The increasing desolation of nature, the exhaustion of resources, the uneasiness and disintegration of the human spirit, all have been brought about by humanity's trying to accomplish something.
Interpretation
Human efforts to achieve progress have led to environmental degradation and a decline in human well-being.
Masanobu Fukuoka highlights the paradox that while humanity strives for progress and achievement, these pursuits have resulted in significant harm to nature and the human spirit. The quote suggests that our relentless quest for accomplishment has come at a high cost, leading to resource depletion and a disconnection from the natural world.
In practice
During a presentation on environmental conservation, one could use this quote to emphasize the negative impact of human progress on nature.
When it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the attempt to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized. The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.
As we kill nature, we are killing ourselves, and God incarnate as the world as well.
The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.
Modern research divides nature into tiny pieces and conducts tests that conform neither with natural law nor with practical experience. The results are arranged for the convenience of research, not according to the needs of the farmer.
Gradually I came to realize that the process of saving the desert of the human heart and revegetating the actual desert is actually the same thing.
Life on a small farm might seem primitive, but by living such a life we become able to discover the Great Path. I believe that one who deeply respects his neighborhood and everyday world in which he lives will be shown the greatest of all worlds.
Compared with me, a tree is immortal.
To plant trees is to give body and life to one's dreams of a better world.
I'm not an animal lover if that means you think things are nice if you can pat them, but I am intoxicated by animals.
Travelers repose and dream among my leaves.
For me, personally, skiing holds everything. I used to race cars, but skiing is a step beyond that. It removes the machinery and puts you one step closer to the elements. And it's a complete physical expression of freedom.
And there are my cats, engaged in a ritual that goes back thousands of years, tranquilly licking themselves after the meal. Practical animals, they prefer to have others provide the food ... some of them do. There must have been a split between the cats who accepted domestication and those who did not.
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