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Jun 22, 2021 | ISBN 9781946764843 Pre-Order
Oct 09, 2003 | ISBN 9781935209300 Buy
Jun 22, 2021 | ISBN 9781946764850 Pre-Order
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Jun 22, 2021 | ISBN 9781946764843
Oct 09, 2003 | ISBN 9781935209300
Jun 22, 2021 | ISBN 9781946764850
“Joanna Macy unveils an ancient set of roots for our work to transform the future.”—adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy An enduring classic of the ecology movement by the founder of the Work That Reconnects, now more timely than ever Humanity is in an existential crisis. Facing the magnitude of our global situation as individuals leaves us feeling alone, disempowered, and despairing. Who better to listen to for wisdom and solace than Joanna Macy, one of the originators of modern environmentalism, whose life’s work has been to hear and heal our pain for the planet? World as Lover, World as Self draws on a lifetime of wisdom to offer a re-focus on the natural world, where readers can find the strength and spiritual nourishment to envision a new future for humanity built on a sustainable relationship with the earth. Rooted in the Buddha’s teachings of paticca samuppada or “interdependent co-arising,” Macy’s reflections are especially relevant for activists who want to address the underlying mindsets of fear, greed, and selfishness that give rise to overconsumption and the ultimate destruction of our world. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, this definitive edition of World as Lover, World as Self will give a new generation of readers the tools and understanding with which to meet today’s challenges and crises.
This overview of Joanna Macy’s innovative work combines deep ecology, general systems theory, and the Buddha’s teachings on interdependent co-arising. A blueprint for social change, World as Lover, World as Self shows how we can reverse the destructive attitudes that threaten our world, with concrete suggestions on how to address “An Inconvenient Truth”.The essays are based on the Buddha’s teachings of “Paticca samuppada” (interdependent co-arising). Reduced to deceptively simple terms this says that everything in the world- every object, feeling, emotion, and action is influenced by a huge, all-inclusive web of factors. Any change in the condition of any one thing in this web affects everything else by virtue of interconnectedness. It makes World as Lover World as Self a quintessential guide for those readers who want to integrate their Buddhist practice with concerns for social issues like global warming. It also breaches the dualities that have haunted much of both Eastern and Western thought, namely the dichotomies between mind/body, humanity/nature, reason/emotion, self/world, science/spirituality.The premise is that self-centeredness, and modern individualisms are ultimately destructive for the environment. We are not individuals separate from the world. Instead we are always “co-arising” or co-creating the world, and we cannot escape the consequence of what we do to the environment. Joanna Macy presents a re-focusing on the beauty of the natural world as personally nourishing and replenishment as one way to move away from our self-centeredness. For this revised edition the author will be adding some chapters as well as removing others. The new ones will deal largely with her new work around the “Great Turning” that will add a somewhat more visionary, future-oriented, and strategic dimension to the book. World as Lover, World as Self shows us how to realize that the earth is an extension of ourselves and how to discover the knowledge, authority and courage to respond creatively to the crises of our time. Foreword Thich Nhat Hanh
Praise for the 30th Anniversary Edition of World as Lover, World as Self “Joanna Macy unveils an ancient set of roots for our work to transform the future. Macy weaves the spirit work of Buddhism into our community and activism work, helping us grasp where we are in the Great Turning.”—adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy “Brilliant, visionary, and essential, this is one of the wisest and most important Buddhist-inspired books of our era. Joanna Macy is a master, and her powerful, heart-centered work is a blessing, showing us how to transform ourselves and the world.”—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart “Thirty years after its original publication, the wisdom in these pages remains timeless and universal … as we face increasing catastrophes due to the climate crisis, we need this book now more than ever.”—Kazu Haga, author of Healing Resistance “Joanna Macy’s unrelenting dedication over decades to help catalyze a radical shift within our collective awareness is a heroic gift … a prescient, timeless map.… Even as Macy asks us to face the stark realities of a collapsing world, she brings hope by reminding us to stay ever faithful to the compassionate, bodhisattva heart.”—Thanissara, author of Time to Stand Up “When everything seems to be collapsing … Joanna Macy sings a song to urge us not to run away, not to shrink away from these material irruptions, but to open our hearts and anchor our bodies to a world so sensuously alive that it could only be described as a lover. May we never outgrow our elders.”—Bayo Akomolafe, PhD, author of These Wilds Beyond our Fences
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