Nature and the Biosphere
Nature is the garment of God; it is that in which He appears and wherein He is veiled, so that we can look upon Him in His vestured aspect; but it is not the body of God, it is the symbol and manifestation of the divine presence. It is that which He took upon Himself for the purpose of appearing. - A. E. Waite
As an environmentally concerned organization, the Oversoul has always been deeply committed to the "Laws of Nature" and "Nature's God" as referenced in the Declaration of Independence.
In his essay "Nature," Emerson, points to nature as a catalyst to understand the unknowns of life. As Emerson said, "Nature in its ministry to man, is not only the material, but also the process and the result." All the parts incessantly work into each other's hands for the benefit of mankind. The wind sows the seed; the sun evaporates the sea; the wind blows the vapor to the field; the ice, on the other side of the planet, condenses rain; the rain feeds the plant; the plant feeds the animal, and thus the endless circulations of the divine charity nourish humankind. No longer is knowledge something blessed upon the few but knowledge is out there waiting to be understood. Man is born with the resources in God's gift of Nature to help him see certain truths. There are answers in the sunset, rivers, fields, and everything else on Earth.
Emerson was fascinated with Nature. He was ever conscious of the beauty, simplicity and grace of those things which the Creator had bestowed upon the creatures of this Planet Earth. Emerson expanded on the beauty of nature and the need for every person to protect the environment.
Emerson perceived the connection between Nature and the individual human soul. Nature is something to be viewed in a religious light. It enters one's mind and enlightens it and is always there for the next philosopher who seeks knowledge. Trust your own thoughts and convictions because being different is good, being different is what makes it possible to be great.
Emerson loved every moment of nature from sunrise to sunrise; from the fiery orb's first dance on the leafless branches of trees to the rainbow reflection cast with the help of a dew drop; to the flickering spots of light in the black sky, totally inaccessible to mankind.
Not only did Emerson recognize the spiritual benefit of communing with Nature but that Nature was an integral part of our culture and society.
The lover of nature is a person whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of adulthood. Each person's intercourse with heaven and earth, becomes part of their daily food.
Emerson's philosophy of Nature can be further demonstrated by the religious beliefs of the Native Americans, as they incorporate reverence to Nature in their religious worship. Hear the words of Chief Seattle as expounded on the wonders of the Earth, circa 1851.
Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle. Every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the Mother of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man - all belong to the same family.
The land is sacred to us. This shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors. We must remember that it is sacred, and we must teach our children that it is sacred and each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father.
The air is precious to the red man for all things share the same breath, the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days he is numb to the stench.
Children must be taught that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children that the earth is our Mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.
This we know, the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. All things are connected. We may be brothers after all. One thing we know which the white man may one day discover; our God is the same God. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. This earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. Contaminate your bed and you will one night suffocate in your own waste!
Modern society seems to have taken the respect of Nature out of business; as evidenced with our insatiable desire for consumerism, clear cutting forests, polluting our lakes, rivers and streams. Man and his inventions have blackened our skies with poisonous gases (smog) and destroyed the ozone layer with byproducts of our usage. Our sacred land has been defiled with the garbage and discards of its citizens. Our aquifers have been contaminated with seepage which deforms the young and creates cancers in the elderly.
Today, many seem to take Nature for granted. How many of us take the time to stop and appreciate the meadowlark's morning melody or the tranquil music of a light breeze whispering through the leaves of a tree? Those of us who appreciate and recognize the fragile interrelationship between all things, must be ever vigilant that we do not find Rachael Carson's prophecy, Silent Spring, fulfilled.
"Love of Nature" is expressed primarily in ethical rather than in mystical or quasi mystical terms. Oversoul ethics focuses on how to live meaningful lives as well as the individual relationship with the natural order - an order of which others are a part.
Inter-dependence - the mutual dependence of all life processes on one another - is the nature of all ecological relationships. The behavior of every living member of the ecosystem depends on the behavior of many others. The success of the whole community depends on the success of its individual members, while the success of each member depends on the success of the community as a whole. - Fritjof Capra
Protecting our environment (biosphere) for generations to come is the act of stewardship. The Oversoul embraces the personal beliefs of its membership as inalienable rights and at the same time gives the member the education, doctrines and personal guidance to become a good steward of the gifts of nature, reflecting upon these wonderful gifts in private commune with the Creator in Nature. Thus, the Oversoul Association promotes the stewardship of this Planet Earth, as well as the individual rights of each of the Creator's creation.
