Foundations: Session Four A

Nature Part 1: Paul introduces Emerson's understanding of nature as commodity, beauty and language.

Session Summary - The Presentation

Nature is a gargantuan subject for Emerson. It is the basis of his whole transcendental spirituality. His platonic ideals reveal themselves in his belief that spirit seeks to embody nature, and that studying nature can reveal spirituality to us. But this revelation doesn't reside in matter; it is the relationship between attentive Mind and matter that allows Nature's secrets to speak. As part of Nature, we are born into this original relationship. But we gradually get seduced into secondary concerns of ego and power. We must re-learn self-transcendence if we are to hear within ourselves the guiding words of Nature. Emerson speaks of 7 facets of the relationship between humans and nature: commodity, beauty, language, discipline, idealism, spirit and prospects.

As Commodity, the bounty of nature exists to serve Man. But only if humans engage a conscious will is the relationship maintained and other facets of nature revealed. Otherwise we deteriorate into materialistic destruction of nature to serve ego-centric desires. Nature as beauty evokes awe and wonder in us and educates us to see the essential beauty in all things. But unless we meet beauty with intellect, the beautiful can quickly become commodity only and leave us empty. Language is formed by nature. All words with power refer to material; language reflects the dynamic of spirit made flesh. At its deepest, language is God 's words in nature. However, if we use words for effect instead of communicating, this reference is lost in abstraction and words become meaningless, even despairing.

The Discussion


Nature is Interactive

Emerson's language and ideas are poetic and evocative. His words reminded Bev that while nature is constantly changing, it always speaks the truth. However Lyle felt that Emerson romanticized nature, not revealing its dark side enough. Paul talked about Nature as protean. It can break into our life, but we see what we allow ourselves to see. Cal discovered that reading Emerson made him want to read about evolution, moving from commodity to wonder. Nature is a mirror, accurately reflecting our soul back to us. Linda felt sadness and loss when looking at the leafless trees in fall, and knew this was part of herself somehow. Our moods and consciousness shape how we experience and even understand nature. What becomes important is what we bring to nature.

Urban or Rural?

Lorna wondered how Emerson's rural language fit in modern, urban life. Dave said civilization felt alien to Emerson's understanding of nature, and Janice felt he was dismissing the city as a valid form of consciousness. Paul talked about how Emerson was writing during the boon of the industrial revolution. We have to translate the essence of his ideas for our context. Nature is evolutionary process. Today it seems we're out of touch with processes of technology we've put into motion. Paul experienced this when he saw a PBS special on the servers of the Internet. He benefits every day from Internet technology, but has no idea how it actually physically is made possible. When he saw a room full of servers, he got in touch with the process of evolution, and felt awe. Emerson's understanding of nature makes us ask: Are we product of spirit, responsible for the evolution of the universe, or are we falling back into nature, being absorbed by our instincts? To see ourselves as product of spirit is beyond "world as machine". Our task is not to abolish technology, but to learn how to integrate technology (culture) and instincts.

Environmental Issues

Of course, environmentalists would have us believe we are bad gods because of carbon emissions and species extinction. While there is a real sorrow at the loss of species or the permanent damage to climate, perhaps there is a bigger picture. What of Kali, the destroyer/creator goddess? If Mind is eternal, then we don't know what is really happening. If nature as commodity exists to serve man, and if man's purpose is to become conscious, Emerson is saying the universe serves consciousness. Environmentalists don't often see this bigger picture of wholeness. They have an ideology which inevitably leads to moralism.

We have to fall out of primary participation and into consciousness to grow. Disconnection is necessary. The ecological issues of today are part of that necessary process, but the whole moves towards greater understanding. If we see our own death and our world's death related to the universe, as microcosm to macrocosm, perhaps compassion is the only response. Each person is a hologram of the universe. God evolves when we do, through pain and change. No matter how deeply we think of the universe, it is still deeper and evolves. We are a part of it. What is the spirit behind this? Why are we afraid of what will happen? After ego-death, we see the universe is constructed of Love. Our categories break down and we experience Unity.

Beauty

The beauty we see in nature often has a quality captured by the German word "sehnsucht"; the beauty of a desire that can never be met. Its through beauty that nature often breaks into our world. But this appreciation needs to be spontaneous. If we "try" for it, we reduce nature or our experience to commodity. Paul mentioned that Emerson's biggest critique of Thoreau was that he focused too much on appreciating or observing nature,rather than also bringing reflection to it. Beauty also needs to be attended with an open intellect, to reflect on the truth tucked within. Emerson saw the purpose of beauty pointing the mind towards these truths. This is why the true artist must be a whole person, holding aesthetics together with consciousness. Otherwise you are left with the pretentiousness espoused by the avant garde fine arts crowd. Not art for art's sake, but for the sake of consciousness.

Language

Emerson said that "Every word which is used to express a moral or intellectual fact, if traced to its root, is found to be borrowed from some material appearance." In this reference to the senses is Emerson straying from his own platonic ideals? Not if you understand the senses as part of the ideal of God. When we use metaphors rooted in nature, they are more powerful because our language is grounded in our daily life. These words create because they can change consciousness; they are linked to the creative word of God. When we lose this grounded imagery, we get lost in our abstract words, whether we're urban or rural. Then we speak for effect instead of meaning; we point to ourselves instead of the true subject.

But Emerson sees Nature as the source of language, because it contains the words of God. "There seems to be a necessity in spirit to manifest itself in material forms; and day and night and river and storm, beast and bird, acid and alkali, preexist in necessary Ideas in the mind of God, and are what they are by virtue of preceding affections in the world of spirit. A Fact is the end of last issue of spirit." From this perspective, nature becomes Creation in a biblical sense. Emerson's creation is rooted not in revelation (as his Puritan past would have), but in observation and personal experience. The words of God are revealed in life in and around us. We are the Spoken Word. If this is true, then material decay is not as terrifying.

Christ-Referent

Emerson didn't have the courage to deal with Christ as Christ. But a Christic perspective is seen throughout his writing (Representative Man is a prime example). In fact Emerson could say what he did because of his Christian perspective. He translated from the old world into a new setting the liberating message of god-made-man. This takes a lot of courage. We are faced with the same task of building a new framework, of bringing our current lives into a Christic perspective, and not living in the past. It's not necessary to ignore Christ, as Emerson did, in order to have real faith. Christ's story is world faith, not the exclusivity of our tradition. In church or reaction to church we can't see Jesus. He's only in reality.

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