Missing Element in Solving the Environmental Crisis; A Spiritual Solution

The 2023 UNO Climate Change Conference COP 28 has once again started in Dubai with prominent heads of nations and delegates from 200 countries. One delegation, headed by BK Didi Jayanti, has been offering for many years sustainable solutions based on meditation with the understanding, ‘When I change the world changes.’

“Nature has served us since the beginning of time with such great love and abundance sharing her beauty and her gifts for all of humanity, and somewhere the relationship between nature and all of us went askew. Something that went wrong has come to this point where it feels we are exploiting nature, and now nature is now retaliating with a huge amount of force and destruction. 

“So what went wrong? I suggest one thing – Lack of Respect. We forgot our identity, our own inner being. We forgot to respect ourselves, respecting others and respecting the laws of nature. 

“We thought nature was a limitless resource we could always draw from. So exploitation and consumerism happened.  It’s time now to come back to the essential awareness of who we are, and how happiness doesn’t come from consumerism and materialism.

“Happiness is within. When we can treat each other and nature with dignity and respect, then that imbalance will again be put right, and we can have a beautiful relationship with nature that is filled with love, respect and dignity again.” — Sr Jayanti – Additional International Administrative Head of Brahma Kumaris addressing this year’s Climate Change Conference.

Our thoughts create our world and guide us to our destiny. If we always think the same we will get to the same place. Think in a new way and become a new person and create a new world. We can transform our subtle inner world with the power of spirituality. 

Spirituality is the technique of learning to rule over yourself on a more subtle level of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It teaches us the art of applying a brake to our negative and unnecessary thoughts when a difficult situation is in front of us. It gently transforms your negative emotions into positive ones through the spiritual power filled in the self by connecting with the supreme source of power of the world – God. This connection is called yoga in spirituality.

“To think about the transformation of others is a waste of time. Each of us has to think about how we can be good instruments for our own transformation.

“Transformation comes from keeping God’s company. He is not just the Supreme Soul; He is my Father, Teacher, Guide and Friend. Keeping His company brings transformation in the self. I must not waste my time getting caught up in concerns about the body, other people or anything of the world.

“I have to pay attention to yoga, and then I will receive strength. Yoga is simple, ‘I am a soul, a child of the Supreme Soul.’ The power I am receiving is bringing transformation within. Seeing my transformation, others will have love for me and wish to also change. This has been my experience. 

“When I change, the world changes.” — Dadi Janki.

Why do your best? As you do, so you become. Every action we perform is recorded within the soul, and these imprints ultimately mould our character and destiny. When we understand this principle, we will pay more attention to bringing our best to everything we do.

(Contact Yvonne Risely by email to bkchirya@gmail.com or chirya.risely@peacevillageretreat.org. Sister Chirya is based at Peace Village Retreat Center in New York, and is published nationally and internationally.)