Fall 201 8
Meditation and the Environment Living in the An thropocene By Janet O'Sullivan
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he interconnected systems which maintain conditions for life on our planet are becoming disrupted. There is an increasing recognition that it is a consequence of human ac tion – to the point where our period is now often being referred to as the Anthropocene, a term that is extens ively used, but has yet to gain com plete scientific acceptance as a specific geological era. Not only are we part of this interconnected web of life, but we are altering the atmosphere, polluting the oceans and causing extinction of many plant and animal species, among other lasting impacts. We are now in a time when the scientific evi dence, and our own ex perience, is almost over whelming that our climate is changing in ways not seen before and yet this, the most critical issue facing us, is mired in ideological battles... with few political leaders addressing the many complex challenges it in volves. Over the decades progress has been slow. It has coincided with the decreasing sense of a sacred universe; a rise of individualism, and consumerism; as cendency of free market ideology with continual economic growth at its core; reduction of government regula tion; focus on national interests and transnational corporations.
transdisciplinary task of 'diabolical complexity.'1 It needs to engage sci entists with an understanding of whole earth systems – in particular the interactions between the atmo sphere / hydrosphere / geosphere which support the biosphere. Equally important are inputs of the humanit ies, social scientists and spiritual leaders – engaging anthropologists, psychologists, historians, political sci entists, economists, artists, religious and indigenous groups – in putting forward engaging narratives of our situation.
Inside Living in the Anthropocene
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Blessed are the Children
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Stewardship
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As an example, increasingly we are now seeing psychologists contribut ing to addressing why denial of cli mostly those not responsible for mate change is so prevalent. Denial causing it. may take various forms – outright •Time is running out… but we denial of the science of climate change don’t yet have the sustained will or capacity to solve it, so poten tial solutions are pushed into the future. •Huge vested interests try to preserve the status quo. •It is long term... the con sequences of actions now may be decades away. •Impacts are uncertain in sever ity and timing and involve issues of intergenerational justice, as well as social justice.
How to see beyond promised technological solutions and see that it is essentially a question of related to increasingly disruptive human transformation? It is in weather events; paralysis, blaming times of crisis that transforma someone else, fear of apocalyptical tion is possible, when we are thinking. pushed / pulled to a deeper level of consciousness. A new Why is it so diabolical? story of who we are in our com The need to address these many inter •It is global – with consequences af mon home is needed. Continued on Page 2 connected aspects has become a fecting different groups differently,
We are reminded of OIKOS (Greek) – our common household – from which ecology / economy and ecu menism are derived and reminding us that the economy (management) is a subset of our ecology (rules of nature). What is needed is a reima gining of our relationship with nature, and of our attempts to “master” nature, and in this the wisdom of indigenous cultures has much to teach us.
In the recent directive2 (July 2018) on the 3rd anniversary of the LAUDATO SI, Integral Human De velopment, Pope Francis spoke of a deeper level of transformation
We need to address it as a spiritual problem, and here meditation has a very important role in changing our consciousness and sense of self. There is a yearning to heal the frag mentation and divisions which sep arate us from each other, from nature and from God… a healing that needs to begin with overcom ing the fragmentations within ourselves in which we are cut off from those aspects of ourselves which resonate with the whole of creation.
with nature, and of
We discover a deeper reality of who we are – the ground of our being, our true self.
“What is needed is a reimagining of our relationship our attempts to 'master' nature,
the needed actions to protect our common home. He said: “Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better fu ture without thinking of the envir onmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded” (Laudato Si’, 13). It is the young who will have to face the consequences of the current envir onmental and climate crisis. Con sequently, intergenerational soli darity “is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us” (ibid., 159).
and in this the
Thus a deeper understanding of stewardship is needed. ◊
wisdom of
References:
indigenous
1. Based on issues raised in talks on the Anthropoce, Sydney 2018 by Dr. Clive Pearson, researcher in Public and Contextural Theology, editor in chief, International Journal of Public Theology;
cultures has much to teach us.”
We see hope in a developing rela needed... an integration and change tionship between science and reli of mind and heart – an ecological gion; on the science relating to conversion – to enable us to make consciousness, the effects of medita tion and a sense of awe as we learn more of the wonderous nature of our planet.
2. Pope Francis, Integral Human De velopment, Saving our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth, 3rd Anniversary of Encyclical Laudato Si, Vatican City, July 28, 2018.
It is not enough to know with the mind. We have to know with the heart, and meditation can help us move our knowledge from the head to the heart and to embody this knowledge in our daily lives. Meditation focuses on a change in consciousness... leading to an inner integration and outer actions not driven by ego; a contemplative con sciousness in which we can experi ence our being part of a larger whole.
Interfath protest #StopAdani at the Coal Loader Center for Sustainability. Photo by Clayton Hairs.
Meditation and the Environment - Page 2
Blessed are the Children by Linda Chapman
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tanding under the tree whilst in conversation with 10 year old Kaeleigh I was struck by how at home she seemed up in the branches. Kaeleigh says she likes climbing trees but not ‘walls and other things.’ When I wondered why she said she ‘felt safer in trees.’ Again, we wondered why that might be. After a moment or two she replied that it's because trees have roots that go into the ground. Afterwards I reflected on this and the gift Kaeliegh, and her brother and sister are receiving as they learn to meditate with us. It seems to me that they are growing interior roots through their incipient spiritual practice.
Soon we will share a weekend re treat with these three and a few other kids. We'll be camping between the beach and the bush of a National Park on the far south coast. The group will range in age from eight years to 80 years. We will gather for meditation in the gunyah and share stories around the camp fire. Some of the kids will make flatbread cooked on the fire accord ing to an ancient recipe using barley which will become our eucharist. The wallabies, roos, possums, the eagles, seals and emus that abound in this place will form part of our community as we share that meal under the stars. Kaeleigh, Sean and Emma know the place. I have seen them ‘inhabit’ it with the total ease of children who have not been Here are three children who, thanks taught to be afraid or disengaged to their mother, are learning a prac from nature. They are aware of the tice for life. These three are full of need to look after the natural envir life and love climbing, surfing, soc onment because they love it. They cer and sitting around a fire. They are loving meditation. These chil are utterly at home in nature. As dren are helping shape our future. soon as the service is over on a We are privileged to nurture them Sunday they are out the door and in their practice as they grow. They up a tree. Yet unlike the monkeys in are about to form their own kids the tree of our mind they can sit group called Growing Still and quietly for some time simply com hopefully will draw other young fortable to be held by a limb of the lives into the practice of meditation old Ash whom they are coming to and care for the earth. ◊ know so well.
their mum, Sascha, about words to use for meditation Emma said she liked Maranatha as it made her feel calm. She said to me recently, “I have been loving meditating with you and Russelle and David and Rebecca and Jo and Foss. When I meditate it makes me feel calm and Kaeleigh, Emma and Sean are chil relaxed.” Sean to his mum, “I love dren in our parish community who meditation.” When Sascha enquired often meditate with us when, as a as to what that was about he said small group, we meet for a phonein that ‘it's better than scripture.’ meditation three mornings a week. Sascha says he likes church and The twins are 8 years old and meditating because he ‘believes in Kaeleigh is 10. When talking with the things church and meditating says.’ When asked further about this he said, “The thing Linda says at the start, the prayer, the thing that it is saying, is more intricate, more real and not so kiddish”!
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Stewardship
He asked a group of children who had been meditating in schools and who led a meditation at the event, what by Janet O'Sullivan meditation had taught them about how they wanted to live in the world and noted that many spoke about “re tewardship, as a way of seeing our orientation to the sponsibility,” – they felt responsibility for the environ natural environment, is countercultural to the indi ment. vidualism of private ownership that pervades global culture. The underlying assumption of human steward Modeling the practice of meditation may instill a spir ship of creation is that all of life is gift and grace and itual practice that develops a vision of life oriented to that our human vocation includes serving the common wards stewardship as compared with acquisitive good. Notions of private ownership severed from the selfinterest. And of course meditation will support and responsibility to consider the commonweal are a symp encourage the innate capacity of children for self tran tom of the pathology of our times. scendence, awe, love and compassion. To bring the
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Our stewardship extends beyond the physical environ ment to future generations who will live with the con sequences of actions and inactions of our generation and past generations.
practice of meditation together with the direct experi ence of being in nature, of its interconnectedness and beauty, may be a foundation for sustainable living for children growing into the world today.
Pope Francis said that intergenerational solidarity “is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us.”1 (159).
This too can be a life of discipline; one of greater aware ness, interconnectedness and empathy.
We need to also be particularly aware of this steward ship in the way we teach children – strengthening their innate sense of unity and wonder which can easily be covered over by the many distractions which modern technologies and virtual realities now make available to them. “The teaching of meditation to children is the most radical spiritual initiate of our time… nothing changes our perception more radically than the contem plative experience.”2
It is a sign of hope to see the growth in WCCM of med itation with children around the world, and we have a wonderful opportunity to link meditation to experi ences of awe and wonder, being at home in nature and a sense of being connected to something larger than themselves. In our Australian WCCM there are retreats for teachers, and family meditation days with focus of our our interconnectedness with all of nature.
At a meditation event on ageing in Sydney 2017 Laurence Freeman spoke of our responsibility in the Anthropocene of our need for an expanded under standing of stewardship extending to future genera tions, “not only for the natural world but for future generations to whom we are bequeathing the habits and consequences of our short sighted and self destructive patterns of behaviour.”
Meditation and The Environment Meditatio St Marks Myddelton Square London EC1 R 1 XX United Kingdom email: meditatio@wccm.org web: meditatio.co.uk
Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Learn how to see. Realise that everything connects with everything else.”
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single minute before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank, writer and holocaust victim ◊ References 1. Pope Francis, Integral Human Development, Saving our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth 2. Laurence Freeman OSB, Stewardship: the Next Genera tion, Prinicipal Connections Magazine, April 2017
Meditatio is a cluster of programs, publications and events that brings the fruits and benefits of meditation to the wider world. It is the outreach of The World Community for Christian Meditation and seeks to bring universal spiritual wisdom and values to bear upon the pressing issues of a secular world. Meditation and publication.
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