David Suzuki

Last night, I tuned the TV to David Suzuki's film, Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie. I think that this film is well-worth a viewing and recommend it. My son and his paramour thought that the beginning was a little too melodramatic, but I have read Joy Kogawa's Obasan and similar books that deal with the challenges of being Asian and living in Canada during the first half of the twentieth century, and was comfortable with the material that described the evacuation of Japanese families from West Coast Canada: this doesn't mean that I think it was right or wrong or that I hold a particular judgement. With my spiritual studies, practices, and development, I am doing better at how I handle what is perceived as human tragedy, violation of rights, and suffering.

In the film, Suzuki reminds us that the economy is a man made situation and that society invests a lot of energy into believing in, supporting, and pandering to it. He also mentions that at one time, people held similar notions about and attitudes towards mythical creatures such as dragons. I appreciated Suzuki's explanation of the Haidi and how they believe that if they allow deforestation, they will become like everybody else. Suzuki interprets this to mean that the Haida believe that they are one with nature and those humans that can deforest a mountain  (log it) do not believe or know that they are one with nature. Suzuki says that if the Haidi allow deforestation, they become like everybody else: they sever their tie and are disconnected from nature. I really enjoyed the video footage of Suzuki holding his infant Haida grandson: beautiful and how can one not feel Soul in the relationship between grandfather and grandson, or the baby itself?

Namaste