A single blade of grass is a clear glass of water is common imagery used in Buddhist meditation. I promise not to get too deeply into the symbolism nor the liturgical practices of Buddhism itself, but rather it's relation to naturism in my limited world-view.
Tonight I prepared a simple meal for a friend. Spaghetti marinara, especially jarred sauce by Ragu, strains the culinary skills of only this friend which justified the effort during my otherwise lazy Saturday. Preparing the already prepared meal brought to mind another lesson from my teachers; that of eating food without adding spices. Oatmeal was the dish of the lesson and the very act of adding milk, sugar, and other flavors to an already perfectly edible and flavorful meal should pause any practitioner with such intent.
The whole point of Buddhist liturgy is aimed to make the practitioner more aware of the world around them as it is rather than how they would like it to be. The very act of desire causes disappointment and accepting the world for what it is allows one to appreciate the joys already present, yet often overlooked in a mad rush to specific goals that may not be achievable.
The concept of the interconnectedness of all things is another tenant of the practice. One famous teacher goes so far as to teach all things, all activities, are an expression of the very practice followers desire... that helps eliminate the idea of a goal if I have already achieved it.
Every major religion, and a few not so major, I have studied over the last twenty years seems to stress simplicity, humility, and an appreciation of the world around us as guides of how life is to be lived as happily as possible. They also go on to point out that if one can maintain a consistent practice one can achieve the happiness promised in the texts - in other words, if one internalizes the teachings and lives the life described as ideal then one is perfection incarnate and lives a life of naked truth.
I'm finding the tenants of naturism to be similar, whether a practitioner follows other religious activities or not. One expresses humility in Western culture by shedding the clothing ment to cover shame... never a concept I've bought into; reduces the complexity of the need to match socks and shirt; and forces a practitioner to view the world in an unaccustomed manner by removing nonverbal signals of fashion... hopefully encouraging one to see things as they are rather than how one wants them to be.
Following this, it shouldn't surprise anyone when some naturists bring an association with the natural world into their practice. If I begin to view the ordinary differently and can no longer rely on my preconceived notions of what "nature" looks like (ie. vertical stripes are slimming) then I might just start to notice other things long overlooked. The breeze has always blown across my body, the sunshine has always warmed my skin, and the water has always flowed over my buttocks when I swim. Yet I feel it more when I'm nude. I'm more aware of all that contact with my skin.
If all things are an expression of Buddhist practice then naturism also is. Shikantaza is the fancy way of saying "just sitting". I wonder how the old teachers would describe "just being nude"? A simplified state, not only of attire but of world-view. Granted, personalities still shine through. I've yet to find a way to no longer wear unwanted aspects, and it would be interesting to attend some silent event to remove even more of "ourselves" to see what still remains.
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