What is the role of spiritual practice in meeting the challenge of climate change? This is a question I wanted to explore, as many people have the incorrect assumption that an acceptance-based spiritual practice implies doing nothing to effect social change. This is not the case.

Mindfulness is a practice of accepting the moment as it is, without judging or arguing with it. This does not mean we do not act to make changes, indeed, it is impossible not to act in this world, as even “doing nothing” is a chosen course that leads to particular consequences. But we do not approach problems in the conventional way, by arguing, fighting, shaming and making a lot of noise. Primarily, we effect social change by making internal changes, by becoming an example of positive action, but before we look at this in depth, let’s explore the roots of our ecological imbalance and how listening to our thoughts has got us here in the first place. But first let me say that I am not a scientist and am basing this discussion on my understanding of climate change.

Lost in Thought

Whether you believe our climate is changing or not, it is hard to dispute that humans have caused immense environmental damage, particularly in the last 200 years or so. It seems to me that most of this damage has been caused by the desire for more, the greed that arises when we believe we don’t have enough. This has led to, for example, intensive farming that produces more food than we need but degrades the soil, overfishing of oceans and rivers and the consumption of energy and resources well beyond what we need to survive. Companies want more profit, corporations want to grow bigger, and consumers want more things, bigger televisions, etc. This desire is based on the uneasiness of the mind, which never feels secure with what it has, but thinks “if I had a house, then I would feel ok”. Is that true? Can you be sure that having the next item on your mind’s list will make you feel more secure, happier? Has this worked in the past in a lasting way, or does the mind’s attention simply shift to the next thing?

My experience is that, whatever you have, the mind always wants more, which is why even those massive corporations, making huge profits every week, only measure success through “growth”, which is another way to say “we made more money than last year/week/month”. Chasing our desire for more leaves the world depleted, unable to keep up with human demands, and it also leaves us depleted, exhausted and miserable.

Practising mindfulness takes our attention away from these thoughts, allowing us to appreciate what we have right now, what is in front of us. The world is constantly giving us what we need to survive, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. When we step out of the chase for more stuff, we can find contentment in simplicity, regardless of our financial position. This contentment is the reason we wanted all that stuff in the first place, but you can take a shortcut and have it right now, without needing to get everything on your wish-list.

This does not mean you will sell everything, or have no possessions, it just means you can be happy with or without those possessions, but how does this relate to climate change and ecology? Without believing our fearful stories, we can, for the first time, take the most appropriate action without needing to protect “my interests”. Imagine what this would look like on a global scale, governments, business and individuals putting the needs of the planet first and working together peacefully. Sounds like a pipe-dream I know, but as we continue to go beyond being lost in stories, I believe this will become a reality for humanity. Maybe I am wrong, but if you live mindfully, you can enjoy the ride either way.