Quaker Biographies | Australia Yearly Meeting
Audio files
Short biographies of some well-known Quakers were compiled by David Purnell (Canberra Regional Meeting). They were recorded for broadcasting on the Canberra Dove Talk radio program and/or published in the Canberra Quaker Newsletter.
You can listen to the broadcasts by clicking on the names below. Their year of birth is shown and there are links to other information about the person. The text of all these talks is available here.
James Backhouse b. 1794 Narrative of a visit to the Australian Colonies
Elise Boulding b. 1920 Active in peace research and peacebuilding and nominated for a Nobel Peace prize
George Cadbury b. 1839 Bournville Village Trust today
Pierre Ceresole b. 1879 Founded the Service Civil International
Adam Curle b. 1916 A worker, teacher and writer for peace
Margaret Fell b. 1614 The “Mother” of Quakerism
Elfrida Vipont Foulds b. 1902 An educator and scholar, she was a prolific writer
George Fox b. 1624 Journal of George Fox
Elizabeth Fry b. 1780 Elizabeth Fry's first visit to Newgate Prison
Donald Groom b. 1914 Donald Groom Fellowship
Ham Sok Hon b. 1901 A prominent civil rights activist in Korea
David Hodgkin b. 1914 Wrote A Mature Religion for today
Florence James b. 1902 Co-author of Come in Spinner, later turned into an ABC TV series
Rufus Jones b. 1863 Quaker Historian and William Penn Lecturer in 1918
Muriel Langford b. 1913 Conscientious Objector, Political lobbyist & Missionary
Kathleen Lonsdale b. 1903 The Scientist who discovered Lonsdaleite
Francis Mather b. 1844 Friends School 1887 - 1947 and present day
Lucretia Mott b. 1793 Activist, abolitionist, social reformer and Remembered in Cheltenham
Valerie Nichols b. 1920 Her motto "No one is for self alone", she helped to establish WILPF in Tasmania
William Oats b. 1912 Teacher, historian, author
William Penn b. 1644 He became the first Hero of American Liberty
Gerald Priestland b. 1927 An author and broadcaster for the BBC in the UK.
Margaret Roberts b. 1910 Her 1937 - 1944 diary of bush walks is in the State Library of Victoria
Caroline Stephen b. 1834 A Quaker Influence on Modern English Literature
Marjorie Sykes b. 1905 Born in the UK, she went to live in India and was involved in education
Hendrik van der Merwe b. 1929 A South African academic who worked for peace
Elizabeth Gray Vining b. 1902 Born in the USA, she taught Japan's Crown Prince
Elizabeth Watson b. 1914 A strong concern for social justice, including race relations and homosexuality
Margaret Watts b. 1892 Migrant community Advocate, Welfare worker and Peace activist
John Woolman b. 1720 A Quaker preacher and early abolitionist
Return to top
Spirituality, Mind-Body, Gender, Ecology, Ageing, Peace, Scrapbook (in English and Korean)
2021/01/23
Pamphlets | Australia Yearly Meeting
Pamphlets | Australia Yearly Meeting
Pamphlets
These pamphlets are available in two versions:
a Read Version for easy reading on the website, and
a Print Version for producing a fold DL version. Make sure you choose double-sided printing in your settings.
Multi-page pamphlets have a single version suitable for both reading and printing. To produce a double-sided booklet form of these pamphlets, choose 'booklet printing' in your printer settings.
About
About Quakers ( Read/Print Version)
More about Quakers (Read/Print Version)
A Young Person's Guide to Quakers (Read/Print Version)
Attending A Meeting
First Time in a Quaker Meeting (Read Version)
First Time in a Quaker Meeting (Print Version)
On Speaking in Meeting (Read Version)
On Speaking in meeting (Print Version)
Quaker Business
How Quaker Meetings Take Decisions (Read Version)
How Quaker Meetings Take Decisions (Print Version)
Quaker Business Method - The Practice of Group Discernment (Read/Print Version)
Life Events
Quaker Marriage and Committed Relationships (Read Version)
Quaker Marriage and Committed Relationships (Print version)
Information in the event of my death (Read/Print Version)
Quaker Funeral Ceremonies (Read Version)
Quaker Funeral Ceremonies (Print version)
Procedure for Quaker Funerals (Read/Print Version)
A Quaker Guide to Preparing For and Responding To Death (Read/Print Version)
Concerns & Testimonies
Coming Right Way (Read/Print Version)
Quakers and Simplicity (Read version)
Quakers and Simplicity (Print Version)
Pamphlets
These pamphlets are available in two versions:
a Read Version for easy reading on the website, and
a Print Version for producing a fold DL version. Make sure you choose double-sided printing in your settings.
Multi-page pamphlets have a single version suitable for both reading and printing. To produce a double-sided booklet form of these pamphlets, choose 'booklet printing' in your printer settings.
About
About Quakers ( Read/Print Version)
More about Quakers (Read/Print Version)
A Young Person's Guide to Quakers (Read/Print Version)
Attending A Meeting
First Time in a Quaker Meeting (Read Version)
First Time in a Quaker Meeting (Print Version)
On Speaking in Meeting (Read Version)
On Speaking in meeting (Print Version)
Quaker Business
How Quaker Meetings Take Decisions (Read Version)
How Quaker Meetings Take Decisions (Print Version)
Quaker Business Method - The Practice of Group Discernment (Read/Print Version)
Life Events
Quaker Marriage and Committed Relationships (Read Version)
Quaker Marriage and Committed Relationships (Print version)
Information in the event of my death (Read/Print Version)
Quaker Funeral Ceremonies (Read Version)
Quaker Funeral Ceremonies (Print version)
Procedure for Quaker Funerals (Read/Print Version)
A Quaker Guide to Preparing For and Responding To Death (Read/Print Version)
Concerns & Testimonies
Coming Right Way (Read/Print Version)
Quakers and Simplicity (Read version)
Quakers and Simplicity (Print Version)
Backhouse Lectures List | Australia Yearly Meeting 1964-2020
Backhouse Lectures | Australia Yearly Meeting
Backhouse Lectures
(Image: Fiona Gardener, 2020 Backhouse Lecturer)
The Backhouse Lectures are public lectures on contemporary issues delivered annually at the national gathering of Quakers in Australia. They were initiated by Australia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) on its establishment in 1964. Friends from both Australia and overseas have presented lectures.
Print copies of the Lectures from 2008-2020 (excluding the 2017 Lecture) can be purchased at Quaker Publications.
Most can be downloaded in pdf format (excluding the current year's lecture and the 2017 Lecture).
You can view the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and the 2020 Backhouse Lectures on the Quakers Australia YouTube channel here.
2020 Lecture - The 2020 Backhouse Lecture, Seeking Union with Spirit: Experiences of Spiritual Journeys, was presented by Fiona Gardner on Monday 6 July at 7.15pm via Zoom. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, our Yearly Meeting plans were altered, so Yearly Meeting 2020 was a virtual event, heldvia Zoom and other technology. The Lecture publication is available for purchase through Interactive Publications.
2019 Lecture - The 2019 Backhouse Lecture by Jason MacLeod, was presented on 8 July at the Farrall Centre at The Friends' School in Hobart Tasmania. Entitled Animating Freedom: accompanying the West Papuan struggle, Jason shared what he has learnt about accompanying West Papuans – and to a lesser extent Aboriginal people, Bougainvillians and East Timorese – in their struggle for self-determination. More information can be found here.
2018 Lecture - An Encounter between Quaker Mysticism and Taoism in Everyday Life by Cho-Nyon Kim.
Cho-Nyon Kim explores his spiritual journey in the Korean religious environment, in which Confucianism, Buddhism. Taoism and Christianity have all influenced cultural practice and been integrated into daily life. Cho-Nyon Kim is inspired by the life and thoughts of Ham Sok Hon, a prominent Korean peace activist and Quaker. He asks how we can live a simple life in a complex world. The Lecture was delivered on 9 July at Yearly Meeting 2018 at Avondale College, Cooranbong, New South Wales:
the Video available here
a transcription (in PDF) of the video can be found here and can be opened and read whilst listening to the video version
the Lecture publication can be ordered here
2017 Lecture - Reflections on the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum in the context of two Aboriginal life stories - with David Carline, supported by Cheryl Buchanan (Please note that there was no printed version of the 2017 Lecture, rather an extended report was written by the Backhouse Lecture committee.) Video available here.
2016 Lecture - Everyday Prophets - by Margery Post Abbott - Video available here
2015 Lecture - This We Can Do: Quaker faith in action through the Alternatives to Violence Project - by Sally Herzfeld and Alternatives to Violence Project Members
2014 Lecture - Our life is love, and peace, and tenderness; Bringing children into the centre of Quaker life and worship - by Tracy Bourne
2013 Lecture - A Quaker astronomer reflects: Can a scientist also be religious - by Jocelyn Bell Burnell
2012 Lecture - From the inside out: Observations on Quaker work at the United Nations - by David Atwood
2011 Lecture - A demanding and uncertain adventure: Exploration of a concern for Earth restoration and how we must live to pass on to our children - and their children, and all living things - an Earth restored - by Rosemary (Rowe) Morrow
2010 Lecture - Finding our voice Our truth, community and journey as Australian Young Friends
2009 Lecture - The Quaking Meeting Transforming our selves, our meetings and the more-than-human world - by Helen Gould - MP3 available here (65.5KB)
2008 Lecture - Faith, hope and doubt in times of uncertainty Combining the realms of scientific and spiritual inquiry - by George Ellis - MP3 available here (65.5KB)
2007 Lecture - Support for our true selves - Nurturing the space where leadings flow - by Jenny Spinks - MP3 available here (6.63MB)
2006 Lecture - One Heart and a Wrong Spirit: The Religious Society of Friends and Colonial Racism - Polly O. (Daksi) Walker
2005 Lecture - Peace is a Struggle - David Johnson
2004 Lecture - Growing a Fruitful Friendship - A Garden Walk - by Ute Caspers - MP3 available here (3MB)
2003 Lecture - Respecting the Rights of Children and Young People: A New Perspective on Quaker Faith and Practice - by Helen Bayes - MP3 available here (5.1MB)
2002 Lecture - To Do Justly, And To Love Mercy: learning from Quaker service - by Mark Deasey - MP3 available here (66.82KB)
2001 Lecture - Reconciling Opposites: Reflections on peacemaking in South Africa - by Hendrik W van der Merwe - MP3 available here (65.49KB)
2000 Lecture - To Learn A New Song: A Quaker Contribution Towards Real Reconciliation with the Earth and its Peoples - by Susannah Kay Brindle - MP3 available here (5.34MB)
1999 Lecture - Myth and Stories, Lies and Truth - by Norman Talbot
1998 Lecture - Embraced by Other Selves: Enriching personal nature through group interaction - by Charles Stevenson - MP3 available here (3.4MB)
1997 Lecture - Learning of one another The Quaker encounter with other cultures and religions - by Richard G. Meredith - MP3 available here (65.5KB)
1996 Lecture - Our Children, our Partners A new vision for social action in the 21st century - by Elise Boulding
1995 Lecture - Emerging Currents in the Asia-Pacific - by Donna Kyle Anderton & Barbara Baker Bird Bangkok, Thailand - MP3 availble here (65.49KB)
1994 Lecture - As the Mirror Burns Making a Film about Vietnam - by Di Bretherton
1993 Lecture - Living the Way Quaker spirituality and community - by Ursula Jane O'Shea
1992 - No Lecture given.
1991 Lecture - Loving the Distances Between: Racism, Culture and Spirituality - by David James and Jillian Wychel
1990 Lecture - Quakers in Politics: Pragmatism or Principle? - by Jo Vallentine and Peter D. Jones
1989 Lecture - A New-Born Sense of Dignity and Freedom - by Erica Fisher
1988 Lecture - Creative Conflict - by David Purnell
1987 Lecture - The Vision That Connects - Building The Future We Choose - by Carol and Dougald McLean
1986 Lecture - Looking for Meanings of My A-Bomb Experience in Nagasaki - by Susumu Ishitani
1985 Lecture - For All The Saints - by Gerald Priestland
1984 Lecture - Pilgrims for Justice and Peace - by Peter D. Jones
1983 Lecture - An Adventure into Feminism with Friends - by Sabine Willis
1982 Lecture - Celebration: A Missing Element in Quaker Worship - by John Ormerod Greenwood
1981 Lecture - What Jesus Means To Me: Jesus the Liberator - by Roger C. Wilson
1980 Lecture - Quakers and Sacramental History: Reflections on Quaker Saints by a Quaker Sinner - by Hector Kinloch
1979 Lecture - Quakers in the Modern World: The Relevance of Quaker Beliefs to the Problems of the Modern World - by J. Duncan Wood
1978 Lecture - Wisdom: The Inner Teacher - by Margaret Wilkinson
1977 Lecture - Papua New Guinea: Third World on our doorstep - by Mary Woodward
1976 Lecture - Imperialism Without Invading Armies: peace, justice and the multinationals in Southeast Asia - by Stewart and Charlotte Meacham
1975 Lecture - A Time To Reap, A Time To Sow: Retirement - by Winifred A. M McNaughton
1973 Lecture - Pilgrimage Toward The Fountainhead: Quakerism and Zen Buddhism Today - by Yukio Irie (August)
1973 Lecture - Friends and Other Faiths - by Otto B. Van Sprenkel
1972 Lecture - The Quaker Message: a Personal Affirmation - L. Hugh Doncaster
1971 - No Backhouse Lecture was given this year; instead, David Hodgkin gave an address under the title "Quakerism-A Mature Religion for Today", which was printed but not as a James Backhouse Lecture.
1970 Lecture - Security for Australia? - by Keith A. W. Crook
1969 Lecture - Toward a Multi-Racial Society - by A. Barrie Pittock
1968 Lecture - In The Spirit of the Family - William N. Oats
1967 Lecture - On Being Present Where You Are - by Douglas V Steere
1966 Lecture - Seeking In An Age Of Imbalance - by Rudolf Lemberg
1965 Lecture - The Shaping Spirit - by Clive Sansom
1964 Lecture - The Evolutionary Potential Of Quakerism - by Kenneth E. Boulding
Backhouse Lectures
(Image: Fiona Gardener, 2020 Backhouse Lecturer)
The Backhouse Lectures are public lectures on contemporary issues delivered annually at the national gathering of Quakers in Australia. They were initiated by Australia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) on its establishment in 1964. Friends from both Australia and overseas have presented lectures.
Print copies of the Lectures from 2008-2020 (excluding the 2017 Lecture) can be purchased at Quaker Publications.
Most can be downloaded in pdf format (excluding the current year's lecture and the 2017 Lecture).
You can view the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and the 2020 Backhouse Lectures on the Quakers Australia YouTube channel here.
2020 Lecture - The 2020 Backhouse Lecture, Seeking Union with Spirit: Experiences of Spiritual Journeys, was presented by Fiona Gardner on Monday 6 July at 7.15pm via Zoom. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, our Yearly Meeting plans were altered, so Yearly Meeting 2020 was a virtual event, heldvia Zoom and other technology. The Lecture publication is available for purchase through Interactive Publications.
2019 Lecture - The 2019 Backhouse Lecture by Jason MacLeod, was presented on 8 July at the Farrall Centre at The Friends' School in Hobart Tasmania. Entitled Animating Freedom: accompanying the West Papuan struggle, Jason shared what he has learnt about accompanying West Papuans – and to a lesser extent Aboriginal people, Bougainvillians and East Timorese – in their struggle for self-determination. More information can be found here.
2018 Lecture - An Encounter between Quaker Mysticism and Taoism in Everyday Life by Cho-Nyon Kim.
Cho-Nyon Kim explores his spiritual journey in the Korean religious environment, in which Confucianism, Buddhism. Taoism and Christianity have all influenced cultural practice and been integrated into daily life. Cho-Nyon Kim is inspired by the life and thoughts of Ham Sok Hon, a prominent Korean peace activist and Quaker. He asks how we can live a simple life in a complex world. The Lecture was delivered on 9 July at Yearly Meeting 2018 at Avondale College, Cooranbong, New South Wales:
the Video available here
a transcription (in PDF) of the video can be found here and can be opened and read whilst listening to the video version
the Lecture publication can be ordered here
2017 Lecture - Reflections on the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum in the context of two Aboriginal life stories - with David Carline, supported by Cheryl Buchanan (Please note that there was no printed version of the 2017 Lecture, rather an extended report was written by the Backhouse Lecture committee.) Video available here.
2016 Lecture - Everyday Prophets - by Margery Post Abbott - Video available here
2015 Lecture - This We Can Do: Quaker faith in action through the Alternatives to Violence Project - by Sally Herzfeld and Alternatives to Violence Project Members
2014 Lecture - Our life is love, and peace, and tenderness; Bringing children into the centre of Quaker life and worship - by Tracy Bourne
2013 Lecture - A Quaker astronomer reflects: Can a scientist also be religious - by Jocelyn Bell Burnell
2012 Lecture - From the inside out: Observations on Quaker work at the United Nations - by David Atwood
2011 Lecture - A demanding and uncertain adventure: Exploration of a concern for Earth restoration and how we must live to pass on to our children - and their children, and all living things - an Earth restored - by Rosemary (Rowe) Morrow
2010 Lecture - Finding our voice Our truth, community and journey as Australian Young Friends
2009 Lecture - The Quaking Meeting Transforming our selves, our meetings and the more-than-human world - by Helen Gould - MP3 available here (65.5KB)
2008 Lecture - Faith, hope and doubt in times of uncertainty Combining the realms of scientific and spiritual inquiry - by George Ellis - MP3 available here (65.5KB)
2007 Lecture - Support for our true selves - Nurturing the space where leadings flow - by Jenny Spinks - MP3 available here (6.63MB)
2006 Lecture - One Heart and a Wrong Spirit: The Religious Society of Friends and Colonial Racism - Polly O. (Daksi) Walker
2005 Lecture - Peace is a Struggle - David Johnson
2004 Lecture - Growing a Fruitful Friendship - A Garden Walk - by Ute Caspers - MP3 available here (3MB)
2003 Lecture - Respecting the Rights of Children and Young People: A New Perspective on Quaker Faith and Practice - by Helen Bayes - MP3 available here (5.1MB)
2002 Lecture - To Do Justly, And To Love Mercy: learning from Quaker service - by Mark Deasey - MP3 available here (66.82KB)
2001 Lecture - Reconciling Opposites: Reflections on peacemaking in South Africa - by Hendrik W van der Merwe - MP3 available here (65.49KB)
2000 Lecture - To Learn A New Song: A Quaker Contribution Towards Real Reconciliation with the Earth and its Peoples - by Susannah Kay Brindle - MP3 available here (5.34MB)
1999 Lecture - Myth and Stories, Lies and Truth - by Norman Talbot
1998 Lecture - Embraced by Other Selves: Enriching personal nature through group interaction - by Charles Stevenson - MP3 available here (3.4MB)
1997 Lecture - Learning of one another The Quaker encounter with other cultures and religions - by Richard G. Meredith - MP3 available here (65.5KB)
1996 Lecture - Our Children, our Partners A new vision for social action in the 21st century - by Elise Boulding
1995 Lecture - Emerging Currents in the Asia-Pacific - by Donna Kyle Anderton & Barbara Baker Bird Bangkok, Thailand - MP3 availble here (65.49KB)
1994 Lecture - As the Mirror Burns Making a Film about Vietnam - by Di Bretherton
1993 Lecture - Living the Way Quaker spirituality and community - by Ursula Jane O'Shea
1992 - No Lecture given.
1991 Lecture - Loving the Distances Between: Racism, Culture and Spirituality - by David James and Jillian Wychel
1990 Lecture - Quakers in Politics: Pragmatism or Principle? - by Jo Vallentine and Peter D. Jones
1989 Lecture - A New-Born Sense of Dignity and Freedom - by Erica Fisher
1988 Lecture - Creative Conflict - by David Purnell
1987 Lecture - The Vision That Connects - Building The Future We Choose - by Carol and Dougald McLean
1986 Lecture - Looking for Meanings of My A-Bomb Experience in Nagasaki - by Susumu Ishitani
1985 Lecture - For All The Saints - by Gerald Priestland
1984 Lecture - Pilgrims for Justice and Peace - by Peter D. Jones
1983 Lecture - An Adventure into Feminism with Friends - by Sabine Willis
1982 Lecture - Celebration: A Missing Element in Quaker Worship - by John Ormerod Greenwood
1981 Lecture - What Jesus Means To Me: Jesus the Liberator - by Roger C. Wilson
1980 Lecture - Quakers and Sacramental History: Reflections on Quaker Saints by a Quaker Sinner - by Hector Kinloch
1979 Lecture - Quakers in the Modern World: The Relevance of Quaker Beliefs to the Problems of the Modern World - by J. Duncan Wood
1978 Lecture - Wisdom: The Inner Teacher - by Margaret Wilkinson
1977 Lecture - Papua New Guinea: Third World on our doorstep - by Mary Woodward
1976 Lecture - Imperialism Without Invading Armies: peace, justice and the multinationals in Southeast Asia - by Stewart and Charlotte Meacham
1975 Lecture - A Time To Reap, A Time To Sow: Retirement - by Winifred A. M McNaughton
1973 Lecture - Pilgrimage Toward The Fountainhead: Quakerism and Zen Buddhism Today - by Yukio Irie (August)
1973 Lecture - Friends and Other Faiths - by Otto B. Van Sprenkel
1972 Lecture - The Quaker Message: a Personal Affirmation - L. Hugh Doncaster
1971 - No Backhouse Lecture was given this year; instead, David Hodgkin gave an address under the title "Quakerism-A Mature Religion for Today", which was printed but not as a James Backhouse Lecture.
1970 Lecture - Security for Australia? - by Keith A. W. Crook
1969 Lecture - Toward a Multi-Racial Society - by A. Barrie Pittock
1968 Lecture - In The Spirit of the Family - William N. Oats
1967 Lecture - On Being Present Where You Are - by Douglas V Steere
1966 Lecture - Seeking In An Age Of Imbalance - by Rudolf Lemberg
1965 Lecture - The Shaping Spirit - by Clive Sansom
1964 Lecture - The Evolutionary Potential Of Quakerism - by Kenneth E. Boulding
2021/01/22
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough | Goodreads
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough | Goodreads
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A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future
by
David Attenborough,
Jonnie Hughes (Goodreads Author) (With)
4.55 · Rating details · 4,811 ratings · 652 reviews
I am 93. I've had an extraordinary life. It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary. As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world – but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable from day to day — the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity.
I have been wit ...more
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Hardcover, 272 pages
Published October 6th 2020 by Grand Central Publishing
Original Title
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future
'Read this book to learn, but also to honour the man. We shall never see his like again.' - Sunday Times
See the world. Then make it better.
'I am 94. I've had an extraordinary life. It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary.
As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world - but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable from day to day - the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity.
I have been witness to this decline. A Life on Our Planet is my witness statement, and my vision for the future. It is the story of how we came to make this, our greatest mistake - and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right.
We have one final chance to create the perfect home for ourselves and restore the wonderful world we inherited.'
All we need is the will to do so.'
Popular Answered Questions
I am excited to read this book by Sir David Attenborough. Just a quick question, does the content of this publication follow the Netflix documentary? Or does it provide different content? After watching the Netflix documentary, will I find the same content or different content from the documentary?
6 Likes · Like
3 Months Ago
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Benjamin Simonsen Much of the same content, but the book is like a 6 hour version, and the film is something like 90 minutes. Certainly worth reading the book for the extra details, and certainly worth watching the Documentary on Netflix for the visuals(less)
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Average rating4.55 ·
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· 4,811 ratings · 652 reviews
Dec 25, 2020Sean Barrs rated it did not like it
Shelves: 1-star-reads, nature-ecology-enviroment
Unpopular opinion time: I really do not like David Attenborough and the cognitive dissonance he displays in this book
Now let me tell you why: he does not do enough. Most people will read such a statement and get a little bit angry with me and not quite understand the position from which I write, considering his life and work, so I will do my best to explain myself as best as I can.
This book needs to take a stronger stance on what is the biggest cause for environmental destruction. Attenborough talks at length about saving the planet here. He has also spent his life documenting natural life and presenting numerous examples of species extinction and environmental destruction. He comes to the accurate conclusion that such horrors are, ultimately, our fault. There is no denying this. He also accurately believes that such a thing can be reversed. He believes that there is still enough time to tip the scales back and restore balance to nature. He understands that there is still hope and he also understands that humanity needs to grow and learn in order to survive. We need something different before things get irreversible worse.
He has all the facts, and my dislike comes down to one strong and clear point: David Attenborough is not a vegan. [?]
I find this extremely problematic. One cannot be a meat-eating environmentalist. One cannot talk about saving the earth when they partake in the single biggest contributor to natural destruction, climate change, habitat loss and species extinction. Worse, yet, is that Attenborough is aware that animal agriculture in the leading cause. He advocates for reducing meat intake, which simply is not enough to make a significant difference. We need to stop consuming animal products entirely because they are ruining the planet.
Now I am not downplaying the important work Attenborough has done. I love his documentaries. They are a celebration of the natural world, and I still watch them whenever he produces one. I just find it extremely distasteful and illogical that he does not directly advocate for a lifestyle that, if universally embraced, would significantly alter the future of this planet.
This will prove to be an unpopular critique of someone who is considered a national treasure, but I ask you this: how many people would go vegan, for the planet, if Attenborough asked them to?
It is the only way we can save what is left of the environment.
It is my sincere wish that Attenborough follows the example of Chris Packham, another fantastic naturalist who went vegan earlier this year because he understood that he cannot love nature and talk about the longevity of life on this planet whilst he took part in the leading cause for its destruction.
To quote an extraordinary and morally consistent environmental activist "it's time to start panicking" because there is still hope that we can change this.
_________________________________
You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
__________________________________ (less)
flag103 likes · Like · 95 comments · see review
Oct 10, 2020André Oliveira rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This was really good. It tells us how the world has been changing since David was born and how it could look like in the future if we keep doing what we are doing today. In the last chapter, he also presents some information on what we can do to improve the lifestyle of all the people around the world, giving some examples that are currently working for some people - we just need to apply what they are doing around the world so we can have a greener future.
Now I have to watch the documentary on Netflix. (less)
flag61 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review
Dec 22, 2020Dr. Appu Sasidharan rated it really liked it
Summary (Regular Review)
An award-winning natural historian shares his knowledge he acquired during his last 93 years of life through this book. He is exploring the various threats imposed by humans on our planet that is affecting its biodiversity. This book outlines how to tackle these threats and rectify the problems for a better future.
Three things I learned from this book
1) The importance of biodiversity in civilizations
Mr. Attenborough says that biodiversity is the backbone of civilizations. Civilization's gathered pace with every generation and each technical innovation. The current geological epoch of Holocene's stability is inevitable for the development and sustenance of civilizations.
“The benign environment of the Holocene and the marvellous biodiversity is more important to us than ever.”
2) Bait ball sequences
This is one of the most spectacular sequences found in nature. Tuna sweep around the baitfish, penning them against the surface, swimming around them to drive them into a tight ball. Then they attack, shooting through the ball. Dolphins tackle it from below. A whale may appear to scoop up the remaining bait. They are one of the most difficult of all the natural events to predict.
3) What will cause the next pandemic, and how can we prevent it?
In this book, the author mentions an association between the rise of emergent viruses and the planet's demise. About 1.7 million viruses, which can be a threat to humans, hide within the population of mammals and birds. Deforestation, the extension of farmlands, and the illegal trade of wild animals will affect wildlife balance. It will be one of the main causes of the emergence of a new pandemic.
What I didn’t like in this book
This book has a lot of statistical data and data from various scientific studies. This can make the reading experience monotonous in some areas of this book. But the author's absorbing writing skills and the gravity of the topic discussed counterpoises it to a certain extend.
My favourite three lines from this book
“Our planet is small, isolated and vulnerable. It is the only place we have, the only place where life exists as far as we can tell. It is uniquely precious.”
"The pictures from Apollo 8 transformed the mindset of the population of the world. As Anderson himself said, "We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the earth."
"We often talk of saving the planet, but the truth is we have to do these things to save ourselves. With or without us, the wild will return like the forest has taken over the city of Pripyat after the Chernobyl disaster forced people to evacuate the city."
Rating
4/5 If you liked Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, there is a high probability that you will also like this book. This is a must-read book for environmentalists or anyone who loves to read books about our planet and its biodiversity. (less)
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Oct 20, 2020Ingrid rated it it was amazing
This is so worth reading! I hope everybody does and that it will actually help the earth to recover.
Sir David Attenborough points out that the end of life on our planet might be near, but that there are still possibilities to put a halt to it and continues to inform us how. Ultimately I find this an optimistic book.
flag45 likes · Like · 4 comments · see review
Jan 13, 2021Carole rated it it was amazing
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough is written by a 93-year-old man who has seen our planet deteriorate from the beginning of his adulthood until now. Attenborough paints a clear picture of the environment at different decades of his own life. That most of the damage done could be wrought during the length of a human life is astounding.
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A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future
by
David Attenborough,
Jonnie Hughes (Goodreads Author) (With)
4.55 · Rating details · 4,811 ratings · 652 reviews
I am 93. I've had an extraordinary life. It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary. As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world – but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable from day to day — the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity.
I have been wit ...more
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Hardcover, 272 pages
Published October 6th 2020 by Grand Central Publishing
Original Title
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future
'Read this book to learn, but also to honour the man. We shall never see his like again.' - Sunday Times
See the world. Then make it better.
'I am 94. I've had an extraordinary life. It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary.
As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world - but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable from day to day - the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity.
I have been witness to this decline. A Life on Our Planet is my witness statement, and my vision for the future. It is the story of how we came to make this, our greatest mistake - and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right.
We have one final chance to create the perfect home for ourselves and restore the wonderful world we inherited.'
All we need is the will to do so.'
Popular Answered Questions
I am excited to read this book by Sir David Attenborough. Just a quick question, does the content of this publication follow the Netflix documentary? Or does it provide different content? After watching the Netflix documentary, will I find the same content or different content from the documentary?
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3 Months Ago
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Benjamin Simonsen Much of the same content, but the book is like a 6 hour version, and the film is something like 90 minutes. Certainly worth reading the book for the extra details, and certainly worth watching the Documentary on Netflix for the visuals(less)
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Rating details
· 4,811 ratings · 652 reviews
Dec 25, 2020Sean Barrs rated it did not like it
Shelves: 1-star-reads, nature-ecology-enviroment
Unpopular opinion time: I really do not like David Attenborough and the cognitive dissonance he displays in this book
Now let me tell you why: he does not do enough. Most people will read such a statement and get a little bit angry with me and not quite understand the position from which I write, considering his life and work, so I will do my best to explain myself as best as I can.
This book needs to take a stronger stance on what is the biggest cause for environmental destruction. Attenborough talks at length about saving the planet here. He has also spent his life documenting natural life and presenting numerous examples of species extinction and environmental destruction. He comes to the accurate conclusion that such horrors are, ultimately, our fault. There is no denying this. He also accurately believes that such a thing can be reversed. He believes that there is still enough time to tip the scales back and restore balance to nature. He understands that there is still hope and he also understands that humanity needs to grow and learn in order to survive. We need something different before things get irreversible worse.
He has all the facts, and my dislike comes down to one strong and clear point: David Attenborough is not a vegan. [?]
I find this extremely problematic. One cannot be a meat-eating environmentalist. One cannot talk about saving the earth when they partake in the single biggest contributor to natural destruction, climate change, habitat loss and species extinction. Worse, yet, is that Attenborough is aware that animal agriculture in the leading cause. He advocates for reducing meat intake, which simply is not enough to make a significant difference. We need to stop consuming animal products entirely because they are ruining the planet.
Now I am not downplaying the important work Attenborough has done. I love his documentaries. They are a celebration of the natural world, and I still watch them whenever he produces one. I just find it extremely distasteful and illogical that he does not directly advocate for a lifestyle that, if universally embraced, would significantly alter the future of this planet.
This will prove to be an unpopular critique of someone who is considered a national treasure, but I ask you this: how many people would go vegan, for the planet, if Attenborough asked them to?
It is the only way we can save what is left of the environment.
It is my sincere wish that Attenborough follows the example of Chris Packham, another fantastic naturalist who went vegan earlier this year because he understood that he cannot love nature and talk about the longevity of life on this planet whilst he took part in the leading cause for its destruction.
To quote an extraordinary and morally consistent environmental activist "it's time to start panicking" because there is still hope that we can change this.
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You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
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Oct 10, 2020André Oliveira rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This was really good. It tells us how the world has been changing since David was born and how it could look like in the future if we keep doing what we are doing today. In the last chapter, he also presents some information on what we can do to improve the lifestyle of all the people around the world, giving some examples that are currently working for some people - we just need to apply what they are doing around the world so we can have a greener future.
Now I have to watch the documentary on Netflix. (less)
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Dec 22, 2020Dr. Appu Sasidharan rated it really liked it
Summary (Regular Review)
An award-winning natural historian shares his knowledge he acquired during his last 93 years of life through this book. He is exploring the various threats imposed by humans on our planet that is affecting its biodiversity. This book outlines how to tackle these threats and rectify the problems for a better future.
Three things I learned from this book
1) The importance of biodiversity in civilizations
Mr. Attenborough says that biodiversity is the backbone of civilizations. Civilization's gathered pace with every generation and each technical innovation. The current geological epoch of Holocene's stability is inevitable for the development and sustenance of civilizations.
“The benign environment of the Holocene and the marvellous biodiversity is more important to us than ever.”
2) Bait ball sequences
This is one of the most spectacular sequences found in nature. Tuna sweep around the baitfish, penning them against the surface, swimming around them to drive them into a tight ball. Then they attack, shooting through the ball. Dolphins tackle it from below. A whale may appear to scoop up the remaining bait. They are one of the most difficult of all the natural events to predict.
3) What will cause the next pandemic, and how can we prevent it?
In this book, the author mentions an association between the rise of emergent viruses and the planet's demise. About 1.7 million viruses, which can be a threat to humans, hide within the population of mammals and birds. Deforestation, the extension of farmlands, and the illegal trade of wild animals will affect wildlife balance. It will be one of the main causes of the emergence of a new pandemic.
What I didn’t like in this book
This book has a lot of statistical data and data from various scientific studies. This can make the reading experience monotonous in some areas of this book. But the author's absorbing writing skills and the gravity of the topic discussed counterpoises it to a certain extend.
My favourite three lines from this book
“Our planet is small, isolated and vulnerable. It is the only place we have, the only place where life exists as far as we can tell. It is uniquely precious.”
"The pictures from Apollo 8 transformed the mindset of the population of the world. As Anderson himself said, "We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the earth."
"We often talk of saving the planet, but the truth is we have to do these things to save ourselves. With or without us, the wild will return like the forest has taken over the city of Pripyat after the Chernobyl disaster forced people to evacuate the city."
Rating
4/5 If you liked Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, there is a high probability that you will also like this book. This is a must-read book for environmentalists or anyone who loves to read books about our planet and its biodiversity. (less)
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Oct 20, 2020Ingrid rated it it was amazing
This is so worth reading! I hope everybody does and that it will actually help the earth to recover.
Sir David Attenborough points out that the end of life on our planet might be near, but that there are still possibilities to put a halt to it and continues to inform us how. Ultimately I find this an optimistic book.
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Jan 13, 2021Carole rated it it was amazing
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough is written by a 93-year-old man who has seen our planet deteriorate from the beginning of his adulthood until now. Attenborough paints a clear picture of the environment at different decades of his own life. That most of the damage done could be wrought during the length of a human life is astounding.
The author also writes about what practices could be brought about to ensure our planet returns to good health in the future. This advice comes from someone who has spent a lifetime in nature and is dreadfully worried about the consequences. But, on the other hand, he is enthusiastic about the future, detailing many ways we can improve. I listened to the audio version, read by the author. I highly recommend this book to all who care about tomorrow.
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Oct 05, 2020Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: netgalley
I can't imagine the changes he has seen up close, the senseless destruction of our planet becoming ever more clear with each documentary series. The depressing transition is detailed here in his 'witness statement' and even though he finishes with suggestions that could bring us hope if we act now, it's hard to believe. What can we, as individuals, do in the face of corporate greed? It won't stop me trying, of course, but the time for optimism seems way past gone.
ARC via Netgalley (less)
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Oct 03, 2020Gary rated it really liked it
Sir David Attenborough is someone who makes everything interesting and in this book full of statistics and scientifically described information he still holds my attention where many others would fail.
The book opens with a brief description of how he got into the position he held in the BBC mentioning some of his experiences such as the encounter with the gorillas which is one of my fondest television memories. He then goes on to give his account of the world has changed over the last century, his lifetime. It's not great news and work needs to be done to safeguard the future of our loved ones and the planet itself. David tells of some of the work that is already taking place and other work that needs to be done.
A fascinating read that does not overcomplicate the facts and makes a lot of sense. A book that everyone should take note of.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House Publishing for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Nov 02, 2020Monika rated it it was amazing
Home, a tiny corner (although it is not so tiny, afterall). It is so comforting to us that even in its lack and/or absence, we often find ourselves delving into it. Home is often our first reaction to intense emotions. If I have to express home in brief, it is our everything. However, why is it that when our home is in pain, we are unable to see its bruises and gnashes? Why is it that our home is crying and instead of succumbing to our love for home, we are growing aloof from it? Why is it that the pain is not bringing us together but instead, is pushing us so away from each other that in my mind, we are never going to be together again? Home, alas my home, our home!
David Attenborough has always been a voice that I absolutely love and respect and when he speaks, I give all my attention to him because he is someone who knows what he is talking about. A Life on Our Planet is his witness statement, as can be discerned from the book's subtitle. The book is divided into two parts. The first part is about the changes Attenborough has witnessed while living through the years. He is 94 at the moment, so, he has seen quite a lot. He explains the problems we have created, both for ourselves and for our home (are they even separate?!) and all I was wondering was how could he have any hope left in himself after seeing everything he did! But when it comes to love, when have we ever been logical? How desperately we cling on to any hope we can find! The second part of the book tells us about his hopes for the future and what we, as a community of homo sapiens (do we really deserve to be called that?), could do to avert the disaster we have wrought upon ourselves and thus, on our home.
Attenborough has left me with a very deep thought to ponder upon and likewise, I will leave you with the same: "Are we, like those poor people in Pripyat, sleepwalking into a catastrophe?" (less)
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Oct 27, 2020Cher rated it really liked it
Shelves: nonfiction, superb_ab_narration, audiobook-2nd
4 stars = Fantastic and easy to recommend.
We are causing a rate of biodiversity loss that is more than 100 times the average, and only matched in the fossil record during a mass extinction event.
Plastic is invading oceanic food chains and over 90% of seabirds have plastic fragments in their stomachs.
96% of the mass of all the mammals on Earth is made up of our own bodies and those of the animals that we raise to eat...The remainder - all the wild mammals, from mice to elephants and whales - account for just 4%.
Lots of depressing information is laid out as Sir Attenborough drops truth in this book, truth that the entire world desperately needs to listen to and begin to understand. It’s not all doom and gloom as he also lays out very achievable ways we can start to reverse course if we act now. Please read and then educate the people around you. Tick tock.
Humankind now uses up the equivalent of 1.7 times what the Earth can regenerate in a single year.
Give and take, that is the essence of what balance is all about. When humankind as a whole is in a position to give back to nature at least as much as we take, and repay some of our debt, we will all be able to lead more balanced lives.
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First Sentence: Pripyat in the Ukraine is a place unlike anywhere else I have ever been.
Favorite Quotes: Among all of these social improvements, one in particular is found to significantly reduce family size - the empowerment of women. Wherever women have the vote, wherever girls stay in school for longer, wherever women are in charge of their own lives and not dictated to by men, wherever they have access to good healthcare and contraception, wherever they are free to take any job and their aspirations for life are raised, the birth rate falls. The reason for this is straightforward - empowerment brings freedom of choice and when life offers more options for women, their choice is often to have fewer children.
‘There is more meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance with a gorilla,’ I said quietly, ‘than with any other animal I know. Their sight, their hearing, their sense of smell are so similar to ours that they see the world in much the same way as we do. We live in the same sort of social groups with largely permanent family relationships. They walk around on the ground as we do, though they are immensely more powerful than we are. So if there were ever a possibility of escaping the human condition and living imaginatively in another creature’s world, it must be with the gorilla. The male is an enormously powerful creature but he only uses his strength when he is protecting his family and it is very rare that there is violence within the group. So it seems really very unfair that Man should have chosen the gorilla to symbolise everything that is aggressive and violent, when that is the one thing that the gorilla is not - and that we are.’
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Oct 09, 2020Alan Cotterell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Sir David Attenborough for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“We humans, alone on Earth, are powerful enough to create worlds, and then to destroy them.”
This is part memoir, part dire warning about the decline of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity and what we must do to help put it right. A relatively short book, but it is possibly the book we must all read especially world leaders and decision makers. Part one is a run through of what has gone wrong over the past 70 odd years. Part two was a short but depressing, almost dystopian, 'what-if' we don't change anything now. And part three discusses possible ways of reversing the decline. Some of the scientific solutions he proposes need further development, but a lot of the technology already exists. The main problem is convincing people that they need to change, and to change quickly.
I don’t think anyone other than Sir David Attenborough could have written this book and made it so powerful and enlightening. His voice, (yes you do hear him speaking as you read) makes everything interesting in this, a book full of statistics and scientifically described information. He manages to hold your attention and get his stark message in an easily understandable way, that very few others could manage.
A Life in our Planet is extremely well written and presented in a way that clearly outlines what is happening and why it is so catastrophic. To sum it up, it is a fascinating, emotive, rewarding, shocking, thought provoking and informative read, that is far more terrifying a read than any horror story I have read. (less)
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Oct 17, 2020Dan Graser rated it it was amazing
Though citizens of the UK claim David Attenborough as a national treasure, the planet needs to embrace him as an international treasure. No one in my lifetime has done more to educate the public on the miraculous workings of the natural world and as such, no one is a more potent voice about the urgency with which we must address what it is our species has done to this natural marvel in the last century. Even those skeptical of the possibilities of addressing the dramatic changes occurring and bound to occur to our planet would do themselves a great service in reading Attenborough's final section entirely on what we can do, from the level of the individual through the level of international cooperation between governments. The average diet of India, the reimagining of national wealth from New Zealand, the overhaul of fisheries from Palau, the integration of cities into their natural surroundings of Singapore, the switching from fossil fuels to renewables from Iceland, etc...There are incredible things being done now that need to be brought to the international table and made real and there is no better Cassandra for this issue than the most famous naturalist in the world. A powerful, short work that will re-inspire your own efforts in this regard. (less)
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Dec 15, 2020Andrew rated it it was amazing
Shelves: biology-and-zoology, biography, environment-and-resources
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough, is a fantastic semi-biography, semi-manifesto by the world renowned BBC producer, environmentalist and narrator. His voice has rippled through millions of televisions across the globe, hosting BBC's nature series for decades, and narrating the likes of Blue Planet, Frozen Planet, and Planet Earth, some of the most renowned nature documentaries in human history. Attenborough's book is a beautiful ode to nature and humans and our place in the natural world. It looks at his life throughout the past decades, and his career closely mirrors humans awakening to their impact on the environment and natural world. People often forget that the growing narrative of environmentalism, and its increasing implicitness in our everyday lives, is a relatively new phenomena - taking place roughly through Attenborough's life. His work showing off the wonders of the natural world have had a major impact in this changing zeitgeist, and this work, what may well be one of his last, is his legacy project.
This book is written in two parts; the first is a chronological look at his life and evolving philosophy on the environment. The second part examines the impact humans are having on the Earth, and what the coming decades may look like in terms of biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and the changing nature of the Earth's biomes. Human's may not survive this transition; we have developed and evolved within very specific conditions, and it is well known that the Earth, and life itself, have been through radically different environs. Human's are vulnerable in this sense; our place on the Earth is fragile, and we, along with much of the flora and fauna we know. Life may yet survive, but it will not be life as we know it. Attenborough looks at humans impact in particular on its rainforests, oceans and biodiversity. He then does something not often seen in an environmental manifesto: he examines solutions. Carbon capture, changing our reliance on GDP growth, and altering our lifestyles to fit into natural cycles are some of the options offered. They may sound utopian; they are not, and they are necessary. Ignoring this or passing it off to future generations will solve nothing, is short sighted, and useless. Our survival as a species is something we should strive to achieve - but from Earth's perspective, is probably not necessary. The dinosaurs reigned supreme for hundreds of millions of years - humans have been around in our modern form for at most two hundred thousand. Our reign may well be very brief, and how disappointing for us. Reading Attenborough, and pushing for environmental changes across the board, whether it be in policy, in our workplaces, in our homes, or in our own minds, is paramount. Read this book, and do it. (less)
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Oct 09, 2020Alan Cotterell rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 2020-top-books, arc-netgalley, arc, netgalley-challenge-2020, 6-stars, read-2020
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Sir David Attenborough for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“We humans, alone on Earth, are powerful enough to create worlds, and then to destroy them.”
This is part memoir, part dire warning about the decline of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity and what we must do to help put it right. A relatively short book, but it is possibly the book we must all read especially world leaders and decision makers. Part one is a run through of what has gone wrong over the past 70 odd years. Part two was a short but depressing, almost dystopian, 'what-if' we don't change anything now. And part three discusses possible ways of reversing the decline. Some of the scientific solutions he proposes need further development, but a lot of the technology already exists. The main problem is convincing people that they need to change, and to change quickly.
I don’t think anyone other than Sir David Attenborough could have written this book and made it so powerful and enlightening. His voice, (yes you do hear him speaking as you read) makes everything interesting in this, a book full of statistics and scientifically described information. He manages to hold your attention and get his stark message in an easily understandable way, that very few others could manage.
A Life in our Planet is extremely well written and presented in a way that clearly outlines what is happening and why it is so catastrophic. To sum it up, it is a fascinating, emotive, rewarding, shocking, thought provoking and informative read, that is far more terrifying a read than any horror story I have read. (less)
flag11 likes · Like · comment · see review
Oct 11, 2020Wendelle rated it it was amazing
Shelves: great
Sir Attenborough's solutions:
1. alleviate the load on the natural world by decelerating or stopping population growth, and thus also improving our standard of living
2. phase out fossil fuels and rely on solar power, geothermal power, nuclear power and water power
3. divest pensions and investments from fossil fuel to renewables
4. restricting or banning fishing until populations regenerate
5. turn to more vegetarian diet (instead of carnivorous/ omnivorous diet)
6. convert agricultural farmland to wilderness space and reforestation (for carbon-locks and biodiversity)
7. grow palm oil only on already deforested land (less)
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Dec 19, 2020Led rated it it was amazing
Edit: Did not plan to but it happened, the film was my Christmas watch. The A-one footages and imagery heightened the reading experience. It reinforces the message:
Rewild the world not to save the planet but to save ourselves. Because with or without us, the wild will return, like in Pripyat. Only it may not be suitable for human living.
P.S. Man, no walrus had gotten me teary before.
***
Meant to see first the book's accompanying film on Netflix but felt reading would permit me to chew the info more intently. The brief can sound like this is a memoir of David Attenborough, but what it turns out to be is a hopeful to-be memoir of all of us —humans and nature in our home planet— which we all have a hand in making. His travelogue effectively allows the reader to realize our shared lives.
The book is a tremendous resource, intelligible to laymen, that examines the state of our home, the Earth being in Great Decline. Despite the alarm because of this emergency, what prevails in text is an uplifting tone. The circumstances are dire but rewilding initiatives and sustainable actions are already in practice by nations like Morocco, the Netherlands, Palau, Costa Rica, and Singapore among many others, from whom we could draw inspiration from. Neatly placed are the rich footnotes of related literature that will take the reader to the next specific readings and peer reviews; luckily, many are available online. It being compact could be a prep read for an in-depth understanding and participation in climate discussion.
I read little still about it, and the aim is to keep being inquisitive to consciously participate in working together. Apathy will not be our defining trait during these times.
"If the chief measure by which we judge our actions is the revival of the natural world, we will find ourselves making the right decisions."
"We have to urge our politicians, locally, nationally, internationally, to come to some agreement and sometimes subordinate our national interest in support of the bigger and wider benefit. The future of humanity depends upon the success of these meetings.
"We often talk of saving the planet, but the truth is that we must do these things to save ourselves."(less)
Top reviews from other countries
James Riker
5.0 out of 5 stars David Attenborough at his best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2020
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It is rare for me to read, let alone purchase, a non-fiction book. However, anything David Attenborough related and I am immediately there!
I received the book yesterday and have been so engrossed by the content that I have already finished it.
To me the book felt like the right length; it went through what the problems are in clear language, and what the solutions are. The images and pictures were also nice little breathers as you are reading the book.
The evidence and predictions of what could happen if nothing changes is horrifying, but the solutions do give hope for the future, if they are implemented.
I hope that politicians everywhere are given a copy of this book and read it.
David Attenborough is quite rightly a hero to many people, myself included. It is amazing that he is 94 years old and still fighting hard to save the natural world, with this book and the related film his latest brilliant efforts.
He is an inspiration to us all and this book should be read by anyone that is a human and lives on planet earth!
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Gee
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2020
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I think this is the only book I've finished in 15 years.
The book covers various aspects of how things used to be and have changed over the years. It covers sections on how we've extracted more and more from our surroundings over the decades to the current unsustainable levels.
I found the potential future options interesting to read because it outlines how the rest of our (and our kids) lives will be affected over the next 10-80 years or so.
It seems to also highlight how much our governments, banks and big corporations roles play into the state of our planet, how much we need them to change so that our individual choices can actually make a significant difference.
35 people found this helpful
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papapownall
5.0 out of 5 stars If you don't believe Greta Thunberg...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 October 2020
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Film-maker, natural historian and National Treasure David Attenborough has written a new book that is part memoir, part state of the World and part wake up call for us all to recognise the perilous state of the world resulting from the damage we have collectively done to the world's eco system. This is certainly not your usual Attenborough type book; while there are a few nice colour pages showing nice pictures of animals and some intricate pencil drawings, most of the pages are taken up by double spaced prose spelling out, in no uncertain terms, the potential impact of our actions and the deterioration of the ecology of the world during Mr Attenborough's 94 years life on Earth. There is a warning call to everyone that extrapolates what could well happen if current trends continue; and while the Leader of the Free World in the most polluting country on Earth actively denies that the problem even exists, it is a distinct possibility that these terrifying predictions could well come true; not that Mr Attenborough would be as insensitive to implicitly make this connection but the implication is there and will be understood by all who read this wonderful book. Despite these threats there is enough to be optimistic about and it is clear what needs to be done to avert further damage. There is not much that David Attenborough recommends that is different to what is being said by Greta Thunberg and we all need to listen to these messages. I suspect that the demographic for the readership of this book will not necessarily overlap with the, mostly younger, followers of Ms Thunberg; but if this book gets the message to an older generation then it will have done its job and Mr Attenborough;s efforts will have been worthwhile.
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29 people found this helpful
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Fishface
5.0 out of 5 stars YOU MUST READ THIS FOR YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS SAKE.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 October 2020
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Everybody on this planet should read this book. Its now the survival bible for the human race. Also survival for every living thing on this planet because of human activity . So YOU should read this and do your bit.
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Matthew Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars A great idea!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2020
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A 'minor keyed' encore from the worlds most loved naturalist. A short sharp reminder of the damage we have done to the planet, and the changes required to save it.
Like his Netflix program (and others), this is part of a new, and much needed trend of highlighting the issues we face as a result of our greed and consequent destruction of the Earths natural ecosystems. Along with 'Game Changers' & 'The Minimalists', it shows a shift in thought and an ever-increasing acceptance of the problems we have caused, and will hopefully drive the change we need.
Personally, it's been refreshing to discuss the issues in the book with my 'normal' friends, showing that a new audience is being reached. Unlike the road-blocking XR 'crusties' who continuously make environmentalism unappealing to the general public, Attenborough delivers his message with the typical grace that has made him a household name.
I've given the book 4/5 purely because of the 'price-to-length' ratio. It is not a long read. Also, if you are already well versed in geography/environmental issues, you won't learn anything new. Either way, an important book, and a good read.
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Aran Joseph CanesTop Contributor: Philosophy
TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars A Witness to the History of Planet Earth
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2020
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A Life on Our Planet is not an autobiography. Instead, Attenborough intends to refer to witnessing the dewilding of Earth over the past century. Dewilding, a neologism, denotes the growing extinction rate, loss of wilderness, over harvesting of the oceans and all the myriad ways we humans have pushed nature to the outskirts of the planet. None of this will be new to viewers of his documentaries. But the medium of print allows him to develop these themes in more depth.
While there are those who say that he is an alarmist, no serious scientist contests that this description of natural history is largely correct. And so, the controversy comes down to what measures must be taken to halt this more and more pressing situation.
Attenborough’s solution is for a sea change in public attitudes. Such an approach shouldn’t be mocked: witness the change in attitudes to human slavery in the nineteenth century. But it would take a sea change to accept, for example, his proposal for zero economic growth as the new normal.
Otherwise, the suggestions are mostly the large scale implementation of successful scientific experiments already in place. He tends to sugarcoat these by saying that they will benefit both humankind and the rest of nature. But the book is more intended to change attitudes and bring about awareness than set forth a blueprint for action.
As a fan of the documentaries I was predisposed to like this work. Everyone, however, will acknowledge that Attenborough, by working on BBC nature shows since the 1950s, has a privileged position with which to view the dewilding and subsequent loss of biodiversity on Earth. Thus, while it is certainly recommended to fans, newcomers who want to go beyond the trivial and tired question of “What to do about the environment” will also find that it opens a prescient perspective on the panoply of life that share the planet Earth.
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D. Shipp
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, not great, but not a fault of Mr. Attenborough
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2020
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I am extremely happy that I bought this book. David Attenborough has spent a lifetime admiring and studying nature, and his pure love for wild places shines through in this book. The first half or so of the book is his testimony as to what he has witnessed firsthand, hence the title of the book stating it is his witness statement. I was wholly fascinated with this part of the book. His firsthand accounts leave no doubt that there are essentially atrocities being committed against the Earth by humans and something does need to be done. The later half of the book is devoted to ways to mitigate and erase the problems created by humans. This is where the book fell apart for me. I am a realist and I do not see how these proposals could ever become reality. Getting all of the many factions of humans (nations, religions, race, tribe, whatever) across the world to agree on these just seems like fantasy to me. Not that I don't think that some of these proposals could do some good, just that there is only one way I see them coming to fruition. That would be after the future catastrophic event, and not before. You need a 9/11 type of event first, before people will come together. Sorry, my pessimism is now showing. I still easily recommend this book. To me, it is a must read.
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Jim
5.0 out of 5 stars A Source for Hope
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020
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The world is in trouble. We know that and this book affirms it. But that is not ultimately what this book is about. There is a roadmap here to a future that is not only sustainable but more satisfying. Lift your spirits. Read this book.
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Carolyn Wilhelm
5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear and profound explanation of the climate crisis and solutions
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2020
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Through experiences during Attenborough’s life in sequential order we see how he viewed earth at first unaware of the fact global warming was impacting plants and animals. Looking back, he explains how we were missing information that was evident. Then, climate changes rapidly increased to where we all can see the problems. Solutions are beautifully described. We already know what to do. Some countries are already demonstrating how to increase fish in the ocean, or farm in limited space. New Zealand has a new understanding of how to calculate growth and progress. Will mankind learn and avoid a mass extinction?
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mary in new york city
5.0 out of 5 stars A real testament from one of the great naturalists
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2020
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This one is a very important book, laying out the wonders of nature, our current climate issues, what the future might be-negative and positive....and a guide to the best, newest environmental practices that hopefully can be done.
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Diana L. Cohen Robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars David Attenborough issues a warning in this book!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2021
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I find David Attenborough's style of writing thoughtful, insightful, and clearly he, now in his 90's, is issuing a warning to all his readers and followers that climate change is indeed transpiring all around us in all parts of the world!!!!!!
I'm so glad I read this book but when I think of the tens of millions of people who will ignore and could care less about his clearly stated facts...I shudder for our planet Earth and all the magnificent creatures who will perish because of our unwillingness to change our behavior!
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Oct 05, 2020Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: netgalley
I can't imagine the changes he has seen up close, the senseless destruction of our planet becoming ever more clear with each documentary series. The depressing transition is detailed here in his 'witness statement' and even though he finishes with suggestions that could bring us hope if we act now, it's hard to believe. What can we, as individuals, do in the face of corporate greed? It won't stop me trying, of course, but the time for optimism seems way past gone.
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Oct 03, 2020Gary rated it really liked it
Sir David Attenborough is someone who makes everything interesting and in this book full of statistics and scientifically described information he still holds my attention where many others would fail.
The book opens with a brief description of how he got into the position he held in the BBC mentioning some of his experiences such as the encounter with the gorillas which is one of my fondest television memories. He then goes on to give his account of the world has changed over the last century, his lifetime. It's not great news and work needs to be done to safeguard the future of our loved ones and the planet itself. David tells of some of the work that is already taking place and other work that needs to be done.
A fascinating read that does not overcomplicate the facts and makes a lot of sense. A book that everyone should take note of.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House Publishing for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Nov 02, 2020Monika rated it it was amazing
Home, a tiny corner (although it is not so tiny, afterall). It is so comforting to us that even in its lack and/or absence, we often find ourselves delving into it. Home is often our first reaction to intense emotions. If I have to express home in brief, it is our everything. However, why is it that when our home is in pain, we are unable to see its bruises and gnashes? Why is it that our home is crying and instead of succumbing to our love for home, we are growing aloof from it? Why is it that the pain is not bringing us together but instead, is pushing us so away from each other that in my mind, we are never going to be together again? Home, alas my home, our home!
David Attenborough has always been a voice that I absolutely love and respect and when he speaks, I give all my attention to him because he is someone who knows what he is talking about. A Life on Our Planet is his witness statement, as can be discerned from the book's subtitle. The book is divided into two parts. The first part is about the changes Attenborough has witnessed while living through the years. He is 94 at the moment, so, he has seen quite a lot. He explains the problems we have created, both for ourselves and for our home (are they even separate?!) and all I was wondering was how could he have any hope left in himself after seeing everything he did! But when it comes to love, when have we ever been logical? How desperately we cling on to any hope we can find! The second part of the book tells us about his hopes for the future and what we, as a community of homo sapiens (do we really deserve to be called that?), could do to avert the disaster we have wrought upon ourselves and thus, on our home.
Attenborough has left me with a very deep thought to ponder upon and likewise, I will leave you with the same: "Are we, like those poor people in Pripyat, sleepwalking into a catastrophe?" (less)
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Oct 27, 2020Cher rated it really liked it
Shelves: nonfiction, superb_ab_narration, audiobook-2nd
4 stars = Fantastic and easy to recommend.
We are causing a rate of biodiversity loss that is more than 100 times the average, and only matched in the fossil record during a mass extinction event.
Plastic is invading oceanic food chains and over 90% of seabirds have plastic fragments in their stomachs.
96% of the mass of all the mammals on Earth is made up of our own bodies and those of the animals that we raise to eat...The remainder - all the wild mammals, from mice to elephants and whales - account for just 4%.
Lots of depressing information is laid out as Sir Attenborough drops truth in this book, truth that the entire world desperately needs to listen to and begin to understand. It’s not all doom and gloom as he also lays out very achievable ways we can start to reverse course if we act now. Please read and then educate the people around you. Tick tock.
Humankind now uses up the equivalent of 1.7 times what the Earth can regenerate in a single year.
Give and take, that is the essence of what balance is all about. When humankind as a whole is in a position to give back to nature at least as much as we take, and repay some of our debt, we will all be able to lead more balanced lives.
-------------------------------------------
First Sentence: Pripyat in the Ukraine is a place unlike anywhere else I have ever been.
Favorite Quotes: Among all of these social improvements, one in particular is found to significantly reduce family size - the empowerment of women. Wherever women have the vote, wherever girls stay in school for longer, wherever women are in charge of their own lives and not dictated to by men, wherever they have access to good healthcare and contraception, wherever they are free to take any job and their aspirations for life are raised, the birth rate falls. The reason for this is straightforward - empowerment brings freedom of choice and when life offers more options for women, their choice is often to have fewer children.
‘There is more meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance with a gorilla,’ I said quietly, ‘than with any other animal I know. Their sight, their hearing, their sense of smell are so similar to ours that they see the world in much the same way as we do. We live in the same sort of social groups with largely permanent family relationships. They walk around on the ground as we do, though they are immensely more powerful than we are. So if there were ever a possibility of escaping the human condition and living imaginatively in another creature’s world, it must be with the gorilla. The male is an enormously powerful creature but he only uses his strength when he is protecting his family and it is very rare that there is violence within the group. So it seems really very unfair that Man should have chosen the gorilla to symbolise everything that is aggressive and violent, when that is the one thing that the gorilla is not - and that we are.’
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Oct 09, 2020Alan Cotterell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Sir David Attenborough for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“We humans, alone on Earth, are powerful enough to create worlds, and then to destroy them.”
This is part memoir, part dire warning about the decline of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity and what we must do to help put it right. A relatively short book, but it is possibly the book we must all read especially world leaders and decision makers. Part one is a run through of what has gone wrong over the past 70 odd years. Part two was a short but depressing, almost dystopian, 'what-if' we don't change anything now. And part three discusses possible ways of reversing the decline. Some of the scientific solutions he proposes need further development, but a lot of the technology already exists. The main problem is convincing people that they need to change, and to change quickly.
I don’t think anyone other than Sir David Attenborough could have written this book and made it so powerful and enlightening. His voice, (yes you do hear him speaking as you read) makes everything interesting in this, a book full of statistics and scientifically described information. He manages to hold your attention and get his stark message in an easily understandable way, that very few others could manage.
A Life in our Planet is extremely well written and presented in a way that clearly outlines what is happening and why it is so catastrophic. To sum it up, it is a fascinating, emotive, rewarding, shocking, thought provoking and informative read, that is far more terrifying a read than any horror story I have read. (less)
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Oct 17, 2020Dan Graser rated it it was amazing
Though citizens of the UK claim David Attenborough as a national treasure, the planet needs to embrace him as an international treasure. No one in my lifetime has done more to educate the public on the miraculous workings of the natural world and as such, no one is a more potent voice about the urgency with which we must address what it is our species has done to this natural marvel in the last century. Even those skeptical of the possibilities of addressing the dramatic changes occurring and bound to occur to our planet would do themselves a great service in reading Attenborough's final section entirely on what we can do, from the level of the individual through the level of international cooperation between governments. The average diet of India, the reimagining of national wealth from New Zealand, the overhaul of fisheries from Palau, the integration of cities into their natural surroundings of Singapore, the switching from fossil fuels to renewables from Iceland, etc...There are incredible things being done now that need to be brought to the international table and made real and there is no better Cassandra for this issue than the most famous naturalist in the world. A powerful, short work that will re-inspire your own efforts in this regard. (less)
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Dec 15, 2020Andrew rated it it was amazing
Shelves: biology-and-zoology, biography, environment-and-resources
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough, is a fantastic semi-biography, semi-manifesto by the world renowned BBC producer, environmentalist and narrator. His voice has rippled through millions of televisions across the globe, hosting BBC's nature series for decades, and narrating the likes of Blue Planet, Frozen Planet, and Planet Earth, some of the most renowned nature documentaries in human history. Attenborough's book is a beautiful ode to nature and humans and our place in the natural world. It looks at his life throughout the past decades, and his career closely mirrors humans awakening to their impact on the environment and natural world. People often forget that the growing narrative of environmentalism, and its increasing implicitness in our everyday lives, is a relatively new phenomena - taking place roughly through Attenborough's life. His work showing off the wonders of the natural world have had a major impact in this changing zeitgeist, and this work, what may well be one of his last, is his legacy project.
This book is written in two parts; the first is a chronological look at his life and evolving philosophy on the environment. The second part examines the impact humans are having on the Earth, and what the coming decades may look like in terms of biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and the changing nature of the Earth's biomes. Human's may not survive this transition; we have developed and evolved within very specific conditions, and it is well known that the Earth, and life itself, have been through radically different environs. Human's are vulnerable in this sense; our place on the Earth is fragile, and we, along with much of the flora and fauna we know. Life may yet survive, but it will not be life as we know it. Attenborough looks at humans impact in particular on its rainforests, oceans and biodiversity. He then does something not often seen in an environmental manifesto: he examines solutions. Carbon capture, changing our reliance on GDP growth, and altering our lifestyles to fit into natural cycles are some of the options offered. They may sound utopian; they are not, and they are necessary. Ignoring this or passing it off to future generations will solve nothing, is short sighted, and useless. Our survival as a species is something we should strive to achieve - but from Earth's perspective, is probably not necessary. The dinosaurs reigned supreme for hundreds of millions of years - humans have been around in our modern form for at most two hundred thousand. Our reign may well be very brief, and how disappointing for us. Reading Attenborough, and pushing for environmental changes across the board, whether it be in policy, in our workplaces, in our homes, or in our own minds, is paramount. Read this book, and do it. (less)
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Oct 09, 2020Alan Cotterell rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 2020-top-books, arc-netgalley, arc, netgalley-challenge-2020, 6-stars, read-2020
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Sir David Attenborough for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“We humans, alone on Earth, are powerful enough to create worlds, and then to destroy them.”
This is part memoir, part dire warning about the decline of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity and what we must do to help put it right. A relatively short book, but it is possibly the book we must all read especially world leaders and decision makers. Part one is a run through of what has gone wrong over the past 70 odd years. Part two was a short but depressing, almost dystopian, 'what-if' we don't change anything now. And part three discusses possible ways of reversing the decline. Some of the scientific solutions he proposes need further development, but a lot of the technology already exists. The main problem is convincing people that they need to change, and to change quickly.
I don’t think anyone other than Sir David Attenborough could have written this book and made it so powerful and enlightening. His voice, (yes you do hear him speaking as you read) makes everything interesting in this, a book full of statistics and scientifically described information. He manages to hold your attention and get his stark message in an easily understandable way, that very few others could manage.
A Life in our Planet is extremely well written and presented in a way that clearly outlines what is happening and why it is so catastrophic. To sum it up, it is a fascinating, emotive, rewarding, shocking, thought provoking and informative read, that is far more terrifying a read than any horror story I have read. (less)
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Oct 11, 2020Wendelle rated it it was amazing
Shelves: great
Sir Attenborough's solutions:
1. alleviate the load on the natural world by decelerating or stopping population growth, and thus also improving our standard of living
2. phase out fossil fuels and rely on solar power, geothermal power, nuclear power and water power
3. divest pensions and investments from fossil fuel to renewables
4. restricting or banning fishing until populations regenerate
5. turn to more vegetarian diet (instead of carnivorous/ omnivorous diet)
6. convert agricultural farmland to wilderness space and reforestation (for carbon-locks and biodiversity)
7. grow palm oil only on already deforested land (less)
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Dec 19, 2020Led rated it it was amazing
Edit: Did not plan to but it happened, the film was my Christmas watch. The A-one footages and imagery heightened the reading experience. It reinforces the message:
Rewild the world not to save the planet but to save ourselves. Because with or without us, the wild will return, like in Pripyat. Only it may not be suitable for human living.
P.S. Man, no walrus had gotten me teary before.
***
Meant to see first the book's accompanying film on Netflix but felt reading would permit me to chew the info more intently. The brief can sound like this is a memoir of David Attenborough, but what it turns out to be is a hopeful to-be memoir of all of us —humans and nature in our home planet— which we all have a hand in making. His travelogue effectively allows the reader to realize our shared lives.
The book is a tremendous resource, intelligible to laymen, that examines the state of our home, the Earth being in Great Decline. Despite the alarm because of this emergency, what prevails in text is an uplifting tone. The circumstances are dire but rewilding initiatives and sustainable actions are already in practice by nations like Morocco, the Netherlands, Palau, Costa Rica, and Singapore among many others, from whom we could draw inspiration from. Neatly placed are the rich footnotes of related literature that will take the reader to the next specific readings and peer reviews; luckily, many are available online. It being compact could be a prep read for an in-depth understanding and participation in climate discussion.
I read little still about it, and the aim is to keep being inquisitive to consciously participate in working together. Apathy will not be our defining trait during these times.
"If the chief measure by which we judge our actions is the revival of the natural world, we will find ourselves making the right decisions."
"We have to urge our politicians, locally, nationally, internationally, to come to some agreement and sometimes subordinate our national interest in support of the bigger and wider benefit. The future of humanity depends upon the success of these meetings.
"We often talk of saving the planet, but the truth is that we must do these things to save ourselves."(less)
Top reviews from other countries
James Riker
5.0 out of 5 stars David Attenborough at his best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2020
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It is rare for me to read, let alone purchase, a non-fiction book. However, anything David Attenborough related and I am immediately there!
I received the book yesterday and have been so engrossed by the content that I have already finished it.
To me the book felt like the right length; it went through what the problems are in clear language, and what the solutions are. The images and pictures were also nice little breathers as you are reading the book.
The evidence and predictions of what could happen if nothing changes is horrifying, but the solutions do give hope for the future, if they are implemented.
I hope that politicians everywhere are given a copy of this book and read it.
David Attenborough is quite rightly a hero to many people, myself included. It is amazing that he is 94 years old and still fighting hard to save the natural world, with this book and the related film his latest brilliant efforts.
He is an inspiration to us all and this book should be read by anyone that is a human and lives on planet earth!
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Gee
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2020
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I think this is the only book I've finished in 15 years.
The book covers various aspects of how things used to be and have changed over the years. It covers sections on how we've extracted more and more from our surroundings over the decades to the current unsustainable levels.
I found the potential future options interesting to read because it outlines how the rest of our (and our kids) lives will be affected over the next 10-80 years or so.
It seems to also highlight how much our governments, banks and big corporations roles play into the state of our planet, how much we need them to change so that our individual choices can actually make a significant difference.
35 people found this helpful
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papapownall
5.0 out of 5 stars If you don't believe Greta Thunberg...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 October 2020
Verified Purchase
Film-maker, natural historian and National Treasure David Attenborough has written a new book that is part memoir, part state of the World and part wake up call for us all to recognise the perilous state of the world resulting from the damage we have collectively done to the world's eco system. This is certainly not your usual Attenborough type book; while there are a few nice colour pages showing nice pictures of animals and some intricate pencil drawings, most of the pages are taken up by double spaced prose spelling out, in no uncertain terms, the potential impact of our actions and the deterioration of the ecology of the world during Mr Attenborough's 94 years life on Earth. There is a warning call to everyone that extrapolates what could well happen if current trends continue; and while the Leader of the Free World in the most polluting country on Earth actively denies that the problem even exists, it is a distinct possibility that these terrifying predictions could well come true; not that Mr Attenborough would be as insensitive to implicitly make this connection but the implication is there and will be understood by all who read this wonderful book. Despite these threats there is enough to be optimistic about and it is clear what needs to be done to avert further damage. There is not much that David Attenborough recommends that is different to what is being said by Greta Thunberg and we all need to listen to these messages. I suspect that the demographic for the readership of this book will not necessarily overlap with the, mostly younger, followers of Ms Thunberg; but if this book gets the message to an older generation then it will have done its job and Mr Attenborough;s efforts will have been worthwhile.
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29 people found this helpful
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Fishface
5.0 out of 5 stars YOU MUST READ THIS FOR YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS SAKE.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 October 2020
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Everybody on this planet should read this book. Its now the survival bible for the human race. Also survival for every living thing on this planet because of human activity . So YOU should read this and do your bit.
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Matthew Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars A great idea!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2020
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A 'minor keyed' encore from the worlds most loved naturalist. A short sharp reminder of the damage we have done to the planet, and the changes required to save it.
Like his Netflix program (and others), this is part of a new, and much needed trend of highlighting the issues we face as a result of our greed and consequent destruction of the Earths natural ecosystems. Along with 'Game Changers' & 'The Minimalists', it shows a shift in thought and an ever-increasing acceptance of the problems we have caused, and will hopefully drive the change we need.
Personally, it's been refreshing to discuss the issues in the book with my 'normal' friends, showing that a new audience is being reached. Unlike the road-blocking XR 'crusties' who continuously make environmentalism unappealing to the general public, Attenborough delivers his message with the typical grace that has made him a household name.
I've given the book 4/5 purely because of the 'price-to-length' ratio. It is not a long read. Also, if you are already well versed in geography/environmental issues, you won't learn anything new. Either way, an important book, and a good read.
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Aran Joseph CanesTop Contributor: Philosophy
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Witness to the History of Planet Earth
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2020
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A Life on Our Planet is not an autobiography. Instead, Attenborough intends to refer to witnessing the dewilding of Earth over the past century. Dewilding, a neologism, denotes the growing extinction rate, loss of wilderness, over harvesting of the oceans and all the myriad ways we humans have pushed nature to the outskirts of the planet. None of this will be new to viewers of his documentaries. But the medium of print allows him to develop these themes in more depth.
While there are those who say that he is an alarmist, no serious scientist contests that this description of natural history is largely correct. And so, the controversy comes down to what measures must be taken to halt this more and more pressing situation.
Attenborough’s solution is for a sea change in public attitudes. Such an approach shouldn’t be mocked: witness the change in attitudes to human slavery in the nineteenth century. But it would take a sea change to accept, for example, his proposal for zero economic growth as the new normal.
Otherwise, the suggestions are mostly the large scale implementation of successful scientific experiments already in place. He tends to sugarcoat these by saying that they will benefit both humankind and the rest of nature. But the book is more intended to change attitudes and bring about awareness than set forth a blueprint for action.
As a fan of the documentaries I was predisposed to like this work. Everyone, however, will acknowledge that Attenborough, by working on BBC nature shows since the 1950s, has a privileged position with which to view the dewilding and subsequent loss of biodiversity on Earth. Thus, while it is certainly recommended to fans, newcomers who want to go beyond the trivial and tired question of “What to do about the environment” will also find that it opens a prescient perspective on the panoply of life that share the planet Earth.
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D. Shipp
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, not great, but not a fault of Mr. Attenborough
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2020
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I am extremely happy that I bought this book. David Attenborough has spent a lifetime admiring and studying nature, and his pure love for wild places shines through in this book. The first half or so of the book is his testimony as to what he has witnessed firsthand, hence the title of the book stating it is his witness statement. I was wholly fascinated with this part of the book. His firsthand accounts leave no doubt that there are essentially atrocities being committed against the Earth by humans and something does need to be done. The later half of the book is devoted to ways to mitigate and erase the problems created by humans. This is where the book fell apart for me. I am a realist and I do not see how these proposals could ever become reality. Getting all of the many factions of humans (nations, religions, race, tribe, whatever) across the world to agree on these just seems like fantasy to me. Not that I don't think that some of these proposals could do some good, just that there is only one way I see them coming to fruition. That would be after the future catastrophic event, and not before. You need a 9/11 type of event first, before people will come together. Sorry, my pessimism is now showing. I still easily recommend this book. To me, it is a must read.
15 people found this helpful
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Jim
5.0 out of 5 stars A Source for Hope
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020
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The world is in trouble. We know that and this book affirms it. But that is not ultimately what this book is about. There is a roadmap here to a future that is not only sustainable but more satisfying. Lift your spirits. Read this book.
7 people found this helpful
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Carolyn Wilhelm
5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear and profound explanation of the climate crisis and solutions
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2020
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Through experiences during Attenborough’s life in sequential order we see how he viewed earth at first unaware of the fact global warming was impacting plants and animals. Looking back, he explains how we were missing information that was evident. Then, climate changes rapidly increased to where we all can see the problems. Solutions are beautifully described. We already know what to do. Some countries are already demonstrating how to increase fish in the ocean, or farm in limited space. New Zealand has a new understanding of how to calculate growth and progress. Will mankind learn and avoid a mass extinction?
3 people found this helpful
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mary in new york city
5.0 out of 5 stars A real testament from one of the great naturalists
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2020
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This one is a very important book, laying out the wonders of nature, our current climate issues, what the future might be-negative and positive....and a guide to the best, newest environmental practices that hopefully can be done.
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Diana L. Cohen Robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars David Attenborough issues a warning in this book!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2021
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I find David Attenborough's style of writing thoughtful, insightful, and clearly he, now in his 90's, is issuing a warning to all his readers and followers that climate change is indeed transpiring all around us in all parts of the world!!!!!!
I'm so glad I read this book but when I think of the tens of millions of people who will ignore and could care less about his clearly stated facts...I shudder for our planet Earth and all the magnificent creatures who will perish because of our unwillingness to change our behavior!
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====
Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication
Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication
INTRODUCTION Our Greatest Mistake
PART ONE My Witness Statement
PART TWO What Lies Ahead
PART THREE A Vision for the Future: How to Rewild the World CONCLUSION Our Greatest Opportunity Photos Glossary Acknowledgements Discover More Picture Credits
===
Happy Planet index
New Zealand
Costa Rica
Carbon free
Carbon tax
Morroco
==
希修 The Four Nutriments of Life: An Anthology of Buddhist Texts
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希修
< The Four Nutriments of Life: An Anthology of Buddhist Texts >
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0. Introduction
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"All beings subsist on nutriment." ... ... this saying of the Buddha reveals indeed a truth that leads to the root of all existence and also to its uprooting. ... ...
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... four kinds of nutriment: edible food, sense-impressions, volitions, and consciousness. The body, from birth to death, craves ceaselessly for material food; and mind hungers as eagerly for its own kind of nourishment, for ever new sense-impressions and for an ever expanding universe of ideas.
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Craving (ta.nhaa) is the principal condition of any "in-take" or "up-take" (upaadaana), that is, of nutriment (aahaara) in its widest sense. This is the first factor common to all types of nutriment, be they physical or mental.
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The second common factor is the process of the assimilation of food. In the process of eating and digesting, what was external becomes absorbed in the internal... Also our memories, when they become objects of mind, are as "external" to the present thought-moment as the ideas read in a book. ... ... in the body as well as in the mind, there is a constant process of grasping and rejecting, assimilating and dissimilating, identifying with oneself and alienating. ... ... it is not only the eater who consumes the food, but, in the course of assimilation, also the food devours the eater. ... ... We know how much people can be changed (for better or worse) by ideas they have absorbed and which finally have absorbed and consumed them. ... ...
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Individualized life is, as Paul Dahlke says, "neither a metaphysical 'I'-identity (pure spirit, pure subject, according to the soul-theory of the religions) nor a mere physical process (pure body, pure object, according to scientific materialism), but a nutrimental process ... something that is maintaining itself: and all these so-called higher faculties of thinking and feeling are different forms of eating, of maintaining oneself." ... ...
.
... this is enough to reveal the dukkha-nature of life, the tiresomeness of the tedious round of eating and being hungry again. Hence a medieval Jewish sage, Abraham ben Chisdai, was moved to say, "I am fed up with being hungry again and again, and I hunger after final satiety."
.
... ... the search for food (aahaara-pariye.t.thi) is an ever-present source of suffering (vattamaana dukkha) and as such it can stir man's sense of urgency (sa.mvega) when he considers, in the light of "nutriment," man's own nature, his incessant needs and his situation in the world. ... ...
.
.
1. Edible Food
.
Simile: A couple, foodless in the midst of a desert, eat their little child, to enable them to reach their destination.
.
... ... Often, in his search for food, man has destroyed what is commonly dearest to him, be it relatives and friends or the ideals of his youth. ... ...
.
... ... In his incessant search for food, or for better food or for control of food resources, how often has man killed, cruelly crushed or exploited his fellow creatures, even those who are close to him by common blood or common race! And is there not close kinship between all that lives? ... ... For an unfathomable time, caught in the ever-turning Wheel of Life, we have been everything: the prey and the devourer of all, parent and child of all. This we should consider when contemplating the nutriment of edible food and the Buddha's simile for it.
.
... ... It is a world of killing in which we live and have a part. We should face this horrible fact and remain aware of it in our Reflection on Edible Food. It will stir us to effort for getting out of this murderous world by the ending of craving for the four nutriments.
.
... ... there will always be left some tiny remnants of food in our body that are neither assimilated nor expelled but remain and putrefy. Some physiologists say that it is this putrefaction of residual food that ultimately brings about the aging and death of the organism. ... ...
.
... ... the Buddha says: "All nutriment is miserable, even divine food." ... ... What the Buddha, as a teacher of the Middle Way, advised was moderation in eating, non-attachment to the taste of food, and wise reflection on nutriment.
.
.
2. Sense-impression
.
Simile: A skinned cow, wherever she stands, will be ceaselessly attacked by the insects and other creatures living in the vicinity.
.
Like a skinned cow, man is helplessly exposed to the constant excitation and irritation of the sense-impressions, crowding upon him from all sides, through all six senses.
.
... ... it is not a physical impact that is meant here, but a mental contact with the objects of all six senses, including the mind.
.
... ... what is nourished or conditioned by it are feelings or sensations (vedanaa) ... pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent. ... ... As long as there is craving (ta.nhaa) for sense-impressions which arises from unguarded feelings (vedanaa-paccayaa ta.nhaa), there will be an unlimited supply of that foodstuff to be digested by feeling. ... ... According to the Buddha, any type of feeling is bound to cause suffering and conflict in him who has not yet freed himself from attachment. Painful feeling is suffering in itself; pleasant feeling brings suffering through its transience and its unsatisfying and unsatisfactory nature; worldly indifferent feeling produces suffering through the dullness and boredom involved in it. ... ...
.
... ... What is at the psychological root of this situation is man's hunger for ever new experiences. If that hunger is not temporarily but regularly satisfied, it leaves him empty, starved and helpless. From that comes man's wish for change and novelty, and his longing for a close contact with life that for its own sake becomes a habituation and makes solitude unbearable for most men.
.
The nutriment sense-impression feeds the "World as Enjoyment" or the "World as Enjoyment of Experience." It feeds the craving for existence (bhava-ta.nhaa). This habitual craving can be broken only if one ceases to identify oneself with the stream of impressions and learns to stand back as an observer wherever one can dispense with active response. Then feeling that is nourished by sense-impression will cease to turn into craving, and the Dependent Origination of suffering has been severed at this point.
.
.
3. Volitional Thought
.
Volitional thought here means chiefly kamma — i.e., rebirth-producing and life-affirming action — and the Buddha has compared it with a man dragged by two others towards and into a pit of glowing embers.
.
The two dragging forces are man's kammic actions, good (but still deluded) and evil. It is our kammic proclivities, our life-affirming volitions, our plans and ambitions, that drag us irresistibly to that deep pit of samsaara with its glowing embers of intense suffering. Hence it was said that volitional thought, in the sense of kamma, is the nutriment for rebirth on the three planes of existence.
.
The nutriment volitional thought manifests itself in man's incessant urge to plan and to aspire, to struggle and conquer, to build and to destroy, to do and to undo, to invent and to discover, to form and to transform, to organize and to create. ... ...
.
... ... It is an incessant task, yielding a conquest of but short duration, and one that again and again ends in defeat.
.
.
4. Consciousness
.
The nutriment consciousness has been compared with the punishment of a criminal who thrice daily is pierced with three hundred spears.
.
The sharp shafts of conscious awareness, the punitive results of past cravings and delusions, inflicted on us at all times of the day, pierce our protective skin and lay us open to the impact of the world of objects. ... ...
.
The desire for conscious awareness has the same character as that for sense impressions: the craving to be alive, to feel alive in the constant encounter with the world of objects present to consciousness (or present within consciousness — as the idealists prefer to say).
.
But there is still more meaning than that to be derived from the description of consciousness as a nutriment if we consider that it is explained primarily as rebirth consciousness. This rebirth consciousness, which is a single moment's occurrence, feeds (or conditions) the mind-body process (naama-ruupa) of the present existence; and it is the arising of such moments of rebirth consciousness at the beginning of each successive life that continues the interminable chain of future births, deaths and sufferings. ... ...
.
... ... Life springs up wherever it gets the slightest chance through favoring conditions like warmth, moisture, and light. ... ...
.
Life is always in readiness to spring up, and its most prolific manifestation is consciousness. ... it is consciousness that contributes most to the "expanding universe" of samsaara. Hence the Enlightened One warned: "Do not be an augmenter of worlds!" (Dhp v. 167). ... ... consciousness appears as the feeder and procreator of innumerable beings all of whom undergo that daily ordeal of life's piercing spears. ... ...
.
Looking back to the Buddha's similes for the four nutriments, ... ... They are meant to break through the unthinking complacency in which these so common functions of life are performed and viewed: eating, perceiving, willing, and cognizing. ... ...
.
The contemplation on the four nutriments of life can do this for him. From that contemplation, man can learn "not to recoil from the real and not to be carried away by the unreal." He will learn from it that it is suffering which is nourished and pampered by the four nutriments. He will more deeply understand that "Only suffering arises where anything arises and only suffering ceases where anything ceases." And another word of the Master will gain fresh significance and increasing weight: "This only do I teach: suffering and its end."
.
.
5. Some Quotes on Nutriments
.
- "If it were possible to declare a fifth grave offense (paaraajika), the monks, partaking of food without due reflection should be made a fifth grave offense."
.
- "Just as this body subsists on nutriment, subsists because of nutriment, does not subsist without nutriment; in the same way, O monks, are feelings conditioned by sense-impression, is consciousness conditioned by kamma-formations (sa"nkhaara-cetanaa, 'karmic volition'), is mind-and-body conditioned by consciousness."
.
- Edible food feeds and conditions the set of corporeal qualities that have nutritive essence as their eighth factor. The nutriment sense-impression feeds and conditions the three kinds of feeling. The nutriment volitional thought feeds and conditions the three states of existence. The nutriment consciousness feeds and conditions mind-and-body at rebirth.
.
- The nutriment consciousness, at the moment of rebirth, feeds and conditions the three other mental groups (khandhaa), conjoined with it; and by way of conascence-condition, etc., it feeds and conditions the thirty corporeal processes that arise in a triple continuity (ti-santati). So does the nutriment consciousness feed and condition mind-and-body at rebirth.
.
- In whatever place rebirth-consciousness becomes manifest, there it arises along with the mind-and-body existing at the moment of rebirth. And with the arising of that mind-and-body, all dangers have arisen because they have their roots in it. It is for this reason that manifestation (in a mind-and-body) is the danger in the nutriment consciousness.
.
- In this case, sense-impression represents the formation aggregate (sankhaara-khandha).
.
- The path of sainthood (arahatta-magga) that discards attachment and desire for that very (combination of) mind-and-body — this is "comprehension as abandoning."
.
- Because volitional (kammic) thought has its root in craving (the sensual craving, the craving for existence and the craving for self-annihilation), and if the cause is not abandoned, the result cannot be abandoned.
.
- Mind-and-body are thereby comprehended": mind-and-body as conditioned by consciousness (according to the dependent origination). If consciousness is comprehended, also mind-and-body are comprehended, being rooted in consciousness and arising together with it.
.
- "Thus, O monks, through ignorance conditioned are kamma-formations; through the kamma-formations conditioned is consciousness; through consciousness conditioned is mind-and-body; through mind-and-body conditioned are the six sense-bases; through the six sense-bases conditioned is sense-impression; through sense-impression conditioned is feeling, through feeling conditioned is craving; through craving conditioned is clinging; through clinging conditioned is becoming; through becoming conditioned is birth; through birth conditioned are decay and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. Thus arises this whole mass of suffering." -- SN 12.11.
.
- Both Paali words, aahaara (nutriment) and upaadaana (clinging) have originally the same meaning of "taking up," "seizing," and both are also used to signify the fuel of a fire or a lamp (see SN 22.88).
.
- "Who, O Lord, clings?"
"The question is not correct," said the Exalted One, "I do not say that 'he clings.' Had I said so, then the question 'Who clings?' would be appropriate. But since I did not speak thus, the correct way to ask the question will be 'What is the condition of clinging?' And to that the correct reply is: 'Craving is the condition of clinging; and clinging is the condition of the process of becoming.' Such is the origin of this entire mass of suffering.
"Through the complete fading away and cessation of even these six bases of sense-impression, sense-impression ceases; through the cessation of sense-impression, feeling ceases; through the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; through the cessation of craving, clinging ceases; through the cessation of clinging, the process of becoming ceases; through the cessation of the process of becoming, birth ceases; through the cessation of birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering." -- SN 12.12.
.
"'By the cessation of nutriment, that what has come to be is bound to cease' — that one sees with true wisdom, as it really is. And having seen with true wisdom, as it really is, that 'by the cessation of that nutriment, what has come to be is bound to cease,' then, through revulsion from what is liable to cease, from dispassion (concerning it) and the cessation (of it), one is liberated without any clinging. Thus, O Lord, is one a comprehender of Dhamma..." -- SN 12.31.
.
- "Through the origin of craving, there is origin of nutriment. Through the ceasing of craving, there is ceasing of nutriment. The way leading to the ceasing of nutriment is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely, right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
Friends, if a noble disciple thus knows nutriment, knows the origin of nutriment, the ceasing of nutriment and the way leading to the ceasing of nutriment, he entirely abandons the inner tendency to lust, he casts off the inner tendency to ill-will, eliminates the inner tendency to the opinion-and-conceit of 'I am,' he discards ignorance, produces knowledge, and becomes an ender of suffering here and now." -- MN 9.
.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/.../nyanapo.../wheel105.html
.
===========================
.
[希修] The Buddha's teachings seem very different from most other spiritual traditions in many respects. One of them is that the Buddha's teachings may look to most 'normal' laypeople 'life-negating' while other spiritual teachings are 'life-affirming' or 'life-boosting,' which is 'only encouraging more and more feeding' in the Buddha's words.
.
For example, there is a single mom, who feels her life is so 'empty' once all her children have left for college. So she felt depressed for a while. And then she got involved in some kind of social activism, and now she feels 'alive' again. Some spiritual traditions would say that a divine providence has lead her to a new mission/service or that, since she is a god herself, she has to keep creating in this universe and that her consciousness will surely attract whatever manifestation she wants to see in the world. As to this, however, the Buddha will say it is only the fourth kind of nutriment (consciousness) and thus "Do not be an augmenter of worlds!" (Dhp v. 167).
.
Those who do not know about nibbana, a better alternative to the kind of life we humans are currently used to and imprisoned by, may mistakenly think 'Does it mean that to stay depressed or to hate life is the way then?' To them, the Buddha's original teachings, which are seemingly 'life-negating,' might be too painful or even repelling, just as shining the strong sunlight directly on someone's eyes, who has spent his entire life in a dark place, will only blind him. This may be one of many reasons that compromised interpretations of the Buddha's words are so much more popular in the world - as the Buddha predicted for himself. This just occurred to me recently, and it helps me with equanimity. I used to feel so upset that there are so many inaccurate teachings of the Buddha's words and that I wasted many years myself on those wrong teachings.
.
But I realize that everything has a reason (good or less good) and everyone including myself just does her best in her own way at her own pace. No other way.
.
ACCESSTOINSIGHT.ORG
The Four Nutriments of Life: An Anthology of Buddhist Texts
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希修
https://youtu.be/fs-hSDldAvw
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The Four Nutriments with Khemako - Ajahn PunnadhammoThe Four Nutriments with Khemako - Ajahn Punnadhammo
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Edited
< The Four Nutriments of Life: An Anthology of Buddhist Texts >
.
.
0. Introduction
.
"All beings subsist on nutriment." ... ... this saying of the Buddha reveals indeed a truth that leads to the root of all existence and also to its uprooting. ... ...
.
... four kinds of nutriment: edible food, sense-impressions, volitions, and consciousness. The body, from birth to death, craves ceaselessly for material food; and mind hungers as eagerly for its own kind of nourishment, for ever new sense-impressions and for an ever expanding universe of ideas.
.
Craving (ta.nhaa) is the principal condition of any "in-take" or "up-take" (upaadaana), that is, of nutriment (aahaara) in its widest sense. This is the first factor common to all types of nutriment, be they physical or mental.
.
The second common factor is the process of the assimilation of food. In the process of eating and digesting, what was external becomes absorbed in the internal... Also our memories, when they become objects of mind, are as "external" to the present thought-moment as the ideas read in a book. ... ... in the body as well as in the mind, there is a constant process of grasping and rejecting, assimilating and dissimilating, identifying with oneself and alienating. ... ... it is not only the eater who consumes the food, but, in the course of assimilation, also the food devours the eater. ... ... We know how much people can be changed (for better or worse) by ideas they have absorbed and which finally have absorbed and consumed them. ... ...
.
Individualized life is, as Paul Dahlke says, "neither a metaphysical 'I'-identity (pure spirit, pure subject, according to the soul-theory of the religions) nor a mere physical process (pure body, pure object, according to scientific materialism), but a nutrimental process ... something that is maintaining itself: and all these so-called higher faculties of thinking and feeling are different forms of eating, of maintaining oneself." ... ...
.
... this is enough to reveal the dukkha-nature of life, the tiresomeness of the tedious round of eating and being hungry again. Hence a medieval Jewish sage, Abraham ben Chisdai, was moved to say, "I am fed up with being hungry again and again, and I hunger after final satiety."
.
... ... the search for food (aahaara-pariye.t.thi) is an ever-present source of suffering (vattamaana dukkha) and as such it can stir man's sense of urgency (sa.mvega) when he considers, in the light of "nutriment," man's own nature, his incessant needs and his situation in the world. ... ...
.
.
1. Edible Food
.
Simile: A couple, foodless in the midst of a desert, eat their little child, to enable them to reach their destination.
.
... ... Often, in his search for food, man has destroyed what is commonly dearest to him, be it relatives and friends or the ideals of his youth. ... ...
.
... ... In his incessant search for food, or for better food or for control of food resources, how often has man killed, cruelly crushed or exploited his fellow creatures, even those who are close to him by common blood or common race! And is there not close kinship between all that lives? ... ... For an unfathomable time, caught in the ever-turning Wheel of Life, we have been everything: the prey and the devourer of all, parent and child of all. This we should consider when contemplating the nutriment of edible food and the Buddha's simile for it.
.
... ... It is a world of killing in which we live and have a part. We should face this horrible fact and remain aware of it in our Reflection on Edible Food. It will stir us to effort for getting out of this murderous world by the ending of craving for the four nutriments.
.
... ... there will always be left some tiny remnants of food in our body that are neither assimilated nor expelled but remain and putrefy. Some physiologists say that it is this putrefaction of residual food that ultimately brings about the aging and death of the organism. ... ...
.
... ... the Buddha says: "All nutriment is miserable, even divine food." ... ... What the Buddha, as a teacher of the Middle Way, advised was moderation in eating, non-attachment to the taste of food, and wise reflection on nutriment.
.
.
2. Sense-impression
.
Simile: A skinned cow, wherever she stands, will be ceaselessly attacked by the insects and other creatures living in the vicinity.
.
Like a skinned cow, man is helplessly exposed to the constant excitation and irritation of the sense-impressions, crowding upon him from all sides, through all six senses.
.
... ... it is not a physical impact that is meant here, but a mental contact with the objects of all six senses, including the mind.
.
... ... what is nourished or conditioned by it are feelings or sensations (vedanaa) ... pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent. ... ... As long as there is craving (ta.nhaa) for sense-impressions which arises from unguarded feelings (vedanaa-paccayaa ta.nhaa), there will be an unlimited supply of that foodstuff to be digested by feeling. ... ... According to the Buddha, any type of feeling is bound to cause suffering and conflict in him who has not yet freed himself from attachment. Painful feeling is suffering in itself; pleasant feeling brings suffering through its transience and its unsatisfying and unsatisfactory nature; worldly indifferent feeling produces suffering through the dullness and boredom involved in it. ... ...
.
... ... What is at the psychological root of this situation is man's hunger for ever new experiences. If that hunger is not temporarily but regularly satisfied, it leaves him empty, starved and helpless. From that comes man's wish for change and novelty, and his longing for a close contact with life that for its own sake becomes a habituation and makes solitude unbearable for most men.
.
The nutriment sense-impression feeds the "World as Enjoyment" or the "World as Enjoyment of Experience." It feeds the craving for existence (bhava-ta.nhaa). This habitual craving can be broken only if one ceases to identify oneself with the stream of impressions and learns to stand back as an observer wherever one can dispense with active response. Then feeling that is nourished by sense-impression will cease to turn into craving, and the Dependent Origination of suffering has been severed at this point.
.
.
3. Volitional Thought
.
Volitional thought here means chiefly kamma — i.e., rebirth-producing and life-affirming action — and the Buddha has compared it with a man dragged by two others towards and into a pit of glowing embers.
.
The two dragging forces are man's kammic actions, good (but still deluded) and evil. It is our kammic proclivities, our life-affirming volitions, our plans and ambitions, that drag us irresistibly to that deep pit of samsaara with its glowing embers of intense suffering. Hence it was said that volitional thought, in the sense of kamma, is the nutriment for rebirth on the three planes of existence.
.
The nutriment volitional thought manifests itself in man's incessant urge to plan and to aspire, to struggle and conquer, to build and to destroy, to do and to undo, to invent and to discover, to form and to transform, to organize and to create. ... ...
.
... ... It is an incessant task, yielding a conquest of but short duration, and one that again and again ends in defeat.
.
.
4. Consciousness
.
The nutriment consciousness has been compared with the punishment of a criminal who thrice daily is pierced with three hundred spears.
.
The sharp shafts of conscious awareness, the punitive results of past cravings and delusions, inflicted on us at all times of the day, pierce our protective skin and lay us open to the impact of the world of objects. ... ...
.
The desire for conscious awareness has the same character as that for sense impressions: the craving to be alive, to feel alive in the constant encounter with the world of objects present to consciousness (or present within consciousness — as the idealists prefer to say).
.
But there is still more meaning than that to be derived from the description of consciousness as a nutriment if we consider that it is explained primarily as rebirth consciousness. This rebirth consciousness, which is a single moment's occurrence, feeds (or conditions) the mind-body process (naama-ruupa) of the present existence; and it is the arising of such moments of rebirth consciousness at the beginning of each successive life that continues the interminable chain of future births, deaths and sufferings. ... ...
.
... ... Life springs up wherever it gets the slightest chance through favoring conditions like warmth, moisture, and light. ... ...
.
Life is always in readiness to spring up, and its most prolific manifestation is consciousness. ... it is consciousness that contributes most to the "expanding universe" of samsaara. Hence the Enlightened One warned: "Do not be an augmenter of worlds!" (Dhp v. 167). ... ... consciousness appears as the feeder and procreator of innumerable beings all of whom undergo that daily ordeal of life's piercing spears. ... ...
.
Looking back to the Buddha's similes for the four nutriments, ... ... They are meant to break through the unthinking complacency in which these so common functions of life are performed and viewed: eating, perceiving, willing, and cognizing. ... ...
.
The contemplation on the four nutriments of life can do this for him. From that contemplation, man can learn "not to recoil from the real and not to be carried away by the unreal." He will learn from it that it is suffering which is nourished and pampered by the four nutriments. He will more deeply understand that "Only suffering arises where anything arises and only suffering ceases where anything ceases." And another word of the Master will gain fresh significance and increasing weight: "This only do I teach: suffering and its end."
.
.
5. Some Quotes on Nutriments
.
- "If it were possible to declare a fifth grave offense (paaraajika), the monks, partaking of food without due reflection should be made a fifth grave offense."
.
- "Just as this body subsists on nutriment, subsists because of nutriment, does not subsist without nutriment; in the same way, O monks, are feelings conditioned by sense-impression, is consciousness conditioned by kamma-formations (sa"nkhaara-cetanaa, 'karmic volition'), is mind-and-body conditioned by consciousness."
.
- Edible food feeds and conditions the set of corporeal qualities that have nutritive essence as their eighth factor. The nutriment sense-impression feeds and conditions the three kinds of feeling. The nutriment volitional thought feeds and conditions the three states of existence. The nutriment consciousness feeds and conditions mind-and-body at rebirth.
.
- The nutriment consciousness, at the moment of rebirth, feeds and conditions the three other mental groups (khandhaa), conjoined with it; and by way of conascence-condition, etc., it feeds and conditions the thirty corporeal processes that arise in a triple continuity (ti-santati). So does the nutriment consciousness feed and condition mind-and-body at rebirth.
.
- In whatever place rebirth-consciousness becomes manifest, there it arises along with the mind-and-body existing at the moment of rebirth. And with the arising of that mind-and-body, all dangers have arisen because they have their roots in it. It is for this reason that manifestation (in a mind-and-body) is the danger in the nutriment consciousness.
.
- In this case, sense-impression represents the formation aggregate (sankhaara-khandha).
.
- The path of sainthood (arahatta-magga) that discards attachment and desire for that very (combination of) mind-and-body — this is "comprehension as abandoning."
.
- Because volitional (kammic) thought has its root in craving (the sensual craving, the craving for existence and the craving for self-annihilation), and if the cause is not abandoned, the result cannot be abandoned.
.
- Mind-and-body are thereby comprehended": mind-and-body as conditioned by consciousness (according to the dependent origination). If consciousness is comprehended, also mind-and-body are comprehended, being rooted in consciousness and arising together with it.
.
- "Thus, O monks, through ignorance conditioned are kamma-formations; through the kamma-formations conditioned is consciousness; through consciousness conditioned is mind-and-body; through mind-and-body conditioned are the six sense-bases; through the six sense-bases conditioned is sense-impression; through sense-impression conditioned is feeling, through feeling conditioned is craving; through craving conditioned is clinging; through clinging conditioned is becoming; through becoming conditioned is birth; through birth conditioned are decay and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. Thus arises this whole mass of suffering." -- SN 12.11.
.
- Both Paali words, aahaara (nutriment) and upaadaana (clinging) have originally the same meaning of "taking up," "seizing," and both are also used to signify the fuel of a fire or a lamp (see SN 22.88).
.
- "Who, O Lord, clings?"
"The question is not correct," said the Exalted One, "I do not say that 'he clings.' Had I said so, then the question 'Who clings?' would be appropriate. But since I did not speak thus, the correct way to ask the question will be 'What is the condition of clinging?' And to that the correct reply is: 'Craving is the condition of clinging; and clinging is the condition of the process of becoming.' Such is the origin of this entire mass of suffering.
"Through the complete fading away and cessation of even these six bases of sense-impression, sense-impression ceases; through the cessation of sense-impression, feeling ceases; through the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; through the cessation of craving, clinging ceases; through the cessation of clinging, the process of becoming ceases; through the cessation of the process of becoming, birth ceases; through the cessation of birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering." -- SN 12.12.
.
"'By the cessation of nutriment, that what has come to be is bound to cease' — that one sees with true wisdom, as it really is. And having seen with true wisdom, as it really is, that 'by the cessation of that nutriment, what has come to be is bound to cease,' then, through revulsion from what is liable to cease, from dispassion (concerning it) and the cessation (of it), one is liberated without any clinging. Thus, O Lord, is one a comprehender of Dhamma..." -- SN 12.31.
.
- "Through the origin of craving, there is origin of nutriment. Through the ceasing of craving, there is ceasing of nutriment. The way leading to the ceasing of nutriment is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely, right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
Friends, if a noble disciple thus knows nutriment, knows the origin of nutriment, the ceasing of nutriment and the way leading to the ceasing of nutriment, he entirely abandons the inner tendency to lust, he casts off the inner tendency to ill-will, eliminates the inner tendency to the opinion-and-conceit of 'I am,' he discards ignorance, produces knowledge, and becomes an ender of suffering here and now." -- MN 9.
.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/.../nyanapo.../wheel105.html
.
===========================
.
[希修] The Buddha's teachings seem very different from most other spiritual traditions in many respects. One of them is that the Buddha's teachings may look to most 'normal' laypeople 'life-negating' while other spiritual teachings are 'life-affirming' or 'life-boosting,' which is 'only encouraging more and more feeding' in the Buddha's words.
.
For example, there is a single mom, who feels her life is so 'empty' once all her children have left for college. So she felt depressed for a while. And then she got involved in some kind of social activism, and now she feels 'alive' again. Some spiritual traditions would say that a divine providence has lead her to a new mission/service or that, since she is a god herself, she has to keep creating in this universe and that her consciousness will surely attract whatever manifestation she wants to see in the world. As to this, however, the Buddha will say it is only the fourth kind of nutriment (consciousness) and thus "Do not be an augmenter of worlds!" (Dhp v. 167).
.
Those who do not know about nibbana, a better alternative to the kind of life we humans are currently used to and imprisoned by, may mistakenly think 'Does it mean that to stay depressed or to hate life is the way then?' To them, the Buddha's original teachings, which are seemingly 'life-negating,' might be too painful or even repelling, just as shining the strong sunlight directly on someone's eyes, who has spent his entire life in a dark place, will only blind him. This may be one of many reasons that compromised interpretations of the Buddha's words are so much more popular in the world - as the Buddha predicted for himself. This just occurred to me recently, and it helps me with equanimity. I used to feel so upset that there are so many inaccurate teachings of the Buddha's words and that I wasted many years myself on those wrong teachings.
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But I realize that everything has a reason (good or less good) and everyone including myself just does her best in her own way at her own pace. No other way.
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ACCESSTOINSIGHT.ORG
The Four Nutriments of Life: An Anthology of Buddhist Texts
3崔明淑 and 2 others
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The Four Nutriments with Khemako - Ajahn PunnadhammoThe Four Nutriments with Khemako - Ajahn Punnadhammo
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