Dearest Friends,

It was lovely to be with you in our most recent gathering.

In our last session, we concluded our short series of explorations of the work of the beloved environmental activist, systems theorist and Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy—focusing specifically on the Block, Build, Be framework that she devised as a guide for ecological and social action. The three dimensions of this framework are as follows:

1. Block (Resisting Harm): These refer to actions that oppose and resist the destruction being wreaked upon the planet and its human and non-human peoples. Examples of blocking actions include participating in nonviolent protests against destructive industries; advocating for policies that correct social inequalities or avert ecological collapse; and refusing to support exploitative patterns and practices.
2. Build (Generating Alternatives): These refer to actions that support the creation of new systems that embody sustainability, justice and compassion. Examples of building actions include participating in community-based renewable energy projects; pioneering equity-based economic models; and supporting regenerative agriculture initiatives.
3. Be (Shifting Consciousness): These refer to efforts to cultivate compassionate and equanimous awareness rooted in the truth of interbeing. Examples of these efforts include engaging in contemplative practices and rituals that deepen ecological awareness; participating in creative and narrative practices that revitalize our belonging to each other and the more-than-human world; and transforming despair, fear and rage into engaged and empowered action.

Like many of the constructs created by Dr. Macy, the Block, Build, Be framework is vitally crucial to our times because it highlights the multi-faceted nature of ecological engagement. Opposing existing systems without generating alternatives merely leads to burnout…while pioneering new systems without being grounded in a spiritual vision simply risks replicating and reinforcing patterns of harm and injury. The Block, Build, Be framework clarifies how outer work needs to be accompanied by inner renewal. Finally, the framework also supports individuals in finding the role they can play within the ecosystem of engagement: some people may find that their gifts lie in Block, others might find theirs in Build…and others might find their calling in Be.

SUGGESTED PRACTICE:

Sit quietly and take a few moments to center yourself in deep gratitude for the many things that sustain your life on this planet. After a minute or so, meditate on the following prompts:

• Block: Bring to mind at least one harmful pattern you feel called to oppose or that you’ve already been opposing. Sense the fierce and protective love that lies behind your resolve to resist.
• Build: Bring to mind at least one small action that you can take to nurture life or that you’ve already been taking. Envision the future that you’re co-creating with this action that you’re contemplating.
• Be: Attend to your breath and allow your respiration to remind you of your belonging to the entire web of life. As you breathe, an entire world of beings breathes with you (some in a fashion a little different from yours!). Dwell in this sense of solidarity and kinship with the precious beings of our world.

To conclude, take a deep breath in…and as you breathe out, imagine gratitude, love and reverence flowing out of you through the exhalation. Carry this sense with you into the rest of your day.

RECOMMENDED POEM:

Mary Oliver’s The Summer Day

REFLECTION PROMPTS:

1. What harmful patterns or systems do you feel called to resist in your daily life and how can resistance be an act of care rather than just opposition?
2. What small, life-affirming practices or projects can you participate in (or are you already participating in) that embody the world you envision? How might you support others in building these alternatives?
3. During the meditation, what feelings or insights arose when you connected with a felt sense of interbeing? How can this remembrance of belonging to the web of life sustain you in times of ecological and/or social struggle?