The Contemplative Mood of Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain: Toward an Embodied Ecocentric Epistemology

Summary

Nan Shepherd's work, The Living Mountain, explores her experiences in the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland through intentional practices that enhance attention and perception. These practices lead to profound states of absorption and a sense of interconnectedness with the mountain as a living system. The paper argues against interpreting her experiences solely through a Buddhist lens and suggests that it enriches the understanding of contemplation by considering diverse influences beyond major religious traditions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Nan Shepherd (1893–1981) was a Scottish novelist, poet, educator, and mountaineer. Her primary work of nonfiction, The Living Mountain, concerns the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland. More than a work of natural and cultural history, in this book Shepherd also recounts engaging in intentional practices for cultivating attention and sense perception. These practices culminate in states of absorption, changes to her sense of self, and encounters with “the total mountain” as an interconnected living system. Although these practices and goals are uniquely her own, this paper will also consider the potential influence of a Victorian-era publication summarizing Buddhist teachings. In contrast to previous scholarship on Shepherd, this paper contends that we would do well to resist characterizing Shepherd’s experiences in the Cairngorms in Buddhist terms. Concluding reflections suggest how this project contributes to current scholarly definitions of contemplation by taking seriously the challenges of operationalizing contemplation to be more inclusive of sources outside of major religious traditions.

Tags