362: Nelson Mandela: “it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
The actions we can take to preserve the environment are so simple anyone can do them. They improve our lives, connecting us to each other, freeing us from distraction of craving and separation.
Role models help. Nelson Mandela worked harder and faced risks greater than any of us need to—if we even face any, since eating more fruits and vegetables and spending time with people close to us improve our lives.
I bring to you the closing words of his speech at the close of his trial that led to the Apartheid government imprisoning him for 27 years:
I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all people will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realized. But, My Lord, if it needs to be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.