Do you live in a living universe? What makes it so?

I am taking a class right now through Schumacher College and the Animas Institute called Awakening the Planetary imagination. I joined the class because I am interested in the role of the imagination, dreams, art and creativity in meeting the reality of the climate crisis.

Zen meditation is an invitation to see beyond this apparent separation of self and other. This invitation, when taken up seriously brings one into the heart of what it means to be alive. With the global pandemic and climate crisis turning over some of our most beloved paradigms and beliefs–what does it mean to live with purpose in a changing world?

I wish to consult with the great Zen Master Hongzhi and the contemporary Zen teachers Thich Nhat Hanh and Zenju Earthlyn Manuel to explore this question of meaning. What I find is that I am led to intimacy and love for the living Earth.

I write this one day after learning of the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh’s (Thay) passing into the mystery we call death. I feel humbled in his presence and his words echo in my heart:

The future Buddha is the Sangha.