“Compassion—literally to ‘suffer with’—asks you to not be afraid to be part of this world. When you are that wide open, you see that the grief you feel is just the other side of love. You only mourn what you love.” Joanna Macy
“Our environmental crisis is the ultimate opportunity to realize our interdependence and act accordingly with compassion and wisdom… We must not only recognize but also act on our belonging to each other and the earth.” Jessica Morey
How do we face the enormity of the climate crisis with clarity, courage, and a loving heart? How can we wrap our minds and hearts around something so vast as the destabilization of the ecosystems on which humans and most species depend for life and—instead of going mad or numb—grow interested? How do we slow down enough to take effective action before it’s too late? Contemplative practice has a central role to play.
Our world is in crisis. When we look in the face of climate change, ecosystem collapse, and the many interconnected injustices, we might feel overwhelmed, afraid, angry, alone or numb. In this six-week community of practice, we come together to explore how we can apply the Buddha’s 2,500 year-old teachings to some of our most pressing collective challenges.
We’ll explore the Brahmaviharas of loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity as resources for honoring our pain for our world while still cultivating gratitude, connection, and love to sustain us in taking action toward a life-sustaining society. These teachings can help us strengthen the recognition of our interdependence and belonging with the earth and a mutuality of care.
Through dharma study, meditation, and relational practices we’ll learn from each other and create a space of support. In community, we’ll acknowledge our pain for the world and explore how it can inform loving action toward a vision of the world our hearts know is possible.