Taoist Permaculture : Nature and the Way

written by Delvin Solkinson
art : "Temple of Cosmic Love" by David Heskin, Aloria Weaver, Erik Nez and Jerod Knapp :
www.dreamingconex.us

Observing patterns in nature, permaculture people see that the world is a deeply interconnected system of symbiotic relationships. Out of these relationships comes a dynamic system of change that is both unpredictable and habitual. Climate is a good example of this, we may not know if it will rain, be cloudy or sunny, tho we do know that during certain times of year it will fluxuate between these three climatological conditions.

Taoism favors observation over application and understands that a meditation on nature is also a meditation on the way all things in our world work. Living in the mountains, old taoist sages watched carefully as the nature around them changed. From this understanding they learned much about themselves and the living ecology in which they are connected. By just sitting quietly and watching the world happen, these wild mountain sages gained direct experiential learning that a scholar of books could not possibly hope to learn indirectly in a lifetime of study.

art : "Temple of Cosmic Love" by David Heskin, Aloria Weaver, Erik Nez and Jerod Knapp

Another ancient Taoist technique is effortless action, moving in alignment with the flow of natural energies so as to expend very little energy. Permaculture also supports the conservation of energy. By making systems efficient and independently sustainable, we can balance the initial wave of work to get a system going with all the energy saved from not having to maintain that system once it is in place. Sitting under the bodhi tree by the river, the wise taoist sage watches the river flow by without trying to stop it or change its course. If the sage decides to go for a swim they might just float effortlessly downstream, carried by the flow of water. Before installing some complicated design, the permaculture person takes time to see what is already in place and how that can fulfill the needs of the designer who aims only to apply new systems for needs that are not already met. In nature there is no need to garden at all as an abundance of food and medicine is already growing all over the place.

Having as little impact on the world around is key for both the good taoist and the good permaculturalist. Disturbing the fragile ecosystem which is already functioning in careful harmony is always to be avoided. One way permaculture people do this is by practicing no-dig gardening. This way they prevent the straining energy of digging as well as avoiding causing chaos for the thousands of decomposers and microorganisms that live in the soil ecology. A layer of cardboard and a pile of dirt on top of already existing vegitation effortlessly transforms the old plants into rich soil providing a great home for new plants. By the time the plants roots reach the cardboard it is decomposed into rich healthy soil and voila a wonderful garden without having to dig into the ground or disturb the soil ecology.

In permaculture we are told to design from nature and to work with it rather than against it. By letting things grow in their own way, permaculture can initiate change and create environments which are then left to their own natural life cycle. A good example of this can be seen in a permaculture garden which has been planted with native perennial plants who, once their tap root is established, can live without care or watering. In this way permaculture processes design and apply efficient living systems which are modeled from nature, then these systems are left to naturalize, grow and evolve on their own. The taoist permaculture designer simply sets things in motion but does their best not to interfere with natural processes and, unless there is a problem, just lets nature take its course.

Resources

Gardening for the Feint of Heart - Robin Wheeler
Earth Users Guide to Permaculture : Teachers Notes - Rosemary Morrow
Pattern Language - Christopher Alexander

http://www.patternliteracy.com
http://www.patriciamichaeldesign.com
http://www.holmgren.com.au/