from that Unity. My path was always there in part, I have been green in part, my activism was green in part, but I was not Gaia-consciousness. Gaia-consciousness needs to be mindful, and for Buddhists mindfulness is constant awareness. Gaia-consciousness has to be constant awareness.

And practically Gaia-consciousness means mindful consuming. Previously I have seen mindful consuming in terms of political activism such as the BDS movement. But for Gaia-consciousness mindful consuming is concerned with consuming itself. We need to minimally optimise our consuming. Political me would examine my consumption, and say I am OK the problem is the 1%. Whilst the problem most definitely is the 1%, I have not taken enough personal care of my consuming. This has been weak. I have tolerated unnecessary consumption because I was dispossessed. Gaia-consciousness was not to the forefront.

Gaia-consciousness brings mindful consuming to the forefront. In our personal lives is our consuming necessary? The question I have effectively asked “Is my consuming reasonable?”, but reasonable is a comparison. And when I compare my consuming with that in the capitalist world I am reasonable. But my consumption has not always been what is necessary.

In the world of the dispossessed we see wealth, and there are always comparisons with that wealth. Relatively speaking what harm I do with my consuming is minimal compared to the excesses of the psychopathic 1% - psychopathic for this reason. We must avoid comparisons, and think in terms of our own consuming; is our consumption necessary?

Reduction in my own consumption will have minimal impact. Back in the 80s there was a global movement concerning recycling. This movement altered the consciousness of housewives who would normally be apolitical, but there was only minimal improvement. And that is because our consumption is dominated by an exploitative 1% who have continued to control governments, and exploited Gaia’s resources. And in general we are conditioned to consume the products of that resource exploitation.

We must stop comparing, relatively-speaking is not sufficient. It is necessary to consume mindfully ourselves, and pressure the 1% to provide products that are environmentally-friendly. I have been parts of movements who have tried, made these comparisons, and given up – or more correctly compromised. This compromise is part of the dispossession, the compromise was because I was not true enough to my Gaia-consciousness – my path was not true enough there.

Young people are now becoming active about Mother Earth. Extinction rebellion, Earth Guardians, Greta Thunberg are correctly saying to the world that we are not facing our responsibilities. There is commitment about plastic bags. All of this is positive mindful consuming but it needs to be continued. And it needs to be mindful 24/7 and 24/7/365/50years. Have determination in our own commitment, and have determination to demand that those who control our economy and who condition our consuming also change. And this commitment needs to be lifelong.

Don’t try to shame each other, the only people who need shaming are the 1%. We should try to do better but without the 1% changing the way we know Gaia now has to die. Look at the world. It is dominated by cultures which are run by their own 1%, and their peoples are all conditioned consumers. Some are worse than others, some are more destructive than others, but they are all destructive consumer cultures dominated by their 1% seeking wealth. Shame the 1%, but don’t shame each other – there is enough struggling in this world.

But indigenous cultures live in harmony with Mother Earth. When we seek to be Gaia-conscious and improve what we do, seek their advice. If we want a green new deal we want a green economy that is indigenous-led. When we shame the 1% don’t allow them to pretend they are helping by consuming, demand that they help Gaia-consciousness by helping the people who haven’t been dispossessed, by helping the Frontline Indigenous Communities. We cannot end Gaia-destruction by more consumption whether it is good-hearted or not. Mindful consuming, Gaia-conscious consuming, consumption in harmony with Gaia is the only way. Follow the path to Gaia.

I failed because I failed the 4th agreement “Always do the best you can.” Even though I was always an activist I wasn’t always Gaia-conscious, and that means I wasn’t doing the best I could. Mindful consuming is straight-forward:-

Be Gaia-conscious, always do the best you can.
Don’t shame each other, but shame the 1%.

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