- buddhist eco-chaplaincy -

Dharma of Trees freely offers a small number of services to individuals, families, and communities on Vancouver Island, as well as consultations with people elsewhere in the world.  Respectful and responsive rather than interventionist, we will not interfere where we are not invited.

As more and more people become aware of the existential suffering that arises from human (mis)treatment of the natural world, as well as feeling the pain inherent in natural processes of life, death, and decay, the Dharma of Trees aims to provide guidance and support for those living with this grief.

narrating a
​more-than-human life

 "The earth, grass, trees, walls, tiles, and pebbles
​all have the Buddha nature."  
Drawing on Buddhist practices as well as techniques from existential analysis, logotherapy, and narrative therapy, Dharma of Trees can help those who are feeling detached from the natural world to rediscover their connection with it.  Experience suggests that this process can support us through grief (and our unease about our grief) in the face of loss, especially the intense grief that sometimes surfaces when we are confronted by the death of trees or the destruction of environments that have been meaningful to us.  
Through conversations and a follow-up letter, we will co-create with you a narrative of the life of your relationship with this other-than-human being, helping you to find your place and meaning in the more-than-human world, giving your grief the significance and power it deserves.

meditating as a
more-than-human being

"Seeing even the grasses wither today,
​how can we be without grief?"
Drawing on both Theravada and Mahayana teachings, as well as contemporary wellness methods such as nature & forest therapy, Dharma of Trees offers guided explorations and meditations in the context of the natural world.​  Experience suggests that this process can support us in the realization of our intimacy with the other-than-human and our essential identity in the more-than-human world.  Rather than falling back into the self-isolation promoted by much of contemporary culture, these practices help us open ourselves to our integration with nature.
Through guided walks and meditations in nature (whether that's the rain forest, a local park, or an urban garden), we will help you, your family/friends/colleagues, or your community to feel the permeability of the 'self' and to find its wholeness in nature.

eco-grief

Just like humans, other-than-human lives eventually come to an end.  Trees die and decay, whether or not humans intervene.
We must choose how to live in the charnel grounds.

commemorating a
​more-than-human loss

Working in the tradition of Buddhist chaplaincy, Dharma of Trees freely offers co-created funerary services for those of us struggling with grief about the loss of other-than-human companions, be that a favourite tree or a whole swathe of forest.  Experience suggests that rituals and rites of passage can help us acknowledge and give meaning to our grief and our guilt, even (and perhaps especially) when these feelings aren't recognized by the cultures in which we live.
Emphasizing simplicity and authenticity rather than dogma, these services are tailored to the experiences and values of those who request them.

initiating a
​more-than-human realm

In some Buddhist traditions, cherished beings in the natural world might be ordained as Buddhist priests and given a Buddhist name.  This is sometimes a strategy to preserve trees from being felled.  At the Dharma of Trees we feel that the natural world is older and wiser than are we, so rather than supposing we can ordain the trees, we have developed a process to invite other-than-human beings into our humilocene, as well as to initiate ourselves into that more-than-human realm.  Rather than seeking to bestow something on the trees, at the Dharma of Trees we ask the trees to join us, to allow us to join them, creating a new more-than-human sangha.

navigating the more-than-human world

Believing that the work of chaplaincy and the value of the dharma reaches beyond locality and space, Dharma of Trees is committed to offering virtual (Zoom) services anywhere they are needed.  If you live elsewhere than Vancouver Island (which means almost everyone on the planet!) and have need of these services, we will do our best to serve.
In this spirit, we also endeavour to be available to offer trainings to those who would like to provide similar services elsewhere, ideally (but not exclusively) in groups.
Emphasizing Buddhist insight and therapeutic techniques, the training can be intense.

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