The Nature of My Love

"The earth is not the environment, something outside of us that we need to care for. The earth is us. Taking care of the earth, we take care of ourselves." — Thich Nhat Hanh.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Walking down the street, I stop and stare in awe at the great expanse before me. Fog rolling down early morning mountains and fields of goldenrod reaching for the sun, swaying in a silent rhythm, a hum. I can't help but rise in love with the Mother Earth around me, cradling us in her ever present embrace. What a blessing to be alive. What a blessing to call this planet 'home'. She has given to us for thousands of years, a medicine for our ailments and a medicine for the mind. Home to millions of creatures, she nurtures without bias, an equanimous force. Resilient and unbreaking, she has returned from years of plagued volcanic eruption, the ice age, and the ocean's rise and fall. Even when the humans cease, it is likely she will carry on and tell our stories through whispers and fragments of forgotten lands.

Humans have been gifted a beautiful mind of intellect and the ability to self-reflect and build upon ideas. A double edged sword. As humans evolved and have come to modern civilization, this fast growing rate that doesn't seem to be slowing down has become a volcano in itself. Despite the world's many wonderful gifts, we are taking at a rate where she cannot keep up. Even the Earth shares the nature of impermanence and when we take at a rate faster than she can regenerate, we cause significant harm. We see this today as rates of extinction and endangered species rise from habitat loss, natural disasters become stronger and more frequent, and levels of air pollution increase.

These external conflicts reflect the state of the human mind as a collective. Fear, anger, greed, violence, stress. A brewing pot of internal turmoil in times of desperation. It is no wonder we are heating up so rapidly when we are faced with so much inner conflict that we feel the only solution is to reach for something outside of us for relief. An unregulated demand on the wellbeing of society and the Earth. All is not fraught, many individuals have come together in these times of hardship working to bring awareness to our impact on the environment and finding ways to undo damage and prevent it from happening in the first place. Organizations, volunteer groups, individuals--a collective effort. These brave groups are like the salmon who swim upstream against the force of the river to return home. It takes a strong mind and determination to speak up, but it is a necessary course of action. The unfortunate consequence of continuously fighting an uphill battle is 'burnout'. Much like the Earth and society heating up around us, those fighting the flames are at risked of getting burned. When we work so hard without coming back to our breath and creating space for rest, the stress and fear may get under the surface and cause depression, lack of motivation, and unease.

"When we start to look for solutions, we first have to realise that the loss of control is a result of overheating; ungoverned, accelerated, large-scale change. In the search for alternatives, the first priority is to look for ways to slow down and cool down," "This would require scaling down in a number of areas, to help regain local control and autonomy; happiness over consumption, responsibility over wanton destruction." — Thomas Hylland Erikson

Instead of fighting desperation with desperation, fire with fire, we as a collective we must practice acting out of compassion, understanding, and creating space to heal the fire within. It is easy to lose ourselves to the passion behind our actions and fear lingering on the surface of "what if it's too late?" When we lose ourselves, we are no longer acting out of compassion and understanding, but anger and judgement. A continued cycle of suffering, even if motivated by good intentions. In order to understand the roots of suffering we must recognize the suffering in others and to recognize their suffering we must recognize our own. We as a collective have brought the Earth to where it is today, not one sole individual is responsible. We as a collective must face the flames of overconsumption with true love and peace to lead as a positive example. Planting and watering just one seed of compassion will trickle and blossom into many beautiful flowers. Coming together as a community to support, uplift, and educate one another is a healing and nurturing body that can do many wonderful things and leave a lasting impact on the Earth. An imprint of love.

Peace begins with us! It is easy to get ahead of ourselves--volunteer for every event, work day in and night for the environment, organize calls to action, focus only on the external--but that is how we lose sight of our breath and come to frustration and burnout. We must pause and breath, recognize what emotions are coming up for us and their roots. Then seek to understand our own capacity and how we can make changes in the here and now without bringing harm to our own peace. When we are so focused on what is happening outside of us, we forget that there is a garden in need of nurturing and care right inside of us. What steps can I take in my own life to bring about my own growth and healing? That way I can meet others from a place of compassion and understanding. What steps can I take in my own life to limit overconsumption and promote the wellbeing of the Earth? It starts with you. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, "I'm just one person, how does changing my life for the better do anything for the world?" But if we all take the time to pause and look inwards to make those changes, it's a collective effort and inspires those around us who see the beautiful change in the way we think, speak, and act.

"Peace in oneself, Peace in the world" — Thich Nhat Hanh

In 2023, I had the opportunity to take part in a 7-week online course hosted by the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism called "Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet". This was shortly after I had visited Blue Cliff Monastery for the first time and found myself deeply reflecting on my life and how I can make changes in order to relieve myself from self-inflicted suffering and make steps to heal the Earth that is in and around us. From the comfort of my home, I had access to live events, recorded dharma talks, guided meditations and contemplations, and the ability to connect with others and share from the heart. What touched me deeply was a talk given by one of the nuns who reminded me that change starts from within. "Peace in oneself, Peace in the world." I was so busy focusing on how to change the things around me and felt anger and frustration with current events across the globe. It was a difficult truth to swallow, but when I spent the time reflecting on my state of mind and my own seeds of suffering and how they manifest, where they came from, and the interconnectedness of all things, a deep compassion bloomed within my heart. Understanding my own suffering allowed me to look at others I disagreed with and see their own suffering that started as a child and manifested even more violently than my own. They are not someone outside of me, but we are connected. I have elements of them inside of me even if they are across the world and don't know I exist. This reframed my perspective of myself, others, and taking action. How could I speak out of anger and hatred when I see their inner child aching within? Now I try my best to speak only from a place seeking to understand and share compassion. I've witnessed since this revelation that my encounters with others are now easily diffused if emotionally turbulent when I hold the eyes of compassion rather than fueling the flames, and that my family and friends around me have been inspired to do the same. We are a collective and much like dandelions, let us spread the seeds of greater awareness and love.

Dear friends,

I know you have a deep sense of care for the Earth, and are looking to balance your personal wellbeing and climate action. Would you like to learn how to bring the energy of mindfulness into your activism? 🌎🌿

Join an upcoming online course, Zen and the Art of Saving The Planet - a 7 week online learning journey to nurture insight, compassion, community, and mindful action in service of the Earth. 🙏✨

This online course brings to life the teachings from renowned teacher Thich Nhat Hanh and his book Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet, and offers live events, curated new teachings and an interactive course community. 🪷

Registrations are now open for the upcoming course cohort, which runs in English, 19th Oct - 7th Dec and in Spanish, 24th Oct - 12th Dec.

Plus, there is a free live event on 1st October if you’d like to find out more - register here.

It would also be wonderful if you’re able to share this course with others via Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Smile & Be Well

Nanala McMillan