Truly relating to beings, both human and non-human, requires empathy and a feeling of being inherently connected to each other.

The Council of All Beings concept was born out of, and sits within the wider framework of, Joanna Macy’s The Work That Reconnects (WTR).

The Council of All Beings asks us to embody non-human (plants, animals, moon, rivers or mountains) sensibilities as much as possible. The idea is to change our perspective, to feel their pain, anger, fear and concerns, and give voice to them. As Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh puts it: “To hear within ourselves the sounds of the Earth crying.” But at the same time, it is also about bearing witness to their strengths and gifts.

Given that most people spend a lot of time in their heads and are expected to look on the bright side, feeling the grief and mourning loss is an important part of the process. It shows we care, and this caring helps us move beyond anger and pain to a feeling of interconnectedness (or “inter-being” as Thich Nhat Hanh called it).

This feeling ultimately encourages us to take heart-centred action in order to create positive change.

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