2008 is here. It is a new year and a time when many people wish to shed the negative habits and aspects of their past and move forward free of their old baggage. We are heading towards - in fact, we are in - crucial times. There are senseless wars being waged abroad, while citizens at home are not being taken care of. The assassination of Bhutto has thrown a whole country into division and turmoil. Religious conflicts are destroying hope. And politicians and presidents seem to serve the corporations and not the people. As the Piscean Age comes to a conclusion and we move towards the Aquarian Age we also find the end of the Mayan calendar approaching. Times will be tough. What we need is a revolution of consciousness, to become active participants in shaping economic and social matters, and guide our children to make better decisions so that a brighter future is possible.

We must move away from the mob mentality, as the excuse "everybody else does it" is no longer valid. No longer can we be complacent, no longer can we leave our future in the hands of an ineffectual government. We must create the changes by becoming knowledgeable about global issues and about our own consciousness. It is a time for us to realize our potential, to live in our own mastery, it is a time for divine consciousness.

Divine consciousness has to be the future of mankind, and I feel this is where we are headed. In this Information Age people are becoming more and more aware of world conflicts and are coming together, uniting to make the world a better place. Creating unrest has proved to be a powerful way to divide the people, and when a people are divided they are easily conquered. Do not let things like religion or an allegiance to a particular political party divert you away from choosing truth, justice, and freedom. When the people unite for a good cause, politicians are forced to listen. We are only now beginning to find our voice as a people.

Your possessions are not who you are. Your job is not who you are. Your body is not who you are. Even your thoughts are not who you are. So who are you? You must find this answer out for yourself. But what I can tell you is that most of what you think yourself to be is a result of your past conditioning. Think about your upbringing and some of the things you may have learned that contribute to the way you currently think and how it has affected your outlook on life and the world.

On the mundane side you may have a self-image that was distorted, for good or bad, by other's opinions. On the global side, you may have come to see yourself as an individual in a family within a small community, within a country, and thus without a voice for what goes on in the bigger scheme of the world. On the religious side, perhaps you learned that we are spiritual beings and that the body is only a temporary vehicle, that heaven is our true home and the earth is a place where we must wait until we pass through heaven's gate. Our time here on earth has been conveyed by various faiths as a place of suffering, where we must learn lessons, and all things are subject to death an decay.

While these concepts may be true, I feel that the majority of people fail to reason that the earth can indeed be a divine place and that we all play a part in defining this planet we call earth. If we remember to live by the notion that our bodies are temples then everything else must fall in to place.

If your body is a temple, then surely you would want to keep it holy, pure, happy, healthy and protected. But yet we continue to poison our bodies with alcohol, fast food, drugs, improper thinking, and expose ourselves to people, TV programs, and environments that are not uplifting in a moral or spiritual sense. Many of us have also become lazy and complacent with respect to preserving our environment, protecting our rights and freedoms, and alleviating the suffering that occurs at home and in other countries.

The only way to change this destructive path is to recognize the importance of encouraging yourself, as well as those around you, to move towards a more holistic approach to life. Once we, as individuals, set foot on a righteous path and we begin to live in accord with divine wisdom, it becomes clear that as the earth itself is a part of us, for we are as organic as the soil in which flowers grow and that all creatures depend on. What affects the earth, affects us.

There is a crucial link that connects humankind to the 5 elements of the earth, water, fire, air and ether. Because these elements are present not just in our individual bodies but all the bodies of our family, friends, enemies, and strangers, regardless of how we may or may not feel about a person, the connection still exists. Therefore each and every flower, each and every tree, each and every human being is part of who we are: we have all arisen from the same soil, breathe the same air, and depend on the same sun. If one element begins to falter, our temple will inevitably falter. It is therefore in our best interest to protect each other, and our surroundings, by respecting the environment and each other, by co-existing in peace, by being thy brother's keeper. For example, if those around you are angry and scared because they do not have food, they may become violent towards you in an attempt to take your food and shelter. Therefore it is wise to ensure that all humanity is given the basic necessities of life. As another example, if the air you breath becomes polluted your precious temple will also become polluted, and thus become sick and diseased. It is therefore wise to ensure that the government creates policies that curb industrial pollution.

The only solution to creating a better world is to first change our individual consciousness and then our collective consciousness; to recognize that we are Divine, and in understanding the depth of this concept we therefore recognize that we are inextricably linked to each other, the planet that we inhabit, and ultimately the universe. We are divine, the earth is divine, and the universe is divine. Each individual is responsible for his or her own body-temple, but we are all responsible for the earth-temple. This is the premise of Divine Earth: that we all must be the caretakers for the planet, and that by understanding our own nature, becoming knowledgeable about global ecological conditions and world events, including governments, war, industrialization, deforestation, the economy, we gain a broadened perception of what forces are working for or against us as individuals, us as a collective consciousness, and us as inhabitants of this tiny planet.

Below I present a few concepts that, if we recognize and understand them, will help guide us towards a Divine Earth.

Consciousness and Divinity
~ All is one, one is all
~ Man, the earth, and the universe are divine
~ All actions are inextricably linked in a divine matrix
~ Consciousness pervades throughout the universe
~ Man can remove his ignorance to merge with the all-pervading consciousness, and thus gain control over his destiny
~ Meditation increases consciousness

The Body-temple
~ The body is the temporary house for the Spirit, and should be respected as a temple
~ The consumption of nourishing food and drink is necessary as fuel for the body
~ Physical exercise helps maintain muscles, bones, etc.
~ Yoga and/or qigong contribute to cultivation of prana or qi (life force energy)
~ Negative emotions, such as hate and anger, have negative effects on the body
~ Intoxicants should be avoided unless used as medicine

With respect to Consciousness and Divinity, and The Body-temple, the following precepts create the ideal conditions.

Freedom and Seva (devotional service)
~ Mankind wishes to live in freedom and to live in peace
~ Economic debt, negative desires, low self-esteem and oppressive governments remove freedom
~ Each person has the right to choose a religion, be an atheist, or agnostic
~ Religion must not be forced upon anyone
~ Donations to charities and humanitarian organizations encourages peace and the betterment of environment
~ Each person may do whatsoever they choose as long as they hurt no one

The Government
~ Challenge your government, and don't become complacent
~ The government represents the people, therefore remind them of this often
~ Keep abreast of proposed laws that take away individual rights and freedoms
~ When necessary, stage protests and sign petitions

Support Your Community
~ Start meditation, yoga, or qigong groups to promote holistic unity
~ Donate to local charities and give to local food banks
~ Support your local economy by shopping at non-chain stores
~ Bank at a local credit union, rather than a large financial institution
~ Buy organic produce from local growers

Intelligence
~ Avoid intoxicants unless used as medication, as they dull the intellect
~ Avoid mind-numbing movies and television programs
~ Meditate daily to keep your mind sharp
~ Educate yourself about world events
~ Seek to know and understand yourself

Health
~ Practice yoga or qigong at least three times a week
~ Engage in physical work or weight training 3 times a week
~ Eat nourishing organic food and drinks
~ Eat less meat, or none at all
~ Drink 6 - 8 glasses of clean water per day
~ Keep your weight within the recommended range
~ Avoid sugar, caffeine, and other stimulants
~ Take supplements if necessary
~ Get enough sleep
~ When and if possible, maintain your health using natural methods, such as acupuncture, ayurveda, herbs, massage, chiropractic, homeopathy, osteopathy, sound therapy, hypnosis, etc.

Conduct
~ Be polite and courteous
~ Avoid reactiveness
~ Speak wisely, truthfully, and kindly
~ Be helpful to all people
~ Avoid laziness
~ Guide others towards righteousness, but never forcefully impose your views

Our Environment
~ Buy items with the least amount of packaging
~ Buy products in glass containers over plastic
~ Recycle, reuse, refurbish, regift when possible
~ Drive a fuel efficient vehicle, ride a bike, or walk
~ Petition your government to make ecologically sound decisions

Common Sense and Intuition
~ Do nothing that doesn't make sense or feel right to you
~ Analyze all precepts and if they make sense integrate them into your daily life
~ Never go against your own reason and intuition