As human beings, we appear to be at a crossroads in our relationship with everything that exists, and who would disagree that the world in which we live is not as it should be?

The merciless exploitation of the scarce resources of this fragile planet, the needless destruction of the environment, the paucity in our relationship with others and all of life is creating a scale of suffering that is unprecedented, and we stumble around in the dark looking for answers that will not appear.

Then, when we try to do something, we turn immediately to treating symptoms believing that this will solve the problems. While we may make small strides and feel that something is being achieved, these so-called solutions can only ever be temporary with the situation becoming even worse down the track if we do not approach what we are facing in a new way.

We need to understand that instead of treating symptoms we must address causes. If we are serious, and we need to be, then there is no other way, and it begins with us, by looking squarely, sincerely and objectively at ourselves and what we as individuals have become.

We need to examine ourselves closely and realise that the root of all our problems is not out there in some external arena, but here, within each one of us.

We need to know and understand ourselves and when we do, then the planet and our relationship with each other will begin to change for the better.