[permaculture] Permaculture science or spirituality?
George Monacelli
bungo_bean at yahoo.com
Mon Jan 29 02:07:59 EST 2007
Is Permaculture science or spirituality? Thought now split, science and spirituality were once one and the same. We observed the natural world and survived by adaptation to its governing laws. Its lessons and practical knowledge were passed down through stories and images so that they would become second nature to us. Its unfortunate that the practical knowledge behind the stories and images is mostly lost to us now, as we now view the trappings and accoutrements as ends unto themselves.
I think it fitting that the interdisciplinary nature of Permaculture spans the gap between science and spirituality. It is neither and both as (I think) it should be. I discovered Permaculture through an ostensibly New Age community in Eastern Washington in the 1980s. I got to know Simon Henderson who was a part of that community at the time, and am very glad for it (bless his wild and restless soul!). Despite the trappings and accoutrements of New Age and interpreted-for-white-people Native American spirituality, it has been the tenets of Permaculture that have stayed with me over the years
We live in a closed system and have (the last couple thousand years notwithstanding) survived through cooperation with all our relations great and small. All have their own place and value, and only ignorance judges other by its own criterion. We come to terms with our own mortality, and if we are exceptionally lucky, someone or something will be helped by our deeds and remember us favorably.
I believe that for us small individuals there is no single defining event. Peak Oil, Earth Changes, and Apocalypse all occur one day at a time. Each day we work to create the future. I believe that those on this list who are considering this topic are probably on the right track and that despite interpersonal differences, we have to remember that we are all working towards the same end
survival. Is that spiritual or scientific?
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