Greenpeace’s Spiritual Origins
Greenpeace campaigning was built on a spiritual foundation which has largely been lost in the mists of time.
In the early twentieth century Gandhi created a model for Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA); meeting the oppression of the British Empire with completely passive resistance. He placed the first rungs on a ladder of a campaign ideology. We are now several rungs further on, but we don’t usually look at those first steps that got us to where we are.
In the early twentieth century Gandhi created a model for Non-
If we re-examine our roots we may tap into the same source of power that Gandhi used.
Gandhi was the original advocate of Satyagraha, or “truth-obstinacy”: acting with strict adherance to absolute truth, regardless of other opinion, and in a completely non-violent manner. He drew his principles from what he could observe. This ethos formed an unshakeable foundation which eventually succeeded in removing the British Empire from India with relatively little bloodshed.
“In a minority of one, the truth is still the truth”
“Truth is God, and God is truth”
Gandhi
“Truth is God, and God is truth”
Gandhi
The absolute truth can not possibly be argued with.
Years later, the first Greenpeace activists were inspired by Gandhi’s approach and applied the same methods in campaigns against nuclear testing, whale hunting and so forth.
What Gandhi was doing was using Taoism (or Daoism) as the tool to achieve his goal, and like many Taoists from ancient times onward, he proved its effectiveness. Taoism can be described as the “spirituality of reality”. If something is real, then it is Tao, if it is not real, it is not Tao. Tao is truth. Reality defines Taoism, and therefore it can not possibly be wrong! Most people know Taoism by its depiction as yin and yang; black and white curves in a circle.
So Greenpeace’s spiritual origin is Taoism.
To employ Tao, or truth, one must see through illusions -