Waller Creek I

So how does my reason d'etre coincide with or involve nature? I feel so removed from it most of the time, and I even like it that way - I don't want to trudge through mud, get bitten by bugs, constantly be on the watch for snakes, get my clothes all dirty, and have no back support. The few times I do "go out in Nature" to retreat or rejuvenate myself it's always in a very controlled environment, like sitting on a bench in a man-made park, or visiting a ranch house where I can take walks in the woods but still have the conveniences of electricity and indoor plumbing nearby. Perhaps it is not Nature itself that we need, but rather the peace that comes from stopping our work, existing in the moment, and connecting to a force bigger than ourselves.

If we think along these lines, then Nature itself is not automatic peace and comfort, but rather a facilitator that helps us connect with the higher power that does engender a sense of peace and comfort. Nature allows us to slow down and exist in the moment because it is never in a hurry itself. By learning to exist in the moment we become more aware of the world beyond ourselves, which leads to growth and compassion, according to Dass in How Can I Help? When I think of a tree I don't think of it as a tool to make me a more compassionate person, but it actually does. When I concentrate on the decades this tree has stood here, the hundreds of animals and creatures who have made their homes in or around it, and the changes it has seen in the surrounding landscape, I move beyond myself and my time, and my own cares and concerns of the everyday are lost as my mind expands to encompass a world much larger than myself. I do start to feel connected, both to the tree and to the entire Creation and Time as a whole. In this way Nature connects me to God, and through God I am connected to all other people of the past, present, and future.

But Nature is not the only facilitator of this expansion of the mind. I believe that any method that helps you personally remove yourself from everyday concerns and connect to the higher power is viable (as long as it doesn't involve infringing on others' rights, i.e. you can't justify killing someone by saying it helps you connect to God). Meditation is a good example, or yoga, but there are less-traditional methods, too. Many people find running to be a soothing practice that helps them move beyond the mundane details; photography or drawing/painting can be very spiritual as it requires you to look beyond yourself; listening to music, with words or without (though I think this can be harder with words, depending on the content) can facilitate a connection with God, too. It is really just that act of expanding your awareness to encompass the bigger picture that we need.

Nature is not the only way of connecting to a higher power, but I see why it is used so often. Waller Creek provides many examples. The fat that it is not crowded with people, iPods, buildings, and words, but that it is still in the middle of that, makes it an easy and welcome retreat to be taken advantage of. Waller Creek often provides beauty of a unique kind that we don't often see in the man-made structures and objects around campus; I think man-made things can be very beautiful, but Nature provides us with a different type of beauty, a change. Waller Creek also provides visible links to the entire natural world - we gaze along the creek and wonder where the water starts and ends, we realize that there are thousands of creatures all within 10 feet of us. We also find visible links to the temporal world - bones of creatures past, the knowledge of the plants' past and future growth beyond just our lifetime. Nature may not always be my chosen way to connect to God and to the world, which is really our reason d'etre in the end, but I can appreciate its usefulness in this, and I recognize its value in all our lives.