Resilience Is Not Built Against Nature

Major, unforgettable events, including natural disasters, can become forces that reshape the mindset of a community or even an entire nation. Throughout their lives, our ancestors were forced to face countless challenges in the form of natural disasters, pushing them to find ways to survive. It was through these experiences that they came to understand something essential: nature must be “conquered” with compassion. By caring for and preserving it, nature, in turn, will offer its care to humanity.

That awareness, however, can only emerge after individuals or communities move past the initial shock and emotional outpouring that arise from being victims or even mere witnesses. Commenting on disasters is far easier than living through one. For this reason, the public deserves access to education on preparedness and disaster prevention, because, as I have written many times before, prevention is always better than cure. 

Illustration: private collection 

A major disaster at the end of 2025, on November 26, claimed thousands of lives in western Sumatra, Indonesia. As of today, roughly one month later, hundreds remain missing and thousands more have lost their homes due to flash floods that are strongly suspected to be a direct result of excessive forest exploitation in the region. 

The level of destruction in parts of West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh is severe, almost indistinguishable from the impact of the 2004 Aceh tsunami. Local governments have effectively given up, unable or unwilling to take responsibility for the safety of their people. The central government seeks to preserve its image as a resilient nation. Meanwhile, the victims are left in despair, understandably longing for their lives to return to what they once were.

Finders keepers 

Indigenous beliefs have always accompanied the birth of civilizations across the world, including in Ukraine. Due to political dynamics, Ukrainian Native Faith was once forgotten by later generations who inherited its foundations. A single major event, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, became the starting point for its revival. This belief system is now known as Ridnovira.

The shift in citizenship from Soviet citizens to Ukrainian citizens carried deep meaning for Ukrainian society. As with many other communities that have experienced or are currently experiencing similar transitions, sudden change is often followed by an emotional surge known as euphoria. Yet Ridnovira is not merely a belief system that honors nature through rituals and sacred practices alone.

For its adherents, Indigenous Faith is not simply about identity. The search for identity should end once a person consciously chooses to become part of an entity, whether spiritual or non-spiritual. Honoring nature means openly acknowledging that one is part of it. This, however, is only possible because followers of Ridnovira already possess a firm sense of self. 

A “Happy Ending”

No human being in this world desires instability in life, and no one wishes for disaster. Followers of Indigenous beliefs across the globe, including Ridnovira, understand that stability can only be achieved if it also exists beyond their own circles. This is the core essence of all belief systems that continue to exist today: everything in this world is interconnected and constantly influencing one another, not standing alone or acting solely according to individual free will whenever it pleases.

Friction will always arise, as the thoughts and perspectives of different groups within society, at both regional and global levels, are never identical. Yet forcing everyone to speak with one voice, by whatever means necessary, often leads to greater instability and pushes us further away from the “happy ending” that everyone hopes for. (dswas)

Why Independence Must Be Guided by Conscience

Independence—standing on one’s own feet—is a slogan frequently echoed to motivate society at large to move forward with confidence in building their lives as a nation. This call has recently resurfaced amid rising international political tensions. Ideal independence, of course, truly means starting everything from scratch, crawling up from the bottom through one’s own capabilities toward the summit, as our ancestors across the world once did.

The independence of a formerly colonized nation is often accompanied by emotionally driven narratives whose impacts extend far beyond the moment, shaping the lives of many subsequent generations. As a republic that had only gained independence in 1945, Indonesia experienced a series of political upheavals that led to deteriorating relations with the Netherlands, its former colonial ruler. The climax came with the decision to reclaim economic sovereignty by taking over approximately 700 Dutch-owned companies operating in Indonesia, along with a number of assets belonging to Chinese nationals and other foreign citizens during the period of 1958–1966.

This extreme decision, aimed at securing capital for the development of a newly born republic, did not automatically yield the desired results. Dutch professionals and entrepreneurs promptly left Indonesia after President Sukarno signed regulations legalizing the largest multisector nationalization in history, without any accompanying transfer of knowledge or expertise to the new owners. Global investor confidence declined sharply, forcing Indonesia to print new money on a massive scale to finance various infrastructure and military projects.

President Suharto, as Sukarno’s successor, was confronted with a mountain of debt at the beginning of his leadership—specifically compensation debts that the Indonesian government was obliged to pay as reparations for unilateral nationalization policies enacted in the previous era. After 1965, Indonesia stood on the brink of bankruptcy, leaving Suharto little choice but to accept the advice of economists from the University of California, Berkeley, to overhaul the economic system, including loosening restrictions on foreign currency transactions. What were the consequences?

Illustration: private collection

Why Can Ambition Be Destructive?

Like many indigenous belief systems found across the Earth, one of Indonesia’s native spiritual traditions, Kapribaden, regards the natural environment as an inseparable part of humanity. The movements of animals and plants, water, air, and soil give rise to an awareness that all substances move according to their respective natures. Human beings, however, consist of two unseen dimensions: raga (the physical body) and rasa (inner feeling or conscience). Human actions, driven by bodily desires, often fail to align with rasa.

True to its name—derived from the word pribadi (self or personhood)—Kapribaden emphasizes the cultivation of a personal character in which raga and rasa remain in harmony throughout one’s journey of making a living. Ambition that appears righteous and noble can, in fact, mislead an individual’s path, ultimately sacrificing personal happiness, family well-being, and even the welfare of future generations. Even if one achieves success, relentless pressure may continue to strike, eventually disrupting mental health through chronic stress.

For this reason, believers of Kapribaden may appear, at first glance, to be people without aspirations, as they tend to live simply until the end of their lives. As members of a broader society, they do not base their actions solely on generally accepted rules and norms. The feelings (rasa) of others around them also serve as a guide for their actions, regardless of identity. How Kapribaden adherents are able to perceive this rasa is a subject to be discussed on another occasion.

So as Not to Fall into the Same Pit

Our predecessors could make mistakes—sometimes fatal ones. Harboring resentment toward them for those mistakes is futile, as our anger cannot change what has already occurred. Instead, Kapribaden followers regard them as grandparents who were always willing to do whatever they could for the happiness of their grandchildren.

The two Indonesian leaders mentioned above did what they believed was right in fulfilling their responsibilities as leaders of a nation. The Indonesian people need not worry: all debts related to compensation payments to Dutch owners of nationalized companies were officially declared settled in 2002. Indonesia has closed the dark chapter associated with the nationalization of foreign companies within its territory—except for one remaining issue.

The 1958 regulation that served as the root of economic problems arising from the nationalization of foreign companies is still referenced in the several state-owned enterprises official documents. This regulation should no longer be cited and ought to be declared null and void, as Indonesia has fully settled its compensation obligations to the Dutch entrepreneurs who were harmed by the nationalization policy. (dswas)

The "Fire" We Choose Not to Put Out

The nationalization of foreign assets and or companies operating within a country is a political practice that has existed for decades. History records that it was first carried out by the Soviet Union during the early success of the Bolshevik Revolution under the leadership of Joseph Stalin in 1917–1918. Changes in state structure and political leadership underpinned the transformation of the Russian Empire, which had previously relied on Western European and United States investment, into a communist system. 

This mistake of the past was later acknowledged by Stalin’s successors, including Vladimir Lenin, who offered concessions to several countries harmed by Stalin’s decisions, allowing them to reinvest in the Soviet Union, particularly in the oil and gas sector. This scheme continued for decades, until the Soviet Union eventually declared its willingness to provide compensation for those losses in 1986 and again in 2017, respectively. 

Although Western observers considered the amount of compensation disproportionate to the losses suffered by investors during the Stalin era, the Soviet Union, and Russia as its successor, did not simply walk away from responsibility. This was partly driven by a broader mission to integrate Russia into the global community, as reflected in the policies of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin, the former president and current president of Russia. 

It is interesting to examine the reactions of countries that suffered losses during the Bolshevik era, including France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, and the United States. Having received compensation from the Soviet Union in 1986 and from Russia in 2017, these countries were also willing to reinvest in Russia afterward. When Russia declared war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, their initial reaction was not centered on protecting their investments in Russia, even as the shadow of Bolshevism potentially once again threatened their profits.

The “Fire” That Is Passed Down

Fire is a sacred element in many belief systems across the world, including the Indigenous Georgian Faith. Fire symbolizes purity, though it is not conceived as a primordial origin that precedes everything else, like air. In its physical form, fire serves as a mediator that transforms solid matter into ash, returning it to its origin so it can once again nourish the soil. This benefit is only realized when fire can be controlled, much like human emotion. 

Illustration: private collection

This understanding forms the foundation of the Indigenous Georgian Faith and its various rules. As with many other indigenous belief systems, the desire to live in harmony with the surrounding environment inspires a range of guidelines intended to steer people away from reprehensible behavior. From the perspective of the Indigenous Georgian Faith, a person’s actions do not concern only themselves and their own “universe.” Right or wrong, an individual’s actions affect the spiritual standing of subsequent generations, creating a cycle of cause and effect that must be faced from one generation to the next.

This is not a form of punishment. A believer of the Indigenous Georgian Faith can break this cycle of cause and effect by performing certain acts as “compensation” for the mistakes of previous generations. The aim is to ensure that the lingering “fire” of resentment felt by affected parties can be controlled, extinguished, and no longer passed down. Only then can the human life cycle truly move on, especially since challenges continue to arise, regardless of whether we are ready to face them.

Forgiving Is Harder Than Apologizing

The nationalization of foreign assets and or companies may appear to bring financial benefits to the state that carries it out. What is often overlooked is that the financial losses suffered by the affected parties tend to push them to recover those losses by any means available, because companies are not charitable institutions.

This “fire” can take the form of sanctions, tariffs, bans, blockades, embargoes, tax increases, and a range of other measures with similar implications, all essentially aimed at extracting payment from the subjects of those regulations. On the other hand, the party carrying out the nationalization, cast as the “defendant” in this situation, also has the right to change its fate, because every person has the right to enjoy prosperity, as collectively recognized by our predecessors.

From the perspective of the Indigenous Georgian Faith, the generational impact of a mistake does not affect only the perpetrators, but also the victims. How long the perpetrators and their descendants continue to act as perpetrators, and how long the victims and their descendants continue to see themselves as victims, is ultimately a decision in the hands of each of them. (dswas)

The Burden of a Gift

It is often said that giving is better than receiving. But does this mean that we must refuse a gift—especially one that comes to us as the result of what we have done in the past?

As a country blessed with natural endowments as one of the world’s largest oil reserves, Venezuela was among the wealthiest oil-producing nations from the 1970s until the late 1990s. One source notes that Venezuela once recorded gross revenues of up to USD 10 trillion over a two-year period (1973–1975), largely due to oil exports.

As has occurred in many parts of the world, enormous income is often not accompanied by prudent financial management. It is easy to point out corruption as the primary cause of Venezuela’s current economic decline, or to the oil sanctions imposed by the United States since 2019. However, it is worth tracing the country’s historical timeline to gain a clearer understanding of the deeper roots of the problems it faces.

Oil was first discovered in Venezuela in 1922, thanks to the efforts of geologists from Royal Dutch Shell. With growing investments from oil companies in Europe and the United States beginning in the 1930s, Venezuela rose to become the world’s third-largest oil producer, after the United States and the Soviet Union.

Through the 1943 Hydrocarbons Law, Venezuelan authorities required foreign oil companies operating within their territory to allocate half of their oil sales profits to the state treasury. This regulation was a key driver of Venezuela’s rise as an oil-rich nation. The tax revenue was also used as capital to establish a state-owned oil company.

The global recession of the 1980s marked the beginning of the decline of South America’s most prosperous oil state, triggered by a sharp drop in oil prices that severely affected national income. Hugo Chávez’s decision to nationalize several foreign oil companies operating in Venezuela did not lead to economic recovery; instead, it pushed the country deeper into crisis.

More Than Identity

Identity-based sentiment is one of the factors that can strengthen nationalism within a community, which may ultimately lead to the nationalization of foreign-owned assets. Identity cannot be rejected, as it is the first “gift” given by parents and the state to children on the day they are born. A clear identity facilitates administrative processes, yet real life does not always unfold as neatly as the identities held by most people on this planet. 

Illustration: private collection

Despite an awareness of identity, various native faiths in different parts of the world place greater emphasis on the relationship between adherents and the surrounding natural environment—their interactions with it, and the actions required as acknowledgment of nature’s existence itself. Maausk (literally meaning “earth faith”) is one such indigenous belief system in Estonia, founded and practiced according to these principles.

For its adherents, nature itself is sacred: forests, rivers, hills, mountains, and stones have been recognized as sacred sites and have been protected by the government since the Soviet era. Offerings are placed as expressions of gratitude for nature’s abundance, accompanied by the rule that an adherent must not be in a negative psychological state (such as sadness or anger) when visiting a sacred site. This rule, in turn, trains Maausk followers to exercise self-control amid life’s fluctuations.

At certain times, Maausk adherents bring offerings in the form of food they have cooked themselves at home. These dishes are taken to sacred places and offered to ancestors as an expression of respect and affection for those who first opened the land on which people now live, along with the foundations of values and norms they established. Afterward, the food is shared and eaten together, much like a family picnic.

Fate as a “Gift”

The various misfortunes that befall a nation do not occur suddenly; there is always a long process behind them. Regardless of the rhetoric surrounding the nationalization of foreign companies, self-awareness is required to acknowledge that such actions violate international law, whatever the motivations may be. Because we live in a world governed by rules, violations inevitably carry consequences.

History records numerous cases of countries nationalizing the assets of one or more foreign companies operating within their borders—countries that later came to regret the “gift” of life in the form of punishment or remorse. Regulations are not the only guide as to why we should refrain from violating agreements we have made with others. Material losses resulting from unilateral actions will prompt the aggrieved parties to seek compensation through various means, including those that may harm us in the long term, for an indefinite period.

Upholding cultural values and indigenous belief systems is one way we can learn to enhance awareness of our own patterns of thought and psychological states. This awareness is the foundation we need before moving on to the next stage—one that may help us avoid regret arising from our decisions and actions. (dswas)

Measuring Gratitude, Safely

Sport cannot be separated from politics ... and pleasure. Behind the glittering spectacle of global sporting events like the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, there are darker stories that have nothing to do with sport itself, yet end up determining how these tournaments take place. I am not talking about sporting sanctions caused by war, but about the long, winding, and morally gray process through which a country is selected as host of an international sporting event.

Tom Welch, a lawyer, and David Johnson, an economist, were two public officials at the top of the Salt Lake Bid Committee, an organization formed to handle the city’s bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. The committee had been “fighting” for the right to host the Olympics since 1986, but was rejected time and again. Being a major city in a developed country, the United States, turned out to be no guarantee of winning the right to host a major sporting event.

After Salt Lake failed once again to secure the 1998 Winter Olympics, Welch grew bitter when the hosting rights went to Nagano, Japan, a country the United States had defeated in World War II. Unlike the FIFA World Cup, hosting the Olympics does not always translate into major revenue from visiting supporters. Even so, the prestige and pride last for years, remembered as a moment when a city brought together nations from around the world in a single sporting event.

Through his connections, Welch and his network learned that the Nagano Olympic Committee had spent tens of millions of dollars on “welcome events” for 62 members of the International Olympic Committee from various countries. The committee was suspected of spending around 14 million dollars on top‑quality sushi dinners, hot spring baths, and geisha entertainment.

Armed with this information, the Salt Lake Olympic Committee increased its own “pre‑Olympic” budget to 16 million dollars. This money was used to give “gifts” to 20 IOC members in the form of cash, gift packages, airline tickets and accommodation, and even tuition fees for their children.

Salt Lake ultimately won the right to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. However, the financial scandal surfaced several months later through investigations by the IOC and the U.S. Department of Justice. In the end, Welch and his colleagues were cleared of all charges, while the 20 IOC members involved were removed from their positions. No legal sanctions were imposed, as the giving and receiving of gifts was deemed not to violate any existing regulations. 

Preservation begins with reverence

Expressions of gratitude can take many forms, and the most important of them is action. Looking at the example above, it would be naïve to deny the impulse to repay pleasant treatment with an equivalent gesture. It is easy to return a good deed when the recipient is another human being. Whether such actions break the law or not depends on the regulations of each country. 

Illustration: private collection

Offerings, also known as ritual sacrifices, are practiced by followers of Lithuania’s indigenous faith, Romuva, as an expression of gratitude to nature for everything they take from it. This includes air, water, wood, animals, plants, and even natural resources such as oil and gas. From the Romuva perspective, gratitude must take a tangible form, as a way to instill humility, commitment, and an ongoing awareness of the need to protect nature and the environment.

Emerging from a sense of disgust with modern civilization in recent times, Romuva has grown into a regional organization officially recognized by the Lithuanian government. Thanks to the openness of its followers, they have found many similarities with Hinduism, particularly in the reverence shown to ancestors and the natural world. Both traditions also view fire as a medium that completes offerings presented as an expression of gratitude to nature.

Throwing food such as grains or butter into a fire means “discarding” something that has been obtained through hard effort, work, farming, cooking, and returning it to nature. From a modern point of view, this is seen as wasteful, throwing away something that could have been enjoyed with one’s family, especially in difficult economic times when frugality is necessary for survival.

In the past, people did not think this way because their lifestyles were far simpler, as were their needs. They did not worry about sacrificing their possessions for something that seemed like “nothing,” because what they offered as a sacrifice today would grow again and be harvested in the future to meet their needs. Today, however, this mindset is considered irrelevant as the cost of living continues to rise and tighten its grip.

The weight of sacrifice

When the Salt Lake Olympic Committee agreed to draw 16 million dollars from the city’s budget to please IOC members, they were pursuing something they believed was worth the risk of tens of millions of dollars. This means the “sacrifice” was only half‑hearted, as the committee members did not use their own personal funds to achieve the status of becoming an Olympic host city.

In the context of Romuva, expressing gratitude to nature is not a futile act, because its followers are able to reflect on the benefits of the act itself. Offerings usually consist of materials that are easily biodegradable, flowers, leaves, incense, fruits, grains, and the like, once burned in fire. The remains are returned to the soil and gradually transform into humus, helping maintain soil fertility even as humans continue to take from it. The results of sacrifice require time and are never instant.

Yet we hesitate to make such sacrifices because “time is money,” and counting the days it takes for a tree to grow is seen as a pointless exercise… (dswas)

Ancient Knowledge as an Approach to Mitigating Natural Disaster Risk

When floods claim human lives and material assets, responsibility is often attributed to heavy rainfall, extreme weather events, climate change, malfunctioning early warning systems, or human negligence. Such questions reflect a broader condition in which human civilization is entering a critical phase, one that tests its capacity to adapt to life shaped by natural forces.

Modern societies are driven by an ambition to surpass previous generations through the advancement of science and technology. This pursuit is grounded in the aspiration to sustain life and elevate collective well-being. These objectives continue to shape contemporary development. Yet despite significant achievements, including space exploration, humanity has not achieved full control over atmospheric and climatic processes. Weather remains a domain largely beyond human mastery. 

Illustration: private collection

In recent decades, the frequency and intensity of weather-related natural disasters have increased, commonly associated with climate change. Public discourse often emphasizes the responsibility of fossil fuel industries in accelerating environmental degradation. While such critiques are important, they are frequently accompanied by limited efforts to educate communities on adaptive strategies for surviving and responding to natural hazards such as floods, landslides, storms, and droughts. As a result, loss of life continues to occur in disasters that are not unprecedented, but rather have been recorded repeatedly throughout human history.

Historical evidence suggests that earlier human societies recognized the limits of their influence over natural phenomena. Instead of attempting to control nature, they developed bodies of knowledge aimed at adaptation and survival within a dynamic environment. One such body of knowledge involved the interpretation of environmental and meteorological signs to anticipate changes in weather patterns. 

Foundations in Indigenous Belief Systems

Ancient knowledge systems, as integral components of cultural traditions, emerged from the interaction between environmental conditions and spiritual awareness embedded in indigenous belief (native belief) systems. Reverence toward natural elements and associated phenomena fostered sustained observation and inquiry among early human communities. This process enabled the development of interpretive frameworks through which nature could be understood and navigated as a means of ensuring survival. 

Across different regions of the world, adherents of indigenous belief systems cultivated ecological knowledge grounded in respect for natural forces. This includes the ancient Eastern Slavic communities, who developed practices that emphasized the sacralization of natural elements within the framework of Slavic Native Faith. These practices were not merely ritualistic, but were accompanied by systematic interpretations of natural signs believed to precede significant environmental events that could threaten communal safety.

In contemporary Poland, where interest in indigenous traditions has experienced renewed growth, modern approaches have emerged to reinterpret the behavior of natural elements, including celestial bodies, atmospheric conditions, water systems, soil, flora, and fauna. These approaches draw upon ancestral knowledge transmitted orally across generations by individuals who engaged in long-term observation and pattern recognition within their environments.

In contrast to modern reliance on meteorological institutions and digital forecasting technologies, premodern weather prediction relied on the synthesis of multiple environmental indicators. For example, specific patterns in animal or plant behavior were interpreted as signals of imminent rainfall. Likewise, the appearance of a halo surrounding a full moon was commonly understood as a precursor to major weather-related events, including floods or storms.

Interdependence and Destructive Reciprocity

Indigenous belief systems generally do not emphasize moral reward in the form of divine compensation. Instead, they are grounded in an understanding of causality and reciprocal relationships. Practices of honoring nature, often expressed through offerings, function as symbolic acknowledgments of humanity’s dependence on natural systems. Such practices serve to reinforce restraint and discourage excessive exploitation.

From this perspective, environmental degradation resulting from unchecked exploitation represents a form of disregard toward nature that ultimately leads to adverse consequences for human societies. The principle of reciprocal interaction between humans and their environment remains applicable despite profound changes in both ecological systems and human civilization.

Nature and human societies continue to exist in a state of mutual dependence, while simultaneously possessing the capacity to undermine one another. Recognizing human agency in contributing to environmental imbalance is therefore essential. Such recognition offers a foundation for reducing collective anxiety and fostering more adaptive, informed responses to natural hazards.

Seeking the Magic of the Ever-Young Old Tree

The 2026 World Cup will be a farewell moment for a lineup of football stars: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modrić, Antoine Griezmann, Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Neymar Jr (if he is called up). Some of them have officially announced the end of their international careers, while the rest remain media speculation due to age, now entering their mid-to-late thirties.

Interestingly, the emerging stars now competing for the throne once held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are actually devoted fans of the two GOATs. Erling Haaland and Alejandro Garnacho, for instance, have been Ronaldo fans since childhood until today. Premier League supporters can easily see how Haaland’s demeanor is deeply inspired by Ronaldo’s style: confident on the field and slightly arrogant. Garnacho even imitates CR7’s trademark celebration—including mocking rival supporters.

Lionel Messi is fortunate to be idolized by two young rising talents from Germany and Spain, Jamal Musiala and Lamine Yamal, who are currently under intense media spotlight. Musiala exhibits the traits of a young Messi—humble, yet endlessly showcasing agility and brilliance on the pitch. Meanwhile, Yamal, who currently plays for Messi’s former club, has recently drawn criticism from media and social media users due to behavior considered the complete opposite of the low-profile Messi.

Illustration: private collection

Sacred by Character

In Slavic Native Faith, pine trees are regarded as sacred because their nature serves as a guide to emotional resilience in all circumstances. Pine trees are evergreens—their leaves remain green through all seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Mature pine trees are generally stronger in extreme weather than young ones, which is why followers of this belief consider pine trees a symbol of hope when life is not going well.

However, philosophy alone is not what led a community of Slavic Native Faith practitioners in Baikal, Russia, to sanctify a pine forest in the area. Pine forests play a vital role in ecological sustainability due to their ability to absorb carbon. Older pine trees are known to capture more carbon and release more oxygen. Snow resting on pine needles melts gradually in spring, preventing sudden water flow that could cause flooding. Their roots help store and bind water, and some pine cones can only regenerate when the air temperature rises due to forest fires.

Russian researchers discovered a pine tree on Olkhon Island, Baikal, estimated to be 400 years old. Standing 20 meters tall—with a still-healthy trunk and 90% of its branches still regenerating—the ancient pine tree stands in the middle of a forest revered as sacred by the ancestors of the region. When the sacred forest was later converted into residential land and fish-processing factories, the old pine was preserved and declared a monument by NGOs, academics, and the Russian Federal Forestry Agency.

Forever Young

Reflecting on the story of the sacred pine tree on Olkhon Island, anything we love, respect, and care for sincerely will endure far longer, repaying what we have invested in it. This sacred tree continues to survive and demonstrate its strength despite its age, benefiting the surrounding ecosystem and the lives of the people nearby, until it was ultimately granted monument status.

Who knows what emotions are stirring in the hearts of Ronaldo and Messi now, as they approach what may be their final international tournament. They may continue to play a few more years at club level, although surely not as dazzling as during the peak of their El Clasico rivalry. Yet there are former football stars who have succeeded in new paths far outside the world of football.

Michael Owen, Manchester United’s young talent of the 90s era, found success in racehorse breeding. George Weah—who shone more brightly with AC Milan than with his national team during the same decade—went into politics after retirement and was elected President of Liberia. Meanwhile, Hidetoshi Nakata, one of the first Asian players in elite European clubs, retired early at 29 and made a successful career in the fashion world.

For many reasons, only few former footballers share the same fate. What exactly drives them to keep moving forward, like an old pine tree that continues to grow new branches, is something worth exploring further. (dswas)

Why Did the Water of Life Turn Into the Water of Death?

Aqua vitae, the water of life, was once believed to cure fevers and headaches, kill germs in meat or vegetables, prevent colds, improve digestion, protect the kidneys and liver, help people sleep better, and boost appetite. It was also said to sharpen memory and build courage.

In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, this life-saving water was made by distilling ingredients like rice, wheat, and, of course, grapes. Grapes? Indeed. In the 12th century, alcoholic drinks were not made for people looking to drown their problems in drunkenness. They were created as medicine. True to the name, this was water meant to revive the human body.

Historically, the early technology for producing alcohol came from distillation methods discovered by Greek and Persian alchemists. The technique was first developed to transform raw metals into precious ones, and to create the water of life that was believed to grant eternal existence. When Arab forces conquered Alexandria and Persia, they studied these techniques and expanded them, eventually using them to produce alcohol.

By the 12th century, this technology had spread to Southern Europe. Two universities, one in Salerno (Italy) and one in Montpellier (France), became centers for the study and development of alcohol distillation. However, the alcohol produced there was intended strictly for medical purposes. It was never meant to be consumed recreationally. Its purpose matched the original intention behind alcohol: a disinfectant that kills harmful germs. 

Illustration: private collection

Environmental Damage as a Sign of Spiritual Trouble

The political shifts in parts of Eastern Europe in the early 1990s opened the door for the revival of several native religions and belief systems. Hungary, despite having a leader known for his hardline stance and frequent protests against him, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, still offers enough space for practitioners of Hungarian Indigenous Belief. They are not forbidden from spreading their teachings, nor are they forced to compromise with intolerant groups.

As with most indigenous belief systems around the world, followers of Hungarian Indigenous Belief see nature not as a lifeless object to be exploited. Water, for example, plays an essential role in many rituals, especially those related to healing. When water becomes polluted, they lose the ability to use it to help stimulate the cells in the body so they can grow and recover.

From their perspective, maintaining the balance between humans and nature is not just about offering ritual gifts. It also means actively caring for the environment. This can only happen when a community has a spiritual awareness that goes beyond ritual routines. It requires understanding how deeply connected they are to everything around them: water, air, earth, trees, and fire.

Any act that disturbs the natural balance is seen as harming oneself, no matter what the intention behind it is. Those who damage the environment are considered spiritually lost because they fail to recognize their place within the natural world. That is why practitioners of Hungarian Indigenous Belief regard environmental destruction as a sign that something is spiritually wrong within the individuals or groups involved.

Safety Takes Work

One of the biggest mistakes religious communities often make is believing that their safety is guaranteed simply because they follow the rules of their faith. Blind surrender can be dangerous, because the world does not operate according to the wishes of its inhabitants.

Safety does not appear out of thin air. It is the result of a series of choices made with the intention of sustaining life. And yes, preserving life is complicated and messy, because indulging in pleasure is always easier and far more enjoyable.

Take alcohol, for example. Drinking until you pass out is always simpler than figuring out the right amount that actually benefits your digestion. I am not here to lecture anyone. As someone who has lived through two motorcycle accidents and one street fight while drunk in my twenties, I sincerely hope the best for anyone dealing with similar troubles. (dswas)

Avoiding the Trap of Natural Wealth

Picture a quiet morning deep in Sumatra. Sunlight slips through a canopy that has stood for centuries. The air smells of damp soil and leaves. Then a chainsaw starts, and in a matter of minutes, a single tree worth millions of rupiah hits the ground.

For many people, this is the easiest money they will ever earn. One cubic meter of teak or mahogany can bring in 5 to 7 million rupiah. Hardwoods like merbau can reach 15 million. If you convert it to dollars, that is 300 to 900 USD.

Cut a hundred cubic meters, and you walk away with around 30,000 USD. No factory. No night shifts. No sales pitch. Just a forest, a blade, and the promise of fast wealth.

This is why ancient rainforests are so heavily targeted. Trees that grow slowly in untouched forests become stronger, older, and more beautiful. The grain is richer, the fibers tighter, the trunks wider. Wood from plantations, rushed and uniform, simply does not compare.

But plantations demand commitment. You need land, seedlings, time, and care. Forests ask for nothing. They are ready-made fortune. And that is the problem. The very convenience that draws people in is the same thing that empties the land. When the trees disappear, the money disappears with them. The business collapses not because it was unprofitable, but because it consumed the source it depended on. 

Illustration: private collection

The Ancestors’ Trees

Thousands of kilometers away, in the mountains of Tajikistan, there are trees that have watched generations rise and fall. Mulberries and junipers that have lived longer than recorded history. They stand there because the people who live among them, particularly Folk Tajik Faith believers, believe these trees are sacred. To them, a tree is not timber. It is a home for ancestors, a guardian of the village, a witness to every human joy and misfortune.

Walk through a village on a quiet afternoon and you may see pieces of cloth tied to a branch. Each cloth carries a story. Someone battling illness. Someone grieving. Someone hoping for a change in luck. Outsiders might call it superstition. But for the people who live here, this is a conversation with the world that holds them.

What their ancestors understood long before science put it into textbooks is that these trees do more than stand tall. Their roots grip the mountain soil and keep the land from crumbling. They stop landslides. They hold back mud floods during storms. They protect riverbanks from erosion. They secure the water that families depend on. Mulberry trees even help clean the dusty air that blows through the region.

The rituals may seem spiritual, but the wisdom behind them is practical. Reverence saved forests that would otherwise be gone.

When Belief Becomes Protection

Nature’s wealth is seductive. A forest can look like a pile of money waiting to be claimed. If someone tells you that you can earn tens of thousands of dollars by cutting it down, the temptation is real. Yet money today does not stretch the way it used to. One dollar or a hundred dollars can vanish with the same speed.

Tajikistan faces the same deforestation pressures that hit tropical countries. The government cannot fight it alone, so it turns to the very communities who still hold the old beliefs. Their sense of responsibility comes not from law or policy, but from spirituality. They protect trees not because they are told to, but because they feel bound to them.

Modern life is pulling young people away from these traditions. Still, the guardians from the Folk Tajik Faith keep going. They continue to tend the trees, watch the forests, and protect what they can. They understand something simple: the quick profit from cutting a tree is nothing compared to the quiet disaster that follows after it is gone. (dswas)