Thich Nhat Hanh - Touching the Earth: 46 Guided Meditations for Mindfulness Practice

TOUCHING THE EARTH

TABLE OF CONTENTS

At the foot of the mountain

there is a stream.

Take the water from the stream and wash yourself,

and you will be cured.

T HESE WORDS ARE TAKEN from a well-known Beginning Anew ceremony traditionally used in Vietnam. Beginning Anew comes from the Chinese words chan hui. It means expressing our regret for mistakes we have made in the past coupled with a deep and transforming determination to act differently from now on. Because we know that we can act differently, we do not need to feel guilt.

To practice Beginning Anew is to bathe in the water of compassion. Compassion gives us a chance to return to the joy of being alive. Once the mind is concentrated on loving kindness and compassion, their energy is produced and strengthened. When the nectar of compassion flows in your heart, you can see clearly how to put an end to all your afflictions.

The Beginning Anew practice described in this book is based on the compassion of the earth. When we touch the earth, we take refuge in it. We receive its solid and inclusive energy. The earth embraces us and helps us transform our ignorance, suffering, and despair. Wherever we are, we can be in touch with the earth. Wherever we are, we can bow down to receive its energy of stability and fearlessness. As we touch the earth, we can follow our breathing. We release all our instability, fear, anxiety, disease, and anger. We know the earth can absorb our negativity without reacting to us or judging us. In this way, were able to transform those things within us which are painful and difficult to accept. Were able to strengthen our capacity to look, speak, and act with understanding and compassion towards ourselves, our loved ones, and all members of our society. Touching the earth communicates our gratitude, joy, and acceptance to our Mother Earth. With this practice, we cultivate a relationship with the earth and, in doing so, we restore our balance, our wholeness, and our peace.

The preface to the Kshitigarbha Sutra says: Earth means that which is stable, thick, and has a great capacity for embracing. The energy of mindfulness and concentration produced by touching the earth has the capacity to awaken us to the nature of reality, to transform us, to purify us, and to restore joy and vitality in our life. As soon as we begin to practice, we can taste the benefits. And the feeling of being at peace, refreshed and revitalized by the earth will continue long after our sessions of practice.

This is the source of Beginning Anew liturgy that was composed by Master Zhi Xuan, also known as the National Teacher Wu Da, who lived from 811-883 C.E. in the Tang era in China. This work is generally called Beginning Anew by Means of Water or Beginning Anew by Means of Compassion, or the Samadhi of Compassion to Begin Anew by Means of Water.

E ACH of the meditations in this book is a small conversation with the Buddha. Everyone can benefit from them and find a part that speaks to his or her own experience.

We can practice touching the earth by ourselves or with others. When we practice with others, one person can read the Earth Touching and everyone else can listen. It works well to rotate who reads. After one guided meditation has been read, everyone can touch the earth by lying down in the prostrate position or in the childs pose (kneeling and bending forward so that your forehead and forearms touch the ground). People unable to prostrate fully can simply join their palms and bow slightly. Touch the earth in silence and stay in that position for three long in-and-out breaths or longer. When practicing as a group, people sometimes choose to say we and ourselves instead of I and myself wherever it occurs in the meditation.

The meditations in this book are written to address the real concerns and difficulties found within a fourfold community of practitioners, which includes monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. What connects us all is our deep aspiration to live an awakened life in peace and harmony with ourselves and with others; our desire to heal the wounds that lie buried within our bodies and minds; and our commitment to serve society.

Certain parts of the meditations are addressed to monks and nuns while other sections are addressed to lay practitioners. Whichever we are, it may seem at first that some sections of the meditations dont apply directly to our present situation. Yet, looking deeply, we can find a way to relate to each section of the text. Whether we are practicing alone or as a community, these guided meditations can help us to slowly heal the divisions and uneasiness that we hold within us. A few days after a session of practice, perhaps hold a discussion with other practitioners to share the experiences and insights that arise.

If we enjoy this practice, we can do it as a daily practice, perhaps choosing a different meditation each day. Once every few months, try practicing one of the ceremonies at the back of the book. Try practicing all three ceremonies once or twice a year. Practicing Beginning Anew by Touching the Earth, we will find a feeling of joy rising up in us. Our difficulties will be transformed and our body and mind will grow lighter. The earth is present everywhere, and when we are in touch with it we can be at peace.

T HESE MEDITATIONS are to be read as you stand or sit comfortably with palms joined. If you prefer, you can lie down on the earth during the reading instead. After each meditation, you can invite the bell and then bow down to touch the earth. Each meditation can be done on its own or as part of the Touching the Earth ceremonies for Beginning Anew. You do not need to do them in order! In fact, if you are new to the Touching the Earth ceremonies, perhaps begin with guided meditation number seven, Living in the Present, and then read through the others to find the ones that resonate with you.

L ORD BUDDHA, I practice to be in touch with you as I touch the earth. I visualize you as a young man in Kapilavastu. I see you as an ascetic meditating in the wild mountains. I see you as a monk practicing samadhi solidly at the foot of the bodhi tree. I visualize you as a noble teacher instructing disciples on the Vulture Peak and in the Jeta Grove. I see you as a wandering monk whose mindful steps left their mark in the small kingdoms that lay in the valley of the Ganges River. Lord Buddha, you were healthy and strong in body and mind, living a long life without the help of modern medicines. I see you, my teacher, at eighty years old lying in the lion pose between the two sala trees before passing into nirvana. I touch the earth before King Suddhodana and Queen Maya, the two people who gave birth to Shakyamuni, offering this wonderful teacher to the world.