Plato, one of the most influential philosophers in history said, “The Universe is a single living creature that encompasses all living creatures within it.”
Could it be that the humanity’s greatest challenges are not global warming or species extinction? Is it actually our understanding of how the universe works and our underlying relationship within it that needs to change? The greatest choices and decisions we make for our planet’s future emerge from digging out the root cause that lies behind our personal, our intimate, relationship with nature.
What, in fact, is nature? The idea of ‘nature’ is at the very core of our priorities and many conversations. However, the meaning of ‘nature’ remains elusive and far from unified or self-evident. It’s a word that means so many different things to different people. It fails to describe the relationship we are in with the natural world. The concept of ‘nature’ itself and its human-nature relationships are crucial for the Earth’s regeneration, for humanity’s wellbeing, and for a more equitable world for all life.
As we work to reunite our human psyches and our natural world, I want to express a new image of nature. I propose an image of Nature that is dynamic and energizing, that invites curiosity, that elevates all life, that dismantles beliefs of supremacy and human-centricity, and, ultimately, that inspire one’s imagination to want something different, to ask new questions and shift how we understand the world to be.
In this image, we recognize ourselves as a part of a vast, intertwined, web of creativity and creation. And, stop seeing ourselves as a random consequence of chance, evolving and adapting from a dance with biology, physics, and coincidental forces, living in a lifeless cosmos, and begin seeing ourselves participating in a dimension of cosmic sacredness, a deep, human experience of mysteries and discovery within a real, living world with infinite depth, poetic phenomena, and the richness of purpose, manifesting equally in all forms of life. A relationship and reciprocity existing in our world revealing the interdependence between human existence and cosmic structures. This can give our lives meaning and purpose, while awakening our senses of connection, compassion, and cooperation for the totality of life.
Being open to the world, in understanding and experiencing the many forms that nature expresses, enables us to get to know ourselves; we come to know the nature of beingness—our own, and that of an--other.
If nature is no more than a conflicting, abstract concept, or is seen as something far away, some place we temporarily visit, then how exactly can we build understanding? How can we know relationship? Is it possible to free ourselves from this perspective?
I believe it is, so I invite you -- to join me in experiencing a new image of Nature:
The Earth that we live on is profoundly alive. The Earth is Nature and Nature is Life — life within life. Nature, infused with consciousness, possesses unfathomable creative intelligence, subtlety, and complexity. The plants and animals; soils, skies and waters; cosmic and human beings are all interconnected, interdependent parts of this one dynamic, evolving, interacting, living system. Each and every element of Nature has its responsibilities and together creates the unified whole, in which humanity is just one part, neither more nor less than the rest. When we recognize and honor Nature as alive, we learn to live in the deep relationships of existence—Nothing is insignificant.
In this image, Nature is no longer inert matter and empty space, it is the embodiment of creativity and life. Nature forms a harmonious relationship with our human hearts in which we can appreciate, admire, cherish, and reciprocate.
Every moment is an opportunity to look more fearlessly than ever into ourselves, and simultaneously into developing a deeper, more compassionate connection with an-other and the natural world around us. When we see ourselves as living in a unified and connected world at every moment, we then live in the world with a sense of responsibility for our shared future.
This depth of connection with nature is in our DNA, it’s intrinsic to who we are, it underlies our wellbeing, and ultimately anchors us in a more curious, responsible, reciprocal, and compassionate way of being in the world.
Many of us desire to reveal what we feel in our souls, but we struggle to do so. We want to know where we belong in nature, in life, and in the dreams and longings we experience. We are extraordinary beings that seek life purpose. We are the makers of dreams. Yet, that belonging, purpose, or dream can feel meaningless as long as an-other is suffering or afraid. In a world such as this, we are not isolated beings.
We are in a wholistic, deep relationship with Earth as our Mother, Sky as our Father, and the plants, animals, lands, and waters as our brothers and sisters. Not in a male-female kind of way, but in an unconditional loving relationship, a type of bond many of us have never experienced. Earth Mother is fertile and gives birth to all of life. As her children, our lives depend on our mother’s health. Her landscapes serve as the womb to nurture transformation of our character and insight into the intricate and inseparable web of life. When we are conscious of the dimensions of creation, we are nourished and healed; and then we can become a force to nourish and heal others. We find harmony within ourselves and our place within the universe. Our energy becomes liberated and powerful, and reconnects us to the broken threads within the intricate web of interdependency.
When we share the same matrix of existence, when we explore the threads that connect nature with our human psyche, we realize all life touches us, and we actualize a world in which we all belong.
Our thoughts have a real-world impact. Let’s re-frame the way we view this one beautiful, magnificent planet we all share. Let’s begin by seeing everyone and everything in nature as our brothers and sisters. Together, let’s co-create a new world. Don’t surrender to what is!
The indigenous peoples of the Chiapas region in Mexico declared, “The world we want, is a world in which many worlds fit”. Earth’s living natural world is by nature a breathtaking world within worlds; ecologies intertwined in dynamic relationships in which we see life through new lenses and unite in understanding. A place of beauty and mystery luring us even further into our curiosity and encouraging us to reflect on the bigger questions. Our world is a world in which countless worlds compassionately coexist.
Plato saw the profound, living presence of the universe thousands of years ago. Today, modern science continues to reveal the mysteries, intelligence, and aliveness of our cosmic home.
By reframing how we view nature, by immersing ourselves in it, we can learn to witness, to appreciate, to understand nature’s intelligence, and the relationships and interdependence within all of life. Then we can see ourselves, and all of humanity, as part of the fabric of creation. We no longer feel that we are an accident, wandering through a hostile, largely lifeless cosmos. Instead, we can embrace our sacred journey of discovery within a living universe, feeling connection with and compassion for all life, experiencing belonging, and co-creating meaningful, ever-deepening experiences of aliveness.
What a loving adventure the living universe invites us to join. A profound collaboration, and a new future we can only accomplish together. We can be the transformation. So . . . pack your lunch, tuck this image of nature in your back pocket, head out to Mother Nature, and change the way you see the natural world.
So, I ask: How can we build an understanding that we are not only biological beings; but we are also beings of cosmic dimension and participation?
