Past Wednesday was International Environment Day and, tomorrow will be celebrated World Ocean´s Day. The Tantrik tradition uses what they are called nyāyas, poetic metaphors, to transmit complex and powerful teachings. Today, thinking about the seas, I remember one of my favourite nyāya; one that I have listened to in innumerable occasions from my teacher Paul Muller-Ortega. It is called ūrmi-sāgara-nyāya and it talks about the waves and the Ocean. It is a beautiful comparison between the sea, vast, immeasurable, and the infinite Ocean of Consciousness, and between each wave and each of us as individuals. Although each wave has its own identity, it is never separated from the Ocean, and it is never anything else but the Ocean. In the same way, each of us is never separated from the Absolute, neither is anything else that the same Supreme Consciousness whose pulse and energy are the cause of the full Universe.
Reverberates inside of me this teaching, today, in the world we live, contemplating about the Ocean, the extreme pollution of the waters of the Earth, the studies about the plastic invasion. It is said that in about 30 years there will be more plastics than fishes. The last UN report affirms that every year we pour 8 millions tons of plastic to the sea. That is equivalent to 15 full shopping bags per square meter of coast in the planet Earth!!! And the very serious problem of microplastics, entering the food chain, and that are present, for instance, inner cosmetics!!!
I cannot stop feeling that I am the Ocean. I am the Earth waters. Not only because I spend some of the best moments of my life inside the sea. Also because a 71% of my body is salt water. Because I nourish myself with respect from the seaweed and the fish. Because all species we rose out of this pulsating womb that is the Ocean. I was reading recently (I would love to transcribe the exact words and credit the author but I cannot remember) that most disasters were not happening as a consequence of human evil, but as a consequence of lack of consciousness and lack of action. No one wants to contaminate the Oceans as none of us would fill up our house with plastic containers or will use micro-plastics to dress our salada. And, however, that is exactly what we are doing, just because we do not do enough to revert this chain process of consumption and rubbish that ends up in the Ocean. Could you imagine that upcoming generations maybe can not swim or surf in the Ocean? That they might not ever see a bank of fish swimming freely? ¿Have you thought that maybe our next generation will not be able to survive in planet Earth?
Each of us is a wave in the Ocean. Each of us suffers the disaster of Ocean contamination. In this day, that we celebrate the Ocean, I ask you to contemplate, with honesty and humility,
- What do I do to contribute to Ocean´s pollution?
- What small or big step can I take now to start the movement in the opposite direction?
I know, It is not easy. I also feel a big sense of impotency. Even being fully conscious about the issue, we are immerse in a life system with a huge inertia and resistance to change. And it is normal to feel too small to make a difference.
Remember that you are the wave and the Ocean. You can start integrating small changes in your daily habits. These are some advices and some initiatives that are already working and which you can collaborate.
Your effort is not important. It is totally necessary
- The best residue is the one not generated. Recycling is important but most plastic is not recycled. Reduce plastic consumption,
- Complain in shops and supermarkets about products wrapped in plastic. If you don’t buy it, they do not sell it.
- By bulk products and reuse bottles and containers.
- Use recyclable bags.
- Some products to say good-bye: plastic straws, chewing gum, plastic glasses, plates and cutlery
- Use microplastics-free cosmetics https://www.beatthemicrobead.org
- Do you know that toothbrushes are some of the most difficult plastics to recycle and they end up most times into the Ocean? You can substitute them by bamboo toothbrushes https://brushboo.com/
- Filtered water instead of bottled water. Dropson has designed a brilliant product to take with you in your travels. http://www.dropson.es/dropson-filter-can/
- Organise your own beach cleaning. The Asociación de Medio Ambiente Europeo proporcionales full material and information for you to organise a camping of Citizen Science. You can contribute to know in detail what is contaminating the beaches. http://ambienteeuropeo.org/proyectos-2/