Appreciating the Life-giving Gifts of the Sun
Observing the daily cycle of the sun as an instrument of personal reflection & inspiration for responsible stewardship of the Earth’s resources
Taking the time and making the effort to observe the key markers of the day, such as the hour before dawn, sunrise, high noon, sunset, and the night sky, establishes cycles of OBSERVANCE that connect us with the universe and imbue our lives with meaning and purpose. While contemplating the universe may, at first, make us feel small, reflecting on its vastness and continuity can also instil a sense of security. It is a reminder that we are part of an ongoing cosmic journey of expansion – renewal and connection to forces that have existed long before us and will endure far beyond our time.
For communitarians, rising the hour before dawn to wait upon the first light of a new day is a primary personal progression practice that enables us to plant the seeds of tomorrow and reap a rewarding harvest through PLANNING OUR MISSIONS and monitoring our PRODUCTIVITY. The hour before sunrise, is more than a quiet prelude to the day; for those who make this daily COMTEMPLATION OF EARTHLY & COSMIC ELEMENTS habit, it is the space we CONSCIOUSLY CREATE to set intentions and plan our CONTRIBUTION to ushering in the era of perpetual peace through living and loving by evolved eco-socio-economic principles.
In those quiet moments, communitarians advancing along the path toward COMMUNAL UNION reflect on how their daily contributions support both personal and wider-world peace processes, together with planned collaborative provisioning economic structures, and the RIGHT LIVELIHOOD practice of GARDENING to restore and extend the beautification of the reaches of the earth. Intentionally reviewing our personal goals and contributions to broader MISSIONS before sunrise offers invaluable opportunities to ground ourselves in the present, clarify our roles, and contribute purposefully to local and regional, globally-networked communitarian unions, thereby living our purpose and embracing our place within THE MAJESTIC COSMOS.
The sun, with its silent yet omnipresent life-giving force, sits at the centre of these practices, embodying the contributions of health, vitality, constancy, and generosity. While this cosmic element’s multitude of attributes sustain life, it also reflects the qualities communitarians strive to integrate into their own lives.
The Sun’s Attributes: Nurturing Life and Light
The sun is the ultimate source of our food, warmth, and light. Through the marvel of photosynthesis, its rays energize plants, enabling them to convert sunlight into food. These plants sustain life on Earth, forming the base of a complex food web that supports all species of animals, including humans. Every meal we consume is, in essence, a gift from the sun, mediated through the miraculous workings of nature. This understanding invites a deeper respect for the land and LIVING FRUITING TREES as well as edible plants that feed us, along with the cosmic forces that nourish the wide array of essential ecosystems.
Beyond sustenance, the sun’s warmth and light fuel growth in every form – from cultivated orchards, food forests and backyard kitchen gardens to natural pristine ecosystems and every type of human settlement in between. Without these freely given bestowals, life on earth would be impossible. For this reason, communitarians greet the dawn, observing GRATITUDE for the gift of life – our life and the lives of our associates, along with the life of each and every creature – great and small that shares this wonderous planet – our only home.
Each and every dawn, the sun has never missed renewing its commitment to sustaining life, offering us both literal and metaphorical light. Likewise, communitarians too should never miss renewing our commitment to illuminating the path to perpetual peace through sharing all with all. While forging a path to practical implementation of COLLABORATIVE UNION begins by acquiring and sharing knowledge of an evolved diet and lifestyle that nourishes HEALTH and LONGEVITY, the second step requires us to “Know Thyself’ through dedication to PERSONAL PROGRESSION that includes daily COMTEMPLATION OF EARTHLY & COSMIC ELEMENTS that contribute to the life, liberty and happiness of all.
As communitarians contemplate the sun’s role in sustaining life, they are reminded of the interconnectedness that defines our existence. Just as the sun’s warmth reaches every corner of the Earth, our actions, however small, have ripple effects that can impact the broader community and beyond, as well as, the future of generations to come.
Acknowledging the sun’s boundless energy invites us to honour our commitment to consciously CONTRIBUTE to CONSERVATION through daily contemplation of what it means to act as RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OF EARTH, MINERALS & METAL, WOOD, FIRE, WATER & AIR that we are privileged to access. It is for these reasons that from the 2nd Year of Association and beyond, communitarians adopt the habit of taking time out of their day to APPRECIATE the gifts provided by the sun that allows us to enjoy the nourishment of sun-ripened fruit FROM LIVING TREES, along with natural fibre clothing produced in cotton and hemp fields all under the bestowal of heat and light from the sun.
Emulating the Sun: A Model for Communitarian Life
Communitarians often look to the sun as a model for how to live with purpose, generosity, and balance. The sun’s steady, impartial light teaches us the value of giving freely and sustaining life—a powerful reminder of reciprocity and interconnectedness.
Through efforts to emulate the sun’s qualities, communitarians can cultivate principles of shared responsibility for sustainable development of mutually-supportive ‘common’ wealth resource-sharing Collaborative unions. By integrating these values into our social and economic practices, we contribute to a system of regenerative living—a model that cares for the Earth as much as for humanity.
In the era of perpetual peace that communitarians seek to nurture, the relationship with the sun serves as a guiding principle, encouraging a lifestyle that replaces the resources utilized to sustain life, while also multiplying the sum of replacements, rather than being purely extractive. It underscores the wisdom of giving more than we take, of nurturing the resources that nourish us, and of shining light on sustainable paths forward.
By rising before dawn to align with the rhythms of the natural world, communitarians attune to the life-force of the sun. Taking time throughout the day to reverence the gifts provided by the sun, serves as a reminder of our purpose. It encourages us to contribute our time, talent and collective resources to demonstrate social harmony born of planned collaborative economic production and distribution (according to need), guided by RIGHT LIVELIHOOD PRINCIPLES that are rooted in ecological preservation and extension practices. These are not merely ideals, but rather, consciously created realities that collectively, the communitarian unions strive to embody daily.
Through honoring the life-force of the sun, we find our place within the majestic cosmos –grounded, purposeful, and at peace with our roles in this interconnected web of existence.
