Being in nature

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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Zachary
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:05 am

Being in nature

Post by Zachary »

Hi all,

Does being in nature have a more healing/nurturing effect when mindfulness and concentration are strong vs. Mindfulness and concentration are weak. And if so, why? Is it because with strong Mindfulness you’re better able to learn from your environment?

Thanks Zachary
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Dhamma Chameleon
Posts: 584
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 10:55 am

Re: Being in nature

Post by Dhamma Chameleon »

I don't have sutta references but know that the Buddha extolled being in nature and said it's good for practice, both as location and source. It's ok to just enjoy and recharge, or you can make it your meditation.

I find it helpful for grounding and observing, you can see dhamma in nature. That's how I once saw an ant war, and a caterpillar eaten alive by ants. Lots of lessons there, including that you shouldn't mess with ants!
Ontheway
Posts: 3062
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2021 3:35 pm

Re: Being in nature

Post by Ontheway »

Being in nature certainly helps me to calm down. Just sit under a tree and, take a look on ancient rocks or fossil, touch the grass and reflect on that: our body is none other than four elements... :meditate:

Hiriottappasampannā,
sukkadhammasamāhitā;
Santo sappurisā loke,
devadhammāti vuccare.

https://suttacentral.net/ja6/en/chalmer ... ight=false
Spiny Norman
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Location: Andromeda looks nice

Re: Being in nature

Post by Spiny Norman »

Zachary wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 2:41 pm Hi all,

Does being in nature have a more healing/nurturing effect when mindfulness and concentration are strong vs. Mindfulness and concentration are weak. And if so, why? Is it because with strong Mindfulness you’re better able to learn from your environment?

Thanks Zachary
I've found the natural world to be a great teacher. But you have to really look, and notice the detail. Having a quite mind certainly helps, but a lot of it is about patience and stillness, IMO.
Buddha save me from new-agers!
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