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).

Proven Ways to Overcome Financial Hardship

There is one thing business owners fear the most: when the cost of making a profit becomes increasingly expensive.

When this happens, producers of goods and services think twice before raising their prices, especially for non-essential products. They fully understand that “the customer is king.” No matter how aggressive a company’s promotions may be, the final decision to buy still lies in the hands of consumers, and no one can interfere with personal preference.

But that was in the past. Today, producers have many ways to persuade consumers to submit to their desires and spend money. Some slash prices as low as possible, often at the expense of quality. Others use promotional tactics that openly invade customer privacy, such as unsolicited phone calls and text messages. These methods may increase sales, but usually only in the short term.

In the long run, frustration grows among established producers who have long sold their products at higher prices. They not only lose customers, but also face the threat of collapse, or have already gone out of business, because they refuse to lower their standards simply to attract buyers. On the other side, producers who dare to set extremely low prices do not automatically become winners either, even if their sales statistics appear impressive. Why is that?

Once again, the culprit is rising production costs. The harder they try to “run away” from this “monster,” the closer it comes, waving its claws at them. This is hardly surprising, because human beings everywhere are part of communities, whether on the scale of a neighborhood or the United Nations.

It is a mistake to believe that we can remain safe and prosperous according to our own plans and desires while the people around us are unable to experience the same. 

Illustration: Pentungansari, Malang.

An Apology to Nature

From the perspective of modern civilization, nature is alive, but much like artificial intelligence, it is believed to have neither feelings nor the ability to think. Humanity is seen as having authority over it, because only humans are considered capable of assigning value and meaning to existence according to their own systems of exchange. 

Weather can be manipulated, artificial sunlight can be created, and meat and vegetables can now be produced in laboratories. If the long-term goals of these technological advances are truly positive, our quality of life should improve significantly. The natural world around us should no longer suffer destruction, because technology is now advanced enough to create food sources without exploiting nature or relying on vast plantations and farms that consume enormous resources.

Followers of the Indigenous Siberian Faith believe that trees and hunted animals are not merely living beings, but also possess spirits like humans, capable of experiencing suffering and happiness. According to these teachings, people should maintain humility when making use of nature in order to restrain greed, which ultimately harms humanity itself. 

This humility is symbolized through offerings made to the forest before cutting a branch from a tree or butchering hunted animals. The offerings are presented while expressing apologies for intentionally taking the lives of animals and trees in order to fulfill human needs.

As a result, members of Siberian tribal communities tend to think carefully before hunting or cutting down trees, considering the lengthy rituals they must observe. Because of this, they generally avoid excessive consumption and allow trees time to grow while ensuring hunted animals have reached maturity before being taken.

Caring for the Environment to Sustain Prosperity

We all hope that the spiritual practices we follow will bring miracles into our lives, that a light will descend and provide answers to every problem we face. One issue in particular has become increasingly common today: financial hardship. However, ancestral teachings should not be practiced merely as tools to achieve wealth, because their true essence lies in preserving harmony between humanity and the world around it.

We may laugh at the beliefs of the Indigenous Siberian faith, even though many of us have already witnessed floods and the extinction of certain animal species caused by excessive exploitation. Yet we can only dismiss such teachings if the foundations of our own way of life are genuinely more capable of bringing prosperity to humanity and to nature itself, when our behavior no longer threatens the very sources of life we depend on. (dswas).

Reluctant to Move On Isn't As Bad As You Think -- Here's Why

People living with dementia tend to forget many things: names of places, names of people, the way home, the day of the week, even their own names. Yet there is often one thing that remains vivid in their memory: the popular songs from a certain chapter of their lives, especially from the ages of 10 to 24.

Whether it’s folk music from the 1950s, blues from the ’60s, rock & roll from the ’70s, or slow rock from the ’80s, listening to old songs can have a calming effect. Their heartbeat slows down, dopamine suddenly kicks in to ease anxiety, and a quiet sense of happiness returns as they remember a youth filled with laughter and lighthearted moments.

In some cases, dementia patients who can no longer move or speak will smile, hum along, or gently sway their bodies to the rhythm of songs that were once famous in their time. Their family members often feel relieved seeing life briefly “return” to their fathers, mothers, grandparents, or elderly loved ones, even if only for a moment.

The truth is, listening to old songs can soothe almost anyone, not just people with dementia. And no, it’s not because today’s musicians are incapable of making good music due to the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The reason is far more psychological: a longing for a period in life when things felt less disappointing.

Still, life cannot be replayed over and over like our favorite song. Some things are meant to remain in the past, partly because they no longer contribute to the long-term well-being of the world around us. After all, human well-being depends heavily on the well-being of nature itself, not only about natural resources, but every living being that exists within it.  

Illustration: Malang City Square

Nature Heals

Most people know Abkhazia for its striking landscape: snow-covered mountains on one side and the shores of the Black Sea on the other. Its geography became one of the foundations of the Abkhaz Indigenous Faith that emerged thousands of years ago and is said to be experiencing a revival today. The ancestral wisdom of the Abkhaz people “discovered” that nature held more than simple beauty.

When a follower of this indigenous faith falls ill, they are encouraged to walk through the forest without looking back. This symbolic ritual is meant to leave behind illness or anything else causing discomfort in body and mind. Walking is already good for one’s health, especially beneath tall trees that release clean air. In many cultures, looking back is a metaphor for dwelling on the past, and the past is not always filled with sweet memories.

Recognizing this hidden blessing, Abkhazia has implemented fairly strict regulations to protect its forests. Although tourists are welcome and tourism continues to grow, some areas are intentionally left without road access. Visitors are even charged relatively expensive entrance fees at certain important sites, such as Lake Ritsa, which is considered sacred by followers of the Indigenous Abkhaz Faith. Not because supernatural beings in the lake are believed to grant wealth or fortune, but because water itself is sacred to human life, something I have often discussed in many articles on this blog.

Don’t Believe What You See on the Surface

Old ways are often associated with being anti-modern, feudal, and resistant to progress. That is what I frequently heard during my college years. Yet the quality of human life today does not necessarily seem better, even though modern civilization is far more advanced than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Ironically, large-scale exploitation of nature has not automatically freed people from anxiety about money and the future.

Communities that preserve the environment through their indigenous faiths and local wisdom deserve support and open-minded understanding. We lose ourselves on the surface when we rush to judge them with negative labels, especially when our supposedly modern worldview has failed to save the natural world from degradation and destruction. (dswas).

Ensuring the Outcome Honors the Effort

“Whoever sows the wind will reap the storm” (what goes around comes around) sounds ominous, even though we often use it simply to vent our frustration at someone’s behavior or at the actions of an institution. Yet if we manage to drive away the “monkeys of emotion leaping from branch to branch,” a deeper meaning begins to reveal itself. It becomes a kind of mantra, one that can invite happiness into the darker corners of our lives.

Looking back, the creator of that expression seems to have understood something fundamental: human beings react more quickly to negative experiences and remember them more vividly than positive ones. Long before scientific research discovered that trauma can be passed instinctively from one generation to the next, people had already realized that hardship and suffering leave deeper marks, even though life’s challenges often soften over time.

That is why the ancestors of many nations and tribes created frightening stories about the consequences of violating taboos and customary laws. Their purpose was to ensure that future generations would remember and reflect on the wisdom hidden beneath those stories. Yet history eventually led many communities through painful experiences that hypnotized them into questioning the legitimacy of the actions and traditions of those who came before them.

Illustration: Malang City Square.

Prosperous Because Others Prosper Too

In the indigenous Armenian faith, Hetanism, the apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca) is regarded as the tree of life for good reason. Unlike sacred trees found in tropical regions, its roots are not designed to store water. In fact, they rot if the soil contains too much moisture. Even so, the apricot tree survives in intense heat, and its fruit remains sweet despite requiring very little water.

Its remarkable ability to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide has made it something of a quiet hero amid the climate crisis. The apricot tree is also a vital source of livelihood for rural Armenian communities, serving as one of the country’s main export commodities, especially to Russia and Central Asian nations. Although scientists still debate its exact origin, evidence shows that ancient Armenians had known and cultivated it for at least six thousand years.

Yet this tree of life has one 'weakness': it cannot grow normally to maturity without forests or clusters of other plants surrounding it within a certain range. Excessive deforestation is disastrous for apricot plantations, because the disappearance of surrounding roots also means the loss of the “others” that help maintain the ideal moisture balance in the soil for apricot trees to thrive.

Armenian ancestors concealed the deeper meaning of the tree of life within myths and legends, many of which are now misunderstood or distorted by modern assumptions about the “other world.” Their teachings may be read as a reminder that the tree of life is part of the universe, not the center of it. Ideally, human beings should act from the same understanding: by creating the conditions that allow potential to grow and flourish into something truly life-giving. 

Moving On and Becoming Better?

Yes. Moving on and becoming better, that is the ideal condition we should be able to see today. If ancestral teachings are truly no longer relevant, then our present situation should be better precisely because we have replaced them with newer and supposedly more relevant ideas. It is never too late for people who genuinely want to change things for the better, not merely advertise the appearance of change.

A step deserves to be called “moving on” only when it frees people from mystical thinking, from the belief that miracles will somehow arrive to solve every problem in life. Real help, in every age, comes from actions grounded in knowledge and understanding of the world around us. (dswas).

Healing Injuries That Ruin the Future

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries are among the most feared injuries for football players around the world. Even though they “only” affect the leg, recovery takes months—months without stepping onto the pitch. During that time, players must struggle to maintain their reputation, hoping to remain visible enough to be selected for the national team and compete in major tournaments (World Cup, Champions League, and so on). Not a few players have seen their careers fade because of this injury, and some have even left the sport entirely.

But injuries are not limited to athletes. Ordinary people—including those who rarely exercise—have experienced them too. Whether from a minor childhood accident, a motorcycle crash, or even something as simple as sleeping in the wrong position, the muscles and nerves in our bodies do not always stay aligned as they should. With proper treatment—modern or traditional—they can return to normal, especially when followed by more careful movement to prevent similar incidents.

Believe it or not, what seems like a minor sprain can contribute to serious health problems, or even lead to death. A sprain occurs when ligaments are suddenly forced out of place—they are no longer where they should be or functioning as they should. Leaving it untreated for a day or two may not cause immediate harm. But neglecting it for years can lead to serious health issues that disrupt daily life and even affect mental well-being.

Illustration: Sumber Gentong, Tirtomoyo, Pakis, Malang.

Healing Nature’s Injuries

From the perspective of Azerbaijani Indigenous Faith, nature and humans are inseparable. Humans take everything from nature—air, water, trees, even soil—to sustain life. For that reason, traditional Azerbaijani beliefs teach people to treat nature with humanity, especially trees.

In the past, people depended on trees for building homes, making clothing, and even for food and medicine. Azerbaijani ancestors believed that trees were alive and held a status equal to humans. They believed trees “cried” when their branches were cut, just as plants suffered when uprooted. Long before humans could attempt to correct nature’s “mistakes,” there was a time when trees were seen as kind, generous beings who provided everything people needed. 

Based on this belief, followers of Azerbaijani Indigenous Faith would show respect to nature whenever they wished to take something from it, whether in large or small amounts. Rituals asking permission before cutting branches or felling trees became customs passed down through generations.

Over time, for various reasons, these practices were abandoned. Strangely enough, trees gradually began to disappear from Azerbaijan. Some blame local communities for the loss of forests that were once a source of pride. However, wood consumption for heating or building homes was never as massive as industrial use.

Whatever the reasons or whoever is responsible, modern Azerbaijani society must now prepare to face the consequences of nature’s “crying”—in the form of floods, landslides, or droughts that may strike at any time. Still, it is not too late to act before people find themselves mourning alongside an injured natural world.

A “Blessing”

At a time when many people hope for miracles to improve their lives, the greatest “blessing” may actually be discovering an old injury within our own bodies and seeking treatment before it is too late. I consider this a blessing because not all hidden injuries can be found. Not everyone has the chance to reverse or eliminate serious illnesses that develop from long-neglected conditions, whether intentionally ignored or not.

The same applies to the state of being mindful—the ability to return to treating nature, especially trees, with respect. I also see this as a “blessing,” because not everyone succeeds in recognizing the inner damage that has led them away from a life of harmony and happiness with the natural world. (dswas).