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Practicing on the Job

A Buddhist Climate Scientist Discusses Wholeness in the Workplace

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Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Confronting the reality of climate and other ecological crises on a daily basis isn’t easy. Dekila Chungyalpa knows first-hand the power of Dharma practice to not only soothe our breaking hearts, but also to inspire and guide our response.

In this recorded interview for the Tricycle Talks podcast, Dekila recounts her journey of integrating her Tibetan Buddhist practice into her daily work on environmental issues. In a professional, science-driven workplace, it turns out she is not alone in drawing strength from a spiritual path.

See our companion post sharing Dekila’s guided practice of tonglen, giving and receiving. Dekila will also be our featured guest in the upcoming August EcoDharma Exploration.

Highlights

“It was the first time I realized that appealing to someone on the basis of their faith could create a mass attitude and behaviour change in a way that scientists couldn’t do and governments couldn’t do.”

“Transpiration and evaporation goes up into the air and then it comes back down as rain and it feeds the oceans and this happens again and again, giving life to the planet. How can that be anything but a display of compassion?”

“Part of practicing and acknowledging impermanence is realizing that you can only count on the here and now. And what you do with the here and now is the most important thing.”

“I can’t control the outcome. I can’t control the product. I can control the process. That is what sustains me.”

Dekila will be leading our August EcoDharma Exploration, an extended period of practice focused on a particular EcoDharma theme. The exploration will culminate with a live gathering with Dekila on Aug 29th. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

Picture of Dekila Chungyalpa

Dekila Chungyalpa

Dekila Chungyalpa is the director of the Loka Initiative, whose mission is to support faith-led environmental efforts locally and around the world through collaborations with faith leaders and religious institutions on environmental protection, sustainable development, and global health issues. Prior to that, she was the recipient of the McCluskey fellowship at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies where she also lectured and researched. Dekila founded and directed Sacred Earth, an acclaimed faith-based conservation program at the World Wildlife Fund from 2009 to 2014. She has served as the WWF-US Director for the Greater Mekong Program and also worked for WWF in the Eastern Himalayas. Dekila serves as the environmental adviser for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism.
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