Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Bill Gerlach.
“Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.” – Juvenal, Satires
Sure, there are a lot of great minimalist teachers out there. Many who have tapped into the awesome power of living and thriving with less. Those who have shed unnecessary things, material or otherwise, and embraced the beautiful simplicity that remains. Blogs and books abound; lessons and lists; ways and means.
But the ultimate minimalist teacher is right outside our door. While voiceless, she speaks to the masses; has no books, but has authored volumes in the Story of Life; has no motive save for sustaining all creation in perpetual harmony.
Nature is this teacher.
If we were to pause for a moment, to stop the hustle and bustle of our lives just long enough to see, we would observe all those amazing ways that Nature lives the ultimate minimalist existence:
- Nature does not want. The natural world lives in balance. There is no greed for more. Nature uses only what it needs to thrive in the most basic yet amazing way.
- Nature does not waste. The natural world is closed-loop. It does not create things that serve no purpose. What lives does not die, rather it is transformed into another form to serve another purpose. Nature does not dwell in the realm of planned obsolescence.
- Nature does not wallow. Go outside. Is anything ho-hum? There is energy—a vibrancy—that permeates every little nook and cranny. Nature is all about living with zeal; about living to the fullest potential; about living with a humble and determined purpose.
- Nature embraces life. From the dawn of time, Nature has single-tasked quite nicely. Creating, embracing, sustaining. Laser focus. No distractions from petty, frivolous pursuits. And because of that, Life teems on a frequency unlike no other. So should we.
- Nature embraces diversity. Scientists estimate that there could be up to 100 million different species of life on the planet, of which only 2 million have been identified. This richness of life and the harmony that sustains it should give us pause. Homogeny is boring and limiting. Diversity begets a natural balance. The same is true in our lives.
- Nature embraces the moment. There is no dwelling in the past or fretting about the future. Nature is about the here and now. This is an important lesson to learn. Allowing mindfulness to bring the moment into full focus can lead to all sorts of amazing things.
Nature is a pathway for seeing our life in a new way; a catalyst for changing our perspective about how we approach our day-to-day. When we step outside and immerse ourselves in this natural world we open ourselves to the enlightenment that is all around, just waiting to be reflected in each one of us.
Minimalism is powerful in ways big and small, opening our eyes to a new way of living and giving us the ability to reconnect with the beautiful essence of our existence. Such insight allows us to see our place in the broader world differently; to recognize that which allows every part of our lives to be – the Earth. Those pursuing a minimalist lifestyle are naturally inclined to see the connections between how we approach each day and the long-term vitality of the planet that makes it all possible.
A Buddhist proverb says that when the student is ready the teacher appears. Given all that ails our planet, the collective Student Body of Humanity is realizing that school is now in session. The biggest test of our lives is before us and it is simply pass/fail. Better get outside and start studying.
walter says
Such nice post – I will save as PDF to read from time to time. Very inspiring.
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Julia Gabriel says
What a lovely post. I bookmarked it so I’ll have it handy.
Ben says
What an elegant & beautiful post!
lauren says
This is ingenious—-I mean the facts of Nature are well known yet I’ve never considered them in the context of a lesson in minimalism. Truly worth contemplating and emulating Nature as you’ve described her. Well done!
Zen says
Absolutly beautiful. This is an inspiring post. I think i am going to head outside and just look at everything.
Bill Gerlach says
@ Ramblings of a Woman // You’re absolutely right. Nature is the ultimate BE-er. One might also argue that aside from the act of BE-ing, Nature is itself a BEING, a living, breathing entity of Life on the grandest of scales.
@ Reggie // Think about indigenous cultures of yesterday and today. Harmony with the land was the backbone of their existence. Sure, some grew too big and made a mess of things, but there are clear lessons to be learned from their simple and respectful relationship with the Earth. You pose an interesting question. I don’t know. I think there will always be people who steer clear of the cities, working hard to keep that connection to Nature alive and well. Enjoy your time at Penn’s Landing — never been there, but if it’s on the water, it should be nice!
Reggie says
It’s funny to think about how if we were living in any other time period of human history, we most likely would be working directly with nature — whether we liked it or not. Especially considering most people were farmers. I hope that the transition towards working in cities more than the land doesn’t mean we lose that connection to nature as a culture.
Speaking of which, today is a beautiful Saturday so I am going down to Penn’s Landing with a few friends visiting from Boston so I will be “reconnecting” with nature! LOL.