Our Philosophy:

Engaged Spirituality and (small B) Buddhism.

Buddhism teaches us that the transformation of society must first begin within the self. We must nurture and cultivate compassion, wisdom, and loving-kindness in our hearts so that we can help others do the same. By practising mindfulness we awaken ourselves to the present moment and become aware of the suffering that surrounds us. The reconstruction of a spiritual, green and just society begins with this clarity in the individual mind. By awakening ourselves to suffering, we can work to change it.

To reduce suffering in the world we must also awaken to the structural causes of suffering. These work hand in hand with the causes from within. Personal change and structural transformation are invariably linked. One without the other is similar to a bird trying to fly with one wing.

Too often the environmental movement has been thought of as essentially different from the movement for social justice. This split reflects the deep, unconscious division in our minds between the human world and the natural world. The practice of spirituality and ecology seeks to reconnect these two worlds. We are asked to look into ourselves so that we can better understand our relationship with nature. We must also look deeply into nature to understand ourselves, and act from that insight. Here, spirituality and social action become united in a common vision-the vision for justice, peace, ecological sustainability, and compassion.

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