Moving On Amid the Stagflation Stalemate

The UK House of Commons was stunned when Conservative politician and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Iain Macleod spoke about stagflation before the House on 17 November 1965. Britain’s financial sector also rejected Macleod’s argument, unable to believe that inflation and economic stagnation could occur at the same time.

“We now have the worst of both worlds—not just inflation on the one hand or stagnation on the other. We have both at the same time,” he said.

The government and the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, James Callaghan, dismissed Macleod’s view. Economic thinking in the 1960s and 1970s held that unemployment and stagnation could not possibly occur together. Macleod was thought to be deluding himself. British economists of the day believed that the economy could balance itself out as long as the government managed prices and incomes.

The problem was that economists in the 1960s and 1970s had overlooked one crucial factor: human desire. In theory, people and governments everywhere could weather a period of inflation safely and eventually achieve economic stability. There was just one condition: they had to be willing to embrace the “new normal” wholeheartedly.

By the “new normal,” I mean lowering an already elevated standard of living by cutting back on spending. Ordinary people might not find it particularly difficult to start doing this. But what about government officials and members of the British royal family? Could they lower their standard of living—for example, by going from eating three meals a day to just two?

Illustration: Srigading Temple, Lawang, Malang. 

“Go, and Don’t Come Back”

Traditional communities around the world follow customs that may seem strange at first glance to us modern people. One thing worth knowing is that they hold firmly to a principle that remains with them to this day: once someone has died, they cannot come back to life.

Communities that follow the Siberian Native Faith bury their dead on mountain peaks or deep in the forest. Some nomadic Siberian tribes even move on when one of their members dies. They leave the body far behind, signaling their willingness to let the deceased go and their desire not to have the departed come looking for them.

These people, whom we might consider primitive, seem to have understood that decomposing bodies produce fluids and bacteria that can be hazardous to health. Soil and groundwater can become contaminated if a body or burial site is not kept at a safe distance.

It is therefore reasonable that some sources describe Siberian Native Faith communities as treating burial grounds as forbidden areas. No activities are permitted there, which is why they build neither sacred sites nor places of worship in cemeteries. They certainly do not build homes there. And it turns out the reason has nothing to do with being afraid of cemetery ghosts.

Coming Out of a “Coma”

For many people, stagflation is a state of coma in the truest sense of the word. Just imagine: opportunities to earn an income keep shrinking as the cost of living shoots sky-high, with no telling when it will come back down. There is little we can do to break out of that situation. We are stuck. Only hunger and thirst can force us to keep breathing and moving.

If we think of stagflation as someone who has died, then all we can do is accept reality. Deluding ourselves into believing that the deceased will return someday is no different from pretending that our economic situation is just fine. (dswas)

How to Face the ‘Apocalypse’

The turmoil in the economic and financial sectors shows no sign of abating, while nature is baring its teeth through one disaster after another: outbreaks, earthquakes, flash floods, droughts, and fires. The picture is complete.

With so many challenges confronting humanity throughout 2026 so far, some people have begun to wonder, “Is the apocalypse really near?” Others ask, “Is this the end of the world?”

If it is, I suspect quite a few people will welcome it with joy. Yes, you read that right. We may never know who belongs to this group. It could even be someone close to us: a relative, a coworker, a neighbor, or perhaps a stranger sitting beside us on the commuter train.

Millions of people around the world can only shake their heads as they watch the antics of prominent figures, all while being bombarded with one piece of bad news after another about the state of the natural world in every corner of the globe. An acquaintance of mine explained that things have become far too dire to fix.

Even if someone were willing to try, those taking the initiative might not know where to begin. Should we start by changing the human mindset or by repairing the world around us? Both have been so badly damaged that razing everything to the ground seems like the only solution. How true is that? 

Illustration: Sumur Windu Kendedes, Polowijen, Malang

The Apocalypse goes round and round

Like many people who follow traditional belief systems, the Siberian Native Faith community does not believe in a Day of Judgment. Time keeps turning, and so does existence. Neither moves in a straight line toward a final endpoint; instead, both follow a cycle that keeps turning.

Consider the offerings they leave by rivers or in forests. For a day or two, the food or flowers still look fresh. By the next day, they begin to decay, eventually returning to the earth. However, the offering itself isn't the last one.  

Disasters and the many hardships that arise from disharmony are accepted sincerely. This does not mean they are too lazy to make an effort, or that they simply surrender to fate and are suicidal.

There was, indeed, a dark period when suicide rates rose among Siberia’s Indigenous communities. This painful time came not long after they began encountering ideas from outside their region. I see it as a kind of culture shock.

Outside influences cannot be avoided, even when people make a determined effort to isolate themselves. The only way forward, then, is to build new ‘cells’ strong enough to help them find balance amid those external influences. It is certainly not easy, especially since individuals within the community vary in their capacities.

Yet the Siberian Native Faith community sees this as the only way to face the apocalypse, understood here as an extraordinarily catastrophic event. One terrible event ends, only for another to follow, again and again. There will always be something worse than what came before. They do not demand an answer to the question, “Why does the apocalypse happen?” What they need is concrete action.

Life is ‘beautiful’

It may sound clichéd, but it’s true, isn’t it? Preparing for the End Times is necessary, because we are encouraged to be ready for all kinds of possibilities. We choose to prepare for the worst because we have hoped too often, only to be disappointed. As a result, we tend to fear the Apocalypse, the End, Doomsday, you name it.

As the saying goes, the future takes shape according to our mindset. If we allow ourselves to be ruled by fear of what lies ahead, then we shouldn’t be surprised by the world we find ourselves living in today. (dswas).

Economic Hardship Leaves No Room for Loneliness. Is That Really True?

Loneliness: being alone, with no one to love you or care about you ... I guarantee you won’t feel it if you’re willing to live in Indonesia, especially in its outskirts or rural areas, on any island or in any city.

It’s not because Indonesians are friendly and kind. No. It’s not because we enjoy helping others or neighbors who are going through hard times. Nor is it because we have a tradition of working together for the common good. Is it because we believe everyone is equal, rich or poor? Ah, probably not that either.

As the media have reported, Indonesia’s name has suddenly made headlines around the world because of forest fires in several regions, threatening the lives of people, animals, and plants in the affected areas.

That doesn’t mean areas untouched by forest fires are free of problems. If it isn’t flooding, people have to get used to scorching weather day and night, leading to drought and water shortages. They also have to contend with global stagflation, which drives up prices across the board while jobs remain scarce.

This pileup of problems, rooted in economic hardship, forces people to focus more closely on their work and on how they spend what they earn. Those who are single focus on surviving, while those with families focus on keeping their families afloat.

For most people living in these circumstances, time seems to pass too quickly. Morning is over in a flash, and night arrives before they know it, while the money they earn still isn’t enough to cover their needs. They simply have no time to feel lonely.

Illustration: Mount Arjuno view in Sumber Kalimangun, Randuagung, Malang. 

A Legacy of Sorrow

From the perspective of Indigenous Siberian beliefs, loneliness does not arise only when the need for love and affection goes unmet. For these communities, moving to a place with a milder climate and more comfortable temperatures does not automatically bring them closer to their hopes for a better, more civilized life.

Their elders carried a sense of loss when they were forced to obey bans on practicing their Indigenous rituals in their new home. They were unable to reject the new rules, not because they lacked the courage to resist, but because the people closest to them—their neighbors, relatives, and family members—had already become convinced, for a host of reasons, that their ancestral beliefs were something to leave behind.

The elders of Indigenous Siberian communities kept their homesickness firmly hidden as a way of supporting the younger generations, who hoped for a brighter future. Yet this emotional burden shaped their everyday behavior, including the way they interacted with their children and grandchildren.

This is how loneliness, that hard-to-explain melancholy, was passed down through several generations. It was more than the loss of identity that came when a community chose to be “born again” by abandoning its old beliefs.

 

Free from Loneliness

The Russian government’s recognition of Siberia’s traditional peoples was one factor that encouraged them to rebuild their sense of identity and find their way back to the ancestral wisdom they had long left behind.

Today, they no longer fear leaving offerings at the edge of a forest or beneath a tree. They no longer worry about visitors asking about offerings placed in the living room or on the dining table. Nor do they have to fear the suspicion of people who do not share their beliefs when they leave offerings in public places.

They are no longer anxious about facing any form of punishment in the afterlife, either. The offerings they present are not an act of defiance against, or a rejection of, the Creator of the universe. So why should they be afraid? (dswas). 

Staying Safe and Secure When El Niño Strikes

Literally, El Niño means ‘the little boy.’ Some might think Fernando Torres is the only footballer in history who truly earned the nickname, thanks to his remarkable ability on the pitch. It was this ability that saw him become the youngest captain of Atlético Madrid in his era, taking on the role at just 19.

When he was promoted to Atlético’s senior team, Torres was only 16. His teammates initially doubted him because of his innocent, boyish appearance. They did not think much of his name, and so they all called him ‘the little boy.’

Being underestimated did not intimidate the young Torres. He did not even leave the club where he had discovered football at the age of 11, despite Atlético Madrid’s relegation to the second division in May 2000.

That major setback was preceded by a leadership crisis within the club, which had won the La Liga and Copa del Rey double in 1996. The crisis led to the departure of top and senior players. Relegation then eroded the confidence of sponsors, leaving the club unable to buy or afford to pay high-caliber players.

This was why Torres was given the captain’s armband and the right to lead players older than himself. Financial limitations had placed him in the position of team captain, because the club could only rely on players who had come through its own football academy.

Torres’s name rose to prominence because his ability was considered above average compared with his peers at the time. He became the only Atlético academy graduate to be named FIFA Player of the Year (2008), and he finished third in the Ballon d’Or that same year.

Illustration: Full moon at Mulyoagung, Dau, Malang. 

The ‘Blessing’ of Nature’s Imbalance

Looking at Torres’s story above, it is only human to imagine that El Niño in the Pacific, which is forecast to continue into early 2027, might also eventually have its own happy ending.

As a weather phenomenon, El Niño refers to a sudden rise in sea-surface temperatures that affects weather patterns across surrounding regions. According to scientists, the rise in sea-surface temperatures itself can be caused by various factors, particularly human activities involving the use of natural resources.

The town where I have lived with my family since childhood is among the areas hit quite hard by El Niño. Not far from our home, rice fields have dried up and residents’ wells have begun to run out of water. The days feel intensely hot, and quite a few people have started falling ill.

Some of the people I met were not surprised by the situation. The exploitation of nature in our town has indeed continued to increase over the past several years. The consequences were bound to come, sooner or later. Quietly, they had already imagined what could happen to their town if the brakes on exploitation ever failed.

We see the arrival of El Niño as a reminder to be more careful in the way we treat nature, and to once again acknowledge the trees, springs, and certain places that were once regarded as sacred.

That acknowledgment takes the form of offering ritual offerings according to the customs practiced at those locations. It is an act that symbolizes humility and an apology to the natural world for the arbitrary ways in which we have treated it.

It is true that not many people think this way. Yet suddenly becoming aware of our mistakes can itself be a ‘blessing’ that may save us from greater harm in the future.

We cannot undo the consequences of a mistake in making a decision, nor can we ask the Creator to erase that mistake as though it had never happened. (dswas).

A Surefire Way to Let Go of Resentment Toward Our Ancestors

On December 26, 1991, around 30 million ethnic Russians suddenly found themselves citizens of foreign countries, just a fraction of a second after the Soviet flag was lowered forever. A political agreement had stripped them of the privileges they had enjoyed as citizens of the “motherland,” not a war or an uprising.

Around 30 million Russians were living in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and the Baltic states when the lowering of the Soviet hammer-and-sickle flag was broadcast on television. They lived in countries that would now be known as former Soviet republics, territories that had previously been required to set aside their local identities in favor of a single official identity.

Many of the conflicts in Eastern Europe today are, to a large extent, the result of small, long-smoldering tensions between the Russian diaspora and local populations in the former Soviet republics. Local communities carry deep trauma from various state policies once imposed by the government that had supported them and has since dissolved. Meanwhile, Russian immigrants see their circumstances as the consequence of policies made by people who were supposed to protect and look after them.

The people of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and, of course, Ukraine are still struggling to rediscover identities that were once lost. At the same time, members of the Russian diaspora living in these countries are also struggling to adapt to their governments’ efforts to move beyond the Soviet shadow. Among other things, this has meant no longer using Russian as an official language.

Illustration: A kapok tree in Situs Tejosari, Singosari, Malang. 

The end is the beginning

Parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, forebears, ancestors … All these words have essentially the same literal meaning in context: people who existed or were born before us, people who, by chance, are the reason you are here today, reading my blog.

Because they were ordinary human beings just like us, we are sometimes left puzzled by the actions they took and the decisions they made. This happens because they and we lived in different eras, shaped by different challenges and circumstances.

Indigenous Siberian communities saw the end of the Soviet era as a moment to “return to factory settings,” a moment to rebuild. Knowledge passed down from their ancestors was once again studied by younger generations of Siberia, a generation that began encountering the modern world after the Soviet government built schools across Siberia during its heyday.

Without the government assistance they had routinely received from the Soviet Union from the 1950s through the 1980s, Indigenous Siberian communities experienced economic hardship that led to depression and even an increase in suicide cases.

The Russian Federation, established following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, subsequently enacted a republican law in the spring of 1992, providing the basis for the establishment of several autonomous republics. The Sakha (Yakutia) Republic was one of them. This new republic would go on to encompass several Indigenous Siberian peoples and remains home to them today.

This was the moment that became a reset point for many Indigenous Siberian communities, giving them an opportunity to rebuild the local wisdom and ancestral values they had long abandoned.

Something to hold on to

By continuing traditional practices, such as leaving offerings in forests, rivers, or along the seashore, followers of Indigenous Siberian Faith maintain their connection to their origins, to the point where their existence began.

Political and economic upheaval can certainly be a shock to them, just as it is to every ethnic group anywhere in the world. That is why we all need something to hold on to, so that we do not fall when hard shocks come our way. And if falling is unavoidable, at least we may come away with a few bruises rather than serious injuries.  (dswas)

Littering = An Unhealthy Mindset, Why?

I will not apologize if the title above sounds too harsh to you, because this is the reality.

Whether due to a lack of waste disposal facilities or an inability to pay sanitation fees, rivers, springs, and open fields are used as dumping grounds by some people. The bad news is that there are quite a lot of them.

If only the things we used every day were also made from materials that decomposed easily, waste might not be such a major problem. The landslide of garbage that caused fatalities at a landfill in Indonesia some time ago sounded surreal.

On the other hand, some people try to deal with accumulating waste by burning it. A decision that ultimately has the potential to invite fire hazards and respiratory problems.

I believe most of us already know about the waste problem and have been equipped with enough information about it. Yet the urge to get rid of the unpleasant thing called waste as quickly as possible seems to be too strong.

Some of the situations mentioned above show our tendency to seek the easiest way out, even when that method is discouraged and repeatedly condemned as harmful. So where does all that knowledge disappear when we are faced with waste that needs to disappear simply because we do not want our comfort disturbed?

Illustration: Mount Arjuna's scenic view, Dau, Malang.

A Lost Soul

By now, I think you may have a slightly better understanding of why I consider littering, or destroying waste through easy but dangerous methods, to be a mild symptom that something is not going right within us.

Insisting on doing something that contradicts what we know indicates a long-standing conflict within ourselves. An inner contradiction that we cannot resolve, yet one that manifests itself in our everyday behavior.

The medical world refers to such conditions as depression, schizophrenia, stress, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and so on. Such states of mental health are also familiar to followers of Indigenous Siberian Faith.

From their perspective, a tragic and traumatic event has taken away the sufferer's happiness forever. The sufferer is aware of what they are feeling, but the shock is so overwhelming that their soul refuses to return.

The trigger for depression itself usually begins with violations of social norms and unwritten rules, or with excessive exploitation of nature. Seeing a polluted river or a burned forest, for example, can create deep distress that gradually erodes one's sense of calm and peace.

Preparing offerings to present to one's ancestors is considered one way to overcome these negative feelings. The sufferer trains themselves to regain their spirit through the loving and sincere act of arranging the offerings.

Breaking the ‘Vicious Cycle’

If a dirty river makes us feel uncomfortable, then why—or what lies behind—the decision to throw waste into a river in the first place? When our feelings become negative because of someone else's actions carried out in public, why do we end up doing the same thing ourselves?

These are just a few of the questions that should arise in our minds before the damage spreads and its consequences grow.

As someone who has experienced mental health problems in the past, I assure you that the best medicine comes from our own determination to rise again. The winding roads and wrong turns are indeed things we must—and will—face as consequences of the mistakes we made in earlier phases of our lives. (dswas). 

Preparing for a Prolonged Dry Season and Extended Rains

“Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone” by Cinderella is surely familiar to those who were teenagers in the ’80s and ’90s and whose hair is now beginning to turn gray. British rock critics at the time described this rock ballad as not really a rock song at all, but rather the slogan of a well-known soft drink brand.

Other British critics poked fun at its vocalist and songwriter, Tom Keifer, suggesting that he sang in a husky voice because he was exhausted and needed a rest.

I predict that this song will become a favorite again in the near future, accompanying our realization of the many things that have disappeared, or are about to disappear, from our lives. Things that were once present, ordinary, and unremarkable, until they are suddenly gone from our everyday lives. Water and sunlight, for example.

Some time ago, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that the El Niño phenomenon, characterized by hot and dry conditions accompanied by strong winds, would continue across much of Southeast Asia until early 2027. During the same period, the Americas are experiencing high rainfall with the potential for flash flooding.

Rain, or heat, which we normally blame for showing up uninvited while we are going about our activities, can suddenly disappear for a long period, depending on where you live. Science has succeeded in uncovering the various factors behind these conditions, but it has yet to formulate a sure-fire way to put an end to such anomalies. 

Illustration: Kapok tree amidst smog in Singosari, Malang.

Training Ourselves to Stay Alert

When a trader suffers a loss, they will do whatever they can to close the gaps in their books. Weather, however, is not as tangible as money or other physical things. Humanity’s ability to manipulate weather through its activities accounts for only 10%. The remaining 90% depends on the dynamics of nature.

The Siberian Native Faith believers have understood this for a long time. They live amid nature in a moody state, sometimes friendly and sometimes not. Yet they do not abandon the bone-chilling Siberian wilderness, because their ancestors taught them how to survive.

The offerings they prepare according to the customs of their respective belief systems are not intended as “bribes” to persuade some unseen supernatural force to help them. Nor are they meant to coax the sun into suddenly appearing and providing warmth.

To prepare an offering, the person making it sacrifices time, energy, and material resources that could otherwise be used for something else. Not to mention the pile of waste left behind once the offering has dried out or decomposed.

Isn’t it irrational to offer a cup of coffee or vodka to someone who cannot even be seen physically?

For Siberian Native Faith communities, the practice of making an offering when entering the forest to hunt, or before fishing in the waters, is an expression of humility made tangible.

Those who venture into the wilderness with humility have a better chance of returning home safely. Why? A humble person’s state of mind tends to remain steady and calm, so panic or hysteria is less likely to arise when they encounter the unexpected.

Acceptance

“What if we run out of drinking water?” “Where will we run if a flood comes?” and many similar questions may arise in our minds following the WMO’s official announcement above. I consider this perfectly natural, because no one is comfortable living with uncertainty.

This is where psychological maturity can become a source of protection for you and your family. It is a kind of “acceptance” of the conclusion that not everything in the real world will go according to our wishes. (dswas)

How to Deal with Excessive Exploitation of Nature

As a stubborn person who has made plenty of mistakes that ended in regret, I admit that this trait does not always bring blessings. People who stubbornly seek to justify actions that threaten, let alone take, the lives of many others are not exactly what you would call “nice.”

The flash flood in the Himalayas along the Nepal-Tibet border adds to the string of disasters that have struck throughout 2026. Thousands of local residents and tourists are still reported missing. Among them are thousands of workers involved in the construction of around 27 hydropower plants, all of which were affected by the disaster, although the extent of the damage may vary.

With a land area of less than 150,000 square kilometers and a population of 30 million, Nepal’s 27 hydropower plants, along with its other power-generation facilities, are capable of supplying more than enough electricity. It is therefore no surprise that Nepal is able to export the energy it produces to neighboring countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Tibet.

Details surrounding these 27 ill-fated hydropower plants remain unclear, including information about the investors and the nationalities of workers who are still trapped, missing, or dead. What is clear is that this disaster in late August 2026 has inevitably raised concerns among those who still care about the sustainability of the natural environment surrounding hydropower and geothermal power projects in various places.

Illustration: Mata Air Pakis Suceng, Singosari, Malang.

Building a “Fortress”

From the perspective of Indigenous believers in various parts of the world, conflict with nature in the form of major disasters can be prevented if people adopt a way of life based on taking and using only what they need.

Yet their beliefs are often dismissed as non-religious and stigmatized as cults. There is one reason for this: the values and rules within their belief systems stand in the way of those who seek to exploit their living spaces. Forests, rivers, seas, mountains … Almost no part of the natural environment where Indigenous communities live has been left untouched by exploitation.

The people who practice the Indigenous beliefs of Siberia have long been accustomed to facing an unforgiving natural environment. They have long accepted the reality that not everyone has good intentions. They are also accustomed to dealing with the consequences of someone else’s ill intentions.

One of their customary practices is to leave offerings in places where they are about to do something (in the forest before hunting, or in rivers and the sea before fishing). To some extent, this has helped them prepare for any possibility, including the worst.

Leaving offerings is an expression of respect for everything around them, an explicit acknowledgment, consciously made, that they know they are not alone.

In everyday life, this attitude can help keep us from falling into extreme panic, hysteria, or excessive anger when faced with something unexpected. Negative reactions to negative circumstances can sometimes be more dangerous than the event that triggered them in the first place.

There Is Always a Way Out 

Natural disasters caused by unmanaged exploitation of nature are not a new phenomenon. Similar events recur every year and can happen anywhere. All of this is beyond our control, because perhaps the people responsible are simply in desperate need of money.

With an understanding of this reality, we can build a shield against negative emotions when responding to the actions of people like them. Without negative emotions, and with minds that remain clear, dead ends will no longer find their way into our lives. (dswas)

May the Road Never Run Out

The annual Dota 2 esports extravaganza, The International (TI), was held in Shanghai, China, from August 20–23 this year. Contrary to expectations, the Chinese esports teams that had dominated the scene some 10–14 years ago performed poorly, failing even to advance from the group stage of a tournament featuring teams from around the world.

Several esports observers noted that the Chinese teams were still relying on virtually the same players who had competed during the 2012–2016 era, when they were champions. Now in their thirties, those players were no longer at their physical and competitive peak, and their fighting spirit had declined sharply.

Uniquely, the Eastern European teams, dominated by players from Russia and Ukraine, are now on fire. For the first time in TI history, this year’s final brought together two Eastern European teams: Team Vision and Team Yandex, both featuring Russian and Ukrainian players.

Team Yandex also included players from several other Eastern European countries, including Kazakhstan and North Macedonia.

Esports enthusiasts, especially Dota 2 fans, have been left in awe of the achievements of the CIS/EEU teams, which were still regarded as underdogs only a few years ago.

Natus Vincere (Na’Vi) of Ukraine was crowned the winner of the inaugural TI, held in 2011. After 2013, however, the performance of Eastern European teams at TI declined dramatically, and they were eventually displaced by the dominance of Chinese teams.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021, when students around the world were required to study from home, was used by veteran Russian and Ukrainian esports players to recruit and train young talent. Those young players are now being celebrated as the new generation of Dota 2 champions. 

Illustration: Sumber Waras, Lawang, Malang.

Ambition is not the only determinant of success

Nothing hurts more than falling from the position of champion and becoming a loser. Unlike prisoners, who know when they will eventually regain their freedom, losers never know for certain how long they will carry that label, whether for a short while or for decades.

Feelings of shame and humiliation often arise not because of comments from the public or the media, but from the voices inside our own heads. From the perspective of Siberian Native Faith, such a situation occurs when a “gap” opens within a person after they have violated customary rules, neglected spiritual practices, or wronged another person.

That “gap” prevents them from seeing a way out when trouble strikes. It is like the Earth being eclipsed: suddenly, everything becomes dark in the middle of a bright day.

A defeat in a situation that should be accepted with grace can instead become a burden that must be removed as quickly as possible, by any means necessary. Rather than finding their way back to a comfort zone, many who feel like losers only sink deeper into the darkness of their own emotional state.

Change takes courage

The first generation of Eastern European teams (Na’Vi and others) became known for a style of play built on the courage to push deep into enemy territory. Yet that style gradually became less effective once their rivals at TI discovered their weaknesses.

Indeed, much like football players, the Eastern European players of the previous generation (2017–2019), particularly the Russians, tended to become emotional when under pressure.

Team Spirit became the first Eastern European esports team to bring in a sports psychologist to help calm its players after intense matches. They also recruited coach Airat Gaziev (Silent), whose calm personality enabled him to keep his players disciplined without unnecessary drama.

Once again, the 2020 pandemic, when activities around the world came to a standstill, became a turning point that inspired the people behind Team Spirit to reflect. They looked back at the past, identified a fatal mistake, and acknowledged it. Only then did the eclipse suddenly end, and the Earth became bright once again.

As a result, the team went on to win TI in 2021 and 2023. (dswas)

Remedies for Despair

Thousands of people, young and old, leave their hometowns in droves for cities or developed countries, driven by a single goal: to seek a better livelihood.

Armed with the knowledge and capital provided by their families, these people make the biggest gamble of their lives. They give up their claims to the land of their birth in order to pursue growth and a more liberated life, free from the depths of hardship.

In the past, being “down and out” meant being genuinely unable to move or do anything because of illness or a physical condition. These days, however, even people who are physically fit and healthy can feel down and defeated for all sorts of reasons.

From a psychological perspective, people in such situations are experiencing stress or mental distress. They are given sedatives to ease the feeling of being overwhelmed, only for it to return once the effects of the medication wear off a few hours later.

Those suffering from the same condition who cannot afford prescription sedatives may turn to a “generic drug” prohibited by law: narcotics. This helps us understand why despair is so toxic, both to ourselves and to the people around us.

Illustration: A serut tree in Situs Yono Hujung, Singosari, Malang.

Despair is contagious

Followers of Indigenous Siberian Faith do not rely solely on positive thinking as a remedy for despair. Physical action is also necessary to stimulate the growth of energy within a person’s mind, an energy that can eventually displace feelings of defeat and prevent them from spreading.

Giving up before making an effort, falling into despair, and self-pity are forbidden within Siberian Native Faith communities. Such attitudes do nothing to help a person survive amid Siberia’s extreme geography and climate—temperatures far below zero, with blocks of ice everywhere.

Community harmony can also be disrupted when a person’s ego causes them to focus too much on themselves and their own “world.” Moreover, despair is regarded as an insult to the Creator, who has endowed human beings with wisdom.

The community elders or the person’s neighbors will try to draw them out of their isolation by inviting them to gather with others. There, they may watch a small traditional performance featuring songs that recount the lives of their ancestors. These stories are somewhat like films today: exaggerated at times, yet filled with moral lessons about overcoming despair.

A person experiencing despair in such a community may also be required to visit sacred trees in remote places. In addition to leaving offerings, they tie a small piece of cloth to the tree while expressing an intention to rise again. Is the purpose of this ritual to summon supernatural forces to come and help them?

'A secret op'

From a medical perspective, a lack of physical activity, such as exercise, has negative effects not only on physical health but also on mental well-being. While modern people “love nature” by conquering the highest mountain peaks on earth, ancient people found inner clarity by walking through the wilderness.

Long ago, when trees were still abundant, the strength of their roots and trunks, visible everywhere, reminded people to remain steadfast through all kinds of weather and hardship. Today, trees must be protected from the forces that invoke development as their justification, sometimes by wrapping cloth around them.

Of course, everyone has their own way of rekindling their spirit and overcoming despair. It would be far better if we could eliminate such feelings as quickly as possible through a secret operation that no one else knows about. (dswas)

Stagnation: A Natural State That Calls for Resolution

Endlessly exhausted? Work that never seems to move forward, yet never truly falls apart? Life feeling emptier with each passing day? If you recognize one or all of these signs, you may be experiencing what we call stagnation: a standstill in life's journey, where it is impossible to tell whether the pause is only temporary or destined to last.

Like many others, I have experienced it myself. It was not numbness or emotional freezing, but being stuck, unable to see what to do next to escape a situation that felt suffocating. Spending millions on shopping or travel could not shake the feeling of being trapped in what, at the time, seemed like an invisible prison. Working relentlessly only to earn enough to pay off debt, for example, only deepened that sense of entrapment.

In my own case, these delusions usually emerged after days or weeks of anger, envy, and resentment toward other people, including relatives. It felt as though hell had arrived long before I left this earthly life. Those were the moments when I unconsciously acted as if the world belonged only to me and everyone else was merely "tenants".

Illustration: Giant banyan tree in Punden Dusun Krajan, Dau, Batu.

No time for miracles

As painful as it is, stagnation is not a new "illness" to the world's many Indigenous beliefs. Difficult times can arise at any moment, something I have written about repeatedly. There is always a way forward, but for many reasons not all of us are able to see it. Sometimes the obstacle lies in circumstances beyond our control. At other times, it is the result of imbalances created by our own choices.

From the perspective of the Indigenous Siberian Faith, it is never too late to break free from the stagnation that grips an individual or an entire community. The intention to rise again and begin anew must be expressed through action, and presenting offerings is one of the primary ways practitioners embody that intention. For those who follow this path, the practice also helps cultivate character and resilience, both individually and collectively.

For most people, the mysterious and difficult-to-prove aspects of offerings attract the greatest attention. That is understandable. Many of us long for a miracle that can erase life's problems quickly and without much hardship.

Followers of the Indigenous Siberian faith have little time to speculate about miracles or wonder what kind of offering might please unseen powers enough to invite their help. For centuries, these related peoples have focused instead on finding practical ways to survive in one of the world's harshest climates. Such conditions demand clear thinking rather than wishful imagination, and disciplined judgment rather than impulse.

The journey to "surrender"

The idea of accepting reality as it is has often been condemned by modern societies, dismissed as a "comfort zone" that stands in the way of progress. Four, five, or even ten years ago, I probably would have agreed. Yet today, the world has unexpectedly returned to its own form of stagnation because many people hesitate to lower their standards of living. They remain stagnant while insisting, "We're doing just fine."

Until they recognize what is happening, that condition is likely to persist for an unknown length of time. The good news is that we do not have to remain there if we are willing to embrace approaches that have stood the test of time. (dswas) 

Defeat and Consolation

Each team eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will receive roughly US$9 million in prize money from FIFA. Teams reaching the Round of 32 will earn US$11 million, the Round of 16 US$15 million, the quarterfinals US$19 million, fourth place US$27 million, third place US$29 million, runners-up US$33 million, and the champions US$50 million.

So why do we see grown men on the football pitch in tears when they are forced to accept defeat and elimination? Clearly, they are not mourning the loss of prize money. Nor are they simply worried about losing their jobs, as around twenty World Cup players secured new contracts before the tournament even ended. They are striving for something far greater and more valuable than money, yet they fall short of attaining it.

From my perspective as a football fan, those tears are not merely the result of physical exhaustion after ninety relentless minutes on the pitch. They come from a deep sense of disappointment, knowing they must begin again from scratch over the next four years: preparing, rebuilding squads and coaching staff, qualifying once more, and repeating the entire journey. 

Illustration: An evening on the Cor Jesu's yard.

"Every Storm Passes"

People who follow indigenous belief systems often lead simple daily lives, and they apply the same outlook when facing defeat, loss, hardship, or misfortune. Followers of Siberian Indigenous Faith see such experiences as temporary rather than permanent, encouraging people to move beyond discomfort instead of remaining trapped within it.

The offerings they present while recovering from the shock of failure are meant to bring their awareness back to the present moment. They are not intended to persuade unseen spirits or mysterious forces to perform miracles that instantly reverse their circumstances. After all, human beings are not passive entities; they possess the freedom to shape and make use of the natural world.

For Siberian communities that have survived generations in a harsh environment, failure and adversity are integral to their spirituality. Returning home without meat or fish is not interpreted as nature's punishment, but as an ordinary possibility that can happen to anyone.

An excessive emotional reaction is not considered a solution, nor is making offerings while one's heart is unsettled. Spiritual confusion is believed to arise easily in such moments, so individuals are expected to resolve their inner turmoil before engaging in acts of worship. Ultimately, no one else can heal that inner wound for them.

Consolation is around the corner

In football, as in many other sports, the cure for the sadness of defeat is to rise, try again, and keep going until success comes. Of course, many athletes and footballers eventually accept their circumstances, retiring because age catches up with them before the achievements they dreamed of ever arrive. Yet many others move beyond disappointment and discover new opportunities they never expected.

Social media has opened entirely new careers for many legendary footballers from the 1990s and early 2000s. Ironically, rivals who once battled fiercely on the pitch often become close friends later in life, enjoying renewed popularity through podcasts where they laugh together at the youthful antics that once defined them. (dswas).

How to Put Out the Flames of Conflict

When two stones rub against each other, they can produce tiny sparks. In much the same way, a disagreement can grow into a major conflict when two stubborn people refuse to give ground. We don't have to look far to find examples. Situations like this are all around us, even as news from battlefields across the world streams to our phones around the clock.

With no clear end in sight to the global inflation crisis, many people have been left feeling defeated, as though they have lost the stability and comfort they once took for granted. At the same time, the shift from communal living toward a more individualistic way of life has left many facing their anxieties alone, an experience that is both deeply uncomfortable and emotionally draining.

In response, many seek relief by trying to win smaller, more manageable battles. It is not because they see themselves as warriors destined for victory, but because they hope that winning one conflict might somehow make up for losses suffered elsewhere, even when those situations have nothing to do with each other.

This is why even the smallest disagreements can be so difficult to extinguish. There always seem to be people nursing a sense of defeat who return to fan the embers of a fading conflict until it flares up once again. We may not be able to change people like this, but we can reduce the damage caused by their constant need to find victory in every circumstance.

Illustration: One afternoon in Singosari, Malang.

Letting Go of Personal Ambition Is Never Easy

Today, being part of a close-knit community is often seen as giving up personal freedom. Living together requires us to restrain many of our impulses in order to preserve balance, between ourselves and nature, within our own communities, and between different communities. Yet the one thing that should be freed is our ability to govern ourselves and work together, even without a central authority standing above everyone else.

Among followers of the Tuvan Indigenous Faith believers in Southern Siberia, happiness is not viewed as the pursuit of personal ambition. Instead, it is understood as the result of continually nurturing harmony and balance within the community. Ritual offerings made to trees, mountains, the sea, and animals are not merely acts of worship. They are a way of recognizing the humanity of the natural world, a tradition established by their ancestors to teach future generations to care for the environment with respect and responsibility.

Leaders within Tuvan communities step forward only when their guidance is needed. Unless they are asked to intervene, they tend to observe quietly rather than interfere. Excessive involvement discourages people from taking initiative and learning to make decisions that allow both the community and the surrounding environment to exist in harmony. A true leader does not seek wealth or public recognition, because hidden motives inevitably reveal themselves when the community they lead fails to achieve well-being and happiness.

Perfection Is Only a Myth

No matter who makes the claim, we should be skeptical of anything presented as perfect. Nothing in this world is perfect, whether we like it or not. An idea deserves to be called "right" only if it genuinely contributes to the well-being and happiness of society as a whole.

When we stop measuring ourselves against impossible standards of perfection, our sense of inadequacy begins to fade, even if we cannot yet confidently say that we are truly happy.

Conflicts, along with the small sparks that can ignite them, will eventually die out on their own when we no longer feel the need to prove to others that our arguments are the only ones that are right. (dswas)

How to Deal with Malicious Intent

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” This proverb can also be interpreted more freely: people with bad intentions often hide their true motives behind smiles, sweet words, praise, charm, and apparent kindness. They smile to your face while holding a dagger behind their back. This is not meant to frighten you, but it is always wise to stay aware and vigilant.

In today’s global, multidimensional crisis, many people try to soothe the pain of economic hardship by indulging in beauty that offers immediate sensory pleasure. That beauty is often artificial and does not always reflect reality. For example, we are usually more drawn to someone who speaks eloquently than to someone who is reserved, even if the latter is more genuine.

Most of us have experienced the bitter irony of being deceived by someone we considered close: a friend, a trusted colleague, or a confidant. As one of my friends once said, nothing compares to the pain of being stabbed in the back by someone you trusted. However, seeking revenge or wishing hell upon them does nothing to ease the disappointment. 

Illustration: Mulyoagung, Dau, Malang. 

Keeping the Mind Clean

Kendedes Swimming Pool in Singosari, Malang, is where my children practically grew up. One day I noticed a banner encouraging visitors to maintain cleanliness hanging near a shrine area on the western side of the complex, a place that is also a little-known historical site.

For followers of the Indigenous Siberian Faith, keeping the mind clean is just as important as maintaining personal hygiene and caring for the environment. In the harsh Siberian climate, survival depends on cooperation. If even one member harbors jealousy, resentment, anger, greed, or other destructive emotions, the entire community may suffer.

Because mental cleanliness is a personal responsibility, believers are expected to remain aware of their own emotional state. The first signs of malicious intent are seen as evidence that the soul is weakening. When such thoughts arise, they symbolically sacrifice a small offering by putting it into a fire.

The offering represents negative emotions, which are destroyed before they have the chance to grow into harmful intentions. Siberian Indigenous Faith children are taught to eliminate unkind thoughts as early as possible because recurring malicious intent is regarded as a sign of a spiritually unhealthy mind.

Malicious Intent Is 'Normal'

Every human being has experienced malicious thoughts at some point, myself included. Sometimes they are trivial, such as planning to arrive late for school or work, or pretending to forget to return a borrowed book we enjoyed.

Not everyone is strong enough to face today's global challenges with patience and perseverance. Some choose shortcuts to achieve their ambitions because they no longer believe that their community can help ease their suffering.

So we should not be overly shocked when we discover a friend's bad intentions. Such behavior reflects an imbalance within that person. Ultimately, only they can correct it by changing those negative tendencies before they become self-destructive.

My advice is simple: wasting time nursing resentment over people like this serves no purpose. We each have only twenty-four hours in a day. (dswas).

Avoiding the Greatest Waste in Life

“Many a little makes a mickle” is a life principle embraced by successful people like Oprah Winfrey and George Soros. They lived through difficult times and in places that were challenging for growth and development. Their success has inspired many people, but it has also stirred envy in those who, for various reasons, did not have the privileges that enabled them to become as successful.

We may judge such people however we like, but ultimately each person is responsible for their own life. Other people's lives are separate from ours and from our families, so what they feel about our actions is not our responsibility. Either 'yes' or 'no', which one of these that truly comes from the deepest part of your heart?

I see this attitude as a form of waste, perhaps the greatest waste in life. Why? Because it rarely produces lasting happiness. More often, it generates emotional garbage: sadness, annoyance, anger, hatred, shame, and many other negative feelings.

On the other hand, physical waste is one of humanity's greatest challenges today. Instead of sending nuclear bombs, one country could cripple another by sending waste. This does not only mean dirty, foul-smelling trash, but also waste in the form of by-products, such as plastic, which is derived from oil and natural gas. 

Illustration: Punden Mojorejo, Dau, Malang.

Use everything to the last drop

The Ket Indigenous Faith believers of Siberia, Russia, depend on nature for every aspect of their lives. Forests provide building materials, while rivers and lakes provide fish for their families. Taking from nature is not forbidden, but it must be done thoughtfully so the future can be welcomed with confidence rather than anxiety.

Besides performing rituals to ask permission before using natural resources, selectively cutting trees, and hunting responsibly, they uphold one crucial principle: everything taken from nature should be used as completely as possible so that nothing is wasted.

From the Ket perspective, the animals and plants they use are gifts from nature. Wasting any part of them means failing to appreciate both nature and their own hard work. Even the skins and bones of bears or deer are turned into tents, clothing, or knife handles.

Long before people in my village began collecting plastic waste to exchange for small amounts of money at recycling banks, the Ket people had already discovered how to live with almost no waste. To them, creating unnecessary waste is an act despised by their ancestors. Ironically, many of us only understood the wisdom of this belief after mountains of garbage caused deadly landslides.

The easiest waste to recycle

In this regard, you can see why emotional waste is the easiest kind of waste to recycle. Economic hardship leaves millions of people vulnerable to stress and emotional pressure. There is a very high chance that we encounter one of them every day, whether on the street, at school, at work, or in the market. Although we are not responsible for what others feel, regardless that every human being is born alone and dies alone, without bringing anyone else along. (dswas). 

The “Aid Mentality” That Starts the Downfall of Everything

When U.S. President Donald Trump dismantled USAID (the United States Agency for International Development) shortly after taking office in 2025, much of the world responded with a long sigh. It is not difficult to see why. Since its establishment in 1961, the agency had provided assistance to more than 130 countries around the world, supporting sectors such as education, healthcare, environmental protection, democratic governance, and many others.

Trump’s decision to shut down the agency was actually quite understandable. One reason is that the United States has accumulated an enormous national debt, partly because successive administrations spent considerable resources supporting development efforts in countries around the world. When USAID was first established, some recipient nations were facing severe hardships caused by natural disasters, political conflicts, and other crises that had left their populations struggling.

However, several countries that received USAID assistance were, in reality, doing reasonably well when the funding first arrived. They were not wealthy nations, but neither were they suffering from famine or major wars. Countries across Asia such as Indonesia, India, China, Bangladesh, and the Philippines are examples, as shown in this chart. Sadly, the standard of living in many of these recipient countries remained largely unchanged from the time USAID first transferred funds until the assistance was eventually discontinued.

If you click the link I provided above, you will see a world map displaying each country and the amount of aid it received from the United States. The darker the shade of blue, the more aid that country received. What I do not know is how the United States monitored and evaluated the effectiveness of the assistance it distributed. Did recipient countries actually improve their circumstances? Did they become more prosperous, healthier, better educated, and more democratic after receiving American aid?

If not, why was there no form of shock therapy to encourage recipient countries to improve their own situations? More troubling still, why would a major power such as the United States not have a system to evaluate whether the money it spent was truly benefiting the countries it chose to support?

Illustration: Ngliyep Beach, South Malang. 

Obligated to Give, Obligated to Receive

Before humanity entered the modern era, when people increasingly relied on themselves to solve life’s problems, asking for help was considered perfectly natural among followers of Siberian Indigenous Beliefs, both in the past and today. When they went hunting in the forest or fishing at sea, favorable natural conditions were essential for obtaining what they sought: animals or fish to serve as dinner for their families.

Nature is inherently unpredictable. For that reason, Tengrism, one branch of the Siberian Indigenous traditions, developed guidelines that prepared its followers to face whatever nature might bring. Living simply and helping preserve the surrounding environment were among the basic principles they were expected to follow, not because doing so would bring miracles or magically transform their lives.

The logic is straightforward. Living simply means consuming less and wasting less. If practiced consistently, shortages of fish and animals can be prevented. Hunting and fishing become more successful, and families at home can enjoy good meals every day.

Like many Indigenous belief systems around the world, Tengrism includes the practice of making offerings. Yet for its followers, offerings are primarily a way of acknowledging the existence of nature and everything within it. Offerings mean nothing if they are not accompanied by behavior that follows the principles passed down by their ancestors.

Selfless Giving Is a Myth

Even charitable organizations impose conditions on those who receive assistance. It is naïve to place complete faith in any entity that claims to provide help purely out of sincerity, without expecting or seeking anything in return. If generous financial assistance comes with no restrictions and no rules governing how it should be used, that is not necessarily something to celebrate.

Imagine that after decades of hardship, you suddenly become wealthy because of someone else's generosity. Then, just as suddenly, that support disappears and you find yourself struggling again.

Would you be able to return willingly to your former life, without regret, without anxiety, and without a sense of loss? (dswas). 

Patience and the Path to Well-Being

Football is essentially an effort by ten players on a team (excluding the goalkeeper) to move a ball across a 105-meter field and into the opponent’s net, all while repeatedly failing and trying again. The good news is that they have 90 minutes to keep trying, with the possibility of an additional 30 minutes if needed.

In other words, a footballer ought to be a patient person, considering that even after 120 minutes of running and chasing the ball, a winner may still not be determined. Patience is also required of supporters, who willingly set aside money to encourage their beloved teams wherever they compete.

Meanwhile, fans who cannot attend matches in person often sacrifice their sleep, waking up in the middle of the night just to watch their favorite stars play. That is why I have never quite understood why players or spectators sometimes end up in physical altercations over a football match.

Perhaps media coverage of the glamorous lifestyles and wealth of football celebrities has succeeded in obscuring an important fact: the immense patience required to guide a team toward championship success. Ironically, this type of coverage remains popular because it is easier and more enjoyable for us to consume.

This is understandable. Human beings need an escape from the bitterness of everyday reality, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that as long as it does not violate any laws. What we often sacrifice instead is our own right to live peacefully and free from inner suffering, otherwise known as stress. 

Illustration: Wijayakusuma flower (fishbone cactus) blooms only for several seconds at night

before it closes and fades in the next morning.

Adapting is patience in practice

Patience is far easier to talk about than to practice. Perhaps we can learn something about it from the traditional peoples of Siberia. In a land where temperatures plunge dozens of degrees below zero, where snow and ice stretch as far as the eye can see, they have lived for centuries.

Yet those extreme temperatures have not frozen their sensitivity, wisdom, or humanity. This is reflected in the Siberian Native Faith, one of whose teachings emphasizes patiently observing the movements of the natural world before deciding how to act in pursuit of a prosperous life amid conditions that seem to defy common sense.

Unlike people in modern cities, Indigenous Siberian communities do not just go hunting bears or fishing in rivers anytime they want to. Their patience in waiting for the right time to harvest nature’s resources represents a practical application of natural resource management. In fact, much of the damage found in modern human society can be traced back to impatience.

The patience taught within Indigenous Siberian traditions is not passive waiting, nor is it a matter of surrendering to whatever direction the wind happens to blow. Rather, it is about willingly adapting to changing circumstances while remaining focused on maintaining harmony with both fellow human beings and the natural world.

As nomadic communities, the Indigenous peoples of Siberia could have migrated to warmer, greener regions with more forgiving climates. Yet armed with deep knowledge of their environment, their ancestors chose to remain in the harsh conditions of the Arctic generation after generation, and they have successfully survived to this day.

The consequences of taking fast tracks

It is only natural to want more from life. After all, without human ambition, would the internet even exist? Yet the internet itself was created through a long process that took many years. Modern society, however, increasingly favors quick and easy ways of putting money into our hands.

Curiously, the easier it becomes to earn money today, the more complicated the consequences often become tomorrow. The more quickly and effortlessly we sell family-owned farmland, for example, why does the money we receive seem to disappear just as quickly?

Shortcuts can indeed bring prosperity, but often only for a moment. (dswas).

Why Abundance Disappears

Because nothing in this world lasts forever, everything will eventually run out, come to an end, or die. We have witnessed this reality with our own eyes. It is not merely rhetoric, but a fact of life. A wealthy family can fall into bankruptcy, a prosperous nation can drown in debt, abundant natural resources can be depleted, and even a flowing spring can cease to provide water. We tend to fear endings, even though death itself is a natural part of existence and can come to anyone.

For those shaped by experience or formal education, management is often seen as the key to preventing catastrophe. Most people believe that conservation and frugality are the best ways to extend the lifespan of the resources we possess, whether they are natural resources or financial assets. It is not a difficult approach to adopt, although it usually requires some degree of sacrifice.

To this day, we have not truly discovered reliable methods for increasing the flow of a natural spring, for example, nor have we found ways to replenish oil and gas reserves once they are exhausted. From the perspective of most people, nature is little more than an inanimate object to be exploited until nothing remains. Rarely do we consider replacing what we have taken, let alone caring for natural resources in ways that allow them to continue providing blessings and sustenance for humanity.

Illustration: Sumber Waras, Lawang, Malang. 

The Discipline of Respecting Nature

The habit of asking permission from nature before taking or exploiting what it contains is not easy to maintain, especially when those around us do not practice it. Yet among followers of the traditional Dvoieverie faith, particularly those living along the border between Ukraine and Russia and serving in the armed forces on either side, such customs still endure.

In the service of their countries, they often spend months deep in the wilderness. They live with solitude and inevitably depend on the forest for shelter, food, water, and even medicine. Amid these pressures, they come to recognize the generosity of the natural world, even though they have not entered it peacefully, unlike a group of hunters simply searching for rabbits in the woods.

Without orders, instructions, or commands, Dvoieverie practitioners within both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries have developed a habit of leaving offerings at the edge of forests or near springs before entering the woods, collecting water, fishing, hunting, or taking anything from the land. These offerings symbolize both a request for permission and an expression of gratitude toward nature. At the same time, they represent a form of sacrifice that can only be sustained through personal discipline.

Because both sides rely on the forests as places of refuge and concealment, access to woodland areas along the Ukraine–Russia border is heavily restricted, with few exceptions. Ironically, the prolonged conflict has become one of the main reasons these forests have remained beyond the reach of large corporations eager to exploit them.

Frugality Is Not the Only Way

Yes, frugality is not the only path toward preserving the continuity of nature's abundance. When practiced out of necessity rather than choice, frugality can become a source of sadness and hardship rather than a sustainable way of living. This is especially true when we still long to enjoy life exactly as we once did, because the past, however cherished, can never return.

Before we can truly care for nature and benefit from the results of that care, we must first cultivate the humility to treat nature as something worthy of respect rather than merely a resource to consume. Failing to do so may not seem like a serious problem today. The real problem emerges when a spring suddenly stops flowing, when scorching weather arrives because green spaces have disappeared, or when countless small blessings we once took for granted vanish and can no longer be enjoyed. (dswas)

Community Prosperity Through Shared Effort

“United we stand, divided we fall” is a phrase that sounds pleasant to the ear because reality is often just as beautiful as the saying itself. A football team may fail to secure victory when a striker refuses to pass the ball to a teammate simply because he wants his own name on the scoresheet. As a result, one opportunity after another is wasted because personal ambition refuses to compromise for the sake of a common goal.

The spirit of mutual cooperation is equally inspiring. Helping others is not particularly difficult when everything is going well. It is easier when our jobs are secure and our income is steady, or when inflation is not driving up the cost of living. When spending our own money for the benefit of many does not feel burdensome, or when we do not sigh at the prospect of contributing to a community initiative as a donor.

Yet sacrifice for the community is not limited to material contributions such as money, livestock, food supplies, or anything else that can be seen and touched. Some forms of sacrifice require us to set aside personal ambitions and desires, even when we genuinely believe those ambitions would benefit the common good. In an era where personal image has become a tool for enhancing one's public standing, much like the football example above, this kind of sacrifice can be especially difficult. 

Illustration: a football field in Malang.

Balance Through the Bear

Despite their fierce and intimidating appearance, the sustainability of a forest ecosystem can be threatened if its native wildlife disappears, including bears. Through their feeding habits, bears contribute to the health of forest ecosystems by returning nutrients through the remains of their prey. By hunting certain herbivore species, bears also help prevent population explosions that could rapidly deplete the grasses and plants on which those animals depend, a challenge not unlike those faced by human societies today.

This helps explain why followers of the Indigenous Karelian Faith regard bears as sacred animals that should not be hunted carelessly, let alone eaten. Karelian ancestors viewed bears as equals to human beings, making the consumption of bear meat a form of cannibalism. It is a perspective that remains understandable even today, especially when we consider how the habit of “devouring” one another eventually leads to regret, sooner or later.

Followers of the Indigenous Karelian Faith also practice various customs designed to preserve the balance of the forest ecosystem for all living beings, including bears. For example, before building a home, a family traditionally plants a number of young trees corresponding to the number of family members.

The logic is straightforward. A healthy forest ecosystem supports thriving herbivore populations, which in turn provide food for bears. When bears can find sufficient food in the forest, the likelihood of attacks on human settlements or livestock is greatly reduced. This awareness has become a guiding principle in the daily lives of Indigenous Karelian Faith practitioners because their ancestors taught them never to look down on natural world around them.

Sacrifice and Masochism

Sacrificing for the community is not as easy in practice as it sounds in theory, especially during times of global economic uncertainty such as today. Donating material resources or setting aside personal ego inevitably comes with emotional and financial costs. After all, doesn't 4 minus 2 always equal 2? Doesn't giving mean having less? What if, someday, others take advantage of our generosity for their own interests?

Drawing from the practices of Indigenous Karelian Faith communities, we can see that resources and relationships can be managed in ways that continue generating benefits over the long term. This kind of stewardship is not typically taught in schools or universities. Rather, it develops naturally when there is a sincere commitment to sustaining both human and natural resources. It begins with the awareness to distinguish between a mindset rooted in unhealthy self-sacrifice and one that is truly grounded in genuine love and care for others. (dswas).