Nature as You Have Never Known
Surrounded by lush tropical greens, the cool damp sensation on my skin and sound of a stream flowing nearby made me exhale in a loud sigh. I felt all my muscles in the body begin to loosen and as the breathing slowed down to a calm rhythm, the mind relaxed. Slowly the incessant thoughts of things that needed my attention began to fade. I watched a family of dusky leaf monkeys foraging in the trees overhead, swinging from one tree branch to another, and resting in between while taking in the serene expanse of greenery. I felt my love for the wilderness or nature was reinvigorated. Nature is a wonderful blessing indeed. The tranquility of that moment was truly refreshing.
Then there was a sharp pain on my arm and a strong urge to scratch it. I looked at the spot on my arm and saw that it was a mosquito taking a huge slurp from it. Oh, nature suddenly did not feel like such a blessing anymore, or at least for that few moments of discomfort. There was a tinge of annoyance and deep-seated wish for all mosquitoes to never exist at all. My sense of peace was disrupted and many thoughts of how nature may be a curse popped up one after another. They range from minor inconveniences like rain or heat to catastrophic natural disasters such as tornadoes or blizzards. How quickly I changed my mind about nature being such a blessing. The contrast was like day and night.
This observation reminded me of how often we hope for the best and deny the rest. Turning a blind eye to the phenomena of our natural world which do not bring us peace and joy seemed like the perfect solution. Why bother with things that we cannot fix? Let us only amass that which satisfies us and live happily while they last. The evolution of the human species, survival of the fittest and all that. Only thing is, there was a nagging thought. It did not feel right. The imbalance in the ecosystem has been causing many issues from environmental, social, and economic to political. It seemed like we had separated ourselves from nature. Thinking we can control it yet are utterly vulnerable to their forces.
When did we forget that our mind and body, which make up us, are nothing more than nature itself? How did the sense of pride and self-importance in relation to our environment lead to the rapid destruction of a self-sustaining world? If we search externally for the causes and reasons for it, they usually point toward the shortfall and deficiencies of others. The world governing bodies, the politicians, the society, the neighbour, and even the family cat. Yet, the first and soon-to-be realised only place to begin finding out the true answers is not further than our own mind and body. As they are the closest and most direct experience of our moment-to-moment occurrences, which we call myself.
The body is the source of our gross physical experience we call bodily sensations. Our study of the body has led to many advances in the field of medical and health sciences. However, a quick look into the nature of the body shows us that it is a basis for much of our pleasure and displeasure in life. The mind, however, is still an area which we have yet to unravel fully. World experts in mind research have barely skimmed the surface. The interest to understand the mind as nature is often hindered by our habitual wish to control and manipulate it for personal agenda. Plagued by biases of culture, education system and world views, it is no wonder we have not gotten far.
So how can one dive deeper and learn more? Several researches on meditation have proven to be a promising potential for that discovery. All in all, when we begin to have interest in observing the mind as a kind of nature, rather than a personal tool that can be exploited, we embark on understanding who and what we truly are. Much of what we know of the mind is the tip of the iceberg. Much more of what we do not know of the mind lies below the surface. Without probing and understanding its nature, we remain groping in the dark without knowing the real and dire consequences of our thoughts, speech and actions.
The journey of discovery can be mind boggling and yet deeply intriguing as you will learn about nature in a way that you have never known before. It makes total sense on one hand but may seem absurd on the other, at the same time. Insightful and fascinating while elusive and frustrating. The oxymoron situation one finds oneself in throughout the journey may make or break you. At WISE, we are a community of practitioners who learn, discover, laugh, cry, support, encourage and grow together. As the journey is the destination, we invite all to join us and be amazed by the true nature that we have never known—the mind.
With blessings,
Hui Yee
16 Jan 2024