We see the world as if we stand at the center. Earth may orbit the sun, but we see the universe revolving around us. Whether we feel isolated from or connected to the surroundings, our individuality still perceives events from the standpoint of central camera.
Even when we reach out to understand other people, animals and plants, we interpret them through the lens of our beliefs and preferences. "This plant is a flower. That one is a weed. This forest is beautiful. That desert is a wasteland. This squirrel is cute. That mouse is a pest." When we want to build a house according to green principles, we create it from a human-centered, personal preference viewpoint. In the process we building structures that isolate us from nature. We see ourselves as intruders in nature's garden. The more we try to break free from this cycle the more we seem to wound the planet and ourselves.
So, how do we get beyond our ego-centered ways and dwell in the currents of an eco-field sensibility? For me it happens when I open my perception beyond the "me" perceiving a scene. I notice that my thoughts and emotions rise and fall against the background of stillness that has always been here. I notice that the objects and events in the environment also rise and fall within this field of stillness. This broadened perspective softens the sense of a separate "me." Sounds, colors, textures and aromas penetrate deeper into my perception. My kinship with the people I encounter is closer. This kinship extends to the beings in nature I come across. I sense their point of view and their concerns. I realize that what appear to be separate selves interacting is a dance of forces and substances forming and reforming the world like waves form and reform the ocean.
In future posts, I will talk about ways of getting beyond ego-center home design and moving into eco-field creation. For now, tell me your experiences of opening beyond ego-centered living into eco-field experience.
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