The earth and her people are suffering. We all know this. COVID-19 has ravaged the entire planet, racism continues to claim innocent lives, human trafficking is swept under the rug, catastrophic climate change festers... and so on, and so on. Although I'm a huge Vonnegut fan, I want to do something a little more constructive about all of this than just say "so it goes!"
People should donate, advocate, speak up, and do whatever tangible thing is within their power to do about the causes they care about. It's part of our duty as human beings; we are an extension of this planet and of each other. But I think there are other things we could do, too. It may seem "woo woo," or absurd, but. Hear me out. I believe we can all effectively send healing energy to the earth.
I'm talking about prayer. I'm talking about setting intentions. I'm talking about infusing the world with love/light. Whatever your religious or spiritual discipline (or lack thereof) is, or whatever intuitively feels right for you... I think it will work if you really intend for it to!
A few months ago, when wildfires were consuming Australia, I felt an unbearable sense of loss and pain. On a walk, I found a private space among the trees, sat, and pressed my fingers into the soil. I imagined that my love and healing energy were flowing through my fingertips, surging into the planet and soothing the fires on the other side of the globe. I sat like that for a few minutes, really trying to concentrate, really being intentional. Did it work? I don't know. It didn't immediately stop the fires; I'm not a magical or supernatural being. I'm just human. But my intention was that it would help. And I truly meant it, and I truly felt it.
I'm not a Christian, although I was raised as one. I love and respect many Christians, but it's not for me. I've sought a more intuitive philosophy for a while, and I've picked up a few along the way that resonate deeply with me. I draw mostly from SGI Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Wicca, and my own observations and intuition. I learned most of what I know about Buddhism from my aunt and uncle, both practicing SGI Buddhists for nearly 50 years. One thing I love about Buddhism is that it holds that everything in the universe is intimately connected. We all stem from the same conscious energy. Scientifically, we're all made of the same elements. We're all just the universe experiencing itself. It's fucking wondrous, isn't it? Almost too good to be true. But my truth is that it is.
One way that I use Buddhism is that I intentionally direct my love/light/healing energy toward people. I'll write another post about it later, but: I chant. I know, not very Western of me. SGI Buddhists chant the title of the Lotus Sutra (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) while facing the Gohonzon, a sacred scroll and object of devotion. The practice of chanting is called Daimoku. There are many purposes for doing this: it's a way to reflect on cause and effect, the ultimate power in the universe. It's a way to think about the causes you can make to generate the effects you desire. It's a way to revere the Lotus Sutra and its message that everything in Creation, at its essence, is a Buddha (a compassionate, wise, enlightened being) and has the potential to manifest Buddhahood themselves. An implication of this is that, again, we're all the same; we're all branches of the same tree. To hurt someone else is to hurt yourself.
I use chanting to revere these concepts, which I feel deeply throughout all that I am. I also kind of made up my own thing. Often, while chanting, I'll visualize someone I love and attempt to send them my love/light/healing energy, much like I did that day when I dug my fingers into the soil. Sometimes while doing this, I am so overcome with passion and emotion and I am so intentionally sending my energy that I have no doubt that they can receive it. Does it work? Well, I asked my uncle.
He said, "I chant for and about other people all the time—mostly for their happiness. As I suspect true happiness only comes with significant self-awareness, presence and ownership, I figure happiness is like shorthand for a lot of basic life principles. Hard to say if it actually helps the target of my Daimoku, but I sometimes feel better for doing something. Maybe there's magic so I'll keep it up. I'm thinking more and more about the action of practice—set a goal, chant until you feel full, watch for open windows that may be hiding solutions previously unthought of. I feel like kindness moves in all directions once set loose. So whatever you do that is motivated by your genuine compassion and gratitude certainly does no harm and might have a greater impact than you can imagine."
I believe that consciousness pervades everything in the universe and that I can tap into that. So on some level, maybe my recipient really can feel my energy. If the earth is my recipient, or if people I've never met are my recipient, maybe they can feel it, too.
So, that's me, lol. That's what I do, but I think whatever you do—as long as it's intentional— will be felt. Kindness moves in all directions once set loose. Set it loose, baby. You have nothing to lose.
Love,
Kirsten
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