The ancient Greeks defined man as the “rational animal.” The civilized world emphasizes our rational side while typically ignoring our animal side. We seek to adapt nature to fulfill human needs. We value nature for its utility. We farm the land and cut down trees. We dirty the air and water. We cut roads through the wilderness. All of us take advantage of this process to fill our basic needs. If I am riding on a rural road and see a billboard that says “If you ate today, thank a farmer!” I say “Thank you!” as I pass by.
Unfortunately, however, civilization leaves us estranged from our “animal” side. We respond to stimuli with our bodies, our minds, and, above all, with our emotions. When our lives are out of balance, we become physically and mentally weak and we become sad and anxious. Our emotional response is perhaps most significant because it is in that sphere that human beings often feel the sharpest pain.
We need to spend more time outdoors in order to experience nature directly. We need to feel the sunshine on our skin, to listen to the wind, and to challenge our physical side. Our “animal” side deserves nothing less. This experience is not about hunting or fishing. Those activities are merely older ways of utilizing nature. It is also not about contemplating nature or photographing nature, although it may include those activities. Rather, it is about returning to our proper place in the natural world. It is about finding that still space where we are one with the natural world. If we can find this space, we become calm and happy.
I have heard music described as a “world above the world.” Perhaps nature could be described as a “world beside the world.” We need a proper balance between civilization and the natural world.
The Japanese scholar Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801) invented the concept of “mono no aware” to define the essence of Japanese culture. The phrase derives from “aware” which means “a sensitivity to things.” Norinaga believed that the singular characteristic of Japanese culture was to relate to the natural world personally without resorting to language. This enabled the Japanese to understand the natural world by identifying themselves directly with that world.
An example of “mono no aware” would be the point of view of an elderly person looking at a beautiful autumn scene while quietly contemplating the approaching end of life. It is not limited to reflections on death, however, but touches on all aspects of life. It is a pure emotional response to the impermanence of life, the beauty of nature, and the sorrow of death.