Three Cortesian Devotions By Christopher Forrest McDowell, PhD A ...

of our own sacredness. To serve and know oneself in a loving way is very replenishing.Meditation, prayer, sitting calmly, walking in nature, fasting, journal writing, gazingfondly, going on a pilgrimage, reading something inspirational — these types ofexperiences are replenishing to the soul and spirit and are important means of stewardingourselves. For many people these experiences are also a foundation or impetus forfinding sanctuary daily.I am reminded of a story told by a much-loved and respected naturalist at YosemiteNational Park. A woman quickly drove up to him just inside the park and said, “Please,you gotta help me. You see, I only have half an hour to visit. Where should I go?” CarlSharsmith looked long at her and finally replied: “Well, mam, if I drove all that distancewith only half an hour to visit this glorius place, I think I’d go right over there, sit on thatlog, and have a good cry!”When we take charge for replenishing our soul we soon relinquish our concern abouttime, burdens, payoffs, or destinations. Instead we become a Keeper of our own soul’sflame, integrating this special work of self stewardship naturally into our daily routines.It is then that we realize that every direction we journey is the right direction.(sidebar story: from Satish Kumar, No Destinastion)A wise old man with a long beard was riding with a woman on the back of an elephantinto the forest. He promised to take her to a land of gold and jewels. “Why are we on theback of an elephant?” the woman asked. “Let’s go on horseback so we can arrive morequickly.” The wise man said, “I don’t know the way. Only the elephant knows the way.”The woman argued, “This is stupid. A horse is much more intelligent than an elephant.”The wise man replied, “It’s not a question of intelligence but a question of going the rightway.”Humility, Modesty, & FrugalityThese aspects of stewardship — humility, modesty, frugality — appeal to the voice ofour conscience. Such adages as love thy neighbor or cause no unnecessary harm (theGandhian concept of ahimsa), or even the simple koan simple in means, rich in ends, allspeak to a Cortesian quality of life.With humility, for example, I can observe that a forest or garden, like all of nature,can only restore, regenerate, and sustain itself at its own pace, in its own unique ways,and only at a capacity and ability it can handle without disturbing the delicate equilibriumand balance of relationships between all its species. Of course, most practitioners offorestry, agriculture, and, sad to say, gardening will argue with me. But the truth is,forests today are grown and harvested on a sustained yield basis, much like farming. Forthis to be profitable, however, it is believed that forests must exist as monocultures; anydiversity of vegetation is undesirable. Unfortunately, this form of practice has led towaves of unique insect and fungi infestations which in turn stimulate a scientific fighting