lotusinthemud

"Braiding Sweetgrass"

"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a profound exploration of indigenous wisdom, ecology, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, weaves together personal narratives, scientific insights, and indigenous teachings to offer a vision of reciprocity and reverence for the natural world.

 

Here are some key lessons from the book

 

1. The Importance of Indigenous Wisdom: Kimmerer highlights the value of indigenous knowledge systems, which are deeply rooted in respect for the land and all its inhabitants. She emphasizes the need to learn from indigenous peoples and incorporate their perspectives into our understanding of ecology and sustainability.

 

2. Reciprocity with the Natural World: Central to Kimmerer's teachings is the concept of reciprocity—the idea that humans should give back to the earth as much as they take. She encourages readers to cultivate a reciprocal relationship with the natural world, honoring and respecting the gifts it provides.

 

3. The Language of Plants: Kimmerer explores the rich language of plants and the ways in which they communicate with each other and with humans. She encourages readers to listen to the wisdom of plants and learn from their teachings.

 

4. Cultivating Gratitude: Gratitude is a recurring theme in the book, with Kimmerer emphasizing the importance of gratitude as a practice for connecting with the earth and fostering a sense of belonging and interconnectedness.

 

5. Honoring Ancestral Knowledge: Kimmerer pays homage to the wisdom of her ancestors and encourages readers to reconnect with their own ancestral knowledge. She suggests that by honoring the wisdom of those who came before us, we can gain insights into living more harmoniously with the earth.

 

6. The Ethics of Gathering: Gathering food and materials from the land is an important part of many indigenous cultures, but Kimmerer stresses the importance of doing so ethically and sustainably. She advocates for practices that respect the land and ensure its health and vitality for future generations.

 

7. Restoring Ecological Balance: Kimmerer discusses the urgent need for humans to play a role in restoring ecological balance and healing the damage caused by human activities. She offers insights into how we can work with nature rather than against it to create a more sustainable future.

 

8. The Power of Storytelling: Throughout the book, Kimmerer uses storytelling as a powerful tool for conveying knowledge and wisdom. She demonstrates the importance of storytelling in indigenous cultures and encourages readers to embrace storytelling as a way of connecting with the land and with each other.

 

9. Finding Beauty in the Natural World: "Braiding Sweetgrass" is filled with descriptions of the beauty and wonder of the natural world. Kimmerer invites readers to slow down, observe the world around them, and find beauty and meaning in the smallest of details.

 

10. Living in Kinship with All Beings: Ultimately, Kimmerer's teachings revolve around the idea of living in kinship with all beings. She encourages readers to cultivate a sense of reverence, responsibility, and reciprocity in their relationships with the earth and all its inhabitants.

 

"Braiding Sweetgrass" is a lyrical and deeply moving book that challenges readers to rethink their relationship with the natural world and embrace a more holistic and interconnected way of living. It offers profound lessons in ecology, spirituality, and indigenous wisdom that are essential for navigating the challenges of the modern world.

 

Book: https://amzn.to/4dpAhv1

You can get the audiobook for FREE by using the same link above when you register on the Audible platform.

things to remember as this world dies

you did not come here to pay bills and die

nor did you come to build the fortunes

of those destroying the Earth

 

Imagine instead

that you came to gather precious things

fallen from the pockets of Ancient Ones

as they fled the desert’s march -

each a reminder of something

they pledged never to forget

 

Things like

how to call birds by name with your whistle

which news to tell the bees

and which to share only with the moon

how to tell a parliament from a conspiracy

a colony from a convocation

 

Things like

Nature has no race or nation, class or creed

except when humans seek to deceive -

division designed to sever you

from kith and kin and buddha-mind

 

Things like:

the antidote to oppression

is not freedom but belonging

the opposite of domination is communion

the medicine you need

is always outside your door

and there’s likely a wise woman

two streets away

to show you how to use it

 

These things were left to help us remember

how each world before has ended

and how each death became a door to new life

and how this world wants to take you in her arms

and make of you a lover

and have you listen to the land

talk to the stream

find meaning in the silence of trees

and wisdom on the singing breeze

 

Listen awhile to discover

the right season for all the ten thousand things

the ninety-nine names we use for our own divinity

how to share power

so it cannot be captured by the vain and greedy

how to step into the flow of life

and make of the Earth a common treasury for all beings

how to map the stars

learn the lesson of each constellation

and still know there is more in heaven and earth

than any of us were ever meant to know

 

So fill your pockets as this world dies

knowing some of it will guide you to the next

and some will fall to the ground

in time to be found

by those who’ll bring the world back to life.

 

~ Chris Taylor, 1/1/24

My work is loving the world...

 

 

My work is loving the world.

Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird — equal seekers of sweetness. Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.

Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

 

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn? Am I no longer young and still not half-perfect? Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work,

 

which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.

The phoebe, the delphinium.

The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture. Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,

 

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart and these body-clothes, a mouth with which to give shouts of joy to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,

telling them all, over and over, how it is that we live forever.

 

~Mary Oliver

 

(Book: Thirst: Poems https://amzn.to/3RB75Zg)

Note the Love all around you

 

There is far more love available to us in any given moment than we might be aware.

~ Kate Johnson, “Making the First Move”

The Sound of the Rising Tide

The Sound of the Rising Tide

(by Phap Linn)

We children of the Earth
Scattered far and wide
We heard the call, the distant call,
the mighty call, of the of the rising tide

And our hearts aflame with remembering a memory beyond recall
We came to build
A community of love
To learn, to train, to serve
To embrace all our pain
And though we stumble and fall
we vow never to abandon
Our community, our path
And you, our teacher
We walk for you,
for our forbears and descendants
and on the long road
each step becomes legend

Long did we seek, long did we wander

On lonely paths, and broken roads until we found you
Our teacher of old

And not in vain, our fallen tears
Now rain of new hope together again We’ll go on,
Our trust restored, our faith renewed
Our anger calmed, our joy reborn,
Many hearts one aspiration
Side by side
in times of joy, and through despair
in times of light and through the darkness

We release all our afflictions
heal and transform

Oh, children of the earth brothers and sisters
now let us go forth together to live the holy life

with the earth our mother as witness
to the strength of our vow
And we’ll bring back the refreshing spring

To the mountains and to rivers,
Rising thunder, cresting waves,
We go on
And we will cross the valley,
Of birth and death

To find you,
And look once more in your eyes

In the ancient forest, the old path white clouds overhead,
We stand together
smiling to the mystery

All sorrows at an end
All fear forsworn,

Compassion springs anew

Great love is in our hearts

In the vast sky, both sun and moon, are lighting our way

And our hearts aflame with remembering
A memory beyond recall
the sound of the rising tide (4x)

Ten Love Letters to the Earth by Thich Nhat Hanh

I

Beloved Mother of All Things

Dear Mother Earth,

I bow my head before you as I look deeply and recognize that you are present in me and that I’m a part of you. I was born from you and you are always present, offering me everything I need for my nourishment and growth. My mother, my father, and all my ancestors are also your children. We breathe your fresh air. We drink your clear water. We eat your nourishing food. Your herbs heal us when we’re sick.

You are the mother of all beings. I call you by the human name Mother and yet I know your mothering nature is more vast and ancient than humankind. We are just one young species of your many children. All the millions of other species who live—or have lived—on Earth are also your children. You aren’t a person, but I know you are not less than a person either. You are a living breathing being in the form of a planet.

Each species has its own language, yet as our Mother you can understand us all. That is why you can hear me today as I open my heart to you and offer you my prayer.

Dear Mother, wherever there is soil, water, rock or air, you are there, nourishing me and giving me life. You are present in every cell of my body. My physical body is your physical body, and just as the sun and stars are present in you, they are also present in me. You are not outside of me and I am not outside of you. You are more than just my environment. You are nothing less than myself.

I promise to keep the awareness alive that you are always in me, and I am always in you. I promise to be aware that your health and well-being is my own health and well-being. I know I need to keep this awareness alive in me for us both to be peaceful, happy, healthy, and strong.

Sometimes I forget. Lost in the confusions and worries of daily life, I forget that my body is your body, and sometimes even forget that I have a body at all. Unaware of the presence of my body and the beautiful planet around me and within me, I’m unable to cherish and celebrate the precious gift of life you have given me. Dear Mother, my deep wish is to wake up to the miracle of life. I promise to train myself to be present for myself, my life, and for you in every moment. I know that my true presence is the best gift I can offer to you, the one I love.

appreciate and rejoice, without any expectation

Appreciate and rejoice, without any expectation. It doesn’t matter if people are unkind to you, it doesn’t matter if people betray you, it doesn’t matter if people don’t even say ‘thank you’ to you; by appreciating everything around you, from happy experiences to sad, your life will become meaningful, full of understanding, joy, strength and fearlessness.

Gyalwang Drukpa

a message from a visitor

Yesterday, a deer came to visit before the sun rose. A real deer - they live in the miles of woodland above my house but I haven’t seen one down here for a could couple of years. I wondered if there was a message - connecting with 'deer' seems to bring gentleness, listening, unconditional love. 

All beautiful qualities to inspire me during this continued time of change, as I let go, re-evaluate, connect to what is true

trying to make sense of it

This snippet arrived in my in-box today:

The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote that while life has to be lived forwards, it can only be understood backwards. Meaning that while we're in the middle of it, we're floundering and flailing and have no perspective or birds-eye view of it. But when we look back on a period of our life we can analyse it and think, "Ahhhh, so that's what was going on there!"

 

Green Tara Mantra