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)