We already know all too well that peace does not come about just because we talk about it, pray for it or subject it to modern scientific investigation. We know all too well that politicians, and religious and academic leaders cannot bring peace about by themselves. The protagonists of the drama of peace are not religious or political systems. We cannot blame politicians and religious leaders of the world for failing at the noble challenge of creating peace if it was not really their responsibility to begin with. We cannot even accuse God of neglecting the divine duty to bestow peace on Earth as it not God's lot either. The responsibility for peace lies with those of us who profess to love and want peace. In the moment of our profession, peace becomes our individual responsibility. We are all protagonists of peace. We are the leading men and women in the grand drama of peace.
If you want to lead a happy life, it is up to you to create this for yourself. Likewise, if you want a peaceful life, then you have to create peace. Peace is not an errand that you can ask others to run for you. If you want to earn respect as a human being and to conclude this life proudly as the universal spiritual being, that you are, then you have no choice. You must know peace and realize it in your own life, as it is only possible to sustain integrity and sanctity of human life on a stage of peace. To know and express peace in every action of everyday life, is the most basic of duty of those who profess peace.
Once we accrately understand the true nature and meaning of the earth, it will become clear to us that the countries and religions that we have accepted as absolute values are, in truth, merely relative values.
"Are you an Earth Human?" This question might sound strange or silly to some people. They are likely to reply, "I live on earth, so of course I am an Earth Human." If not an Earth Human, what would I be? An alien disguised as an earthling as in the movie Men in Black perhaps? Yet, to others, this is a thought-provoking question that stirs the heart and mind. They recognize the true meaning of this question and ask themselves once again, "Am I really an Earth Human?"
Often we are uncertain of our own identities… of our roles and responsibilities men and women, mothers and fathers, in our careers and our spiritual lives, and as members of society. We lie awake at night wondering, "Is this the life I really wanted?" While gazing upon the face of a soundly sleeping son or daughter, we ponder, "As a parent, what can I do for my child to insure a safe and happy life?" When our country faces a serious threat, our hearts are inflamed with patriotism and concern for the welfare of its citizens. Questions about our identity deepen, and our need for answers becomes more urgent.
The most comprehensive identity we can experience in our individual lives is that of an Earth Human. In the future, when humans routinely participate in cosmic activities, we may speak of Cosmic Humans instead of Earth Humans. However, for now, there is no perspective that is more practical or that has broader meaning for us than that of Earth Human, citizen of the earth.
Earth as the Core Value
Today, talk of the value and importance of the earth is commonplace. Many people are concerned that the present civilization on earth is unsustainable. In response to pressing environmental issues, a world summit convened in Johannesburg, South Africa last summer, with hope of making the twenty first century "The Green Century."
In today's world, the word earth is practically synonymous with our concept of environment. That is probably why, during my public lectures, many people take my question "Are you an Earth Human?" to mean, "Are you leading an environmentally-friendly life?" Yet, I am not merely talking about environmental activism. I am hoping to raise a more fundamental issue through the concept of Earth Human. However, before discussing the meaning of Earth Human, let us clarify the relationship between the earth and humankind. Only when we accurately understand what the earth truly means to humankind, will the concept of Earth Human become clear.
The effects of technological advancement frequently obscure the fact that humans are not central to the earth... the truth remains that the earth is central to human existence. The earth is not just a tract of land, but is the foundation of everything of value that we seek. It is the root of our very existence... of life itself. Without the earth, any value or any truth we pursue is meaningless.
The potential to unite the consciousness of all human beings is inherent in the fact that the earth itself is the core value of all human existence. One reason for our failure to properly understand the true essence of the earth as an absolute value is that the size of the earth is beyond the scope of our comprehension. Just as a fish is unaware of the existence of the water that surrounds it, we are unable to comprehend the reality of the earth because it is too large and too close to us. A fish that competes and fights over food with other fish senses that the food it sees is the only source of its life. The fish does not realize that the ocean, which is at once too vast and too near for the fish to comprehend, forms the basis of its existence.
We humans are very much the same. We place value on things that we believe will sustain us, high on the altar. While pursuing and competing for those things, we are utterly ignorant of the true source of our existence. We fail to recognize that the earth is at the core of everything we value. It is the foundation of our very existence. To recognize that the earth is central to all that we value is the first step toward solving many of the problems we face. This recognition is particularly important with regard to establishing a lasting peace on earth. This is because once we accurately understand the true nature and meaning of the earth, it will become clear to us that the countries and religions that we have accepted as absolute values are, in truth, merely relative values. Countless conflicts that mar human history have resulted from competition among proponents of relative values claiming authority of absolute values. We must now recognize and establish the earth itself as the one definitive and absolute core value.
The earth was one from the beginning. It is one, still. All other boundaries are artificial. Such boundaries are breaking down under the pressure of real change. Earth Human is not just an ideal concept. It is a reality.
We must declare that we are Earth Humans before we are Americans, Germans, or Koreans. We must realize that we are Earth Humans before we are Christians or Buddhists. On many levels, our present mode of life is already that of the Earth Human. With the remarkable development of transportation and telecommunication systems, we can access worldwide news in real time. Businesses, in particular, are targeting the entire globe, without regard to borders, for their market. However, our collective consciousness has not yet caught up with the change in life style. Many people continue to limit their identities to a country, an ethnic group or a religion and therefore are not free from the need for confrontation.
What Does It Mean to Become an Earth Human?
What does it mean to become an Earth Human, and to love the earth as an Earth Human? Loving a family or a country does not simply mean loving the house or the land. Likewise, loving the earth does not simply mean protecting the environment. Just as we take care of our families and fulfill our duties as conscientious citizens, loving the earth means recognizing the earth as one community and taking pride in being a member of the family of Earth Humans. It means assuming responsibility for our earth community in our daily lives and feeling worthy of such a role and commitment.
By understanding that we are Earth Humans, we can overcome the boundaries of ethnicity, religion, and political ideology that have shaped our identities to this point. By knowing that we, and everything around us, come from a single source, the earth, we can go beyond the limits of our personal and cultural beliefs. It is necessary that we embrace an enlightened value system based on the earth as the center of all existence. When we do, conflict and hostility created by temporary and artificial partitions to accommodate lesser values will gradually disappear.
Once we become true Earth Humans, ideological differences will become expressions of diversity of thinking within a single community. Religious differences will become personal preferences with less social significance than whether or not we are vegetarians. Instead of conflict, ethnic and cultural differences will generate richness and tolerance within the community.
The Earth Human Movement
The United Nations recently warned that if we do not come up with urgently needed measures to reverse the growing water shortage, indiscriminate development, deteriorating eco-system, and so forth, the earth will have become irreversibly devastated within thirty years. There is not much time left for us to act. The next ten years are the most critical. What we do in the next ten years will determine what we are able to do in the following twenty years. If we fail to change course in a fundamental way, our future will no longer be in our hands.
As Earth Humans, we must address the problems of the earth as our own. We must realize that just as we have a heart and soul, so does the earth, which now stands in peril before us. To reverse the present current of destruction, we must enact a global healing and unite to defeat the forces of self-interest, apathy, and lethargy. With open hearts and awakened consciousness, let us make a choice to create anew, the future of the earth and humanity. With the power of that choice, let us begin now.
Each of us must examine our lives to discover and fulfill our individual missions as Earth Humans. As we do so, we will acquire additional insight and see more clearly both the problems and the solutions of our shared existence on the planet. Let us embrace our identity as Earth Humans, and allow the broader perspective that it provides to imbue our lives with motivation and direction. Let it awaken us and empower us to act. Together, let us all become Earth Humans.
- Ilchi Lee is the president of the World Earth Human Alliance.