added by Stuart Evans and · updated 3mo ago
Awake in the Wild
Last autumn, a friend of mine was on a Buddhist retreat doing his walking meditation in a lovely flower garden. As he paced mindfully up and down, he couldn’t help but notice a beautiful scarlet peony flower about to bloom. Curiosity and impatience got the better of him. Worried about an impending cold snap, he tried to help the flower open a littl
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Participating in nature requires us to open all of our senses, open every pore on our skin, and open our hearts and minds. We become open and receptive to nature by “listening” to nature with all of our senses, just as if we were engaging in a conversation with someone whom we find fascinating and intriguing. We can approach nature in the same way
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The Buddhist teaching of Sunyata, loosely translated as “emptiness” or “transparency,” is a way to articulate the play of infinite interconnectedness amid diversity. Sunyata points to the complex set of conditions out of which anything emerges, including exploding supernovas, cherry tomatoes, and fine grains of sand. It speaks to the ground of pote
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When we practice the art of stopping, we can enjoy the blessings of nature that are always on our doorstep. We must simply take the time to stop and listen, open our eyes and our senses, and cease being consumed by our tumble dryer of thoughts. Then we can notice the simple joys of life: watching the stormy, puffy nimbostratus clouds roll by while
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Equanimity does not mean passivity or indifference, which in Buddhist thought is considered the near enemy to equanimity. It simply means that our compassionate action is fueled by wisdom rather than rage or reactivity.
from Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman
We can begin to experience nature as a doorway to the sacred, a way to find stillness, silence, and timeless mystery.
from Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman
It reminded me of a haiku by the Japanese poet Issa: “In the cherry blossom’s shade/there is no such thing/as a stranger.”
from Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman
The wilderness holds answers to more questions than we yet know how to ask. —Nancy Newhall, This Is the American Earth
from Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman
Love arises when we fully accept and receive what is happening without discrimination, rejection, or judgment, including our own emotional state.
from Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman
Meditation: Developing Intimacy with a Favorite Place Imagine what it would be like to be fully attuned to a piece of land, as are the Australian Aboriginals featured in Bruce Chatwin’s book. In this meditation, you’ll begin to cultivate a relationship with a favorite place, somewhere you will come to know so well that visiting it will be like seei
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