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22 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

constantly. We either shut down the bones slowly crumble into and for the body—we need to move
or we panic. We are likely to relate dust and blow away. Nothing is left slowly and employ some grounding
to the death of our planet in much after that. We can also engage in a practices. Whenever we feel that
the same way as we relate to the similar reflection for the planet by this contemplation is becoming too
death of our own body. Just as our visualizing a landscape ravaged by intense, it’s important to take a step
body was born and must therefore refineries, fracking wells, and open back and remind ourselves that this
inevitably die, so must our planet. mines. We could imagine how the is a very long journey. To make this
Whether this happens in a hundred Earth might be 20 years from now, path sustainable, we must be gentle
years because of climate change or 50 years from now, or 100, 200, with ourselves.
nuclear destruction, or in a billion or 500 years from now. Then we
years when our sun burns out—the can fast-forward to a billion years We can imagine roots coming out
death of our planet is also inevitable. from now, when the sun might have of our feet or root chakra. When we
turned into a red giant and our breathe in, we breathe in through
Stars are born, they live, and they oceans are boiling. If we keep fast- those roots and draw nourishment
die. Our sun is no different, and forwarding, we’ll come to a time up from the Earth. When we breathe
when it goes, the Earth will go with when there is nothing left of the out, we send our gratitude deep
it. In the distant future, when the Earth but dust. down into the planet. We feel the
sun expands into a red giant during Earth welcoming, sustaining, and
the throes of death, it will vaporize It’s important to remember nurturing us. We can’t fall off her—
the Earth. But just as with our own that we are not engaging in she will always catch us. Finally,
bodies, the debris will reconstellate this contemplation in order to we experience ourselves and the
into new celestial bodies. Our planet arouse a sense of fear or guilt or Earth as inseparable. We are part
is not exempt from that fate. The hopelessness. Death contemplation of her, and she is part of us. Once
Earth was born from stardust more is a tough maturing practice that we we see this clearly, we won’t be
than four billion years ago, and undertake in the service of waking able to engage in certain behaviors
therefore she must also die someday. up. Reflecting on what we humans any longer. Before I started to
have inflicted on the planet is also meditate, I would slap mosquitoes,
Our personal journeys are often a tough maturing practice. Really but after years of meditation, I can
messy and chaotic, and our taking in and integrating these no longer do this. After all, don’t the
collective evolutionary journey truths is difficult, and it requires a mosquitoes and I come from the
is also messy and chaotic. I hear lot of courage and determination same place? Don’t we both have the
people say, “I can’t just sit here on to meet what is actually happening same mother?
the cushion. I need to do something. with our bodies and with the planet.
I need to stop this from happening.” If we fully give ourselves to
Yes, there is a lot to be done, but Anyone who chooses to work this practice, there will be a
whatever we do must be based on with these practices is likely to go transformation that affects
right understanding. On the ultimate through various emotional stages. It everything we think and say and
level, nothing can be gained or lost, begins with denial and then usually do. But we need to put ourselves on
but in our conventional lives, there moves through shock, terror, guilt, the line for this to happen, because
is a lot to lose. and hopelessness. These are just the there will definitely be discomfort.
early stages. If we get stuck in any Little by little, we’ll come to know
Another form of maraṇasati is to one of these emotions, we will never for ourselves the origin of our
follow a newly-dead body through experience the fruits of this practice. actions. Is a particular action
all its stages of decay. First the In order to support the journey coming from an understanding of
skin and flesh gradually fall away, from the early to the later stages the inevitability of death? Or from a
leaving only a skeleton, and finally of maraṇasati—both for the Earth place of fear or guilt or confusion?