We need to wake up to their senses in order to see the world; it is only by clearly seeing the world that wisdom can be attained. Through breathing deeply, walking quietly, tasting delicately, hearing keenly, lessons can be gleaned from the world about the world.

As our perceptions become clarified, thoughts become still. As our thoughts become still, our tendency to acquisitiveness begins to subside; a contentment arises that can serve as the perfect antidote to the over-consumption that currently chokes our culture.

By centering ourselves we turn from the outward-moving immaturity that seeks constant gratification. To center ourselves, we need to return to the power of our own senses and their relationship with the elements that compose both our bodies and the planet itself. As our attachments weaken, our consumption will diminish. The diminishment of consumption in turn is the key to an environmentally sensitive lifestyle. (From “The Soul of Nature” edited by Michael Tobias, p. 147)