Often people ask what is the best way to achieve their spiritual aspiration. Should I meditate? Do yoga? Read self-development blogs?
My answer is usually this: Get Outside. The reason is simple. Humans don’t usually give good advice. It’s not beyond our capacity, but more often than not our advice is tainted by the particular biases and preconceptions that have created our lives. It’s immensely difficult to correctly understand another person’s life situation and to give them truly valuable advice.
Getting out into nature is different. It’s just you and the woods (or desert, or mountain, or seashore, depending on where you go). Once you’re out in nature, away from the constant distractions and sensory input of cell phones, advertisements, televisions, traffic, and social demands, our minds have a chance to settle. Like a jar of dirty water that is let to sit, the impurities settle to the bottom and our mind takes on more and more clarity with each passing moment.
In this way, it’s not so much nature that is the teacher, as YOU. Nature serves to unclutter our minds, and our uncluttered minds can’t help but begin to exercise their natural awareness. As our natural awareness emerges, all the Zen nonsense about awakening will begin to come clear.
This is Wild Zen — it’s not about robes or chants or a certain number of hours of meditation per day. It’s the pure enlightenment found in birdsong and clouds. It costs us nothing except for the minor discomfort of breaking our usual routine and finding a tree to sit under. Sitting, our minds remember the ancient songs of wind and rain and living soil.
Take five minutes a day if you feel you can spare no more. Or, if the spirit strikes you, venture out into the wilderness for a longer time (after you’ve learned some of the basic skills of wilderness travel and living, of course =). The transformation will happen without any effort on your part. The thinking mind will quiet, and you’ll discover for yourself what dwells in the silent places of your mind.
Best. Advice. Ever! I did after I read this entry. I’d been feeling angry today. It was so refreshing. I love the crunchy sounds your feet make when you step on acorns and leaves
Dear Leslie,
How evocative! That’s the magic exactly — the magic of an ‘everyday’ experience, like feet on leaves, that suddenly becomes extraordinary in its simplicity and perfection.
Sweetwater,
Kenton
Hi Kenton!
I can’t help but just smile as I read this. It’s so clear and simple and you share that simpleness with such elegance. Not that I keep a record or anything, but if I look back on moments where I’ve just really settled down and done nothing but being, nature has really been the predominant ‘trigger’.
I like what you say about how hard it is to give truly valuable advice. I find that to be so true. More often than not, we say too much and the advice we give to others tend to be advice we’d give to *ourselves* if we were in their shoes but that doesn’t make much sense does it.
I heard that in buddhist countries – where monastaries and monks often are integral and visible part of the community – people would naturally go to the monks for both spiritual and earthly advice. For instance, a woman who is beaten by her husband may go to the monks to ask whether or not she should leave him. Apparently though, only the most senior and experienced monks are ever allowed to say anything about practical dilemmas such as this and even they do so seldom and reluctantly because they know from experience that even advice from near-enlightened beings are still limited; even a peasant’s wife is her own master and I guess the challenge is to bring that forth in her and make her see her truth and this is where nature is such a great teacher!
Thanks for another inspiring post!
Dear Magnus –
I love what you’ve added here. I didn’t know that about Buddhist countries, but it wouldn’t surprise me. And to hear that nature has played such a role in your life is very heart-warming. When we look at your photography, we feel like you capture some of nature’s purity and calm on film — giving us the ability, even when inside, to experience some ‘outside’. Makes me wonder what good might be done if photos such as yours would be prominently placed in areas where people seldom get outdoors, such as prisons or senior care centers.
Hugs,
Kenton
Wow, I’m truly flattered that my photography is able to bring some of nature’s healing indoors and what a great idea – of course nature photography could help people who are not able to go wild for some reason! I’ll look into this for sure!
Hi Magnus — Let us know what comes of it! Rebecca and I both think it’s a great idea, and your landscapes would be perfect to transport people into wild and wind-tossed places.
Sweetwater,
Kenton
Honestly, you should re-title your selves as ‘The Doctor is In’ or ‘Dr. Whitman and Whitman at your service…’
Your advice about simply getting outside is so right on and chuck all that other stuff; rules, doctrines, dogma and what lotus position should be struck.
Get Outside!
Thank you
Amen to that Jay!
Excellent, excellent advice. Taking walks, particular in “nature”, being aware, letting go…that’s it!
Thanks, Kaushik. Nature has done wonders for Rebecca and I, and holds such an ability to help us find our own natural selves.
Sweetwater,
Kenton
Definitely the best advice a man is able to give. I love this post. Wild zen!
Thanks, Alex. Wild indeed!
Cheers,
Kenton