Green Sangha brings spiritual practice and environmental activism together. Like all ecologists, we see human society as inextricably linked with life systems all over the planet. We seek to raise awareness among all people, whatever their religious or spiritual outlook, of the impact of individual lifestyle decisions on our collective well-being.

As a grassroots organization, Green Sangha creates opportunities for individuals to come together to meditate, to educate and support one another, and to perform direct environmental action.

Meditation is the core practice that grounds us in the awareness of interdependence. From this awareness naturally springs love, understanding, and forgiveness.  Therefore, we make meditation a daily practice, and open every Green Sangha meeting with deep meditation.

Actions. Green Sangha actions address a wide range of issues, such as encouraging government and business to increase recycled content of paper, helping markets find alternatives to plastic bags, and testifying at public hearings on air pollution. These actions are generated by individual chapters and may be done separately or with the support of other chapters.

Chapters collaborate with other environmental groups as well. For example, at monthly meetings we write letters on behalf of campaigns organized by groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, Rainforest Action Network, and the Sierra Club. And we participate with other groups in direct service.  For example, since 2005 we have been in partnership with Green Gulch Organic Farm in Marin County, helping them restore their riparian habitat.

Education. Education is a central part of our actions. We educate ourselves and each other in order to see the true costs of consumer choices and to learn how to live more wisely on the earth. We focus not so much on opposing destructive government, corporate, or consumer practices, as on finding and promoting life-affirming alternatives. We speak to the good in others to inspire their participation in making the world a better place.

We educate through action sheets on target issues selected by chapters, through a visible presence at environmental festivals, and through direct outreach (speaking at schools, social clubs, churches, and community venues). In the spirit of sharing, in two years we gave away hundreds of water-saving aerators for sink and shower, rolls of toilet tissue made of 100% recycled paper, and compact fluorescent bulbs – all accompanied by action sheets explaining how these items contribute to a sustainable future.