Environmental Stewardship and the Sacredness of Nature

UPL asks its followers to show a profound respect for the environment, emphasising the interconnectedness of all life and the sacredness of the natural world. Drawing inspiration from indigenous spiritualities that honour Earth as a living, sacred entity and integrating principles from contemporary ecological movements, UPL advocates for environmental stewardship as an essential expression of spiritual practice. This perspective recognises the Earth as a manifestation of the divine, imbuing every element of nature with intrinsic value and spiritual significance.

The peoples UPL learns from here include the Māori, whose kaitiaki are guardians named by their own iwi; the Mohawk and the other Haudenosaunee nations, whose Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen, the words that come before all else, gives thanks to the living world; and Native Hawaiians, for whom mālama ʻāina is a duty of care owed to the land. The same reverence is found elsewhere: in the Jewish rule against needless destruction, in Francis of Assisi’s song to Brother Sun and Sister Water, and in Seicho-No-Ie’s harmony of God, nature and humankind.

This section elaborates the core belief Environmental Stewardship.

In this section

1. The Principle of InterconnectednessHumans are part of the Earth's ecosystem and not apart from it, which makes us responsible for the life that sustains us.
2. Mindful Interaction with the EnvironmentSustainable living in practice, and the celebrations that follow the solstices, the equinoxes and the turning of the seasons.
3. Education and Community InvolvementLearning about ecology, and workshops and shared projects that restore and protect the places where we live.
4. The Spiritual Dimension of Environmental StewardshipCaring for the environment is a spiritual duty: to heal the planet is a sacred act, and a healing of oneself.