Seeding Gaia

 December has come, the time of Winter Solstice--a time of new beginnings. Having mulled over my "seed" idea of launching a Dharma Gaia movement, integrating vertical (body-mind-spirit) and horizontal (self-community-planet) healing modalities, I am finally ready to let it germinate, push through the topsoil of my own private ruminations,  and out into the open air of public awareness. I am fully cognizant of the fact that, like most new seedlings, this will expose it to innumerable threats--of being trampled upon, consumed, dessicated, or poisoned before it even establishes a root system.  But since the viability of any seed is encoded in its genotype, I wish to lay out, for all to see, the "genotype" of the Gaian seed that I have conceived and nurtured over the years.  

This notion of "seed" ideas has parallels, of course, in historical culturally transformative movements, such as Buddhism, Christianity,  Islam, Communism, and even liberal democracy.  All of these are rooted in certain basic "seed" ideas that were viable enough to flourish and replicate under many different cultural conditions. Here are some of these "seeds:"

Buddhism: the Four Noble Truths (the inevitability of suffering; the root cause of suffering in attachment or craving; the possibility of letting go of craving and cessation of suffering; and the basic guidelines for achieving that possibility (i.e. the Eightfold Path) through cultivating wisdom and compassion.

Judaism: "Hear, O Israel: Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and mind."

Christianity: "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, so that whoso believeth on Him shall have eternal life."

Islam:  "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammed is His prophet."

Communism: "From each according to his abilities to each according to his needs."

Democracy: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal..."

So what are these Gaian seed ideas?  Here are a few:

1. Life creates and sustains the conditions that sustain and propagate life. (The essence of Gaia theory)

2. Humanity is a part of, not apart from, "nature" (or Gaia)

3. The Gaian categorical imperative: In everything we do, we must strive to promote the health, competence, and resilience of ourselves, our communities, and our living planet simultaneously.

4. The three core ethics of Permaculture: Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share (i.e. reinvesting the surplus back into Earth Care and People Care).

5. The Dharma Gaia mantra (a generic blueprint for practice): 

Breathe, Observe, Let Go; [Reclaiming the present moment]

Be well, Do good work, Keep in touch; [A generic daily agenda]

Learn Gaia, Teach Gaia, Heal Gaia, Create Gaia. [A generic life agenda]

6. Three directives: Good Buy; Good Work; Good Will.

7. Three injunctions: Grow Gardens; Grow Community; Grow Awareness.

My plan of action:  This coming year, I intend to create a Dharma Gaia Circle, an ecumenical Sangha (community of practice) dedicated to practicing and propagating these seed ideas by cultivating the three essential disciplines of meditation, Satyagraha, and Permaculture.  We will meet twice a month in accordance with the Lunar calendar (new and full moon)--initially in virtual (Zoom) format but later, as possible, in person, for formal meditation, dharma discussion, and other activities such as reading groups and/or potlucks; and if this group coalesces, we will create a website and attempt to develop and propagate a basic protocol, so that others can create their own Dharma Gaia circles elsewhere.

On Solar holidays (equinoxes, solstices, and cross-quarter days) we will organize Gaia Walks in various parks and other beautiful places, combining walking meditation with mindful observation, and then sharing our impressions in a talking-stick circle. These can optionally be guided tours with a ranger naturalist, but the basic protocol will be to resist idle chatter, so we can be fully present with the beauty of Gaia wherever we are.

Other possibilities, of course, may evolve from this basic pattern of meeting on Lunar holidays for meditation and discussion, and on Solar holidays for Gaia Walks. One longer term goal I have is to purchase some land nearby--or even within the city of Salem--in order to create a prototypic "Dharma Gaia Practice Center" that provides educational offerings to the community in self-healing, social healing, and permaculture design, while establishing and managing a Permaculture Demonstration Site and supporting itself through a CSA.  This may not happen in my lifetime, but no matter...