Practice kenosis, or self-emptying, nightly by quietly acknowledging how little you know and how much more there is to be done, without self-flagellation, to reduce self-preoccupation and ego.
Cultivate a practice of sending out goodwill, affection, and concern to everything in the universe—every person (regardless of likeability), every creature, tree, and plant—to escape self-preoccupation and achieve equanimity for all beings.
Dedicate at least 10 minutes daily to observe nature without technology, focusing on sounds, birds, insects, flowers, and trees, to cultivate awareness of our dependence on the environment and its inherent vitality. Increase this time gradually to integrate it into daily life.
Engage in ‘quiet sitting’ daily by finding a comfortable position and opening your mind, heart, and ears to the sounds and smallest details of your surroundings for at least 10 minutes, fostering awareness of nature’s sacrality.
Practice expanding your mental focus beyond personal preoccupations in concentric circles: start with yourself, then move outward to become aware of nature’s magnificence and your dependence on it, and further out to other cultures, sending goodwill to all.
Extend the Golden Rule (’never treat others as you would not like to be treated yourself’) to nature, treating all natural elements with the same reverence and care you would wish for yourself.
Actively reflect on the pain of the world and others, allowing their suffering to enter your heart, and gently chide yourself for not thinking of it enough, as a way to move beyond self-preoccupation.
When encountering the suffering of others, bring them to mind and silently repeat phrases of compassion, such as ‘May you be free from pain, may you be free from despair, may you be free from suffering,’ to connect with their suffering without feeling overwhelmed and to foster a sense of helpfulness.
Actively cultivate a sense of awe by noticing the small, marvelous, and powerful things in nature, like a colossal rainstorm, to forget the self and recognize the sacrality within everything, rather than passing it off mechanically.
Make a conscious stop every day to acknowledge the sacrality present in all living things, from plants and trees to spiders, recognizing them as sacred.
Regularly perform small acts of kindness, such as standing up for someone on a bus or helping with shopping, to make others feel noticed, precious, and sacred, thereby enlarging their sense of self-worth.
Treat every person who enters your home with absolute respect, regardless of personal feelings, acknowledging the inherent divinity or sacredness within them, similar to the Indian custom of bowing to the divine in others.
As a daily practice, put out food or water for passing animals, a small and easy action to acknowledge and support the life around us.
Engage in a daily ‘scripture study’ by sitting quietly with your eyes on the horizon and reciting a hymn or poem to yourself, building a sense of the world’s holiness and acknowledging the sacredness encountered in others.
Approach new practices like nature observation or compassion by integrating them little by little, day by day, to build habitual behaviors rather than expecting immediate, drastic changes.
Regularly puncture your sense of self-concern by quietly reminding yourself of your occasional lack of achievement or that you ‘could have done more,’ without self-inflation or guilt, to foster humility and reduce self-preoccupation.
Even in urban environments, utilize parks, canals, or ordinary street trees and gardens for your daily nature observation, recognizing the mysterious and precious life in even the smallest, most common natural elements.
Cultivate sensitivity towards the fragility and preciousness of all life by avoiding unnecessary harm to creatures, such as taking bugs or mice outside instead of killing them.
Despite overwhelming challenges, maintain a sense of hope and actively engage in small, daily practices to make yourself conscious of nature’s pain and beauty, recognizing that collective small actions can have a significant effect.