Embrace the beauty of Mother Earth

THE EDITOR: I have in the past stressed the importance of developing and strengthening communities in TT as a way of reducing the incidence of deviance. My assumption has been that a cohesive and stable community will be one where the majority of residents show a sense of responsibility and caring for their fellow residents, and this will, in turn provide the support and encouragement that would enable the majority to respect the person and property of others.

However one looks at it, a sense of caring is essentially a moral awareness of the other as an end in him/herself, not as a means to an end. Such an awareness can be developed within the context of a religion, where one responds to the commands of an external deity. In its fullest development, such a moral awareness would recognise that we are all physical and cultural variations within the same human family, engaged in the same struggle for survival and progress, and that we share the planet Earth with other living things, fish, animals, birds, and plants. Despite our highly evolved state, we are but one example of the many life forms that inhabit planet Earth, and we also have a responsibility to conserve these other lifeforms. In recognising one’s membership in a human family or in a family of diverse life forms, it would be a simple step to appreciate the message of all religions to be kind to all and to avoid harm to others, as well as animals and other life forms. This is a message of great importance, but one that is only partially recognised.

TT must foster this message in the home, schools, churches, and throughout the wider society. The greater the number of citizens who embrace this message, the greater the number of those who will lead righteous and law-abiding lives. One may arrive at a similar conclusion using the perspective of psychology. Happiness is undoubtedly a state desired by all human beings. But one cannot be happy when others are unhappy or made unhappy by oneself, either by word or deed. Conversely, one becomes happy when others are happy or when one has made others happy. The greater the amount of kindness and love one dispenses, therefore, the greater is one’s psychological reward of satisfaction and contentment with oneself in particular and with the world in general. Ultimately, one should be able to transform oneself into a being of superior moral stature, radiating kindness and love.

It is possible to argue that the true purpose of our stay on earth is to transform ourselves into such a god-like being, reflecting the highest level of psychological development. It is this inner change that we must all seek, and its search requires us to see that an obsession with possessions and wealth represents an obstacle to its achievement. Paradoxically, our neighbours and fellow citizens provide us with the opportunities to develop our potential to become god-like beings. They are indispensable to our psychological development. Practising love and kindness within your community should become easier with repetition, and they would surely generate an inner glow of serenity within you.

The more you charge your inner battery, the greater the energy you should be able to expend to others and, in turn, receive from others. I should think that the practice of love and kindness within your community and society would inevitably persuade you that nothing is too humble for you to do for your fellow neighbours and citizens. If people can be helped to recognise that they have the means to be immeasurably happy in this world by making others happy, and that their contributions to their communities enrich their lives in a variety of ways, TT would be on its way to forming vibrant, dynamic and caring communities with a minimum of deviant individuals.

KENNETH ASSEE
Port-of-Spain