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

Abstract

This paper argues that the current ecological crisis arises from our dualisticconsciousness which separates mind from body and self from world. Thisdualistic consciousness prevents us from experiencing the value in nature, andtherefore 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.