Zen in an Age of Ecological Crisis | Lecture by philosophers Jason Wirth and Gerard Kuperus

Humanity and humus

The floor was given to Jason Wirth, professor of philosophy at Seattle University (USA). Wirth's work includes Zen Buddhist philosophy and environmental philosophy. Tonight, he spoke about zen in our current era, the anthropocene. According to Wirth, zen can help us regain humility in our humanity today: ‘recovering the humility in our humanity.’

Wirth elaborated on the term “humanity”. He explained that this term is related to the term “humus”. This soil or earth is a web of interacting substances, plants and animals. The decomposed plant and animal remains provide the nourishment for new life. But contemporary man has detached himself from this web and risen above himself and the earth; he has made himself the centre of the world, becoming a parasite, exploiting the earth for his own gain. With this, man is no longer grounded in the humus, and thus no longer ‘at home,’ according to the philosopher.

Re-understanding ourselves and our planet

Jason Wirth explained that practices from Zen Buddhism can help us look at (our relationship with) the planet differently. We are used to thinking of ourselves as the central reference point in everyday life, from which we value and make use of the fruits of our earth. But in Zen practices, this reference point falls away. We discover that we are part of a decentralised web of forces in which we and all other things become possible. Here we are back to the term “humus”, to our soil or earth. Wirth stated, ‘Zen is the art of thinking like a planet.’

After the lecture, Wirth spoke further with philosopher Gerard Kuperus, researcher at Radboud University's Laudato Si' Institute. Liesbeth Jansen led the conversation. The trio spoke about the loss of our understanding of being human in a globalised and homogenised world and about being (not) at home in that world. Other topics covered included a spiritual crisis and the late Pope Francis' Laudato Si' encyclical on caring for our earth. After the talk, there was room for questions from the audience.

What does the Zen Buddhist perspective teach us in light of climate change and the wider ecological crisis? According to Wirth, it teaches us that the ecological crisis is not something that happens to us humans, but that we ourselves are part of: ‘We are the crisis’. In a sense, the ecological crisis holds up a mirror to us that shows us who we are.

Having an eye for each other and the world

The term “humanity” or “humanness” has often come up this evening in the context of Zen practices. When you begin to see yourself as part of a larger system, you become less selfish and become mindful of the world around you. When you think from the perspective of the humus, of our earth, you experience love for the people, animals and other nature around you. Wirth and Kuperus both emphasised being kind to others and looking after each other and the world. We can take to the streets in a fight against climate change and preach green behaviour as an answer to the ecological crisis. But meanwhile, above all, we should not forget to behave humanely. ‘Don't be a jerk,’ was Wirth's motto.

Announcement

How can a Zen-Buddhist perspective help us rethink our relation to the planet in the light of the ongoing ecological crisis? Come and listen to philosopher Jason Wirth, who pleads for a transition from political economy to political ecology. Using insights from Buddhist “practices of silence” he argues to establish a radical rethinking of what it means to inhabit the earth.

We are as good as our practice

While ecological challenges grow deeper and more daunting, world leaders are dismissing climate change as a hoax. Reflecting on the current economic and political situation in the United States, Jason Wirth states we need to practice the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. The current crisis, Wirth argues, is not so much a failure of rationality, but a symptom of the poverty of our practice.

From economy to ecology

Philosopher Jason Wirth pleads for a transition from political economy to political ecology. To do so, he claims, we need a re-evaluation of spirituality. In a world where more is never enough, the nub of our spiritual poverty is that we think that the massive accumulation of goods counts as wealth. Our catastrophic relationship to the earth is not born from genetic rapacity, but from initially small decisions that emerge from forms of pain that characterize human living. To change this, we need a new philosophy. 

How can we rethink our relation to the earth from a Zen-Buddhist perspective? What does Zen have to do with a transition where ecology takes the place of economy? After his lecture, Jason Wirth will discuss these questions with philosopher Gerard Kuperus. Come and ask your own questions too!

About the speakers

Jason Wirth is professor of philosophy at Seattle University (USA). He works and teaches in the areas of Continental Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Environmental Philosophy. His recent books include Nietzsche and Other Buddhas: Philosophy after Comparative Philosophy (2019) and Mountains, Rivers, and the Great Earth (2017).

Gerard Kuperus is a researcher in Integral Ecology in the Dutch Context at the Laudato Si' Institute of Radboud University. He is specialized in Continental philosophy and Comparative philosophy, specifically Zen Buddhism and indigenous thought.