To have a decent rapport with nature, one must perceive beyond the limited walls of an isolated self. To really be in harmony with nature, one must (first and foremost) be harmonious psychologically. A mind of inner dissonance (and lack of harmony) does not perceive holistically; it sees fear as something that it has, not as something that it is not (at all) separate from; it sees nature as being “over there,” not as something that it is not separate from. A mind of conflict, fear, prejudice, and inner distortion will often — even if it insists otherwise — perceive nature with fragmentation, indifference, and corruption. Likewise, a mind of conflict, fear, prejudice, and inner distortion will perceive other human beings with fragmentation, indifference, and corruption. To perceive beyond mere contamination the mind would necessarily have to be pure and unsullied. Is psychological purity what can be accumulated, by someone, over time?
Profound psychological purity is timeless; it is not the result of accumulation or mere cultivation. Accumulation and cultivation require time. To be pure, innocent, and spotless (mentally) does not take time. Time, psychologically, is a postponement, a delay, and it involves a gradual change, a gradual (possible) improvement. To perceive other life beings with (and “as”) that innocence does not take time. To look at others (and at nature) in the same old ways does require time; it is time, as the stored (accumulated past) that merely recognizes separate things, sees with (and “as”) separation, pigeonholes things, and exploits people and nature. Real passion, real love, real order is timeless and pure… unsullied. Its spontaneity, its freshness, its aliveness, is instantaneously perceptive without distortion. That lack of distortion is real love, not the spurious (small, self-oriented) kind. That lack of distortion is wholeness as non-fragmented perception.
To climb the high mountain, one cannot move far by carrying a lot of heavy baggage. Very many depend so heavily on their psychological baggage, such that they fail to perceive the real beauty that is there (that excessive baggage cannot take one to).
Somehow appealing (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2017
Somehow appealing (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2017
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
I like that line…”purity is timeless”.
It really is, Maria! The conceptual present, the past, and the future have little to do with it! 🙂
Lovely prose this morning, Tom. I love reading these words over and over, pondering, as the day unfolds.
Good to discover, Lori! 🙂 (You, for sure, are close to nature.)
naturally deep and profound
just below
the surface 🙂
That surface that so many depend on… isn’t entirely real. 🙂
very philosophical – as usual – Thomas, but completely true, regards Mitza
Real philosophy is the love of truth, not the love of words!
Hoping your week is magical, Mitza! (The freezing rain missed us and stayed south!) 🙂
I loved this post Tom.
Thank you, Sylvia! 🙂 … and, making serious environmental decisions, we have political leaders (most of whom) with minds that are no different, fundamentally, from what occurred many thousands of years ago.
A very insightful post, Tom! I learned to appreciate nature from my biology classes, then PBS, Nature programs. I know this is not the real love relationship with nature as you are describing.
Thank you, Amy! 🙂 I’m sure your relationship with nature goes way deeper than what the biology classes (and their dissections) provided!
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Really love this post man, although, the font got me reading the same line a couple of times. The picture, it was beautiful.
Tom, This was extremely insightful and deeply philosophical! I’d liken it to Eastern Psychology if that’s even a thing haha. But very cool thoughts and expressed in beautiful prose. I recently wrote a post on the similar in an attempt to break down my logo.. it’s based almost purely on the concept you have presented. I’d really love for you to check it out and give me your thoughts! Thanks so much for your contribution, inspiring and thought-provoking. Here’s my blog post if you find yourself interested.
https://anthillmoment.com/2017/01/19/behind-the-logo/