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Eight Breathing Spaces to Save the Earth
Viewed from the moon, the Earth is very beautiful, a green paradise with streams, pine trees, and living beings, but it is suffering from wounds caused by humans. The 21st century is likened to a hill starting in the year 2000, reaching its peak in 2050, and ending in 2100, a hill that humans need to climb with happiness and love in order to protect Mother Earth. To prepare for this century, we are required to establish spaces for spiritual practice in eight specific places:
- In the home, there must be a breathing room to renew and reconcile.
- A local garden for families to practice walking meditation and sitting in stillness.
- Schools need a breathing room for teachers and students to handle sadness and anger.
- Hospitals need a meditation hall for patients and relatives to reduce fear and anxiety.
- City halls need a breathing room to solve social problems with clarity.
- The National Assembly needs a place for representatives to calm their minds and argue less.
- Prisons must have a meditation hall and people who know how to love and care for inmates.
- The Presidential Palace needs a meditation hall for the cabinet to calm their minds before discussing national affairs.
When voting, citizens need to apply the principle of selecting trustworthy representatives, requiring candidates to be transparent about their family happiness, their capacity to listen, and their use of loving speech, rather than just making promises about action programs. In personal practice, sitting meditation is an opportunity to rest and be truly present 100% for oneself. The practice of calling the names of our beloved ones, calling the name of the Buddha, or natural phenomena like the sun, the moon, or cherry blossoms helps establish a deep connection and nourishes mindfulness. The example of climbing 1,080 steps at Mount Wutai shows that combining every step with the breath and calling names brings peace and joy, without fatigue.
To heal the wounds in our body and mind, we need to learn from the wounded deer that knows how to find a quiet place to lie down, rest, and fast in order to heal itself. In difficult relationships, the first principle is unconditional acceptance and changing oneself before demanding that the other person change. The story of the wife finding a biscuit tin containing old love letters proves that the seeds of happiness are still there; they only need to be watered to restore the capacity for using loving speech and reconciliation. Regarding the role of the intermediary, one needs to practice deep listening to the suffering of each side without taking sides, and then communicate this so that both sides can understand and love each other more.
