“We have to wake up together,” said Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. That idea frames a Buddhistdoor article by Robertson Work, who has devoted his life to sustainable development and practises engaged Buddhism.
Compassion and wisdom
For Work, responding to the climate crisis means joining compassion and wisdom. Everyday mindfulness and kindness are not a refuge for switching off, but the ground from which to act.
Acting locally
He now focuses on the Swannanoa Watershed in North Carolina. Residents use Kate Raworth’s “Doughnut Economics” model: meeting people’s needs without exceeding the planet’s limits. Their priorities include food forests, solar power, housing for the homeless, local currencies, water management, gender equality and carbon reduction.
Caring for yourself to care
To sustain this work, Work recommends a daily practice: mindful breathing, mantras, exercise, healthy food, rest, retreats and political engagement.
And us?
Maybe the question is simple: which “watershed” can we care for? Our neighbourhood, the local river, the community garden.
Source: Buddhistdoor Global – Buddhist voices in the climate crisis.
