When one tugs at a single thing in nature,
he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
(John Muir)
What is nature?
The word 'nature' is most commonly used when referring to
wildlife.
The problem with thinking of wildlife and greenery as being nature, is that
this distinction implies that you are separate from nature and this is not
the case at all.
We are an
integrated part of an inconceivably complex
eco-system and could not
divide ourselves from it if we wanted to.
Mankind has acted for millennia as if we have dominion over the planet and
this
illusion has caused serious damage to the
world.
Human nature
Nature means 'character' or 'essence', the way, the how of
something.
How a person acts defines who they are.
Action reveals your nature.
Words are easy to use but have no reality, it is only what you do that
ultimately has substance.
Most of what we think is inherited from
religion,
tradition and how we were
educated.
Our minds have been conditioned to regard our place in the world in a very
particular way.
Taoism considers this modern perception to be flawed.
We have become enamoured with
our own technological glory and have forgotten how to live with the rest of
the world.
The world
We live in relationship with everything around us and seldom
consider how our behaviour affects the rest
of the world.
There is far more to existence than work, media and entertainment.
Tai chi is about realising that you cannot be separated from the
world and that you can learn from the other inhabitants of this planet.
Page created 1 March 1999