Glastonbury Thorn attack

Above is a link to some very sad news. One of the great historic trees of these islands has been savagely attacked in a senseless and unbelievably selfish action. The photograph from the printed version of my paper yesterday was of pilgrims at the tree crying in disbelief. For those of us who feel a deep connection with our local trees, and with all these great old beings with whom we have the great honour to share our planet, this is one of the most pointless and inexplicable things to hear. This is an act akin to knowingly poisoning water, or polluting the earth; uniquely depressing forms of human self-harm. In a week where children get kettled, Nobel Laureates and all their associates get imprisoned and the revealed work of governments through espionage looks ever more sordid, a last refuge of the sore heart is in fellowship with nature. The perception of a gulf between humans and their true nature as biological entities in one system with all other living things is only a mental projection, but a pervasive and widespread one. As such it is the true cause of this particular violence, whoever wielded the axe. These vandals have cut off their own hands...

When we see the world in pieces, bits that we may control or destroy for our own aims, I feel we are fundamentally wrong-headed. Perhaps from this fragmented world view all actions have at least some harm in them. I have been an expert in attempting to control the world, so I may speak from experience of the disasters this causes. My feeling is that only in connection, or at least attempting to identify with what we see as other, (whether that's a country, political faction, family or any living being) can we prevent harm. From a place of real connection, even non-action may be beneficial.