Doctrine Discussion: Betterment of the World

So I was having a good chat with someone the other day and they brought up an interesting point. They felt that Jedi should work to better the world, not just better humanity.

The Doctrine states "[Jedi Believe] In the sanctity of the human person..." but what about the sanctity of the rest of life?

I found "[Jedi Believe] In the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it." But otherwise it all talks about humanity, society, and all that.

So I'm curious, do you feel in your path that bettering the world beyond just humans is important? How do you honor the line of "[Jedi Believe] In the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it."?

Kit wrote: So I was having a good chat with someone the other day and they brought up an interesting point. They felt that Jedi should work to better the world, not just better humanity.

The Doctrine states "[Jedi Believe] In the sanctity of the human person..." but what about the sanctity of the rest of life?

I found "[Jedi Believe] In the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it." But otherwise it all talks about humanity, society, and all that.

So I'm curious, do you feel in your path that bettering the world beyond just humans is important? How do you honor the line of "[Jedi Believe] In the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it."?

For me with that one simple idea - it has bettered me my self . Just one person. Seems like not a big anything but - tell that to my wife and son and daughter and mother in law and father in law and brother and sister and people I actually touch with my bare hands. Tell tgat to the group of friends that see me every day- tell that to every stranger I touch and meet. Ripples begin as small then grow into larger circles. But... some one has to start em. To better a world - it has to begin - in my practice and what I teach with the individual. That small ---one. Me- in most cases ---- you . ( not u personally kit. U know what I mean . Smiley face) it's easy to say the world need rhisnor the world need that yet even easyer to start from responsibility from taking action - humbly - in our little part of life. Its easyer to blame and point fingers . It's much harder to take the time to change than point out the change.

Pass an international law that animals are no longer allowed to eat other animals and that plants have to share soil and sunlight equally amongst one another. Update the Geneva Convention to ban the use of venoms, poisons, parasitism, or any defenseive or offensive measure known to produce infection, blindness or lameness in anything with a nervous system capable of feeling pain.

Also, we need to teach them medicine and help them set up community clinics and nursing homes and other means of general and geriatric assistance, in order to provide basic health care for the animal sick and elderly. And dont forget dentistry. Having broken teeth is a very common source of suffering in the animal kingdom so we definitely need to address that issue ASAP.

Or you could like, put up a bird feeder or something in your yard..

More serious..
Volunteer at humane society?
https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/volunteer

Dolphins are people too: fighting for the legal rights of sentient mammals
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/feb/21/whales-dolphins-legal-rights

Fun stuff about nature:

As far as I've observed, the world beyond humanity does a pretty good job of keeping itself in the natural flow of things - we're the only ones with either the will or the power to interfere with the balances. So, if we better humanity, and find a way to bring more of society back into the circle, we help improve the situation for everything else.

Comes down to how ones defines sanctity I guess? To me I think it means responsibility, and as such aligns perfectly with the other line.

This isnt about what I do personally so much as just some ideas that an interested party might consider.

Sierra Club is an org. dedicated to environmental causes.
https://www.sierraclub.org

Tips for living "green"
https://www.greenlivingtips.com

More tips for green life and some ways to get involved
https://www.nature.org/greenliving/index.htm

For the truly dedicated, careers in conservation
http://www.wildlifeconservation.org/Careers.html

A human being is part of the whole, called by us “universe,” limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a prison, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons close to us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from our prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all humanity and the whole of nature in its beauty.

Albert Einstein

Hi Kit,
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to share our thoughts about the world's betterment. First, I would like to say that I agree with what Carlos Martinez said about starting to better ourselves in order to better the world.

That being said I would like to push further by saying that as we are unlimited beings, by changing ourselves, we change an unlimited amount of things. Unlimited is not necessarily big but it is unfinished forever and relatively to something else it can be big or small.

We are all but an unreached potential and by bettering yourself you should be able to potentially better everything you care for.

For any change or improvement you start with yourself.
But dos that mean we turn a blind eye to what does not effect us directly?
In this Temple we talk of making changes for the better.
What if we could make a difference in the world?
It wouldn't be easy. It would require self-sacrifice and hard work.
Is that not what being a Jedi is about?
I'm not talking about encircling the rain forest and guarding it so it can't be cut down.
I'm suggesting starting petitions for elected officials.
For things like stopping chemicals being used tat are harmful to the environment. Stopping spraying o toxic pesticides in parks where children play.
A lot of people view our religion as a joke. That Jedi's just play dress up.
Let us be seen as more than a cosplay club.
Let everyone feel our Force and realise that the Jedi stand for something more.

Doing the right thing isn't something special.
It is the minimum.
It is where we start each morning.
Not where we intend to end up
= Ben Skywalker

The world is beautiful just the way it is. My favorite thing about it comes from our ability to choose how we act/react to the situations that life presents us. If I may take a saying from my brother Carlos, we are given the opportunity to step outside of our comfort zones and build each other up.

It truly is the small things in life that add to the beauty within. Taking some time to do a random act of kindness, smiling, telling a joke, spending time with a friend, being with nature, is benefiting the rest of the world, if only for a moment. If only one of the hundreds of positive ripples that I send out in the world reach a person who is hurt or feeling down, I have changed the world for the better: both beings and non-beings. When we shift our attitudes, we change how we interact with the world around us. One act of kindness could bring a mindful awareness to a littering issue. Another smile may bring us to see the flight of a bird whose trail leaves the clouds in the sky untouched. One hug with a friend, letting them know "I'm here" can lead to peace that can spread across the globe.

Build them up. Don't tear them down.