Working With Nature

One of the lessons Existence seems to be offering us (our civilization) today is exploring how to work with nature - in many areas of life. How to move from a mostly adversarial approach to more of a partnership approach.

Outer World
In the outer world, this is explored in holistic/green/ecological/sustainable design of industrial processes, transportation systems, economical systems, housing, food production, social change, decision making, and more.

One example is buildings designed to function in partnership with nature. Sun and ground is used for heating. Wind for ventilation and cooling. Materials are nontoxic, renewable, local and has low embodied energy. Food can be grown in the house. Energy comes from sun and wind.

Another is a more partnership oriented process of decision making, as exemplified in citizen councils and the work of the Co-Intelligence Institute.

Inner World
In the inner world, this is explored through a variety of traditional and new techniques.

Byron Katie's inquiry process is one example. We take a belief that causes us suffering, inquiry into it, and allow the mind to nonconsciously process the information and unravel whatever is to be unraveled. It is a simple, gentle process - working with the natural processes of the mind.

Another is the Big Mind process, where a series of simple questions allows us to see how the mind functions on personal and transpersonal levels. We learn how to shift into a transdual - Big Mind - view effortlessly and gently.

Shift
This shift - from a primarily adversarial approach to more of a partnership approach with Existence - reflects a deeper shift in view.

From a mostly dualistic view, we are moving towards a more transdual view.

In the traditional western dualistic view, we...

• Assign spirit and value to humans and see the rest of Earth as mechanistic and brutal.
• See nature primarily as a resource to be exploited, not as a partner.
  
• Have human rights, but no rights for nonhumans or ecosystems.
  
• Typically use force - one way or another - to achieve what we want.
  

• See humans, nonhumans, ecosystems, the Earth and Universe, all as expressions of Existence.
  
• See nature as a partner, as one aspect of the seamless system we as humans are embedded in.
  
• Have rights and protection for all life.
  
• Use a partnership approach to provide for our needs, whenever possible.