Ecophilia

Fog settles on the mountain, shrouding the distant peaks in a ghostly veil. Forested slopes disappear into the haze, summits rising endlessly into the Sky. A boom of thunder echoes through the valley, a sign of the coming deluge. The forest temple rises above; sculpted, wooden pillars supporting the living crown. Storms pass overhead, pounding the soil with rain, turning once gentle streams into raging torrents. The trees provide some respite from the downpour as you catch your breath beneath the dense canopy. Surrounded on all sides by rock and cloud, one has no choice but to continue onwards. It is easier to keep warm when moving. This storm is helping to end a severe drought and Mother Earth is thankful for the Water from Father Sky. You may be soaked to the bone, but will you be gloomy like the weather or will you embrace the experience as a gift from Nature? As part of the cycle, you too express gratitude towards the Heavens as they pour their life-giving waters over you. You offer a prayer and nearby, a bird calls and a tree falls…. 

As a hydrologist, I cannot be in conflict with water. Thus, the HydroPhilosophy was born. “Water as a philosophy of Nature, and Nature as a reflection of Life.” As an ecohydrologist, nor can I be in conflict with Nature.

It seemed appropriate to use science grounded in logic to formulate a philosophy. But hydrology is a physical science, based on math, and spawned from engineering, designed to dominate and manipulate Earth to man’s needs. Identifying with Water as a philosophy of Nature is another attempt at reductionism and control of natural processes to satisfy our will. Of course, without Water, there would be no Nature. Ecohydrology is a step in the right direction, acknowledging that the combination of Water and Energy as Light gave rise to the Origin of Life. To truly comprehend the ways of Nature and appreciate being Alive, we need a life science, one rooted in biology and observation… we need ecology.

We are living creatures, not just passive conduits for the water cycle like snow and clouds, but active participants in the web of Life, a fundamental part of the ecosystem. Ecology recognizes the interconnectedness of all things and the interdependence of one organism on another. A walk through the forest will prove that. Notice how the Bee darts from flower to flower carrying pollen, or how the Squirrel munching on pine cones spreads the seeds, or how the Eagle circles overhead scanning for its next meal. Every predator needs its prey. Once we start connecting the dots, a food web emerges stretching all the way up to the Sun. Ultimately, every living thing is feasting on concentrated solar energy, bound up with water molecules, providing nourishment to the entire planet. If one link in this chain is removed, the entire natural order breaks down. These connections include the abiotic (non-living) environment too. Cottonwood trees need flood to sprout and Lodgepole Pines need fire to germinate. Fungi decompose organic matter to clear fallen leaves and replenish the soil, recycling the nutrients. The cycle of Life requires Death. 

Ecology places humans directly into the Environment, not above it. Human exceptionalism has no worth in an ecological sense. Kincentric ecology reminds us that the fate of humanity is interwoven with all other life forms on this planet – plant, animal, fungal, microbial, viral…. Mother Nature does not depend on us, but we are still entirely dependent on Her for survival. And yet, Gaia only suffers because of humans. Surely, the planet and all its nonhuman inhabitants would be better off without us. We need to be deeply grateful to our Grand Mother, and approach these relationships with our fellow Earthlings as kin, with humility and respect. It is easy to be thankful for cold, clean Water on a hot day. But have you thanked the Trees that filtered pollution out of that water? What about the Fungi and Microbes that support the trees and crops? Has anyone ever thanked the Turkey for their Thanksgiving meal? Climate change is a symptom of our disconnected way of life. What will happen when we’ve depleted our natural resources and the Soil no longer supports agriculture or the Ocean no longer supports aquaculture? We should practice gratitude for every meal we eat that comes from the Land or Sea. And I don’t mean thanking God and saying Amen, though we’re on the right track.

Modern “science” may not recognize the existence of a Higher Power, but Eastern and Native mystics realized it long ago. The Truth does not require a God, Heaven, Hell, or a Soul. These are just concepts meant to keep human behavior in check and offer comfort in the vast, empty cosmos, indifferent to our very existence. What is the point of behaving without an omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent Force that keeps watch? Well, the threat of everlasting damnation may convince you to do good in this life. The inherent suffering of the human condition begs for a promise of eternal salvation in the form of Heaven or Enlightenment to ease the burden. But the promise of a better future in the afterlife presumes that Earth is already some form of Hell, filled with sickness, disease, and Death. Spiritual goals neglect worldly problems in pursuit of Higher wisdom. But should we really be selfishly striving for deliverance when our Home is burning down around us? As the Word was made Flesh, so must the Divine be made Immanent. We must recapture that sense of Awe which was formally reserved for God. We must see the natural world imbued with otherworldly significance, as our Animist ancestors would have lived. Romantic Art symbolizes Nature as an expression of the Sublime. There is no strain between the artist’s devotion to the natural world and her concern with the supernatural. Then why have science and religion become so opposed? Does Physics not reveal a Universal Order of such mathematical precision and perfection that one can only remain in Wonder and Awe at the Great Mystery of Creation? The man who pierced the veil of reality, Albert Einstein, knew this: “All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same tree.” Whether spiritual, creative, or intellectual pursuits, it is striving for the same deeper understanding. The ultimate realization is ecological dogma: We are all One. Humans have been bestowed with profound perception and insight; truly, it is a miracle to exist on this planet. The privilege of being alive to witness supreme Earthly beauty is alone worthy of worship and prayer. Earth is Paradise! Mother Nature has provided bountiful harvests for us to realize our true potential. But we should never forget our Indigenous roots, tied to place, related to our Animal sisters and brothers. We are all connected through the infinite web of being. We need to see ourselves as part of Nature, not in conflict with it. We need ecospirituality.

Indigenous worldviews infuse nature, culture and spirit into a cohesive way of life. Native communities simultaneously recognize their Earthly origin and their place within the Great Mystery as part of the Sacred Hoop of Life. Their ceremonies and rituals honor Nature and pay homage to the dead. Death is accepted as a natural process and revered, rather than feared. The ancients are ever-present in the spirit world. We are never alone in Nature. The birds will always let us know when something is wrong, if only we can learn to listen to their song. From Doug Good Feather in Think Indigenous, the Way of the Buffalo is a lesson to take only what you need, and use all that you take, a lesson of reciprocity and sustainability. The Way of the Seven Generations connects us through the Sacred Tree of Life to our ancestors and our descendants, reminding us to provide a future for our unborn relatives. Finally, the Way of the Community prioritizes collective well-being over individual greed. The wisdom of these teachings keeps Indigenous people deeply in tune with the Great Spirit and the natural cycles, receiving elemental medicines as sacred gifts from the Creator. Indigenous spirituality is the recognition of a divine energy that permeates the entire fabric of existence, an awareness of the harmonious balance of this energetic vibration in Nature and the complete knowledge of how to live within that harmony and access its inherent power. When we ground our bare feet on bare earth, submerge our naked bodies in bodies of water, warm ourselves by the fire, or breathe fresh air in deeply, we receive therapeutic energies of the planet. When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves.

It starts with a choice. The Buddha taught that karma is the Law of Reality, the Law of Cause and Effect. “You reap what you sow.” Good karma is attained by not intentionally committing harm to anyone or anything. The first rule of Buddhism is no killing. Easy enough, until you consider the consequences of your steak dinner or your bacon, egg and cheese. Indirectly causing the massacre of billions of animals through factory farming is not going to contribute to anyone’s salvation, especially not the victims. Even our seemingly harmless tropical fruits, palm oils, and soybean are implicated in the deforestation of rainforest, wiping out untold numbers of species. One must always remain cognizant of the migrant farmworkers laboring and dying in the tremendous summer heat, worsening by the year, so that we can have fresh strawberries. Our actions produce karmic retribution. As rulers of the planet, Humans have a responsibility to all Life. How are we exercising this power? The Anthropocene is marked by a mass extinction event due to habitat loss and climate instability. We are committing wholesale destruction of any remaining vestige of wilderness. As Rachel Carson states in her seminal environmental classic, Silent Spring: “The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized.” Humans may think we are masters of our destiny, but we are writing our future into oblivion.

It is not enough to simply refrain from killing. Hunting was necessary for our ancestors to eat and survive, but we gave that up long ago. The times have changed, and so must our morals. Even Jesus Christ recognized the need to update the Ancient Law for modern times. It was not enough to “love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” but one must “love your enemies” too. Then, Islam showed us the Infinite Love and Mercy of Allah. Now it is finally time to expand our consciousness and open our hearts to all Life. If we loved all non-human animals as much as the ones we call our pets, the world would be a better place for all creatures. We must abandon our preconceived notions of speciesism, along with racism, sexism, ageism, and ableism, to extend our concept of Love beyond the familiar into the realm of the inorganic. Unconditional Love is boundless. 

The climate crisis is primarily a disease of the mind, a parochial view that narrows one’s world to themselves and theirs for the immediate future. We have lost our concern for anyone else in the struggle for existence. We pollute ourselves to fill the empty void. “Our house is on fire”, and our race is suffering. The domination of the planet is intertwined with the capitalistic subjugation of its people. If money is the root of all evil, power is its fruit. The genesis of ownership was the real original sin of the human race. The consolidation of natural, social, and economic resources in the hands of a few has produced misery for the rest. For 5,000 years, humanity has been oppressed by patriarchal religions that denied the autonomy of the individual and the rights of women. Devastatingly, this theology was extended to the planet when Adam was given Dominion over all Life. But most unfortunately, the Holy Father suppressed the Divine Nature of the Great Mother as Creator. We all know the Man only provides the Seed, while the Woman performs the Miracle of Birth. The complete exodus of Feminine Energy from the process of Creation is the single most absurd, tragic event in history, responsible for every systemic injustice that stems from toxic masculinity and endorses cultural superiority. Any religion that denies the equality of women or maintains the inferiority of others has no place in society today and will never be able to carry civilization forward to Enlightened Realms. This ancient separation of Earth and Heaven mirrors the modern divorce of the body and mind, a dualism that stands as the most detrimental outcome for holistic wellness that remains the sole reason why Western “medicine” cannot heal the suffering and depression of every single generation since the European “Enlightenment.” We have lost our roots. We must sow the seeds of compassion, empathy, and love to bear the fruit of tranquility. There will never be Peace on Earth until there is Peace inside. When we free ourselves, we will free the Earth.

Hindu mythology tells of the Cosmic Union between Shiva and Shakti, locked in eternal embrace. Shiva the Destroyer represents Pure Consciousness and Shakti, Pure Energy. Their constant love-making gives rise to all Creation, which ultimately must be destroyed to remove maya, or illusion, i.e. matter. The illusion of duality lies in the division of Source. Matter is Energy. Humans are embodiments of this ecstatic bond that is latent within us. We are beings of pure Energy, Love, and Light. Love unlocks the gateway to this Divine Energy. But we are covered in the veil of illusion. We are not this body… it is stardust… we are Spirit. Death is not the end, but only a new beginning. While our matter is returned to the Earth, our karmic energy projects into the next life. The truth of rebirth means that our ancestors, and our descendants, are Us… the continuity of our karmic cycle in samsara. Earth is our Eternal Home. Nature is the one who provides for us in glorious abundance, so we love Nature and Earth as a Mother. But Humanity has evolved and we are now on a level playing field with the planet, no longer subject to fear and scarcity, in fact able to grow and nurture the Life around us. As we mature, we recognize that maternal Love transforms into a more intimate Love, one that both gives and receives in reciprocity. This is why we must come into deeper communion with the Earth as Lover, indeed, by falling In Love with Her. We express our most profound compassion when we act as stewards of the environment and all its life forms. We can make soil from compost, dig our fingers into the dirt, plant seeds of native flowers, grow our own vegetables, tend a garden. We must deepen our inner awareness and connect to the masculine and feminine cycles of the Sun and the Moon. Through this selfless service to our Lover Earth, we renounce our individuality, transcend into Cosmic Union, and commune with Nature in our Ancestral Ways. We need ecophilia.

Ecophilia is ‘love for one’s home.’ We live in our bodies, so we must first take care of ourselves and Love and cherish the body as a fantastic instrument of Creation. Karma begins in the mind, so we must emanate from the Heart. Then, recognize that we are all family, under Father Sky, and radiate loving-kindness to all living beings. Finally, experience planetary and universal Love. Universal Love evokes Awe and illuminates a deep sense of spiritual connection to the fundamental truth… We are Divine Consciousness experiencing Itself. Planetary Love makes the mundane sacred, so that it is cared for and protected. The highest expression of Love is the Bodhisattva ideal, the commitment to sacrifice one’s own Enlightenment to stay on Earth and help others on the path. But we need Wisdom to cure our diseased minds. Nature possesses all the knowledge we need, if only we listen to Her lessons. The Universal Dao is the Way of Water. Enter the Flow. Slow down. Be Zen. Breathe. In Ancient Hebrew and Greek, a single word means breath, wind, and spirit; in Yoga, there is prana; in Chinese, it is qi. The Spirit is in the breath. The breath channels our qi. The qi is that which connects Form to the Formless, to Wind, Nature, Spirit. Every breath we take is an exchange with the Universal ebb and flow. The balance of Yin and Yang represents the expression of qi as a link between Earth and Heaven, the combination of female and male, dark and light, passive and active, opposing polarities of negative and positive, each supported by the other. The inner unity of body, mind, and spirit manifests the outer union of Yin (Shakti) and Yang (Shiva) within to remove our own maya and receive Wisdom. Follow the breath and you will find the Way. All things are Alive, because all things must pass. Change will wipe away even mountains. Because God is Life, God is Nature.

Every choice we make has consequences, for ourselves, for others, and for the planet. Science, spirituality and religion must include the preservation of Life on this planet, because every Life is Sacred. Not just unborn fetuses, but the Birds and the Bees, the Grass and the Trees, even the lowly Mosquito we all love to kill. But rule #1… just brush it off if you can. Humans may think we have ascended to godlike status, but our indiscriminate annihilation of Lover Earth proves we are no better, if not worse, than the apes from which we evolved. The Tree of Knowledge has not served to enlighten us to right or wrong, or we would not be facing a climate and biodiversity crisis. The community that neglects its riparia sows the seeds of its destruction. Remember our roots. Future generations, if we provide for their existence, will look back in horror and disgust at the way we have treated our planet. Celestial beings were always the real Gods and Goddesses, living and dying on timelines we cannot even fathom. Ecophilia brings a deeply reverential attitude toward the physical Universe as a mirror of Divine truths. We must approach Lover Earth with the same respect and devotion we bring to our prophets, those Enlightened Beings that have tried to show us the Way. But as usual, we refuse to listen. And we will pay the price for our sins.

Let’s end on a lighter note, one that is sung. The Truth is easier to remember in verse. For that, I leave you with our modern prophet, the Rastafarian poet Bob Marley, whose song “Get Up Stand Up” eloquently delivers this message:

You see, most people think great God will come from the skies,
Take away everything, and make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on Earth.
And now you see the light, you stand up for your rights.

One Love.