Nature’s revolt against human greed
By: Kan Kanthasamy
Tags: Universe, Animals, Storytelling, Nature, Covid 19

There has never been a time where you have not existed. There will never be a time of your non-existence. You may have been grass that swayed to the direction of the wind. A small plant that needed support to grow. A giant tree whose roots cut through the earth and rocks and grew downward as tall as the tree itself. You may have been a bird that flew the blue skies without flapping its wings for hours. A fish that swam the deep oceans and had seen a wonderful world only limited number of humans had ever seen. You may have been a wild animal that ruled the forest and was at the top of the food chain. You may have been a snake that slithered through the darkness and lived in caves. A tiny microorganism that lived on the rocks on the beaches. You may have been any of the 8.4 Million species that calls this beautiful planet earth, home. In such a vast selection of species, it is a gift to be born as a human being. Millions of years of evolution shaped us. Our past actions and their consequences determined our present-day existence. The first grateful thought is to never wish to be anything other than human. The soul has already gone through extensive years of transformation. It would be unwise to revisit any of the past forms. The soul has no beginning nor an end. It will leave our body by the time it becomes inhospitable and will enter another.

Growth and Advancement

Out of all the species, we humans are the most evolved. We have developed science to a greater extend. We have made significant growth and advancement in technology. Our growth at times is selfish. We often act as we have no regards for nature. Through our actions we provoke the same nature that provides. We disrupt the five basic elements of sky, wind, fire, water and earth in its natural form. Torrential rain, wildfires, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes are the retaliations from nature. Still, we learned nothing. To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi; the earth has enough resources for fulfilling every human need but not all our greed.

There are no “magical powers” to resolve this COVID-19 pandemic. It seems that the prayers that we all had undertaken — in the newfound time we all have for gods, is not enough.

Nature is a provider

The nature is revolting to protect itself. A calf drinks its milk from the cow. A bee draws the nectar from the flowers. A roller dung beetle rolls away the elephant dung. The big cats hunt down the antelope. The day those big cats die, they become a meal for other animals and any leftovers fertile the earth and the forest. The circle of life. Nature is a provider. It is happy to be at our service. We could draw necessary resources from nature for our meagre need. The key here is, there is a limit. We are building too many cities for the ever-growing population. We are cutting down large amounts of trees. We are destroying too many forests. In this process we are encroaching into wildlife’s habitat. The eco system is undergoing abrupt changes. Most species way of life is being disrupted. There are many species that have become extinct or endangered. We are using too many chemicals. We are burdening the mother earth with too much plastic. We are creating waste that she cannot process. We have made an imbalance in nature. We are making the life of every living being, including our own, a miserable one.

Our obligations

We have forgotten our obligations of preserving this planet. Our development and growth were to support our obligations. Unfortunately, we have failed. We seem to spend inordinate amount of our time on inconsequential. Our wild imagination of self-importance on the earth is not sustainable. So is our delusion that we hold a privileged position in this universe. We often act as we own this earth with little regards to nature and other beings.

Now, we are panicking due to COVID-19. It has been long time since we have seen nature’s wrath at this extend. This time, it did not choose a region, country or specific people. There is no discrimination. Every human being on the face of the earth is vulnerable and at risk. It is time for us to re-evaluate our relationship with nature.

We are not alone

Our galaxy is interdependent. So is our universe and solar system. The five basic elements, forest, every living being including humans are no exception. We are all interdependent. To act and live like we are not, is to rebel against the basic principles of nature.

The need of the hour is for us to rise up. As the most evolved species, we are to evolve even further to face the challenges.

If history is a teacher, it is very much easier for us to learn that human greed, lust and anger brings disaster. They say, there is; no disease like greed, no sin like lust and no enemy like anger.

Artificial Intelligence = Universal Income? not so fast!

In recent years, we have achieved great success in AI (Artificial Intelligence). The growth had been exponential and same was unimaginable some years ago. Today, the machines can learn from its experience and adjust to new inputs and realities. This means they can perform human-like tasks. Does this mean we all make a universal income and do nothing in life? No, we don’t.

The more technology and science we develop the more we will need to self-analyze. The more we advance and move forward; we also need to go back and find out as who we are and where we come from. We need to embrace our history. By accepting our history, we can leave a long-lasting legacy for the future generations.

The passion drives us to work hard towards our goals. We do not become passionate until we inspire and motivate ourselves.

The machine learning will not be able to mimic human emotions. Not at least for foreseeable future.

Communication is key

One of our formidable talent is to communicate. The way we communicate our ideas and knowledge to others is far more important today. Love and compassion are properties of human the human heart. The easiest way to reach a human brain to motivate, is to touch through their heart. Our ability to tell stories and the stories we tell are more relevant today than ever.

Art of storytelling

At nightfall, our ancestors used visual storytelling to communicate their inner believes. As hunters and gatherers in the bushes, they used vivid story telling techniques. This was to convey important messages. They were hunters and gatherers during the daytime. But by nightfall, they became great story tellers. It kept them alive, entertained and educated. The medium of storytelling has evolved over centuries. As children we loved to listen to stories. Today we read, listen, watch and experience stories in person. Our hearts and minds are well wired for stories. We always yearn for a great story. The rags to riches stories still fascinate us, no matter how many we have heard. This is why we love movies — the good ones, so much.

Since childhood, stories have inspires us. We ask our parents, grandparents, uncles and anyone else who visits us to tell us stories. The stories and the vivid imagination associated with them made us dream. Those dreams become our goals. We work hard to achieve those goals.

I will be sharing a series of stories from ancient times. I intend to use the art of storytelling to communicate basic principles of business and life in general. They say there are people who can tell stories. Then, there are others who can tell emotional and transformative stories. I believe that these stories will inspire you. They may motivate you to do extra ordinary and impossible tasks. These may even drive some of you to change course.

Change is good and it is coming

I intend to impact others with my ability to tell great stories. It is only a matter of time until the next epidemic occurs. This is why we need to prepare while we battle COVID-19. The next one will not be as lenient as the one we are facing today.

If there is anyone capable of safeguarding our mother earth, it would be us. We are well equipped to handle it. Time and time again, we have risen to the occasion, it will not be different now!

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