Illustration by Miki Howenstein
                                               (From page 312 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)

… With faith firmly inculcated into your being, you become different and see others differently, for you are then securely grounded in a world of hope. Accompanying this hope comes the realization that most of us (probably yourself included) are trapped by our culture’s false stories, those very stories which destroy our environment and accelerate the injustices in our world…..
​ 
Author’s Comment: Much of cultivating a genuine sense of hope for a better world entails weeding out the cultural stories which degrade the human spirit  (like “we’re all greedy”) or damage the environment (efficiency is most important, even if it causes suffering). Any hopeful demeanor based on faith in humankind will prioritize those cultural stories (new and old) which build the good character in people and restore the health of our natural environment.

                                                          Illustration by Miki Howenstein
​                                           (From page 280 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)

…….. Nature is often seen in today’s world as a resource, which is to be exploited for our selfish good, leading to the environmental ruin which we see today. Yet, it is the most integrated, productive system known to us, and one that could lead us towards a far more sustainable world if closely imitated.…….
​
Author’s Comment: By envisioning nature as a miraculous, self-sustaining system which existed well before humankind made our entrance on the planet and probably will continue after our farewell, we will come to respect her and hold her in awe, seeking to learn from her ways. If we continue to see her as a resource to be used (and abused), we sow the seeds to our own destruction; however, working together with her in a mutually beneficial give-and-take can move us towards a world where we all flourish.