This Monday January 16, we will meet in person.
See calendar for online and in person schedule here.
Address for the OHMC meditation space:
3812 Northampton St. NW
Washington DC 20015
This Monday evening, Annie will facilitate and we will practice Beginning Anew Touching of the Earth to reconnect with ourselves and our practice. We will meet in person at our space on Northampton Street.
I adapted this version of Touching the Earth from the book Plum Village Chanting from the Heart: Buddhist Ceremonies and Daily Practices and is especially suitable for the new year.
Thich Nhat Hanh often teaches about the many seeds we carry in our store consciousness - the wholesome ones lead to more understanding and love and the unwholesome ones lead to harming ourselves and others. You might recognize our unwholesome seeds as the habits we develop to protect ourselves but that end up causing us (and everyone else) more suffering.
In this version of Touching the Earth, we reflect on how our unwholesome seeds have caused us to be unskillful and we commit ourselves to cultivating and nourishing our wholesome seeds going forward.
Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) writes about the benefits of Touching the Earth practice in From Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices::
The practice of Touching the Earth, also known as bowing deeply or prostrating, helps us return to the earth and to our roots, and to recognize that we are not alone but connected to a whole stream of spiritual and blood ancestors. We touch the earth to let go of the idea that we are separate and to remind us that we are the earth and part of life.
When we touch the earth we become small, with the humility and simplicity of a young child. When we touch the earth we become great, like an ancient tree sending her roots deep into the earth, drinking from the source of all waters. When we touch the earth, we breathe in all the strength and stability of the earth, and breathe out our suffering — our feelings of anger, hatred, fear, inadequacy, and grief.
On Monday, after meditating and practicing the Beginning Anew Touchings of the Earth, we will enjoy a time for sharing about our experience, insights, and our lives. Details on how to practice Touching the Earth are below the text.
Some questions to reflect on:
What are the wholesome seeds that need watering in me? What are the situations and habits that prevent me from joy, understanding, play and rest?
In what challenging circumstances do I find myself watering my unwholesome seeds of judgment, anger, despair, etc.?
What are my intentions for my practice in the new year?
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Touching the Earth: Beginning Anew
Modified from Plum Village Chanting Book (Beginning Anew)
With gratitude, we turn toward the Buddha in us and in every part of the world, recognizing the seeds of harm in us and offering our heartfelt remorse.
(Bell)
(All touch the earth)
We live in forgetfulness much of the time, especially when we have not had the opportunity to encounter the teachings and friends that can show us how to heal ourselves and live more fully in the present moment. Our habit energies have often led us into suffering and we have made mistakes out of unskillfulness. We have been confused and led astray by our wrong perceptions for a very long time.
Our heart’s garden contains seeds of attachment, hatred, and pride and the seeds of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying. When those seeds manifest in us, our words and actions cause damage. Our harmful actions are obstacles to true peace and joy.
We see that there are times when we have been thoughtless and unmindful. Our unhealed wounds have brought about much aversion and sorrow. Some days we are weary of life because we are so full of anxiety. When we do not understand each other and refuse to share about our difficulties, we can become angry and resentful. We may try to reason with each other or resort to judgment and blame. As the suffering increases, feelings of separation and not belonging grow. There are days when we are unwilling to speak to each other, unwilling to look each other in the face. We may create internal formations that last for a long time.
Sincerely recognizing our unskillfulness, we choose to begin anew.
(Pause)
(Bell Tap)
(All stand up)
With gratitude, we acknowledge the healing and wholesome seeds inside of us and around us.
(Bell)
(All touch the earth)
We know very well that in our consciousness are also buried all the wholesome seeds – seeds of love and understanding, seeds of peace and joy, seeds of playfulness and rest. Because we do not know how to water them, these wholesome seeds do not always sprout fresh and green.
When we continue to allow sorrow to overwhelm us or chase after distant happiness, these seeds do not have a chance to grow, and our life becomes but a shadow of reality. We trample on these healing seeds when our mind stays occupied by the past, when we worry about the future and when we cannot let go of our anger. We throw away the precious gifts of life which are already in our hands.
Please bring the balm of clear water to pour on the roots of our afflictions. Please bring the raft of the teachings to carry us from the ocean of sorrows to the shore of peace and loving-kindness. Please bring us the courage and energy to fearlessly face all of our wounded places so our joy and love have the chance to bloom freshly in all directions again.
We commit to living an awakened life, to practicing smiling and conscious breathing, and to studying and practicing the teachings of understanding and love. We commit to intimately knowing the wholesome seeds inside of us and to watering them each and every day.
Diligently we begin again to live in mindfulness.
(Pause)
(Bell Tap)
(All stand up)
In gratitude and with our hearts open we go for refuge in the present moment.
(Bell)
(All touch the earth)
We come back to the wonderful present moment to plant our heart’s garden with good seeds, and to make strong foundations of understanding and love. We commit to train ourselves in mindfulness and concentration, practicing to look and understand deeply to be able to see the nature of all that is, and so to be free of the bonds of birth and death.
With help from our sangha and others, we will do the work of healing our past difficulties so that we can see the beauty that is around us and all of the conditions for happiness that are already here waiting for us to embrace them.
We will learn to speak lovingly, to be affectionate, to care for ourselves and others, knowing that when we sincerely and lovingly care for anyone we care for everyone. We commit to bringing the roots of joy to many places, helping people to abandon sorrow, and to responding with deep gratitude to the kindness of our families, teachers, and friends. We will not be afraid to light up the incense of our heart. We ask the Buddha within and without to protect us on this wonderful path of practice.
We commit to practice diligently, cultivating and savoring the fruits of this path.
(Pause)
(Bell Tap)
(All stand up)
How to Practice Touching the Earth (from Happiness):
To begin this practice, join your palms in front of your chest in the shape of a lotus bud. Then gently lower yourself to the ground so that your shins, forearms, and forehead are resting comfortably on the floor. While touching the earth, turn your palms face up, showing your openness to the Three Jewels — the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Breathe in all the strength and stability of the earth, and breathe out to release your clinging to any suffering. After one or two times of practicing Touching the Earth, you can already release a lot of your suffering and feeling of alienation and reconcile with your ancestors, parents, children, or friends.