Mindfulness Meditation Australia  

What is Eco Dharma?

Eco-dharma is a contemporary movement and field of practice that bridges Buddhist teachings (Dharma) with ecological engagement. It explores how spiritual practice can address the environmental challenges of our time, such as climate change and biodiversity loss and support us to live an ethical life.

​

1. Interconnectedness (Interbeing)

At its heart is the insight that nothing exists in isolation. Through the lens of the Diamond Sutra, we see that a "human" is made entirely of "non-human" elements (sunlight, soil, water, ancestors). Eco-dharma emphasises that humans are not "on" the Earth, but are a functional part of the Earth’s systems. When the environment suffers, we suffer, because there is no separate self to be found.

​

2. Healing the "Self/Nature" Dualism (The Brahma-viharas)

Traditional practice often focuses on internal liberation. Eco-dharma expands this through the Brahma-viharas (Loving-kindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, and Equanimity), suggesting that the "self" includes the air, water, soil, and more-than-human world. By breaking down the wall between the "internal" world of meditation and the "external" natural world, we develop a natural resonance with all life. Compassion becomes a spontaneous urge to protect the planet as if it were our own body.

​

3. Wise Action (The 8-Fold Path)

This is the application of the Bodhisattva ideal—and specifically the 8-Fold Path—to the environment. It moves the Dharma from the cushion into the world through:

• Bearing Witness: Using the truth of Impermanence (Anicca) to acknowledge ecological grief and climate anxiety without turning away.

• Non-attachment to Results: Practicing "Wise Action" (Right Action/Right Effort) because it is the right thing to do, rather than being paralysed by whether or not a specific outcome is guaranteed. We act from a place of integrity rather than egoic demand or perfection.

​

4. Simplicity and Restraint (Impermanence & Right Livelihood)

Eco-dharma advocates for a shift away from consumerism and "hustle culture" by deeply internalising Impermanence. When we realise that satisfaction cannot be found in accumulating fleeting material goods, we naturally move toward a lifestyle of radical simplicity. This is the practice of Right Livelihood: finding contentment in "enough" and practicing reciprocity with the land rather than the constant pursuit of extractive growth.