Footprints

Our dog, Mookie, leaves footprints everywhere she goes. Since it’s impossible to follow her around with a mop, we try to put protective covers and mats in the places she frequents, and beyond that, we just love her as she is, sweaty paws and all. It gets me to wondering, are we human beings oblivious to the tracks we leave, causing others to deal with them?

Though this article will start off on a note about our global environment, I hope it will lead us all to reflect not only on various kinds of seen and unseen footprints we make, but also on the realization that unlimited compassion always follows in our wake—usually unbeknownst to us.

We’ve all witnessed the effect of climate change that is happening around the world. It ranges from uncomfortable and unusual weather patterns to outright disasters and tragedies brought on by events such as flooding, hurricanes, and melting ice caps. Given our understanding of the tenet of interdependence, most of us have come to realize that our personal choices and actions collectively play a major role in this environmental crisis. It is impossible to view this issue on anything but a global basis, so countries have been meeting together to find ways to mitigate a worsening situation.

In industrialized countries, people have a notion of at least some of the causes of the greenhouse gases that are doing the damage. The effect is that each person, organization, company, or country leaves an invisible “carbon footprint” consisting of harmful carbon dioxide and methane emissions. I urge you to check your personal footprint at the eye-opening free site http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/carboncalculator .

Because we’re all in this together, governments and industry have even worked out a way for our societies to ease into the joint responsibilities toward saving our planet. “Carbon credits” representing a specific measure of emissions are bought and sold. A “carbon offset” is a reduction of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases that compensates for emissions made elsewhere. Companies or governments must purchase these because of international agreements that cap the total amount of harmful gases allowed to be emitted. Mindful and caring individuals can voluntarily buy carbon offsets to compensate for their individual footprint, such as when they drive or fly. The funds go toward projects to reduce emissions, such as those to promote renewable energy.

Perhaps we are only vaguely aware that such measures exist, and that there are people all over the world who are making great efforts to return the planet to being a more habitable place for all beings. Such people can’t think about their own convenience without considering the comfort of everyone, because what anyone does affects everyone else, for better or for worse. May we all aspire to be as mindful.

However, since you’ve heard admonitions about environmental responsibility before, let’s also take a moment to notice other kinds of things we do that inconvenience, harm, or otherwise make life unpleasant for others: unsafe lane changing; texting while driving/walking/cycling (or while visiting with someone); careless speech (complaints, criticism, gossip, badmouthing, lies, harsh words); leaving a mess; jumping queues; talking during movies; not lending a hand; using up and not replacing the (toilet paper; milk; gasoline, etc.) … our thoughtlessness is endless. We cannot even begin to imagine what troubles and difficulties we’re causing, and the resulting consequences for others. As human beings, we’re incapable of the wisdom to see that self is linked to other, yet “other” is always dealing with the fallout of our actions and we are the beneficiaries of that compassion. Whether it is the person who applies patience, however grudgingly, or those beings who provide for us unconditionally, enabling us to exist, immeasurable compassion absorbs every move we make and allows us to move forward, often protecting us from the blowback we might unknowingly instigate.

Fortunately for us, Wisdom and Compassion, known to us as Amida Buddha, is unlimited and we receive it just as we are, complete with our imperfections. We cannot always be aware of the unskillful things we do and the thoughtless trail we leave behind us, but if we take the time to reflect and become more aware, then in our humility and gratitude we will be mindful that Amida and I are One. This, too, is Namo Amida Butsu.

Gassho,

Rev. Patricia Usuki