“It is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the world in which we all live.”
This quote is by the Dalai Lama, who often writes and speaks about treating others with compassion, respect, and dignity. When we do that, we help to preserve a way of being that has much value. It’s one of the ways we can tend to the world which we all share.
When I think of tending to something, the image of tending to a garden comes to mind. In order for the vegetables to grow, a gardener needs to choose a place to have the garden where there will be sunlight, and then to cultivate the soil, plant the seeds, put time and effort into weeding, and provide the plants with sufficient water. Carefully tending to the garden will result in the gardener enjoying the tasty and nutritious vegetables when they are ready to be harvested. And also enjoying sharing them with others.
Similarly, when we tend to the world, we both give of ourselves and are the beneficiaries of the care we give to others. In addition to treating people with compassion, respect, and dignity, we tend to the world by listening to others, helping them, showing affection, and being genuine. Sometimes tending to the world also requires being assertive, saying something to someone that may be uncomfortable but that needs to be said.
We also tend to the world in which we all live by doing our part to protect the health of the earth, by making choices to live in a more ecologically responsible way. These choices usually involve some sacrifice as we change ingrained habits. But once again we are the beneficiaries of our efforts because we help our earth to be a healthier and more beautiful place for ourselves and for future generations.
By embracing the responsibility to which the Dalai Lama refers, we can and do make a meaningful difference.