Eating is an agricultural act.
Eating is an agricultural act.
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It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work...The impeded stream is the one that sings.
It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not …
Love the quick profit, the annual raise, vacation with pay. Want more of everything ready-made. Be afraid to know your neighbors and to die.
Love the quick profit, the annual raise, vacation with pay. Want more of everything ready-made. Be afraid to know your neighbors and to die.
The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility.
The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility.
The earth is what we all have in common.
The earth is what we all have in common.
There are, it seems, two muses: the Muse of Inspiration...and the Muse of Realization, who returns again and again to say, 'It is yet more difficult than you thought.'
There are, it seems, two muses: the Muse of Inspiration, who gives us inarticulate visions and desires, and the Muse of Realization, who returns again and again to say, “It is yet more …
We are living in the most destructive and, hence, the most stupid period of the history of our species.
We are living in the most destructive and, hence, the most stupid period of the history of our species.
What I stand for is what I stand on.
What I stand for is what I stand on.
When despair for the world grows in me...I come into the peace of wild things.
When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his …
“Deep ecological awareness recognizes the fundamental interdependence of all phenomena and the fa...
“Deep ecological awareness recognizes the fundamental interdependence of all phenomena and the fact that, as individuals and societies we are all embedded in (and ultimately dependent on) the …
“Deep ecology does not separate humans - or anything else - from the natural environment. It does...
“Deep ecology does not separate humans - or anything else - from the natural environment. It does see the world not as a collection of isolated objects but as a network of phenomena that are …
“Gradually, physicists began to realise that nature, at the atomic level, does not appear as a me...
“Gradually, physicists began to realise that nature, at the atomic level, does not appear as a mechanical universe composed of fundamental building blocks, but rather as a network of relations, and …
“Mystics understand the roots of the Tao but not its branches; scientists understand its branches...
“Mystics understand the roots of the Tao but not its branches; scientists understand its branches but not its roots. Science does not need mysticism and mysticism does not need science; but man needs …
“Systems thinking is “contextual,” which is the opposite of analytical thinking. Analysis means t...
“Systems thinking is “contextual,” which is the opposite of analytical thinking. Analysis means taking something apart in order to understand it; systems thinking means putting it into the context of …
“There are solutions to the major problems of our time; some of them even simple. But they requir...
“There are solutions to the major problems of our time; some of them even simple. But they require a radical shift in our perceptions, our thinking, our values. And, indeed, we are now at the …
A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain membe...
A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it.
A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic com...
A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.
Ability to see the cultural value of wilderness boils down, in the last analysis, to a question o...
Ability to see the cultural value of wilderness boils down, in the last analysis, to a question of intellectual humility.
Ahimsa is the means; Truth is the end. Means to be means must always be within our reach, and so ...
Ahimsa is the means; Truth is the end. Means to be means must always be within our reach, and so ahimsa is our supreme duty.
All doing is knowing, and all knowing is doing.
All doing is knowing, and all knowing is doing.
All flourishing is mutual.
All flourishing is mutual.
All noble things are as difficult as they are rare.
All noble things are as difficult as they are rare.
All things in nature proceed from certain necessity and with the utmost perfection.
All things in nature proceed from certain necessity and with the utmost perfection.
An Indigenous person is a member of a community retaining memories of life lived sustainably on a...
An Indigenous person is a member of a community retaining memories of life lived sustainably on a land-base, as part of that land-base.
As a poet I hold the most archaic values on earth. They go back to the late Paleolithic: the fert...
As a poet I hold the most archaic values on earth. They go back to the late Paleolithic: the fertility of the soil, the magic of animals, the power-vision in solitude, the terrifying initiation and …
As soon as there is awareness of wholeness, every moment becomes sacred, every movement is sacred.
As soon as there is awareness of wholeness, every moment becomes sacred, every movement is sacred.
Autopoiesis is the mechanism that makes living systems autonomous.
Autopoiesis is the mechanism that makes living systems autonomous.
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.
Being naturalized to place means to live as if this is the land that feeds you, as if these are t...
Being naturalized to place means to live as if this is the land that feeds you, as if these are the streams from which you drink.
Buddhism without social action is not complete Buddhism.
Buddhism without social action is not complete Buddhism.
By means of all created things, without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us, and mold...
By means of all created things, without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us, and molds us.
Cognition is not the representation of a pre-given world by a pre-given mind, but is rather the e...
Cognition is not the representation of a pre-given world by a pre-given mind, but is rather the enactment of a world and a mind.
Compassion without wisdom is blind; wisdom without compassion is cold.
Compassion without wisdom is blind; wisdom without compassion is cold.
Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.
Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.
Consumerism is the new religion of the modern world, and it's destroying both people and planet.
Consumerism is the new religion of the modern world, and it’s destroying both people and planet.
Contemporary life diverges from the pattern of creation. How does this affect us? How can we do t...
Contemporary life diverges from the pattern of creation. How does this affect us? How can we do things differently?
Decolonization is not about returning to some pristine past; it's about creating new futures.
Decolonization is not about returning to some pristine past; it’s about creating new futures.
Deep ecology is not just a pragmatic, short-term social movement. It attempts to question and pre...
Deep ecology is not just a pragmatic, short-term social movement. It attempts to question and present alternatives to conventional ways of thinking in the modern West.
Deep ecology is not just an intellectual movement, it's a way of being in the world.
Deep ecology is not just an intellectual movement, it’s a way of being in the world.
Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.
Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.
Ecosophy begins with experiencing ourselves as part of nature, not separate from it.
Ecosophy begins with experiencing ourselves as part of nature, not separate from it.
Every act of knowing brings forth a world.
Every act of knowing brings forth a world.
Every species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius.
Every species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius.
Every symptom in our culture can be traced back to our inability to grieve well.
Every symptom in our culture can be traced back to our inability to grieve well.
Evolution has no purpose; it simply drifts with the only constraint of maintaining structural cou...
Evolution has no purpose; it simply drifts with the only constraint of maintaining structural coupling.
Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there.
Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there.
Future generations are unlikely to condone our lack of prudent concern for the integrity of the n...
Future generations are unlikely to condone our lack of prudent concern for the integrity of the natural world that supports all life.
God and Nature are one and the same.
God and Nature are one and the same.
Grief is not a feeling but a skill - the skill that allows us to love fully in the face of loss.
Grief is not a feeling but a skill - the skill that allows us to love fully in the face of loss.
Grief is praise. It is the way the heart acknowledges the beauty of what we have lost.
Grief is praise. It is the way the heart acknowledges the beauty of what we have lost.
Happiness research shows that beyond meeting basic needs, more consumption does not lead to great...
Happiness research shows that beyond meeting basic needs, more consumption does not lead to greater well-being.
Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs.
Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs.
I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to...
I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them.
I live my life in widening circles / that reach out across the world.
I live my life in widening circles / that reach out across the world.
I realized I was prey. I was a meal for a crocodile in the most ancient sense.
I realized I was prey. I was a meal for a crocodile in the most ancient sense.
I want to be with those who know secret things or else alone.
I want to be with those who know secret things or else alone.
If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibriu...
If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into …
If everybody would agree that their current reality is A reality, and that what we essentially sh...
If everybody would agree that their current reality is A reality, and that what we essentially share is our capacity for constructing a reality, then perhaps we could all agree on a meta-agreement …
If the Earth does grow inhospitable toward human presence, it is primarily because we have lost o...
If the Earth does grow inhospitable toward human presence, it is primarily because we have lost our sense of courtesy toward the Earth and its inhabitants.
If we are living so intimately with chemicals—eating and drinking them, taking them into the very...
If we are living so intimately with chemicals—eating and drinking them, taking them into the very marrow of our bones—we had better know something about their power.
If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those...
If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.
If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not po...
If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches.
In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of...
In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.
In some Native languages the term for plants translates to 'those who take care of us.'
In some Native languages the term for plants translates to ’those who take care of us.'
In the sanctuary of silence / beauty comes to life. / Freedom is the blossom. / Love is the perfu...
In the sanctuary of silence / beauty comes to life. / Freedom is the blossom. / Love is the perfume, / compassion its graceful way of walking.
In this era, to become a spiritual inquirer without social consciousness is a luxury that we can ...
In this era, to become a spiritual inquirer without social consciousness is a luxury that we can ill afford, and to be a social activist without a scientific understanding of the inner workings of …
Indigenous Knowledge is any application of those memories as living knowledge to improve present ...
Indigenous Knowledge is any application of those memories as living knowledge to improve present and future circumstances.
Information is a difference that makes a difference.
Information is a difference that makes a difference.
Inner peace and outer peace are inseparable.
Inner peace and outer peace are inseparable.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. / Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. / Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Localization is a process of economic and social restructuring based on the principle that our ec...
Localization is a process of economic and social restructuring based on the principle that our economies should serve our communities and our environment.
Love is the fundamental energy of the universe.
Love is the fundamental energy of the universe.
Man is not situated in nature as a kingdom within a kingdom, but as a part of the whole.
Man is not situated in nature as a kingdom within a kingdom, but as a part of the whole.
Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a ...
Man’s attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against …
Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.
Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.
Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.
Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.
Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must ...
Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being.
Nothing has meaning except it be seen as in some sort of context.
Nothing has meaning except it be seen as in some sort of context.
One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.
One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.
One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I kn...
One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?’
Paths are necessary in order to go off the trail.
Paths are necessary in order to go off the trail.
Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open ey...
Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.
Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, c...
Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.
Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once...
Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage.
Present human interference with the nonhuman world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly wor...
Present human interference with the nonhuman world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening.
Rationalism is the key to the connected oppressions of women and nature in the West.
Rationalism is the key to the connected oppressions of women and nature in the West.
Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of these values and are also v...
Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of these values and are also values in themselves.
Small is not only beautiful, small is also sacred.
Small is not only beautiful, small is also sacred.
Soil, soul and society are interconnected and interdependent.
Soil, soul and society are interconnected and interdependent.
Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Stay together / learn the flowers / go light.
Stay together / learn the flowers / go light.
That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respec...
That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.
The assistance people need is not in learning about Aboriginal Knowledge but in remembering their...
The assistance people need is not in learning about Aboriginal Knowledge but in remembering their own.
The biophilia hypothesis proclaims a human dependence on nature that extends far beyond the simpl...
The biophilia hypothesis proclaims a human dependence on nature that extends far beyond the simple issues of material and energy.
The challenge awaiting us is to go much deeper as human beings, to expand understanding to a glob...
The challenge awaiting us is to go much deeper as human beings, to expand understanding to a global scale, integrating the totality of living, and to become aware of the wholeness of which we are a …
The Council of All Beings allows us to step aside from our human identity and speak on behalf of ...
The Council of All Beings allows us to step aside from our human identity and speak on behalf of the other species and ecosystems with whom we share this Earth.
The cracks are where the light comes in, but they are also where we fall apart.
The cracks are where the light comes in, but they are also where we fall apart.
The creative resistance is to maintain alive the vision that we have other possibilities of living.
The creative resistance is to maintain alive the vision that we have other possibilities of living.
The creature that wins against its environment destroys itself.
The creature that wins against its environment destroys itself.
The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall ha...
The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love.
The Earth does not belong to us; we belong to the Earth.
The Earth does not belong to us; we belong to the Earth.
The Earth is grieving, and our grief for the Earth is one way we can be in relationship with her ...
The Earth is grieving, and our grief for the Earth is one way we can be in relationship with her pain.
The Earth is not only a machine, it is also a face.
The Earth is not only a machine, it is also a face.
The Earth is primary. Human beings are derivative.
The Earth is primary. Human beings are derivative.
The earth's vegetation is part of a web of life in which there are intimate and essential relatio...
The earth’s vegetation is part of a web of life in which there are intimate and essential relations between plants and the earth, between plants and other plants, between plants and animals.
The ecological crisis is fundamentally a crisis of consciousness and values.
The ecological crisis is fundamentally a crisis of consciousness and values.
The environmental/ecology movement has been a response to the awareness by many people that somet...
The environmental/ecology movement has been a response to the awareness by many people that something is drastically wrong, out of balance in our contemporary culture.
The forest does not belong to us; we belong to the forest.
The forest does not belong to us; we belong to the forest.
The global economy is like a machine that must grow or die, and growth means the destruction of t...
The global economy is like a machine that must grow or die, and growth means the destruction of the natural world.
The Great Work now, as we move into a new millennium, is to carry out the transition from a perio...
The Great Work now, as we move into a new millennium, is to carry out the transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period when humans would be present to the planet in a …
The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understan...
The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.
The idea that humans are separate from nature is the illness of civilization.
The idea that humans are separate from nature is the illness of civilization.
The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating life quality rather than adhering to an inc...
The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating life quality rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living.
The invitation is to compost, not to fix.
The invitation is to compost, not to fix.
The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, ...
The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.
The living being and its environment are mutually enfolded in multiple ways, and so what constitu...
The living being and its environment are mutually enfolded in multiple ways, and so what constitutes the world of a given organism is enacted by that organism’s history of structural coupling.
The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the...
The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think.
The map is not the territory, and the name is not the thing named.
The map is not the territory, and the name is not the thing named.
The mercy of the West has been social revolution; the mercy of the East has been individual insig...
The mercy of the West has been social revolution; the mercy of the East has been individual insight into the basic self/void. We need both.
The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us...
The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.
The more we understand individual things, the more we understand God.
The more we understand individual things, the more we understand God.
The most radical thing we can do is to rebuild our local economies.
The most radical thing we can do is to rebuild our local economies.
The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one's self to others.
The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one’s self to others.
The pattern which connects is a metapattern. It is a pattern of patterns.
The pattern which connects is a metapattern. It is a pattern of patterns.
The project is changing the master story, the background narrative of our culture.
The project is changing the master story, the background narrative of our culture.
The real work is what we really do. And what our lives are. And if we can make work real, we can ...
The real work is what we really do. And what our lives are. And if we can make work real, we can make it whole.
The root of violence is not anger or hatred, but ignorance and greed.
The root of violence is not anger or hatred, but ignorance and greed.
The sacred is certainly related to the beautiful. And both are related to that which is outside t...
The sacred is certainly related to the beautiful. And both are related to that which is outside the reach of language.
The standpoint of mastery sees the other as radically separate and inferior, the background to th...
The standpoint of mastery sees the other as radically separate and inferior, the background to the self as foreground.
The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.
The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.
The variety of life is a heritage for all humanity. The species we are extinguishing took million...
The variety of life is a heritage for all humanity. The species we are extinguishing took millions of years to evolve.
The village is where we learn to feel together, and feeling together is how we heal the world.
The village is where we learn to feel together, and feeling together is how we heal the world.
The well-being and flourishing of human and nonhuman Life on Earth have value in themselves. Thes...
The well-being and flourishing of human and nonhuman Life on Earth have value in themselves. These values are independent of the usefulness of the non-human world for human purposes.
The work of many ecologists has encouraged the adoption of an ecological consciousness, changing ...
The work of many ecologists has encouraged the adoption of an ecological consciousness, changing the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land community to plain member and citizen of it.
There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the deligh...
There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot.
This book is an attempt at codifying a scattered body of ecological insight into a philosophy tha...
This book is an attempt at codifying a scattered body of ecological insight into a philosophy that places human beings on an absolutely equal footing with all other creatures on the planet.
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long ...
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.
Those who subscribe to the foregoing points have an obligation directly or indirectly to particip...
Those who subscribe to the foregoing points have an obligation directly or indirectly to participate in the attempt to implement the necessary changes.
Traditional cultures had achieved something we are desperately seeking: a balance between human n...
Traditional cultures had achieved something we are desperately seeking: a balance between human needs and natural limits.
True development must be development of the people, by the people, for the people, and with the p...
True development must be development of the people, by the people, for the people, and with the people.
Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to ...
Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha - the Force which is born of Truth and Love or nonviolence.
Until we can acknowledge our dependency on nature, we cannot develop a truly sustainable culture.
Until we can acknowledge our dependency on nature, we cannot develop a truly sustainable culture.
Walking is the great adventure, the first meditation, a practice of heartiness and soul primary t...
Walking is the great adventure, the first meditation, a practice of heartiness and soul primary to humankind.
We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a communit...
We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.
We are all connected - to each other, to all life, and to the Earth itself.
We are all connected - to each other, to all life, and to the Earth itself.
We are challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our maste...
We are challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.
We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom.
We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom.
We are evolution become conscious of itself.
We are evolution become conscious of itself.
We are most of us governed by epistemologies that we know to be wrong.
We are most of us governed by epistemologies that we know to be wrong.
We are not gods. We are not the appointed stewards of the planet. We are just another species, bu...
We are not gods. We are not the appointed stewards of the planet. We are just another species, but we happen to be the dominant one at this moment.
We are not going into the future, we are going into the mystery.
We are not going into the future, we are going into the mystery.
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human exp...
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.
We are not in the Anthropocene; we are in the time of creative resistance.
We are not in the Anthropocene; we are in the time of creative resistance.
We are the Earth become conscious of itself.
We are the Earth become conscious of itself.
We bear the universe in our beings as the universe bears us in its being.
We bear the universe in our beings as the universe bears us in its being.
We cannot overcome the ecological crisis without dealing with the crisis of the human heart.
We cannot overcome the ecological crisis without dealing with the crisis of the human heart.
We cannot think our way out of the troubles that thinking created.
We cannot think our way out of the troubles that thinking created.
We do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we are.
We do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we are.
We have been told that there is no alternative to the global economy, but communities around the ...
We have been told that there is no alternative to the global economy, but communities around the world are proving otherwise.
We have only to believe. And the more threatening and irreducible reality appears, the more firml...
We have only to believe. And the more threatening and irreducible reality appears, the more firmly and desperately we must believe.
We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.
We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.
We live in a grief-illiterate culture, and this illiteracy is killing us and the planet.
We live in a grief-illiterate culture, and this illiteracy is killing us and the planet.
We may not need a new ecological philosophy, but need to reawaken something very old, to reawaken...
We may not need a new ecological philosophy, but need to reawaken something very old, to reawaken our understanding of Earth wisdom.
We must learn to be content with enough, not constantly wanting more.
We must learn to be content with enough, not constantly wanting more.
We need philosophy that connects head and heart, intellect and intuition, theory and practice.
We need philosophy that connects head and heart, intellect and intuition, theory and practice.
We need to accept the invitation to the dance - the dance of unity of humans, plants, animals, th...
We need to accept the invitation to the dance - the dance of unity of humans, plants, animals, the Earth. We need to cultivate an ecological consciousness.
We need to move from a spirituality of alienation from the natural world to a spirituality of int...
We need to move from a spirituality of alienation from the natural world to a spirituality of intimacy with the natural world.
We need to recognize ourselves as ecological beings who are thoroughly enmeshed in a larger world...
We need to recognize ourselves as ecological beings who are thoroughly enmeshed in a larger world of nature.
We need to rediscover the wisdom of traditional societies that lived in harmony with nature.
We need to rediscover the wisdom of traditional societies that lived in harmony with nature.
We will in all our actions be whole, total, natural, without effort. Every action or nonaction wi...
We will in all our actions be whole, total, natural, without effort. Every action or nonaction will have the perfume of wholeness.
When awareness of the totality, of wholeness, dawns upon the heart, and there is awareness of the...
When awareness of the totality, of wholeness, dawns upon the heart, and there is awareness of the relationship of every being to every other, then there is no longer any possibility of taking an …
When we allow ourselves to feel the full impact of what we're losing, we find the energy to prote...
When we allow ourselves to feel the full impact of what we’re losing, we find the energy to protect what remains.
When we think like a mountain, we begin to understand the patience of geological time and the wis...
When we think like a mountain, we begin to understand the patience of geological time and the wisdom of ecosystems.
Wildness calls us back to our ecological selves, reminding us who we really are.
Wildness calls us back to our ecological selves, reminding us who we really are.
Wisdom consists in being open to the groundlessness of experience.
Wisdom consists in being open to the groundlessness of experience.
Wisdom is knowing the pattern which connects.
Wisdom is knowing the pattern which connects.
You get mature ecosystems such as rainforests and prairies where you have far more cooperation th...
You get mature ecosystems such as rainforests and prairies where you have far more cooperation than you have hostile competition.
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean. If a few drops are dirty, the ocean do...
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean. If a few drops are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
Young species are acquisitive and territorial and grabby, and mature species co-operate, as in a ...
Young species are acquisitive and territorial and grabby, and mature species co-operate, as in a rainforest.
All of us are walking communities of bacteria
All of us are walking communities of bacteria. The world shimmers, a pointillist landscape made of tiny living beings.
Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile
Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.
Each being in the universe is the result of 13.8 billion years of creative development
Each being in the universe is the result of 13.8 billion years of creative development.
Earth Democracy connects the particular to the universal, the local to the global
Earth Democracy connects the particular to the universal, the local to the global.
Every day I see or I hear something that more or less kills me with delight
Every day I see or I hear something that more or less kills me with delight.
Humans are that part of the Earth that has awakened to itself
Humans are that part of the Earth that has awakened to itself.
Humans on Earth behave in some ways like a pathogenic micro-organism
Humans on Earth behave in some ways like a pathogenic micro-organism, or like the cells of a tumor.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. / I do know how to pay attention.
I'd look for life on Mars in the composition of its atmosphere, not by crawling around looking for bugs
I’d look for life on Mars in the composition of its atmosphere, not by crawling around looking for bugs.
If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower
If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.
If you understand that you are made of stellar material, you understand your kinship with every other being
If you understand that you are made of stellar material, you understand your kinship with every other being.
Independence is a political, not a scientific term
Independence is a political, not a scientific term.
Indigenous knowledge is sophisticated knowledge, not primitive knowledge
Indigenous knowledge is sophisticated knowledge, not primitive knowledge.
Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it
Instructions for living a life: / Pay attention. / Be astonished. / Tell about it.
Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable
Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.
Life on Earth is an elaborate and intricate symbiotic phenomenon
Life on Earth is an elaborate and intricate symbiotic phenomenon.
Philosophers and scientists have made the same mistake: they assumed the environment was fixed
Whenever philosophers and scientists have tried to explain how life evolved, they have made the same mistake: they’ve assumed that the environment was fixed and that the organisms simply …
Seed is not commodity. It is the embodiment of millions of years of evolution
Seed is not commodity. It is the embodiment of millions of years of evolution.
Symbiosis, living together in physical contact, is a concept neglected in evolution
I think the concept of symbiosis, of living together in physical contact, is a very important concept in evolution that has been neglected.
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?
Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible
Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible.
The Earth is not just our environment. The Earth is our mother
The Earth is not just our environment. The Earth is our mother.
The enclosure of the commons began with land; today it is being extended to life itself
The enclosure of the commons began with land; today it is being extended to life itself.
The future depends on whether we can learn to see ourselves as Earth
The future depends on whether we can learn to see ourselves as Earth.
The Gaia hypothesis is for those who like to walk or simply stand and stare
The Gaia hypothesis is for those who like to walk or simply stand and stare, to wonder about the Earth and the life it bears.
The greatest discovery of the scientific enterprise is that we live in a developing universe
The greatest discovery of the scientific enterprise is that we live in a developing universe.
The romantic vision of biotic nature as a cooperative venture is scientifically accurate
The romantic vision of biotic nature as a cooperative venture is far more scientifically accurate than the view of nature as violent and competitive.
The universe is not a collection of objects but a communion of subjects
The universe is not a collection of objects but a communion of subjects.
The universe is the primary sacred community, the primary revelation, the primary text
The universe is the primary sacred community, the primary revelation, the primary text.
The view of evolution as chronic bloody competition dissolves before a new view of cooperation
The view of evolution as chronic bloody competition among individuals and species, a popular distortion of Darwin’s notion of ‘survival of the fittest,’ dissolves before a new view …
The world offers itself to your imagination
The world offers itself to your imagination.
To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work
To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.
We abide in a symbiotic world
We abide in a symbiotic world.
We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness
We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.
We are the first generation of humans to know the story of the universe
We are the first generation of humans to know the story of the universe.
We have given Gaia a fever and soon her condition will worsen to a state like a coma
We have given Gaia a fever and soon her condition will worsen to a state like a coma. She has been there before and recovered, but it took more than 100,000 years.
We inter-are with the rain forests, the water table, and the atmosphere
We inter-are with the rain forests, the water table, and the atmosphere.
When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself
When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over.
You do not have to be good...
You do not have to be good. / You do not have to walk on your knees / for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. / You only have to let the soft animal of your body / love what it loves.
Quote: "We must find and develop therapies which heal our relations..." Arne Naess
“We must find and develop therapies which heal our relations with the widest community, that of all living beings.” —Arne Naess
"the major problems in the world.." - Gregory Bateson
“the major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works, and how people think” - Gregory Bateson
Please Call Me by My True Names
“Please call me by my true names, \ so I can hear all my cries and my laughter at once, \ so I can see that my joy and pain are one.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
Corruption never has been compulsory; when the cities lie at the monster's feet there are left the mountains.
“Corruption never has been compulsory; when the cities lie at the monster’s feet there are left the mountains.” — Robinson Jeffers
Humanity is the mold to break away from, the crust to break through, the coal to break into fire, / The atom to be split.
“Humanity is the mold to break away from, the crust to break through, the coal to break into fire, / The atom to be split.” — Robinson Jeffers
Hurt Hawks cannot be mended: the wild God has turned / His back on them.
“Hurt Hawks cannot be mended: the wild God has turned / His back on them.” — Robinson Jeffers
I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that itself creates new potential
“I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that itself creates new …
I believe that the universe is one being, all its parts are different expressions of the same energy.
“I believe that the universe is one being, all its parts are different expressions of the same energy.” — Robinson Jeffers
Integrity is wholeness, the greatest beauty is / Organic wholeness, the wholeness of life and things, the divine beauty of the universe. Love that, not man apart from that.
“Integrity is wholeness, the greatest beauty is / Organic wholeness, the wholeness of life and things, the divine beauty of the universe. Love that, not man apart from that.” — Robinson …
Long live freedom and damn the ideologies.
“Long live freedom and damn the ideologies.” — Robinson Jeffers
quote-we-are-the-universe-becoming-conscious-brian-swimme
“We are the universe becoming conscious of itself” - Brian Swimme
The beauty of things was born before eyes and sufficient to itself; the heart-breaking beauty / Will remain when there is no heart to break for it.
“The beauty of things was born before eyes and sufficient to itself; the heart-breaking beauty / Will remain when there is no heart to break for it.” — Robinson Jeffers
The tides are in our veins, we still mirror the stars, life is your child, but there is in me / Older and harder than life and more impartial, the eye that watched before there was an ocean.
“The tides are in our veins, we still mirror the stars, life is your child, but there is in me / Older and harder than life and more impartial, the eye that watched before there was an …
This coast crying out for tragedy like all beautiful places.
“This coast crying out for tragedy like all beautiful places.” — Robinson Jeffers
This is the first, the wildest and wisest thing I know: that the soul exists
This is the first, the wildest and wisest thing I know: that the soul exists, and that it is built entirely out of attentiveness.
A temperature rise of more than two degrees C risks altering the Earth system irreversibly.
“A temperature rise of more than two degrees C risks altering the Earth system irreversibly.” — James Lovelock
Gaia is a very simple idea: that the Earth works as a single, complex, self-regulating system.
“Gaia is a very simple idea: that the Earth works as a single, complex, self-regulating system.” — James Lovelock
Humanity is not separate from Gaia; we are a part of her body. To harm her is to harm ourselves.
“Humanity is not separate from Gaia; we are a part of her body. To harm her is to harm ourselves.” — James Lovelock
If we go on wrecking the biosphere, our technical and moral loftiness will count for nothing.
“If we go on wrecking the biosphere, our technical and moral loftiness will count for nothing.” — James Lovelock
Let us hope that humanity will see through science that it must live in harmony with all life, not just exploit it.
“Let us hope that humanity will see through science that it must live in harmony with all life, not just exploit it.” — James Lovelock
Life did not take over the globe by combat but by networking
“Life did not take over the globe by combat but by networking.” — Lynn Margulis Microcosmos (1986)
Our task is not to save the Earth. She will endure. It is our civilization, our children, who are at risk.
“Our task is not to save the Earth. She will endure. It is our civilization, our children, who are at risk.” — James Lovelock
quote bacteria are the hidden alchemists of lynn margulis
“Bacteria are the hidden alchemists of the planet, shaping the atmosphere and the future.” — Lynn Margulis Acquiring Genomes (2002)
quote evolution is not a tree but lynn margulis
“Evolution is not a tree but a web. Symbiosis is the driving force.” — Lynn Margulis Acquiring Genomes (2002)
quote symbiosis is not marginal. it is lynn margulis
“Symbiosis is not marginal. It is the key to evolution and survival.” — Lynn Margulis Acquiring Genomes (2002)
quote the human body is not a lynn margulis
“The human body is not a single being but a consortium of species.” — Lynn Margulis Symbiotic Planet (1998)
quote to understand life, we must understand lynn margulis
“To understand life, we must understand the partnerships that make it possible.” — Lynn Margulis Microcosmos (1986)
quote we are walking communities of microbes, lynn margulis
“We are walking communities of microbes, proof that cooperation drives life forward.” — Lynn Margulis Symbiotic Planet (1998)
quote-all-living-beings-have-intrinsic-value-arne-naess
“All living beings have intrinsic value.” – Arne Naess
quote-deep-ecology-asks-for-a-radical-arne-naess
“Deep ecology asks for a radical rethinking of values, not only technology.” – Arne Naess
quote-identification-not-moralizing-often-leads-to-arne-naess
“Identification, not moralizing, often leads to beautiful actions.” – Arne Naess
quote-intrinsic-value-is-independent-of-usefulness-arne-naess
“Intrinsic value is independent of usefulness to humans.” – Arne Naess
quote-quality-of-life-is-not-reducible-arne-naess
“Quality of life is not reducible to higher material standards.” – Arne Naess
quote-selfrealization-means-widening-the-self-identification-arne-naess
“Self-realization means widening the self: identification with a larger Self.” – Arne Naess
quote-selfrealization-often-leads-us-to-protect-arne-naess
“Self-realization often leads us to protect what we identify with.” – Arne Naess
quote-the-flourishing-of-life-requires-respecting-arne-naess
“The flourishing of life requires respecting richness and diversity.” – Arne Naess
quote-the-richness-and-diversity-of-life-arne-naess
“The richness and diversity of life contribute to quality of life.” – Arne Naess
quote-the-ultimate-aims-of-deep-ecology-arne-naess
“The ultimate aims of deep ecology can be summarized in a simple imperative: maximize self-realization! In other words, maximize our potential as living beings. We need beings to awaken.” …
quote: "gaia is a tough bitch: she..." lynn margulis
“Gaia is a tough bitch: she has endured cataclysmic change for billions of years.” — Lynn Margulis Symbiotic Planet (1998)
Quote: Joanna Macy; "All the world’s systems are interconnected; nothing exists in isolation."
“All the world’s systems are interconnected; nothing exists in isolation.” – Joanna Macy Source: World as Lover, World as Self (1991)
Quote: Joanna Macy; "Despair and gratitude can coexist; embracing both expands our capacity to act."
“Despair and gratitude can coexist; embracing both expands our capacity to act.” – Joanna Macy Source: Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age (1983)
Quote: Joanna Macy; "Grace happens when we act with others on behalf of our world."
“Grace happens when we act with others on behalf of our world.” – Joanna Macy Source: Journey On in Peace (Crossing the Boundary)
Quote: Joanna Macy; "If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people..."
“If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people…” – Joanna Macy Source: Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without …
Quote: Joanna Macy; "It is my experience that the world itself has a role to play in our liberation..."
“It is my experience that the world itself has a role to play in our liberation…” – Joanna Macy Source: On Being with our World (One Earth Sangha)
Quote: Joanna Macy; "The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe."
“The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe.” – Joanna Macy Source: Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age (1983)
Quote: Joanna Macy; "The sorrow, grief, and rage you feel is a measure of your humanity and your evolutionary maturity..."
“The sorrow, grief, and rage you feel is a measure of your humanity and your evolutionary maturity…” – Joanna Macy Source: Greening of the Self (2013)
Quote: Joanna Macy; "The work that reconnects helps us transform despair into constructive action."
“The work that reconnects helps us transform despair into constructive action.” – Joanna Macy Source: Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy (with Chris …
Quote: Joanna Macy; "We are our world knowing itself. We can relinquish our separateness..."
“We are our world knowing itself. We can relinquish our separateness…” – Joanna Macy Source: World as Lover, World as Self (1991)
Quote: Joanna Macy; "When you look at what is happening to our world and it is hard to look at whats happening..."
“When you look at what is happening to our world-and it is hard to look at what’s happening to our water, our air, our trees, our fellow species-it becomes clear that unless you have some …
The Gaia hypothesis tells us that life and the Earth are inseparable, two sides of one great process.
“The Gaia hypothesis tells us that life and the Earth are inseparable, two sides of one great process.” — James Lovelock
The planet we abuse will find ways to restore balance, but not necessarily in ways that are kind to us.
“The planet we abuse will find ways to restore balance, but not necessarily in ways that are kind to us.” — James Lovelock
We are part of Gaia’s experiment. Whether we remain part of her future depends on how we live now.
“We are part of Gaia’s experiment. Whether we remain part of her future depends on how we live now.” — James Lovelock
We have to accept that we are modest parts of the functioning of Earth, not its masters.
“We have to accept that we are modest parts of the functioning of Earth, not its masters.” — James Lovelock
We need to see ourselves not as stewards of nature, but as participants in a vast, living system.
“We need to see ourselves not as stewards of nature, but as participants in a vast, living system.” — James Lovelock
Quote: John Seed; "Deep ecology looks at the spiritual disease..."
“Deep ecology looks at the spiritual disease that underlies the environmental crisis: the illusion of separation between humans and the rest of the natural world… In order to nourish our …
Quote: Pema Chödron; "The earth seems to be beseeching us..."
“The earth seems to be beseeching us to connect with joy and discover our innermost essence. This is the best way that we can benefit others.” – Pema Chodron
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "the Earth is in you, you are the Earth..."
“When you wake up and see that the Earth is not just the environment, the Earth is in you, you are the Earth, you touch the nature of interbeing” - Thich Nhat Hanh This powerful quote from Thich Nhat …
Quote: Arne Naess; ““The smaller one comes to feel…”
“The smaller one comes to feel compared to the mountain, the nearer one comes to sharing in its greatness. I don’t know why this is so.” - Arne Naess —
quote: Arne Naess; “Care flows naturally if the self is widened…”
“Care flows naturally if the self is widened and deepened so that protection of free nature is felt and conceived of as protection of our very selves.” - Arne Naess —
Quote: Arne Naess; “Now is the time to share with all life…”
“Now is the time to share with all life on our maltreated earth by deepening our identification with all life-forms, with the ecosystems, and with Gaia, this fabulous, old planet of ours. we need the …
Quote: Joanna Macy; "All life is interdependent; we cannot survive without the web of relationships that sustain us."
“All life is interdependent; we cannot survive without the web of relationships that sustain us.” – Joanna Macy Source: Coming Back to Life, 1998
Quote: Joanna Macy; "Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an active engagement."
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an active engagement.” – Joanna Macy Source: Active Hope, 2007
Quote: Joanna Macy; "of all the dangers we face..."
“Of all the dangers we face, from climate chaos to nuclear war, none is so great as the deadening of our response.” - Joanna Macy —
Quote: Joanna Macy; "The more we open our hearts to the pain of the world, the more we are able to act effectively."
“The more we open our hearts to the pain of the world, the more we are able to act effectively.” – Joanna Macy Source: The Work That Reconnects, 1998
Quote: Joanna Macy; "We dont have to surrender our individuality to be part of a collective movement."
“We don’t have to surrender our individuality to be part of a collective movement.” – Joanna Macy Source: Active Hope, 2007
Quote: Joanna Macy; "When we face our fears, we discover hidden strengths we never knew we had."
“When we face our fears, we discover hidden strengths we never knew we had.” – Joanna Macy Source: The Work That Reconnects, 1998
Quote: John Seed; “once we realize that the nature within…”
“once we realize that the nature within and the nature without are continuous, then we too may share and manifest the exquisite beauty and effortless grace associated with the natural world” - John …
Quote: John Seed; “The fundamental insight of deep ecology…”
“The fundamental insight of deep ecology is that underlying all of the symptoms of environmental problems, there is the illusion of separation between human beings and the natural world” - John Seed — …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today."
“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: Peace …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "If we believe that happiness is possible only when we have no suffering, we will never have happiness. Happiness is not the absence of suffering but the art of suffering well."
“If we believe that happiness is possible only when we have no suffering, we will never have happiness. Happiness is not the absence of suffering but the art of suffering well.” Thich Nhat …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "It is possible to be joyful and peaceful even while we work for change. Hope is important, but it is not enough. We must also be peace and joy in every moment."
“It is possible to be joyful and peaceful even while we work for change. Hope is important, but it is not enough. We must also be peace and joy in every moment.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "Real change will only happen when we fall in love with the Earth. Falling in love means to see her beauty, to touch her deeply and to rejoice in her."
“Real change will only happen when we fall in love with the Earth. Falling in love means to see her beauty, to touch her deeply and to rejoice in her.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: Love Letter …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "The Earth is not just our environment. We are the Earth and we are always carrying her within us. We need to wake up and realize that the Earth and we are one."
“The Earth is not just our environment. We are the Earth and we are always carrying her within us. We need to wake up and realize that the Earth and we are one.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment and appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now."
“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment and appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community showing the way to collective awakening."
“The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community showing the way to collective awakening.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness. When we realize that everything we do affects the whole, love and responsibility arise naturally."
“We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness. When we realize that everything we do affects the whole, love and responsibility arise naturally.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "We need to consume in such a way that keeps our compassion alive. Reducing consumption is the way to reduce violence toward ourselves and the Earth."
“We need to consume in such a way that keeps our compassion alive. Reducing consumption is the way to reduce violence toward ourselves and the Earth.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: The World We …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "When we walk on the Earth with awareness, every step is a prayer of healing. Touching the ground deeply, we heal ourselves and the planet."
“When we walk on the Earth with awareness, every step is a prayer of healing. Touching the ground deeply, we heal ourselves and the planet.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: The Long Road Turns to …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you do not blame the lettuce. In the same way, do not blame yourself or others. Nourish conditions for growth."
“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you do not blame the lettuce. In the same way, do not blame yourself or others. Nourish conditions for growth.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. When you are mindful of the Earth, you are mindful of yourself."
“You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. When you are mindful of the Earth, you are mindful of yourself.” Thich Nhat Hanh …
Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; “we need to wake up. Wake up to see, to understand, to love, and to treasure.”
“It is only that tiny planet with its shades of blue and white that is our home, that welcomes us. We are living in our home, but we do not treasure it and the time we have to live on it. The images …