Dialogical Ecology refers to a religious-philosophical concept first conceived by Dr. Hune Margulies, an author and lecturer on philosophy of religion. The concept of Dialogical Ecology refers to the point of confluence between the religious philosophy of Martin Buber and some aspects of Zen Buddhism and Quakerism. Parting from Martin Buber's basic distinction of human relationships as "I-Thou" or "I-It", Dialogical Ecology is closely associated with the philosophies of Religious Socialism, especially as articulated in Martin Buber's "Paths in Utopia", in Gustav Landauers' "Socialism" and in Buddhadassa Bikhu's "Dhammic Socialism". Dialogical Ecology argues that the I-Thou relationship must extend to encompass all realms of life, or "the whole of being". A typical understanding of dialogue, limits the I-Thou encounter to only one sphere of being, the human-to-human encounter, and limits that activity to a smaller sub-set of behaviors, typically, verbal communications. Margulies argues that the only way to actualize a dialogical life is to place dialogue within the wider context of the inter-human, the social and the environmental. Dialogue can manifest itself and be encouraged to manifest, only if the global (ecological) conditions for a dialogical life are implemented. Society must change the commodification of all beings (or "Itification") to allow for their actualization as "Thous". The alternative to commodification is the creation of communities of dialogue founded on the principles of religious socialism. Margulies argues that saying Thou to all beings is the same exact concept and attitude as zen describes in the practices of meditation, mindfulness or shitankaza. Meditation is a non-It relationship, which in the case of Zen, refers to the contents of one's own mind and to the mind's approach to the surrounding reality of the here-and-now. Dialogical Ecology begins where Zen seems to stop, at the realm of the social and the environmental, extending the concept of I-Thou, (or non-It) to the whole of being. It follows then, that the simple act of saying Thou is, in itself, liberating to the sayer. One must approach the whole of being with the same "skillful means" as those applied during the act of meditation. And that remains so, even when reciprocity is not possible nor likely. To expect or demand or anticipate reciprocity as a result of the act of Thou-saying, or the act of demanding to be immersed in the proper pre-conditions for meditation and mindfulness, or hold the inner expectation to be able to gain a benefit from the practice, renders the entire process into an It. Following on Buber's account, Margulies argues that reciprocity is an act of grace as it is only through non-intentionality that a dialogue creates the space of "in-between". The in-between cannot be planned or conceived ahead of its own making. Dialogue is the "moment of inception" from where a relationship with God emerges. There is no relationship with God outside of the dialogue with the whole of being. Sources: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/The-Martin-Buber-Institute-For-Dialogical-Ecology/102320363254. Also see "The Spatial Culture of the Hasidic Community" by Hune Margulies (Columbia University). Also see "The Martin Buber Institute For Dialogical Ecology" www.mbide.org, http://buber-zen-the-between.blogspot.com/