This is excerpted from the Dalai Lama's latest book,
and is deeply relevant to us all — young and old.
Excellent and vitally needed wisdom, truth,
compassion, vision, and hope. — Molly
This Is the New World That You Will
Bequeath To Your Children
I am calling on you to bring about a revolution motivated by compassion, for the sake of your own children and future generations. When Westerners speak of "humanity," they are generally referring to the present. Indeed, past generations of humankind count for little. That of the future is yet to come. All that matters from a Western perspective is today's generation and its immediate interests. But responsibility is universal only if it encompasses consideration for those who come after us. We cannot overlook the fact that global population, which tripled in the twentieth century, will have multiplied two or threefold by the end of this century.
According to current patterns of growth, the development of the global economy entails excessively high levels of energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and deforestation. If we do not change our behaviour there will be environmental degradation across the globe, surpassing everything that we have seen so far. I have read scientific studies: they give us only three years to drastically reduce our current rates of consumption, which are the cause of extreme carbon dioxide emissions. By 2020 it will already be too late. Global warming is out of control; fatal heat waves will be triggered across all five continents, along with a rise in sea levels. Time is not on our side, which is why I am calling on all young millennials to hasten this radical revolution.
My young friends, brothers and sisters, in the course of my life I have been witness to our changing world. Today we face such dangers that it is vital that we do not bury our heads in the sand. For those environmental problems that have a natural cause, or that are seismic, unstoppable catastrophes, you will not necessarily mange to find solutions. And because of global warming, calamities such as hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, droughts and landslides will only increase in intensity. The only solution will be to face it all with courage and determination, standing shoulder to shoulder with your fellow citizens, and showing fraternal solidarity and loving-kindness towards the most vulnerable.
It is only through mutual support and cooperation that you will be able to contain disasters that are caused by economic and social injustice and are fueled by greed, selfishness and other negative states of mind. It you shift your consciousness towards greater benevolence and responsibility, you will find real solutions. The earth is giving you clear signs of the sweeping consequences of unconscious human behaviour. For the first time in history, the future of humanity depends on the upcoming generation: yours. You are responsible for the wellbeing of billions of humans and all manner of living species sharing the adventure of life on earth. It is up to you to protect natural resources and guard over air, water, oceans, forests, fauna and flora. To do so, it is essential that you realise your potential for love and compassion in order to care for the earth. Learn to love it through sharing it, rather than striving to possess it, and thereby destroying it.
No doubt, it will take another twenty or thirty years for the Revolution of Compassion to generate the necessary changes in human behaviour. But after that change comes about, you will have the joy of witnessing the emergence of a compassionate and accountable humanity. This is the new world the you will bequeath to your children and to your children's children. They will grow up in a united human family, aware of being one body, one consciousness. Guard your youthful enthusiasm and optimism as you move towards a fairer and happier tomorrow.
— His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Excerpted from A Call For Revolution:
A Vision For the Future
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