The World is Beautiful and So Are You...

​“The Earth is you. You are the Earth. When you realize there is no separation, you fall completely in love with this planet.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

This week’s quote is a simple reminder that, since the Earth is beautiful, then so are you. This idea rests on the notion that you are not separate from the environment, rather you and the world are one and the same. The water in your blood, the calcium in your bones, the salt in your tears- they didn’t just appear out of nowhere, they are derived from the Earth. You are not just a guest here on this planet, you are this planet.

While this sounds like a bit of a cliché, there is also some truth to it. Human beings are kind of like the Earth’s nerve cells. The reason you can sense things like hot and cold or rough and smooth is because there are millions of tiny nerve cells in your skin that sense pain, pressure, temperature, and texture. You also have specialized nerves that help you see, hear, taste and smell. These individual nerve cells are not separate from your body, they are your body. In the same way, you are not separate from the Earth, you are the Earth.

There is no real separation between you and your physical environment. You might think that everything inside of your skin is you, whereas everything that you encounter on the outside of your skin is not you- it’s something other than you. But inside and outside are just concepts, just two aspects of the same thing. As Alan Watts once said, “you can’t have an inside without an outside, just as you can’t have solid without space.” So, take a moment today to appreciate the beauty of the world. And smile inwardly, recognizing that what you are really looking at is you.