We are at a very important turning point as a species in a world where people are often obsessed with making things better. People are dangerously close to going extinct because we keep using the natural world for our own gain. If we keep restoring the old normal and carelessly putting CO2 and methane into the air at rates that can't be sustained, bad things will happen. A course of action like this could very well wipe out many species, including our own. Still, in the big picture of Earth's history, it will eventually return to balance, just like it has for billions of years, and keep going on its way without caring about us.
On the other hand, there is an option—a chance to learn from this time of forced silence. We've seen the skies clear and animals come back to our towns and rivers during this time. A lot of us have rediscovered the easy pleasures of being still, learning how to do nothing, and getting in touch with the core of life as it happens. Some countries are thinking about limiting and controlling air travel to help clean up the huge amount of pollution it causes, and some towns are taking advantage of the chance to turn major roads into areas only for bikes and people on foot.
Stephan Bodian, a spiritual teacher, says that our ability to be amazed and thankful is the key to this change. Our unshakable dedication to unchecked economic growth, which often means a never-ending battle to change reality to fit our needs, cuts us off from the natural flow of life and makes us blind to the beauty all around us. In our haste to stay alive in what seems like a harsh and unfriendly world, we often forget how valuable each moment is and give up our health and happiness for short-term financial wins.
The other option is to give in to our awe—to let the world's sheer beauty and wealth break open our hearts and show the source of thanks and appreciation that lies beneath. When we stop seeing ourselves as different from life and deeply understand that life is a gift that comes from the holy enigma, we feel grateful. There are a lot of different ways that this mystery can take shape, and we are just one of them.
We can let go of our focus on the future and our never-ending need to do, achieve, acquire, and improve, even on a so-called spiritual level, because of the current plague. We have been asked to accept wonder instead. You may have found a new sense of wonder in the past few months as you've carefully listened to the songs of birds, savoured the beauty of yard flowers, paid attention to the words of your loved ones, or enjoyed the deep silence that reveals the indescribable. To slip out of the limits of time and space and into the limitless and unbroken is what waking is all about in the end.
Now, the most important question is: Can we feel wonder and thanks deeply enough to make a big change in how we live? Reconnecting with our capacity for wonder is not only a desirable choice but also a lifeline to a future in which we, as a species, live in harmony with nature and relearn the deep connection of all life on this precious planet. Stephan Bodian's teachings remind us how important it is to be amazed and thankful for this life-changing path.
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