Practical Biodynamics: A Head-Heart-Hand Practical Philosophy
All things practical, have, if they are to be fruitful, a solid foundation in thought. Some might simply say that we need common sense. Good farming, good gardening - has always had a strong mental component. Farmers and gardeners need to think through what they are doing, as things take time to ripen, things take good timing to turn out well. Biodynamics has a strong mental, philosophical framework. It is flexible, adaptable, but certainly, the principles are what make it distinct and successful.
Introduction - Concepts
Since 1924 and the founding of biodynamics, approaches to explaining biodynamics have varied. In the context of trying to define biodynamics (as a system of agriculture) - at least initially - we might use the following, developing levels of potential understanding as a starting point of discussion. They may seem too theoretical at first, but, dear Reader, venture into them - and you will find an excellent basis for your practical work.
Biodynamics can be understood conceptually as:
1. an agro-ecological renewal of agriculture, using various natural methods, stemming from Rudolf Steiner and his anthroposophical spiritual science;
2. a holisitc, ecological philosophy of farming and gardening, of nutrition, of land-stewardship and of living and working successfully with nature;
3. an awakening of one's consciousness as a farmer and gardener to the many levels of life in nature, including a new, conceptually expanded understanding of physical phenomena, energies and beings at work in nature;
4. a recognition of biodynamics as a kind of complementary medicine (anthroposophical medicine) for agriculture, for farms, for the earth - with a specific, learnable, systematic approach;
5. the realization - at the heart of biodynamics - of the sacredness of all things and beings and the necessity for increasingly selfless participation (to the degree on can) in the search for health, healing and harmony, in other words biodynamics not only in the sense of 1-4 but also in the sense of a path of service;
6. experiencing biodynamics as a school for training one's mind, one's heart and one's sensibilities towards spiritual awakening to improve one's capacities as a farmer and to improve one's abilities to serve and to see nature as she is;
7. becoming acquainted with the earth as a physical, living, sentient and conscious being.
Biodynamic Principles
There are many, significant biodynamic principles, both philosophical and conceptual (as above) as well as very practical. Biodynamics is not meant to just be a new way of thinking, but it is meant to be a new way of thinking!!! It is also meant to touch the heart of each practitioner, but in such a way that it really inspires to work ethically, with a healing (diagnostic-therapeutic), helping approach for ultimate health and productivity in practice. It is a head-heart-hand practical philosophy of farming and gardening.
Some of the most basic principles of biodynamics can be summarized as follows:
1. The Earth is physically complex, physiologically alive, sentient and conscious (self-aware) organism embedded in a living, sentient, conscious universe;
2. Each and every unique farm and garden is an integrated part of this physically complex, physiologically alive, sentient and conscious Earth organism and is of course smaller and differentiated, but equally physically complex, physiologically alive, sentient and conscious.
3. Developing and managing healthy, productive and successful farms and gardens (however large or small) is primarily (primarily, means "at first" and in terms of priorities!) a medical question, like taking care of a patient. What is healthy? What is not healthy? and What can be done to return health and productivity where it is no longer? are the three key questions to a medical approach to agricultural management. We can call this a diagnostic-therapeutic approach.
4. Biodynamics as a philosophy and as a practice stem from Rudolf Steiner and his anthroposophical spiritual science. Understanding biodynamics as anthroposophical medicine for the earth, for farms allows the practitioner to become increasingly independent in his/her diagnosis of health and illness on farm and to become equally increasingly capable of proscribing and applying effective measures (medicine, therapies) to the farm towards health and productivity.
5. In oder to come to terms with how to diagnose health and illness on farm in the context of anthroposophical medicine, one must learn step by step how anthroposophical science views the whole individual (and the individual farm) and how health and illness is understood and how medicines and therapies are used to rebalance imbalances, to invigorate organs, organ systems and indeed the whole immunological system of an individual - including in our case the individual farm.
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