@DarkOptimism @pauldaoust Wonderful!! I look forward to it! I’ve so many thoughts in this arena. Was just talking to a friend about it yesterday as we went for a walk. Hopefully will be able to carve out some time space to jot them down..

There’s the meaning and purpose aspect, the innate personal benefits of contemplation / meditation / mindfulness/ prayer / actual communion w nature, the community aspects (which my Catholic upbringing never really brought as church goers felt more judgemental and aloof than like a support network), the daily habits / practices and lifestyle aspects—and the consequent socio-enviro effects of more ppl shifting into the direction of that lifestyle.

It would be interesting to do a comparative study of monasteries on the systemic/functional side regarding the latter. Even if you take out the spiritual aspects of monastic life, it seems like monasteries have operated for thousands of years, so there’s proof of concept there.

It’s interesting how they have succeeded while many intentional communities fall apart. In the UK it seems they were so successful that, was it King Henry the 8th(?) decided to dismantle them and appropriate their wealth. On the negative side I’ve seen accusations of monasteries taking from other people and being rather parasitic, but some were more autonomous & independent as well. The question is how one could take the functional & lifestyle aspects without the authoritarian, hierarchical aspects (& related abuse etc). I’m interested to visit Plum Village someday and see how that’s operating for instance, and how the community is managing now that Thich Nhat Hahn has passed on. I find it interesting that families can go there as well, that it’s not just for ppl choosing to be celibate.

Religion is a topic we oft avoid, bc touchy. but at the same time, many seem to be turning to it now. To the spiritual, positive community & lifestyle aspects they feel are missing in their lives. I feel like many of our western social ills, that we often point a blame finger at capitalism about, stem fm deeper spiritual malaise (& cultural ptsd).

There’s a reason why the colonialists would force indigenous ppl to separate fm their spiritual practices. the church did that across Europe first. I go to sweats & Sun Dance here w local FN and it is so wonder to see their spiritual practices flowering again. Have you read Wild by Jay Griffiths? So systemic, and so effective. How they would get villages to turn against their own medicine ppl. Witch trials with another hat. Generations of damage.

But kindred communities gathering by the fire, sharing seasonal practices of special brews fm sacred plants, and communing with the deep okayness of nature & wonder of finding ourselves alive together in the universe seems to run deep in our blood. It seems to be a shared practice in one form or other, on all continents. and it seems now to be calling many back home.