[Ecodharma] Sharing With Others

[Doshin]

My simple approach to the Precepts is work to be a good person that people want to be around. That is not always easy because I have strong passions for environmental issues I have spent over a half century working with. I think back to my early years where I looked for an opportunity to debate ignorance and inform. However looking back that was not always the right approach. I have mellowed with age or practice or both. Right Speech is something I have worked with for a long time and humor is my default when needed.

Over the years in our forum I have had a few negative retorts to my “conservation” teaching. Though my emotions brought up anger I sat with that and then responded with equanimity…at least that is how I interpreted my response

I thought the article below may provide ideas on how to approach communication all the time instead of just the Holidays and inform in a compassionate way. Without talking about issues or demonstrating through behavior we can not change the world.

https://vitalsigns.edf.org/story/what-say-if-climate-change-comes-over-holidays

Peace
Doshin
Stlah


PS reading the above I decided I wanted to share something else. If the Holidays are a time spent with family that is a very valuable time so even remaining silent may be the best approach. I have little family remaining and none of my generation or those who came before and the descendants of mine live a long ways away so we don’t always get together, so those times are precious. Enjoy the time with your loved ones while you can.

I want to add I am just a Priest in training so when I talk about many things remember to read with a grain of salt.

[Kokuu]

Thank you, Doshin. There is a lot of wise advice in that. Asking questions is a good way to get into a conversation without being so directly challenging.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Naiko]

Thank you, Doshin.
Gassho,
Naiko
stlah

[Tairin]

Thank you Doshin. I’ll try to bring the advice in that article to life in my conversations with others.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Washin]

Gassho
Washin
stlah

[Neika]

Thank you for sharing this. So many people break down at step 2 and turn any disagreement or misunderstanding into an attack instead of learning to discuss.

Gassho,
Neika

satlh

[Nengei]

Thank you, Doshin.
Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

[Shonin Risa Bear]

FWIW, for decades my approach was to make research or relevant news available and leave others to draw their own conclusions; I did this out of habit due to having a librarian background, and out of a compulsion to report the things media balk at reporting, or hide, or misrepresent, for the usual reasons. The method was simple: gather a list of sources I found somewhat reliable, whose concerns aligned with my own, and post links to their articles; I shied away from expressing an actual opinion very often. The venues were: Google Reader -> Facebook, then Twitter Lists -> Twitter (I never looked at the raging home stream) and then Feedly -> Mastodon; some two thousand people in each place subscribed to my curation.

(Going past three sentences; apologies)

The topics of interest were, roughly: climate, simplicity, public health, disaster prevention (especially wildfire) amelioration and recovery, resource and ecosystem conservation, healthy animals, plants and soil, permaculture, food and seed sovereignty, indigenous and subsistence concerns, human rights, and resistance to racism, human and White supremacy, genocide and extinction.

What effect all this had, I have no idea.

My practice in the face of hardly any of these concerns resolving rationally has been, first, Buddhism, then Quakerism, then both. To sit quietly with having "failed to make a difference," time and time again. The last sparrow is the same as a billion sparrows. Enjoy its beauty even as you realize its beauty is only tangentially yours to enjoy. Sit through enjoyment to thusness. Sit with the clouds brushing past the peaks. Sit with the sky empty of clouds. Act as stillness; be still through action.

All this has helped "me," so I'll stick with it as able. It has taken a long time to clarify that it was enough (for my sanity) to undertake, and to continue taking, right action without expectation.

I'm thrilled every time I see Doshin's green robe. Metta to all the things.

gassho
ds sat today

[Doshin]

Thank you for sharing.

Yes I chose green because of who I am

Doshin
Stlah