Touching the Earth with the Heart of Enlightened Mind - The Buddhist Practice of Mindfulness for Environmental Education

Oct 15, 2026

This paper argues that the ecological crisis is rooted in dualistic consciousness that separates mind from body and self from world, blocking people from perceiving the intrinsic value of nature. The resulting worldview fosters instrumental treatment of the non-human environment. Using Buddhist mindfulness, the study outlines how nondualistic awareness can be cultivated, supporting compassionate attitudes and ethical conduct toward other-than-human beings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Prologue

From Greg's Teaching Journal

What is the Matter with Mind?

Touching the Earth with the Heart of Enlightened Mind: The Buddhist Practice of Mindfulness for Environmental Education Heesoon Bai & Greg Scutt, Simon Fraser University, Canada Abstract This paper argues that the current ecological crisis arises from our dualistic consciousness which separates mind from body and self from world. This dualistic consciousness prevents us from experiencing the value in nature, and therefore leads to instrumentalist treatment of nature. We explore the Buddhist practice of mindfulness to help cultivate a nondualistic consciousness. We show how this practice may lead to compassionate attitudes and conduct towards the other-than-human. Résumé On soutient que la présente crise écologique vient de la dualité de notre conscience qui différencie l’esprit du corps et le soi du monde. Cette conscience dualiste nous empêche d’apprécier la valeur dans la nature et pour cette raison mène à une approche instrumentaliste de la nature. Nous analysons lapratique bouddhiste appelée pleine conscience pour aider à cultiver une conscience non-dualistique. Nous montrons comment cette pratique peut porter à des attitudes de compassion et conduire à l’au-delà-de-l’humain (otherthan-human) . Keywords: intrinsic value, intersubjectivity, interbeing, mindfulness, Buddhist, bodhicitta We are the environmental crisis. The crisis is a visible manifestation of our very being . . . . The environmental crisis is inherent in everything we believe and do; it is inherent in the context of our lives. (Evernden, 1993, p. 128) Prologue I held back my surprise and dismay in a discussion with first year university students enrolled in an introductory humanities course this past fall semester. During the semester the students encountered a range of thinkers in the western canon who can be viewed as taking one of two general understandings of what it is to be human. On the one hand, some thinkers articulate an understanding of humans as benevolent, compassionate, and sympathetic towards others. On 92 Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 14, 2009 the other, some suggest humans as essentially egocentric, violent, and concerned primarily with self-preservation. I asked students first to “consider”this pervasive dichotomy in western thought, and then invited them to voice their own opinions on what it is to be human. I was startled when the majority of students asserted that humans were undeniably—by nature—violent, competitive, and egocentric! Do these students, beneath their moral conscience, actually feel themselves to be violent and selfish? I asked them,“How have you arrived at such a dim and grim conclusion about the nature of the human self?” Their conclusion must be true, they argued, for they based it on their observation of the social habits of other students, friends, family, and citizens around the world. Fair enough. But could it be that we possess both parts of the dichotomy of the self? At any rate, the important question for us educators is, which part of the self is going to be nurtured into blooming? I am reminded of a version of an Indigenous story I heard: that there are two hungry wolves inside us, and the one we feed is the one who will inhabit us. If we feed the selfish and violent one, then that’s who we will be. If we feed the good and compassionate one, we become that. While reflecting on the students’ responses I am wondering if today the selfish and aggressive wolf has gained the upper hand? Now, how do we access the other one? From Greg’s Teaching Journal Raimundo Panikkar (1992), one of the greatest contemporary philosophers of religion and a tireless proponent of inter-religious dialogue, has masterfully penned nine priorities for humanity, one of which is “peace with the Earth”(p. 244) . He asserts,“No ecological renewal of the world will ever succeed until and unless we consider the Earth as our own Body and the body as our own Self”(p. 244) . We resonate deeply with Panikkar

FAQs

What does the paper identify as the cause of the ecological crisis?

It argues that the crisis arises from dualistic consciousness separating mind from body and self from the world, leading to an inability to experience nature’s value and to instrumental treatment of nature.

How does the paper use Buddhist practice to respond to the crisis?

It explores Buddhist mindfulness as a way to cultivate nondualistic consciousness, which supports compassionate attitudes and conduct toward other-than-human beings.

Why does the paper describe mindfulness as an educational question?

It frames the challenge as how educators can nurture the “part of the self” that fosters compassionate, nondualistic seeing, using Buddhist thought and practice to guide that process.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Blue Pony