So often it's the physical things that draw our attention to sustainability. How much food do we have, how much water is there, how much land do we have to live on, what's out waste output, etc etc. Very measurable things. What about the softer side of sustainability, such as religion and/or spirituality? I'd like to reflect a moment, keeping our course material in mind, on a passage from Sacred Therapy:
"The tzaddik's holy visioning has the power to reconnect the individual person with her role in the cosmic scheme of things. Reb Salman Schachter-Shalomi is underscoring that role when he quotes the famous Israeli author S. Y. Agnon: 'A person has three beings. The first being is the way in which a person perceives himself, the second is the way in which a person is seen by others, and the third being is prior to the first, and it is the being by which he was created by Him who created him. If a person merited and did not damage the being which his Creator made him, then that being overwhelms the other two, and then even his shadow inspires grace and beauty.'" (pg. 132)
'...even his shadow inspires grace and beauty.' This sounds strikingly familiar to the top level of the sustainability chart, where our impact is life-giving. Could this be a way to interpret spiritual/religions sustainability? I'm having difficulty grasping this fully, as I'm still even bound by the material aspect of sustainability. My mind wants to see sustainability formulaicly, X amounts of trash, Y amounts of recycling, Z amounts of liters of water used per day, and so on.
How exactly do concepts like what's above fit into sustainability? It's not like these concepts are unique either, eastern and western religions share common themes of the positive impact of 'enlightened' ones. Where does that fit today though?
I have questions, but no answers yet. I must explore further.
- Jason
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