The Matter of Ecology
A Letter from the Editor
Dear Tarka Readers,
California now has a fire and smoke season. Just after the glorious onset of summer, it can last up until the first rains of late September or early October. Following years of fire suppression ideology, and at the behest of local Indigenous communities, Californians are slowly learning to work with fire, allowing controlled burns, and managing land with increasingly integrative practices. The practices and spirituality associated with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) are increasingly informing land management at progressive universities. TEK emphasizes relationships between specific animals, plants, land, and climates - essentially all parts of an ecosystem - in a particular setting combined with knowledge that has been passed down for generations through Indigenous communities.
Alongside the potential benefits for the environment, the approach of TEK addresses the habits and practices of people in ways that can help to address the paralyzing ecological grief that many activists, scientists, and young people now experience. Through the cultivation of a deeper relationship with place, people simultaneously engage in a contemplative practice of awareness, appreciation, and acceptance. This practice can morph paralyzing grief into resilience and empowerment. Interestingly, the worldview set forth with Indigenous teachings and TEK shares many common philosophies with the dharmic traditions.
There is value in turning towards grief and suffering. The topic of climate change entails a radical and frightening ability to witness our world in peril. Thus, ecology and climate activism struggle to gain headlines even as many of us realize that they may be the most pressing issues of our times. In the production of our third issue of Tarka, On Ecology, the Embodied Philosophy staff grappled with this dilemma. Even knowing that many of our readers support environmental activism, we had to wonder if they would be willing to integrate this terrifying topic into their contemplative practices and leisure reading. Isn’t that where we go for refuge?
Returning to Tarka, volume 3 now I am excited to rediscover the valuable set of resources that we managed to compile. On Ecology contains beautiful artwork and a set of short articles exploring basic terms associated with climate change, interpreted and defined in part through the lens of contemplative practice. Most importantly, a variety of practices and narratives from teachers and practitioners instruct and illustrate modes of practice and thinking that engage ecology and climate change as a vehicle for deepening contemplative practice.
For example, the article, “Mindful Ecofeminism and the Multispecies Sangha,” by Greta Gaard, details six pivotal teachings from the Buddhist tradition and relates them to ethics and actions and articles by Ramesh Bjonnes, Laura Amazzone, and Jacob Kyle each engage the philosophies of tantra and ecology. The readings throughout are intelligent, playful, and they fearlessly connect yoga and meditation to a revaluation of our natural world.
I invite you to explore Issue 3 of Tarka, On Ecology, for yourself.
~ Stephanie Corigliano