Gary Snyder - Deep Ecology Poet and Simple Living Advocate

Gary Snyder is an American nature-loving Zen poet who deeply loves nature, and learned early in life to respect indigenous knowledge. Naturally, he is also a simple living advocate.

Why his name is not heard more often these days is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it is because today’s green movement has been highjacked by politics, economics, dogma, and hysteria instead of being based on the solid foundation laid for us by the early environmental pioneers.

What remains of the diluted environmental movement, which was hopeful and aspirational in the beginning, has become mired in ideological battles, corporate greenwashing, and alarmist narratives that can overshadow practical solutions. But people like Snyder had suggested solutions long ago already, which went largely ignored.

The challenge is balancing passion with reason, and staying true to those foundational pioneering principles.

As I read his writings, Snyder describes my whole approach to life since I was a young tumbleweed rolling in the wind over the Canadian prairies.

And just to show how simple living, a deep love of nature, creativity, and compassion can carry you a long way in life, Mr. Snyder is still with us. 

He is now 95 years old, and still rocking the simple life. How nice to celebrate his life and major contributions to humanity while he is still alive.

I picked out a few quotes that highlight where he has been coming from since he was hanging out with the Beat poets in the 1950s. 

Lawrence Ferlinghetti called Snyder ''the Thoreau of the Beat Generation''. 

Gary Snyder Quotes

The Redtail hawk teaches us to have a broad view of things, while not missing the stirring of a single mouse.

Practically speaking, a life that is vowed to simplicity, appropriate boldness, good humor, gratitude, unstinting work and play, and lots of walking, brings us close to the actually existing world and its wholeness.

You should really know what the complete natural world of your region is and know what all its interactions are and how you are interacting with it yourself. This is just part of the work of becoming who you are, where you are.

True affluence is to not need anything.

Three-fourths of philosophy and literature is the talk of people trying to convince themselves that they really like the cage they were tricked into entering.

Doom scenarios, even though they might be true, are not politically or psychologically effective. The first step is to make us love the world rather than to make us fear for the end of the world.

Walking is the great adventure, the first meditation, a practice of heartiness and soul primary to humankind. Walking is the exact balance between spirit and humility.

Thank you, Mr. Snyder. May we continue to recognize your wisdom, and follow in your footsteps as we learn to reconnect with nature and our better selves.

With your help, perhaps we can also reclaim the movement you helped start, and turn this thing around.