contemplating responsible
Stewardship of The Earth
Daily reflection on Earth's Elements
shapes evolved environmental world views
The significant factors influencing and shaping environmental worldviews, hinge on the development of individual and cultural environmental ethics. Countless studies provide evidence that what a person believes is right or wrong, or is of value or else inconsequential, significantly determines the level of responsible interaction and preservation of environmental components such as water, top soil, air quality and non-renewable metals and minerals.
For these reasons communitarians take seriously the responsibility to grow in wisdom and also skills that lead to right-use of the Earth’s resources. As custodians of land, minerals and metals, water and air, along with the correct utilization of regenerative fires, communitarians dedicate their lives to playing a major role in preserving these life-giving elements of the Earth for future generations.
The practice of daily contemplation of earthly and cosmic elements guides communitarians toward evolving worldviews founded on the integration of values and missions intended to establish peace, justice and equitable distribution of the provisions that sustain life, liberty and happiness for all.
Through daily focused attention on answering the fundamental questions of, ‘What does it mean to live by communitarian principles and practices; and, ‘What should we do with the time, energy, intelligence and resources that we have been given?’, communitarians seek to align their daily habits and lifestyle to contribute to the healing and betterment of people, animals and the planet as a whole.
Responsible Stewardship of Earth's Resources
In practical terms, the role of stewardship of the Earth’s resources requires communitarians to acquire knowledge of ‘responsible’ environmental management and conservation practices through direct involvement in recycling, repurposing, repair and shared-resource projects as well as regenerative food foresting.
Under the principle and practice of ‘One Cloak’ and ‘Right Livelihood’ communitarians accept the responsibility to conserve energy and also to utilize renewable energy options, where ever possible.
Communitarian consider it their mission to utilise the Earth’s natural resources responsibly by taking full and balanced account of the interests of others now living as well as that of future generations. This consideration also includes the comfort and quality of life of both land and marine animals.
In alignment with the principle and practice of ‘One Cloak’, communitarians make every effort to reuse, repurpose and recycle as well as procure and produce durable, repairable products and components. As part of the practice of minimalism and responsible stewardship of Earth – our only home, communitarians make every effort to support industries that do not pollute and exploit people or animals.
It is for these reasons that communitarians commit time and energy to ‘Making’ the majority of their clothing from natural fibres such as cotton and hemp along with durable furniture and other household items. Likewise, communitarians combine to purchase and share electric vehicles as well as source and install non-polluting renewable energy driven production equipment such as solar food driers and water pumps, windmills and biogas generators.
Honouring Earth - Our Only Home
through daily Active Meditation
Daily practice of ‘Unity with the Earth’ transports communitarians beyond themselves, causing them look outward beyond their personal and mostly petty worries and frustrations toward a more comprehensive overall view of the world. Daily active meditation helps communitarians bring into focus the reality that the world is incredibly beautiful, bountiful and precious despite the chaos caused by mankind’s, as yet, inability to organise to share and make a place in the world for everyone and every kind of animal.
At some point throughout the day, communitarians take time out to commune with nature. Whether they go for a walk in a park or forest or other greenspace, swim in a river, lake or the sea, these forms of ‘active meditation’ contribute much to the maintenance of their health and wellbeing. For communitarians, the practice of daily unity with the Earth usually also includes appreciation and connection with the trees, admiring the wildlife and the majesty of rolling hills and mountains, running hands through and paddling feet in flowing river, or else full immersion in a lake or ocean.
Contemplation and honouring of the Earth can also take place during ‘Right Livelihood’ activities such as planting and tending fruit trees and vegetable seedlings as well as planting, watering and harvesting microgreens, and even adding to and turning compost heaps. From the simplest to the most elaborate ‘active meditation’ techniques, communitarians are brought into close contact with the Earth. It is during these everyday activities that communitarian feel particularly connected with the Earth.
Gardening and growing food along with extending the facilities that help people and animals live in harmony with nature are also the activities that help communitarians show appreciation for the Earth and all it bestows freely upon us all without prejudice or bias.
Connecting to Earth's Electro-magnetic Energy through Daily Earthing
Communitarians practice daily ‘earthing’ to ensure their bodies remain energised by receiving a regular charge of free electrons via direct physical connect with the earth. Activities such as walking barefoot on the ground or lying on bare earth are critical health practices designed to put the body in direct contact with the potent free electrons which are abundant on the planet and ever so easily and naturally transferred to our bodies.
It is well-known that the Earth is electromagnetic, and because we are made up of the same elements, synchronizing our pulse and rhythms with the earth and likewise the cosmos, recharges our energies and brings harmony and inner-peace through greater connection with all there is. When we take the time and make the effort to connect with nature’s rhythms, ever so naturally our energetic frequencies are brought into alignment with the Earth’s heartbeat and breath.
Connecting with the Earth at regular intervals throughout the day helps us maintain both physical and psychological vigour, the same way a tree puts down roots deep into the earth to sustain its growth and lifespan. From the cradle to the grave, it is this connection to the Earth that supplies the elements necessary to sustain both our growth and health of our vital energy fields which contribute in a major way to the value of the life lived in ‘unity’ with the Earth – the giver of sustenance and continuance.
Reverencing the Earth through Regenerating Soil
By the seventh year of association and beyond, communitarians have acquired significant skill and expertise in regenerative ‘Food Foresting’ through participation in ‘common wealth’ Ecolab clean green food production projects. As dedicated expert stewards of the Earth’s resources, communitarians understand that healing people and the Earth begins and ends with restoring the health of soil.
The observance of ‘contemplation of responsible stewardship of the Earth’s Resources is an act of ‘everyday revolution’. Therefore, communitarians never have licence to take a day off and let this responsibly lapse. For these reasons, every day, communitarians are involved in some way or other in building soil fertility. Every day communitarians are conscious of their duty to be making and adding natural composted materials to the soil, sowing and mowing over mature cover crops, as well as protecting soils from erosion through no-till grow methods.
It is these ‘Right Livelihood’ activities that motivate Communitarians to contribute their time and energy to establishing and maintaining food forests. The majority of communitarians actively participate in planting, mulching and watering fruiting trees and shrubs, along with sowing vegetable and flower seeds into layered mulch and caring for these precious plants from seed to bloom and harvest to finally returning their bodies to the earth at the end of their life cycle.
While small in scale, these regenerative ‘regreening’ practices demonstrate the possibility and path to repairing the damage already done to close to 70% of the Earth’s top soil through erosion, compaction or else irreversibly damaged by toxic chemical overload from the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides and general burn-out from over-cultivation via mass-scale machine & chemical agriculture methods.
These types of natural food foresting methods lay the foundation for the repair and extension of secure habitat for both people and animals while making substantial contributions to the conservation of the Earth’s precious resources such as land and water, air quality and conservation of non-renewable resources such as minerals including topsoil.
Besides demonstrating curtailment of ecocide that sees massive loss of topsoil, opening and leaving the soil exposed to wind and rain also negatively impacts the health of those who consume food produced by this type of ‘rape and privilege’ farming practice. The hidden truth is that the vast majority of foods grown on depleted soils by industrial agricultural methods are nothing more than empty calories contributing to toxicity in the body which eventually leads to disease and premature death.
In contrast, healthy soils enriched with composted materials such as humanure, food scraps, vegetative material such as mown grass & fallen leaves, woodchips, mulch hay, sawdust and used paper and cardboard, naturally provide a host of minerals and micronutrients essential to building healthy soil and retaining moisture. Healthy compost-rich soil naturally contains essential minerals such as Calcium, Zinc, Boron, Magnesium, Sulphur, Iron, Copper, and dozens of other minerals which are made available to the person or animal consuming the fruit and greens grown on organic soils.
Soil conservation activities also include rainwater harvesting through the utilization of swales and also recycling domestic grey water to supply food forests with adequate moisture at all times.
