Meditation in the Wild

Written by a former professor of sociology at Brandeis University, this must be the ultimate study of Buddhism's origin in the heart of nature by a practitioner who is also a scholar in the field. He describes his own experiences, and especially one in which he encountered a bear while meditating. He draws on records left by the individuals and lineages of those who meditated in wild places, finding four main traditions: the Buddha himself and some immediate followers, Chinese recluses, Japanese Zen hermits and the Forest monks of south-east Asia. He devotes a chapter to each of these in their very different historical periods. In China there was a combination between Mahayana and Taoism expressed in verse and paintings. The Zen tradition also produced poets and painters as well as the tea ceremony and gardens. His approach is geographical, historical and anthropological. He concentrates on their special relationship to the wilderness and focuses on the elements of nature or which they were most aware, for instance mountains and lakes. The reader learns about Buddha's protective mantra against wild animals, and there are exquisite examples of poetry (sadly no paintings). I was struck by the work of the Zen hermit Ryokan (1758-1831) - Nature teaches him how to meditate, and his practice in turn illuminates Nature. Here is an example:

In the stillness by the empty window I sit in formal meditation wearing my monk's surplice…. Moonlight floods the room; The rain stops, but the eaves drip and drip. Perfect this moment – In the vast emptiness, my understanding deepens.

The book is a powerful reminder of the ways in which modern urban humanity has become estranged from Nature, and the author provides some guidance at the end of the book, including the importance of cultivating compassion. One comes away with the impression of a contemporary John Muir, although he is not mentioned here. This book will surely attain the status of a classic.