In a world of my own...

There'd be new birds
Lots of nice and friendly
How-do'ya do birds
Everyone would have
A dozen blue birds
Within that world of my own... Disney's Alice in Wonderland

What would you have in a world of your own? Purun Bhagat describes his as something of a "dream of peace and quiet--- the long, white dusty Indian road, printed all over with bare feet, the incessant, slow-moving traffic, and the sharp-smelling wood smoke curling up under the fig-trees in the twilight, where the wayfarers sit at their evening meal." (299) Sounds idyllic. Others describe it by names:Arcadia, Eden, Elysian Fields, Erewhon, the Garden of Eden, Xanadu, Nirvana, Heaven, the promised land, and so many more. Mine looks a little something like this, just maybe more sun:

And the desert wild became a garden mild... (287)

     

And perhaps in a perfect, utopian society you, too could have a dozen blue birds to sing to you in your "Wonderland" or you could be a holy ascetic helper-to-all in rural India, (I don't know), but it's interesting to look at things in a bit more abstract kind of a way. Consider what Virgil, Blake, and the Purun Bhagat had to say about being on "the way into the heart of things, back to the place whence his [and all of our souls] had come." (303) Just think about it. And this does not just go for our relationships with people, or animals, or even ourselves, but is a much more pervasive philosophy. We all seem to think that in our personal lives, living by our own mores and values, that we could live at peace with things and overcome our dominating, violent human tendencies. Right? We'd love all around us--- friend, neighbor, foe--- without question, because this would be a world of understanding, compassion, generosity, and maybe even abundance. We wouldn't have to worry about competition or scarcity. And after all, isn't it these things in society, compounded with long-standing social acceptance of prejudices and patriarchy and antagonism  that are the impetus of our bad behavior? If mean, we could all be Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or a converted Apostle Saul/Paul, right? (Well, except for the girls for the monk part, which is a whole other can of worms.)  I mean... you could do worse than these type of role models, right?

I just remember going to a rally in Washington, D.C. back in high school, when I was younger and idealistic, and I met two very interesting men: Patrick and Peter. They were Fransiscan monks, who similar to Purun Gharat had forsaken worldly possessions and adopted a kind of overarching, well, love and appreciation are the only words I can come up with that seems to fit, for everything they attested that God had made. Now, Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Zoroastrian, Protestant--- I don't care what you are, you would respect these men. Here's why: they did things like taking the only meal that was given to them that day and giving it to a homeless man we passed on the street, getting an injured rat off of the subway tracks to bring to a shelter, and giving me the heavy wool garment (the only thing they really wear) to cover myself up with when I was freezing my bum off waiting for the aforementioned subway in the snow. I only wish I acted upon such selfless tendencies as they. 

He had used his wealth and his power for what he knew both to be worth;... he had seen men and cities far and near, and men and cities had stood up and honoured him. Now he would let those things go, as a man drops the cloak he no longer needs... All that life was ended; he bore it no more ill-will or good-will than a man bears to a colourless dream... And so long as there is a morsel to divide in India, neither priest nor beggar starves. (298)

Patrick and Peter

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me. (Matthew 19:21)

Yet...

And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [or in newer translations, love], it profiteth me nothing.1Corinthinans 13:3

We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered. (- Martin Luther King, Jr.)

I would even say that we could extend that beyond a "person-oriented" society, to a "being-oriented" society-- no disrespect to Dr. King. My point is that it's about love, people. It's about charity. Because not all of us can escape to a place of solitude and quiet, (though we can create some peace and simplicity in our lives: http://zenhabits.net/simple-living-manifesto-72-ideas-to-simplify-your-life/ ) we have to change our behavior. Like Gandhi said, be the change you wish to see in the world. Furthermore, we could be talking about anything here: gender, race, religion, species, ideologies, job, looks--- you name it.

And doesn't this say a little something more about what is involved in this process, as well. There is certainly this very obvious natural undertones to most writers and poets of this genre talking about utopia and grace and forgiveness and all of those other New Age-y, warm fuzzy things that I talk about all the time. These types of thinkers appreciate veneration of that which is naturally productive and at peace: plants, animals, silence, space, humans (maybe less so, but possible), and most of all transcending the material world. I love this idea. I mean, I'm in the middle of cleaning out my entire closet and room right now to donate all of my things, and I've never felt so liberated. Speaking of which, the Austin Women's Clothing Swap is this Saturday: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=242667362168&ref=nf Please consider attending.

Values: Abundance, Acceptance, Community, Fun, Generosity, Integrity, Sustainability... Plus, any clothes that are unusable still get used because they donate them to TLAC and a few other area shelters to fill pet beds and help keep the puppies and kit-tens warm in the winter. It's just a thought. 

But as I was saying, "Earth, people, and food were all one." (299) It's not about taming the world around us, which seems to be such the focus of how we resolve problems. River in the way: dam it up. Hill in the way: bulldoze it down. I'm not saying that making changes to the environment and earth are evil, and I'm certainly not hating on technology. I know that I benefit from (and maybe even rely on) air conditioning and refrigeration with the best of them. I won't deny that. I just feel like there are times when it is not necessary for humans to flex the power of their resources. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

For one, we have very little over control over a lot of things, and it's absurd to think we do. So, we don't have to fear the earth's retaliation towards us. I mean, if anything, the past few hurricanes/ tsunamis here in the states, in Chile, in Japan, in New Zealand... they should all in a way prove that we're not in control of our entire environment, and that we should be thankful for what we do have to work with.

"He believed that all things were one big Miracle...that there was nothing great and nothing little in this world." (302-303) Green fields and happy groves, Where flocks have took delight,
Where lambs have nibbled, silent moves The feet of angels bright;
Unseen, they pour blessing, And joy without ceasing,
On each bud and blossom, And each sleeping bosom. (286)
"Smelling to his [the lion's] prey; But their fears allay
When he licks their hands, and silent by them stands." (290)

Didn't Disney teach you anything about appreciating your life, the animals around you, and the unfathomable gift it is just to be alive and to get to experience and appreciate the richness and wonder of it all?