permaculture

["Gaian Life" <eco@gaianlife.co.uk>]

Shouldn't the society/religious/spiritual aspect be something that
permaculture can be adapted to (or be relevant to) rather than inherent in
permaculture itself?
A society that was for example predominantly Christian, Hindu or Muslim or
contained people who wished to express their spiritual beliefs....can easily
incorporate that in permaculture terms. A spiritual glade or prayer area? A
temple well placed to work with the rest of the productive permaculture
community acting as a South facing wall or a layered crop system or a
healing herb garden in hanging baskets?
I would say that spirituality is the human 'need' and permaculture is a
method employed when supplying that need. Permaculture principles may
encompass certain spiritual beliefs and so may be confused with them but I
think that may be more the overlap between the change in thinking required
to respect and work in tune with nature and the change in thinking related
to many religious and spiritual practices.
I am Buddhist and I find that fits very well with permaculture, probably for
exactly the same reasons as it does for Pagans & New Age groups.
Although permaculture is a separate thing from religion/spirituality, it can
encompass and encourage it and indeed could be a uniting/levelling factor in
a world where religions are often at war, where we seem to have so little in
common with other peoples that we fear them. A common base to work from? The
human culture part of Permaculture?