Nature or humanity out of balance?

Due to points raised on another thread, I thought I would bring a major point to a new thread so as not to disrupt another.

Can nature ever be out of balance?

There seems to be a romanticised view that nature is always and will forever be in balance and that humanity is something that is out of balance.

If I point out natures destructiveness, cruelty, species overpopulating etc members are quick to point out that from destruction comes something new which is in their view balance being restored.

Yet mans destructiveness isnt viewed this way by them, which is a bit odd as wouldnt the same rule apply. Doesnt mans destruction also create something new to restore the balance?

Do some members of the spiritual community have issues with humanity which just means they create sweeping generalised statements judging humanity as out of balance, evil, bad, or negative etc? Is that helpful to make people feel bad?

Anyway your thoughts would be most welcome on why you may think about the balance of nature and humanities balancing act.

One more point, mother nature has been wiping out species after species in the most powerful, cruelist and terrible ways, this was before man even came along. Do we also paint a rosey picture of Mother nature as all loving with man as the enemy and if so why?

To be honest, I believe that the Earth is struggling to stay alive and healthy. We've pretty much piled on the pressure through what we produce, use and waste. I do not believe that the Earth is all-loving and that it cares for all. I think it can best be seen as a separate entity with its own wants and needs. A saying that goes 'round in my circle of friends is that "nature takes care of its own", which is to say that it destroys itself in order to renew itself. I think humanity is growing increasingly out of touch with the Earth's own wants and needs and that this causes friction and destruction where there shouldn't be any. Earth is trying to stay alive and we are trying to evolve. It's a thing we'll have to do together, in the end.

Can nature be out of balance? I think so. Just as much as humans can be out of balance when they are in pain, discomfort and trouble.

[Chrysaetos]

Oh good questions.. I don't think there are any clear-cut answers..

I think there is a sense of ''balance'' in nature, in that everything is connected and dependant on one another. Take the keystone species out of the rainforest or any environment, and the ''balance'' gets out of hand. Of course, that's just one way of looking at it. Some other species will take its place..

I don't mind romanticising nature, it's better to romanticise nature than to romanticise cities and roads. After all, nature is a huge source of inspiration for human beings.

Are humans out of balance? What is human balance, this is cultural. What makes humans distinct from other animals, is their level of rational capacity and altruism. Thus, to be balanced as a human, is to be rational and altruistic? This is a philosophical quest..

[Silver]

This one's just too easy...

One word ~ DOW

The poisons and chemicals man is capable of creating, and does, AND to add insult to injury, has no practical, expedient way of safely disposing or neutralizing them makes man a humongous danger to 'nature' even though we are a part of that nature.

If man is smart enough to create toxic substances, why is man so clueless as to not pay attention to all the end results, such as cancers of all kinds, poisoned drinking water, air, etc. There seems to be a certain childishness and shortsightedness to man's attitude, creating a monster and not being able to dismantle it.

jesus could control the weather, he was elevated in consciousness
there have been 5 major exticntions,,,,,everything goes in cycles...there is the balance.
perhaps, with our sprits being connected in unity we could change things, perhaps. ;)

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by shepherd

Due to points raised on another thread, I thought I would bring a major point to a new thread so as not to disrupt another.

Can nature ever be out of balance?

There seems to be a romanticised view that nature is always and will forever be in balance and that humanity is something that is out of balance.

If I point out natures destructiveness, cruelty, species overpopulating etc members are quick to point out that from destruction comes something new which is in their view balance being restored.

Yet mans destructiveness isnt viewed this way by them, which is a bit odd as wouldnt the same rule apply. Doesnt mans destruction also create something new to restore the balance?

Do some members of the spiritual community have issues with humanity which just means they create sweeping generalised statements judging humanity as out of balance, evil, bad, or negative etc? Is that helpful to make people feel bad?

Anyway your thoughts would be most welcome on why you may think about the balance of nature and humanities balancing act.

One more point, mother nature has been wiping out species after species in the most powerful, cruelist and terrible ways, this was before man even came along. Do we also paint a rosey picture of Mother nature as all loving with man as the enemy and if so why?

One of my deepest realizations, if you will, came to me as I sat out in nature during a time when I had questions that needed answers.
I suddenly knew, watching nature, that nature does not do what it does, to survive.............it does what it does to exist.

Everything in nature was seen as struggling to exist. This had deep meaning to me at the time.
It's meaning at the time was that 'ego' does not want to die but I have noticed that thought has matured, and this struggle to exist, is seen now as life goes on and on and on....................no matter what.
To me that is what balance means ............that life goes on forever and does what it has to to ensure that.
James

[002 Cents]

From the far out scope there is the universal balance and within that balance the entirety of the existence of humanity will be realized from beginning to end.

With a vested interest in humanity I suggest there is more than one way for humanity to exist in the universal balance. At present Humanity acts as an opposing force: within itself and it's environment. By which I have said we have not found balance as a species. We tend to cling to ideas of self importance as justification for all the damage we do to the earth, the animals and each other.

While indeed we are well equipped with the tools to produce good, the true potential in this remains untapped as we find it far more to our benefit to produce war and weapons of mass destruction.

The earth, the universe... it will all go on with or without us. We are fortunate to have this earth and the means to thrive from her plentiful supplies. It is my belief there we are capable of existing in a way that respects one another, the planet and those that share it with us. Even the quality of the lives we take for our sustenance should be held in high regard.

It is beyond us to do this? I don't believe so. However, doubt it will be a reality in my lifetime. But I am not about to stop trying.

Blessings

With a vested interest in humanity I suggest there is more than one way for humanity to exist in the universal balance. At present Humanity acts as an opposing force: within itself and it's environment. By which I have said we have not found balance as a species. We tend to cling to ideas of self importance as justification for all the damage we do to the earth, the animals and each other.

can I just ask why when nature is destructive with species wiping out species etc and also eating up the planets resources that it's destruction in balance but humanity is somehow the opposing force and out of balance?

I believe humanity has tipped natures balance faster than is necessary, rather than nature changing slowly as it should, and therefore humanity has become unbalanced as a result.

Not to say that the changes produced by all of this imbalance is negative, or positive for that matter.

There are consequences for actions, and rewards as well.

It's up to the individuals perceptions to judge how good or bad the entire situation is.

As for my perceptions. It is just as it is. I choose not to interfere with things that are beyond my power to change or judge upon.

I've accepted it neutrally. I'm just interested to see what others think.

[Silver]

Originally Posted by shepherd

can I just ask why when nature is destructive with species wiping out species etc and also eating up the planets resources that it's destruction in balance but humanity is somehow the opposing force and out of balance?

We have more destructive power than the rest of nature. We can create toxins that utterly destroy, we change the course of rivers, etc., strip mining, destroying what is naturally there, I say bulldozers and all of those extraordinary man-made things may be natural for us, but we use them indiscriminately in a fashion that makes an embarrassing display of greed and love of power.