Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Everywhere One Looks

When I tell people about where I live -- in a small town in a rural county on the edge of the forest -- many will say that it's far easier for me to get in touch with nature. In one way, this is true. I often hear coyotes howling in the evening across the bay. It is not infrequent that I see deer, opossums, raccoons, chipmunks and a wide assortment of birds in my back yard. On occasion, I might even spy an elk, bobcat or fox in the general vicinity.

But anyone, anywhere can get in touch with nature. All one needs to do is look.

I don't care if you live in the penthouse suite of a fancy building in the heart of New York City or Paris. It doesn't matter if you live in a slum or a ghetto. Nature is all around all of us every single moment. The key is to look.

While I may watch a raccoon scurry between my house and the neighbors, I'm sure you can find a butterfly, moth, ant or ladybug to watch. While I may sit drenched by a sheet of rain, you can sit under the sunlight or watch rainless clouds float overhead. While I can relish the silence that comes with living in a small community, you can relish the many noises that come from living in a big city.

If you desire to be one with Tao, you can accomplish your aim regardless of where you call home. The only requisite is to look.

2 comments:

  1. That may be true for you, but I doubt it is. I find it impossible to connect at all with the Tao while in a city. I can talk the talk, but can no longer walk the walk.
    Only amid nature, or with nature nearby, can I sink into Oneness.
    Maybe my cross to bear. Maybe not.
    Without nature - and peace - I am lost.

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  2. Crow,
    My point is that nature is a state of mind. Everything in this world is a form of nature -- the good, the bad and the ugly. That said, I do agree that, for most of us, it's easier to be one with this nature deep in a forest or walking along a lonely beach.

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