Becoming Elemental

Becoming Elemental is creating a vision for a truly American meditation practice in the 21^st century. American meditation practice finds its place in an historical narrative punctuated by Jeffersonian democracy, constitutionally guaranteed individual liberties, the fight to abolish slavery and the ongoing struggle to protect civil rights, the metamorphosis of the immigrant experience, the defeat of fascism in World War II, the subjugation and then preservation of vast wilderness areas, and the current rising up to face the monumental challenges of climate change and ecological sustainability. American meditation practice is not philosophically or morally grounded in the Asian cultures of Tibet, India, or Japan, but rather in the drama of the American Experience. We trace the roots of an American contemplative tradition back to the transcendentalism of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau and to American nature writers such as John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Annie Dillard, and Peter Matthiessen. Yet the essential element of a uniquely American meditation practice is that, like America itself, it is constantly evolving and has no fixed commitments to any dogma or ideology.

Becoming Elemental embraces the accumulated spiritual wisdom generated by long-term contemplative practices, whether from Buddhist, Zen, Sufi, or Christian traditions. We are grateful for the knowledge of states of mind that have been mapped by monks, sages, explorers of inner space, teachers of meditation, and modern consciousness researchers. Nonetheless, Becoming Elemental contends that those who teach “Buddhist meditation” or “Zen meditation” focus too much on philosophical and ethical systems that emerged in ancient Asian societies and not nearly enough on the religious, moral, and political foundations of American thought.

American meditation practice:

-is most powerful when grounded in regular practice in the great outdoors, particularly in wilderness areas.

-is evolving during a period of profound change in American culture, politics, and technology.

-is informed and enlarged by science and research.

-moves naturally toward Compassion-in-Action and social justice.

We invite you to join the conversation at Becoming Elemental. Please contact Charles Pierson with suggestions, comments, and questions at charlesdeanpierson@gmail.com