Do the things around us have a voice? Can we communicate with them? And how do we communicate?
The environment is a home to diverse languages. Only humans possess language. But if humans were dependent on their own language, communication with other species would be impossible. Language serves human communication. Other living beings, however, have their own ways of communicating. To understand the universe, humans must build communication channels different from those between humans themselves. Flowers, birds, mountains, winds, rivers… naturally invite humans to explore and communicate in their own ways. Observing animals, or animals observing us, is also a way for us to inquire about and explore ourselves and life.
Humans cannot live without nature, and conversely, nature needs humans. Humans bring new values to nature that nature does not easily recognize. Humans learn to forget their individual egos, integrate into nature in every way, feel nature, and use nature as a measure of their own hearts. By shedding their subjective ego in relation to the universal self, and bowing before nature, humans will enrich their ecological ethics. In turn, nature will make the human soul more virtuous.
The most fundamental aspect of human harmony with nature is inner harmony. We must abandon the desire to conquer nature, relax, and open our hearts to kindness and tolerance. Only then can we grasp the subtle, vibrant movements of nature and the universe. By deluding ourselves into thinking we are the center of the universe, humans assume a peripheral position to nature, inadvertently creating conflict with it.
Humanity is the culprit, relentlessly attacking and destroying nature for the sake of ever-changing, developing lives and ever-expanding aspirations. But will all efforts to conquer the universe help humanity control and manage the ecosystem? Will humanity be able to transcend the ecosystem? Will humanity become more human? Nature, in its very nature, does not intentionally create difficulties for humanity. Nature exists according to its objective laws. Only humanity pushes nature into the position of an adversary. Instead of dialogue to find common ground, humanity vents all its anger on nature, constantly asserting its role as the one with the power of life and death. Human suppression is met with merciless retaliation from the ecosystem, creating further obstacles and challenges. The conflict between humanity and nature is escalating, becoming increasingly difficult to resolve.
But, whether alive or dead, humans cannot be separated from the ecosystem. Only by seriously and fully understanding this can humans harmonize with the ecosystem, avoiding deviant behavior that degrades it. Therefore, humans need to re-examine their own actions. With just a little "attention" and a little "patience," we will notice what is happening around us, so peaceful and familiar.
Article by: Hoang Thuy Anh
Illustrative image: Archival material
