by Mark Coleman
• PRACTICE •
Gleaning Wisdom from Nature
This practice involves going outside to a nearby park, meadow, woodland, or coastline and immersing yourself in a natural environment for half an hour or more. Once you arrive, take time to meander around and take in the elements of the setting. Then find a place to sit comfortably, whether against a tree, on a rock, in a shady grove, or even on a park bench.
Notice how the natural world allures your attention. Notice colors, shapes, forms, movements, smells, and textures. Let the movement of wind, the sound of waves, or a flight of birds capture your curiosity. See how awareness spontaneously becomes attentive to the rich, dynamic landscape compared to the relative flatness and lack of stimulation in our homes and offices.
Now attune to your senses and notice the fluctuating flow of experience. Observe how no two moments are the same. Observe the waterfall nature of the sensory world — how sounds, sensations, temperature, sights, smells, and touch ceaselessly change. This is also true of inner experience. Can you sense how this is occurring all the time, though we often fail to notice?
In the same way, notice how everything in nature embodies both growth and decay. Consider the grasses, trees, flowers, or even the fresh falling snow. Notice how life is disintegrating and emerging in myriad ways. What happens when you take in that dynamic aspect of transience?
Next, attune to the interconnected flow of life. Notice how everything is interdependent. Notice how temperature shifts with the movement of the sun and breeze or how the fragrances of the forest emerge after rains. Animals, plants, insects, weather, and landscape exist in an interwoven dance that moves to the daily rotation of the planet and the yearly orbit around the sun. Be curious how your inner world of feelings and moods follows similar cycles, how inner and outer landscapes impact each other, how everything is interwoven — body, mind, heart, and world.
Finally, notice how you can lose all sense of self when you are fully absorbed in nature. These moments of “self-forgetting” can allow us to merge or dissolve into something greater. Our limited, contracted sense of self can drop away, and instead we open to a sense of vastness, awe, wonder, and profound silence. Be open to such moments arising. They most often occur when you least expect them! Yet they point to a truth about our own nature.
• • •
Chapter 36
Being a Steward of the Earth
The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.
— POPE JOHN PAUL II
When I started my own meditation journey, people told me that meditation was too introspective, little better than self-focused navel-gazing. Now, several decades later, I have seen how both the practice and the fruits of mindfulness could not be more different than those critical assertions. Mindfulness frees us from our emotional reactivity, mental confusion, and personal suffering, giving us more energy and clarity. We see clearly our interconnectedness, that if one part of life is not flourishing, we cannot fully flourish. We come to understand that the joys and sorrows of all beings are intricately interwoven with our own well-being. As George Bernard Shaw famously wrote: “I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.”
Thus, mindfulness practice ultimately motivates us to engage, to make our life be a force for goodness, for improving the welfare, health, and well-being of life, people, creatures, communities, and the earth itself. In this closing chapter, I want to speak to this motivation to help and serve as it relates to being better stewards of the planet. However, it could equally inspire us to campaign for social justice or prison reform or to serve anyone who is less fortunate than ourselves, such as those living in poverty, who are homeless, or who suffer in any of the ways people can.
The industrial world is only just beginning to wake up to the mystery and complexity of the natural world. In recent times, scientific research in the fields of biology, botany, and zoology have begun to penetrate just how sophisticated organic life is. Despite these breakthroughs, we know very little about life and how it evolves. Why does a monarch butterfly create such complex wing patterns out of its soupy chrysalis? How does a lotus flower evolve such perfection out of muddy waters? We still don’t know what gave birth to life on earth in the first place nor how gravity really functions and keeps us tied to this blue-green planet floating in space.
Until only recently, Homo sapiens assumed in their hubris that they were the only species that could reason, have complex communication, use tools, and feel compassion. Recent discoveries in the life sciences disprove these ignorant notions. Research continues to reveal how an increasing number of species, from whales to mycelia, have sophisticated mediums of communication, capable of signaling warnings to one another and sending signals across thousands of miles of ocean or under the soil. Octopuses are now understood to have complex personalities. Even some fish have been shown to use simple techniques, similar to sea otters, to break shellfish. Mammals like dolphins and whales express self-awareness and show empathy and compassion, including rescuing humans in distress or at risk from sharks.
Such findings challenge how we relate to other species. New Zealand was the first government to grant animals the same rights as humans. Other countries are following suit. Yet human society has changed the earth’s landscape in unprecedented ways with devastating impact for the majority of the world’s creatures.
Farm animals now make up 60 percent of the world’s mammals. Another 36 percent of mammals are humans. That means wild mammals make up only 4 percent. Birds have not fared much better. Sixty percent of all birds are poultry, mostly kept in inhumane conditions on factory farms. Populations of birds and their sweet song are sadly disappearing rapidly from the planet. Climate change and habitat reduction threaten to kill 50 percent of all large mammals living in the wild by 2050. These are hard times to stay present for.
The U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 was a landmark bill that sought to preserve the vast array of species that were close to extinction due to human activity. This was a beautiful example of what can happen when people wake up to the fragility of life and see the consequences of our actions on other species. This legislation galvanized collective action to save humpback whales, California condors, brown pelicans, alligators, and many others from the brink of extinction. However, these noble efforts are not sufficient in themselves. So much more is required if we are to save the world’s threatened species. Actions to restore habitats, fisheries, and breeding grounds are just some of the many measures necessary to support the vulnerability of life.
My Awake in the Wild meditation retreats involve taking people into nature and the wilderness for a profound immersion in the natural world. What is unique about these programs is how people learn to enter a wild landscape with a contemplative awareness. The programs are held in silence, which supports a receptive and often reverential relationship to nature. My intention with these retreats is to create the conditions for people to have an intimate connection with the inner and outer wild.
When we abide in nature in that way, it inevitably touches and opens the heart. It is hard not to feel moved by gentle wildlife, delicate flowers, rugged mountains, and the silent mystery that touches and moves us in the desert or in virgin forests. My aspiration is that, as people fall in love with the beauty and biodiversity of flora and fauna in the forests, oceans, and deserts, they become more active in their compassionate care and stewarding of nature.
It is only through love of nature that we become passionate enough to protect it. Just ask any parent about the force of love and its drive to protect what we care for! This responsiveness of the heart is what may help save this earth from irreversible ecological destruction. Love manifested through concrete action is a powerful force that can move mountains. Being inspired by that heartfelt love for the s
acredness and preciousness of the natural world may help guide humanity to live in harmony with the abundance of life and other species on earth.
Of course, that love has to be conjoined with wisdom to be complete and fully effective. We now understand the impact of our collective actions on climate change, on species extinction, and so on. Understanding that intellectually is one thing, but when we go into nature with mindful awareness, it allows our heart to be touched, moved, and inspired, which fuels the necessary work to bring about a radical transformation in how we live sustainably on this planet.
When I led a sunrise meditation recently on farmland as part of a nature teacher–training retreat, a herd of cows and their calves came to stand right in front of us. They looked at us with their beautiful deep black eyes, curiously wondering what these strange two-legged creatures were doing sitting still as the sun rose. After this intimate encounter, two people in the group said they could no longer eat meat and became vegetarians. Such responses are common when the heart is touched by nature.
Similarly, snorkeling among tropical fish and octopuses in a coral reef can convince us not to order calamari or baked haddock afterward. During such close encounters with wildlife, we can’t help but marvel at the beauty, sensitivity, and vulnerability of these creatures. Similarly, when we see the vast amounts of plastics floating among the coral, it may inspire us to become an advocate for the oceans and to rid society of single-use plastic. An open heart can incline us to protect rather than harm the very nature we behold.
We need to integrate this compassionate attitude with the wisdom of awareness to have optimal impact in the world. What is asked of humanity now is that we shed the distorted view that our actions, like burning fossil fuels, aren’t having a catastrophic impact on climate change and rising sea levels. When our eyes and hearts are open, we recognize the harm we are inflicting on untold species and the poorest of humanity through our collective actions. It also kindles the urge to engage in immediate compassionate action.
When our everyday lives are separated from nature, news of clear-cut forests, drained wetlands, and extinct species can feel distant, abstract, and disconnected from us. However, as mindfulness grows, our sensitivity and awareness extend beyond ourselves. We become attuned to the beauty and uniqueness of the natural world. We are both moved by its precious fragility and feel grief and rage at its loss.
My meditation students often ask me what to do in response to the ecological crisis and how to hold such an overwhelming situation. I respond by saying it is necessary to first feel our response to the tragedy, to allow the grief, sadness, anger, and whatever is there to be felt. Only by processing such emotions with a kind awareness can we then utilize those feelings to galvanize us into action. This clarity then informs a wise response to whatever situation we meet.
I also stress the balance necessary between staying informed versus being overwhelmed by news of an ecological crisis. To be paralyzed from listening to endless alarming reports on climate change is of no help to anyone. Joanna Macy, an environmental activist and scholar, has said that a significant risk facing the earth is numbness. This happens easily when we listen to too much negative environmental or political news. I instead point to taking in the wealth of positive actions that millions of citizens around the world are engaging in to save species, take carbon out of the air, develop green energy, eat plant-based diets, and clean up the oceans by banning plastics. My Facebook page, entitled “We Protect What We Love,” is an expression of that. I choose to post only positive news that may inspire others to engage in similar ways. That phrase is the basis of all my contemplative nature work: connection and action inspired by love.
Rather than drown in media overload and overwhelming data, it’s better to connect with others who are engaged in constructive actions. This helps stave off isolation and despair about the current catastrophe. Macy noted that even if our particular actions fail, such collective action galvanizes our energy and helps us see we are not alone, which is essential. Earth Day, which began in 1970, is an example of what can happen when millions of people come together to raise awareness and act to protect the earth. Given the urgency of the current environmental crisis, we need to see every day as Earth Day. To lose sight of that is to risk the very earth that sustains us.
Finally, I like to remind people of the need to spend time in nature, to allow oneself to be moved and inspired by all the beauty that still abounds. The irony is that environmental activists, working hard in offices to campaign for ecological justice, need this perhaps more than anyone. Let your heart and soul be nourished by walking in a snowy forest, wading by a babbling brook, or gazing at migrating geese flying overhead.
No matter what problems arise, never forget the renewal that awaits in nature. In spring, the bluebells emerge to share their beauty, the swallows return to dance in the skies, and the mountain streams flow with icy clear waters. In these difficult times, it is essential that we take time to absorb the earth’s beauty and drink in the goodness that exists.
In conclusion, through the journey of mindfulness, as we become more aware, we begin to wake up, personally and collectively, to our common humanity and our shared responsibility. With this awareness, we see our interconnectedness and understand that our role, in part, is to be stewards of our community and our world. Our goal is to embody an awakened caring, so that we leave to future generations a society and a planet that are sustainable and healthy in all ways. The clarity that comes from practice helps us realize that life is short and that what we do, think, and say makes a difference. The time to act is now, but with mindfulness, we can do so with balance, wisdom, and compassion. This is the fruition of a life of awareness, which expresses itself as love in action, borne out of concern for the welfare of all life.
The heart of the poem “School Prayer” by Diane Ackerman speaks beautifully to the fruition of the intentions that arise from this practice:
I swear I will not dishonor
my soul with hatred,
but offer myself humbly
as a guardian of nature,
as a healer of misery,
as a messenger of wonder,
as an architect of peace.…
I will honor all life —
wherever and in whatever form
it may dwell — on Earth my home,
and in the mansions of the stars.
• PRACTICE •
Protecting What We Love
This practice is simple and always available: spend time in your favorite natural environment, whether that’s the ocean, the woods, the mountains, or the grassy meadows of a local park. Even in cities, the natural world is never far. You can connect with it by looking up at the skies, clouds, and stars. You may feel it as the wind that blows through city streets or the trees that blossom in your neighborhood. Try to connect with and enjoy the landscape and its creatures. Take off your shoes, put your feet in a stream, rise early to listen to the dawn chorus of birds. Take a stroll in a city park. Every day, in some way, immerse in natural beauty.
When you do, reflect on the fragility or vulnerability of the landscape. Do you notice fewer butterflies, birds, or insects? Are all the trees and plants healthy? Have extreme weather conditions, whether droughts or storms, impacted the environment and taken a toll?
Let your heart be touched by the struggles of the natural world, and consider how you might help, support, or protect the places, species, communities, and habitats you treasure. If you were to engage in some action, what would it be? Be open to whatever suggests itself: perhaps donating resources to environmental organizations, volunteering to support a certain habitat, or calling your local representatives in government to express your concerns.
The more time we spend in nature, the more we will value it and want to protect it. Allow your heart to be touched, and be open to the possibility that, at some point, you will feel called to act on the earth’s behalf.
• • •
Acknowled
gments
First, I wish to thank New World Library for kindly agreeing to publish this work; Jason Gardner for guiding the book along; and Jeff Campbell for patiently and thoughtfully editing.
No meditative practice happens without a lot of support and guidance from teachers, colleagues, and centers that preserve and nurture the teachings and practice of mindfulness and wisdom. For that, I have deep respect and appreciation for the teachers and practitioners in the Buddhist tradition who have carefully preserved, taught, and developed the body of mindfulness teachings these past 2,600 years. And of course, profound appreciation for Siddhartha Gautama, who originally birthed this revolutionary practice of mindfulness in the forests of northern India.
In particular, I have much gratitude for my teachers who have taught me the range and depth of mindfulness practice as a path of wisdom and awakening. They include my Insight Meditation teachers Christopher Titmuss, Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, and Sharon Salzberg; my teachers from the Thai Forest tradition; Stephen Batchelor for his original perspectives on the teachings; Analayo for his lucidity around Satipatthana practice; and Sangharakshita, who first opened the door to meditation practice for me. Lastly, deep appreciation for Martin Aylward, my dear friend and cocreator of the Mindfulness Training Institute, for his friendship and for creating with me a worldwide teaching community that has guided my understanding of the needs of mindfulness teachers and students in the United States, Europe, and beyond.
Many thanks to those who supported me to write this book, giving suggestions and guidance along the way as well as reading earlier drafts, including Hugh Delaney, Lori Schwanbeck, Sharda Rogell, Dawn Mauricio, Gokce Bulgan, Kelly Boys, Bob Licht, Leslie Butterfield, and others.