Mindfulness of Nature

This talk will offer some philosophical reflections on how the practice of zazen (mindful meditation) can heal the divided self and reconnect our embodied mind with the world around us. I will argue that we are relational beings living in a relational universe - a universe of interwoven and interactive processes and energies – a universe in which _things_ are actually _events_, with no fixed essences or identities. And the universe, and all its diverse constituent forms and structures, are in flux, merging and mingling in changing patterns of dynamic kinship. I will explore some Buddhist ideas about the ways in which insatiable desire fuels dissatisfaction, restlessness, disturbance and conflict, and how our capitalist culture is grounded in greed, division and feelings of disconnection. I go on to suggest that the practice of some form of mindful meditation can enable us to see more clearly how the world _is_ – and to learn how to heal the divisions within ourselves, and between us, other beings and the world.