Village of Ordinary

Children playing and gardening – Grattan School mural

To understand the vision, I invite you to take a mini journey with me. It will take just a minute or two. For that moment, I’m going to ask you to stretch your imagination and suspend disbelief.

For this short while, let go of judgement. Imagine a world far different than the one in which we live. Here’s how it works.

Visualize

Close your eyes. Get comfortable. Take a few deep breaths, and let go of the busy-ness of your day.

Just for this moment imagine, without judgment, what your everyday world would be like if there were no greed, no jealousy, and no hatred.

I know it’s a stretch, but take another deep breath, close your eyes, and let yourself imagine for just this short while, a world without greed, a world in which each individual greets every other individual with the loving respect we offer one another in our finest, happiest, most magnanimous moments.

Right where you are, let your shoulders drop, relax your neck, put both feet flat on the floor, not too far apart, not too close. Find your comfort zone. Take a couple more long, slow, deep breaths–all the way in, down to your belly button, and slowly, all the way out.

Let your mind and your heart imagine for just this short time how different our world might be if we greeted one another, every soul we met, as though they were the most important person in our lives at that moment. Imagine a world of people so at ease in their own skin, their own heart and mind, that they view others–all others–with love, empathy, compassion, cooperation and absolute respect.

Start with yourself.

Imagine waking up every day in a world such as this.

How would you start your day?

What would you do first, upon rising?

What would you eat for breakfast?

How would you spend your time?

Where would you work?

Who would you serve?

Who would serve you?

If there were no greed, how would we compensate one another for our food, our clothing, the artwork with which we decorate our homes?

How would we obtain goods and services?

How would we behave toward each other in the grocery store or online at the theater?

If there were no jealousy, how would we behave toward one another in our workplace?

If there were no hatred—and no greed—how would our governments spend the money no longer needed for war and war machines?

Would we have need for government as we know it today?

What would your relationships be like?

How would you spend time with the people in your life?

Where would you live?

How would you and others in your community feed and clothe yourself?

How would you choose to spend your time?

When you’re ready, take a couple of long, slow, deep breaths, then open your eyes and return to this page.

What did you see?

When you visualized your new world, did you work for profit or for pleasure?

Describe the home in which you saw yourself living. With whom, if anyone, did you share it? What did your neighborhood look like?

What about hunger, poverty, education, health care? What did you imagine for the world?

How did we manage the bounty of our planet?

The vision of the Village of Ordinary

In the Village of Ordinary, all work is pleasure.

We are free to develop and use our best talents, for the sheer beauty and pleasure of it, but also for the joy of all the community.

Each individual gives freely of her talents and skills.

Each woman, man and child receives with gratitude the gifts of labor from the other.

All villagers not babes in arms, and as age and ability permit, share in the common chores and tasks required to maintain a healthy, vibrant environment.

In a world without greed, we have no need for money? Without greed, we have no need to protect our property, our land, our nation, our interests overseas, if indeed we have interests overseas, apart from loved ones.

Without jealousy, there is no backbiting at work, no bitter feuds, no misunderstood motives, no hidden agendas.

Without hatred, there is no violence, one person against another.

Think it can’t happen?

The Ladakhi did it for hundreds of years, or something akin. Despite western encroachment, many today work to reclaim their peaceful, bountiful life, as they lived it for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, in harmony with the earth and with each other.

There, children were wanted, nourished body, mind and soul, and adored from the moment they were born. Yet families took care not to over-populate their land so as to maintain a bounteous lifestyle in the extreme, harsh conditions of the high Himalayan desert, where temperatures in winter sink to some of the lowest on Earth, and in summer to some of the highest.

Before the 1970s, when westerners began bringing our machines, toys and monoculture crops to the region, foreigners noticed most how sublimely happy the Ladakhi were, how quick to laugh, how lacking in conflict, how little time they spent earning their quite comfortable living, and how much time they had to play and to party. Yes, party!

The Ladakhi show us that yes, we can get along, we can live in harmony with each other, we can enjoy an abundant lifestyle with plenty of ease and play, while caring for the Earth that provides all.

 Share your vision

Please, if you can, in the comments below, share with me and with any others who happen across this page, your vision of a world without greed, without jealousy, without hatred, a world in which every child born is nourished body, mind and soul from the get-go. Daunting to go large? Go small. Share one tiny facet of such a vision. How might we teach our children? How might we fight nature’s grass and forest fires? How would we power our homes or our vehicles? How would we feed ourselves? How would we resolve conflicts? How might we experience religion and spirituality? Who would we play?