Camille will facilitate on Monday evening (May 31).
Dear Friends,
Monday evening we will share the five Earth Touchings together. The touchings of the Earth are a Buddhist tradition where we bow down and surrender to the earth. We join body, mind, and breath to return to the Earth and to all our ancestors knowing that we are not alone. We are in the Earth and all our ancestors, and they are in us. When we touch the earth we breathe in her energy, strength, and stability and when we breathe out we release our grief and suffering that we have experienced collectively.
On Monday we will practice the ARISE (Awakening through Race, Intersectionality, and Social Equity) earth touchings which are an adaptation of the Plum Village Earth Touchings. The ARISE sangha is a "community of mindfulness practitioners and monastics who come together to heal the wounds of racial injustice and social inequity, beginning with looking deeply within ourselves and using the energy of compassion, understanding, and love in action."
During this month of May, our Sangha has shared the theme of Solidarity. As I considered how this theme intersects with the Earth Touchings - and how it effects my understanding of my being in this world and my mindfulness practice - I decided to look to see what others have said about Solidarity. A Catholic organization that works in social equity says "solidarity is a recognition that we are all in this together and is a commitment to strengthen community and promote a just society." I also read elsewhere what it is not, that Solidarity is "not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good."
I struggle every day whether I am doing enough, whether I am helping others because I feel sorry for them and I want to feel better, or do I really want all of us to be free from suffering, and live in freedom, peace and harmony? I hope it is the latter. I do know that when I am at a local soup kitchen serving and sharing with a mostly Latinx community, I try to think about how we are there for one another and it is not just me doing the giving but they are giving back by how they share with others. I smile at them and they smile at me - or maybe they smile first and I return the gesture. Either one - it feels like a connection, a community, a bit of solidarity. We share stories together and remember to say "have a nice day and see you next week."
One day a couple weeks ago my friend Gerald, who comes sporadically to the soup kitchen for food or meals, came by and seemed very sad. When I asked him how he was he told me he was so distraught that his brother (who would not get the vaccine) had just died of Covid. He shared how he himself was also reluctant to get the vaccine but now was planning on doing so. I was there that day helping folks get vaccine appointments. So he sat with me for a while as I offered vaccine appointments. Every time someone was reluctant - he shared the sad story of his brother. He was so sincere in his sentiments to help others stay healthy. He came that day - not to get himself food - but to happily bring food to an elderly woman who was sick and could not walk to the kitchen, and to share his brother's story with others. For me - this was solidarity.
In the book "Peace is Every Step, our teacher Thay reminds us that we are interconnected and that suffering and happiness inter-are and that we can't feel one without the other. We live in both. They are interdependent. My friend Gerald also reminded me of this - "committing himself to a common good" toward others. In the 14 Mindfulness Trainings Thay says "do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, by all means, including personal contact and visits, images, and sound. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world." Much of this is what Magda reminded us of in last weeks sharing as we think of solidarity with our elderly.
As I look at the Earth Touchings - they remind me how I have been nourished and protected by the land and all the living beings that have come before me and those that are here now and they are also a reminder that so many people have suffered and worked so hard to make this a better world for all of us. I can remember to be in solidarity with the earth and one another by remembering our stories and histories and to begin to care more and more for the earth and all living beings.
As we share this guided practice of the Earth Touchings, I invite you to remember to breathe in and connect to all the strength of the earth and breathe out and release all your wounds to the earth and all beings.
I invite you to consider the following questions:
-How might your mindfulness practice allow you to feel suffering and then be able transform that into goodness to care more for one another - particularly for those communities that are suffering most.
-How might the Earth Touchings allow you to find more ways to be with those seen and unseen.
-Were there any feelings or insights that the Earth Touchings brought up for you.
I look forward to being with you on Monday night and enjoying the Earth Touchings together.
Much love,
Camille