mother earth

a week ago, i attended the sustainable living festival at federation square. waste minimization, recycling, solar energy, responsible consumerism, going organic, veganism, etc were the themes of the day.

it is refreshing and enouraging to see enthusiastic volunteers manning the booths and beseeching the public to be good stewards of the earth. environmental education was after all my portfolio at the primary school that i was teaching at. and i too support anti-consumerism.

however while trying to save the earth, new age movements also gain momentum. mother earth, being one with nature, the spirit in the eco-system, the energy in living things, positivity, karma all come into play.

people were making a beeline for what sukyo mahikari was offering. the disciples of sukyo mahikari laid hands on people, particularly on the forehead, for 10 minutes in an effort to purify the person and restore positivity.

The Su God, also known as Revered-Parent Origin-Lord True-Light Great God, is said to have returned to the world after a period of withdrawal (Young 35). The deity appeared to the founder at five in the morning with a revelation. Su God, whose name means "True God of Light," is said to be God of fire, light, and the sun (Young 35). Though lesser deities failed at the task, Su God's goal is to rid the world of evil spirits, and cleanse the human body of defilements that lead to sickness and unnatural death (Young 35). Defilements refer to the toxins of modernization, like pollution and medicine (Young 35). Su God also promised to bathe the world "in a Baptism of Fire" with a light that heals for followers and a light that destroys for non-believers.

i think it is all well and good that we recognise the damage we're doing when we consume beyond our resources. but even so, i hope people can discern that they can only conserve and harness, but cannot create.