Imagine

A new year has begun, and as is often the case this chilly time of year, I am a bit despondent. Our future prospects on this planet give us little reason for hope--the steady, meteoric rise of a vulgar, shameless, self-obsessed lout like Donald Trump, who now seems on an unstoppable path to the Republican nomination for the presidency (not that any of his rivals, though marginally more civilized in their demeanor, are any better); accelerating climate disruptions, seemingly past the tipping point where they are irreversible; the worldwide proliferation of psychotic religious terrorist movements like ISIS on one hand, and lone psychopaths living out their sick fantasies by mass murder in public places on the other; the growing swarm of refugees worldwide from war-torn lands and other places rendered uninhabitable by droughts and floods, or by poverty and violent, genocidal tyranny--the list goes on. Our global commercial/industrial civilization (Glomart) is obviously drawing toward its inevitable demise--an incremental descent into chaos, violence, despair, starvation, and death that is simultaneously ecological, social, political, and economic. Not much to hope for.

Still, I dream. Of what? you ask. Let us (once again) imagine...

Imagine a seed group or Sangha--a Dharma Gaia Circle, that meets periodically--once a week, say--with the specific purpose of integrating vertical (body-mind-spirit) and horizontal (self-community-planet) healing, through the cultivation, in diverse forms, of three essential disciplines: Tonglen, Satyagraha, and Permaculture. The circle would be rooted in Buddhist practice, but open to anyone of any culture or faith tradition, and its meetings would follow this protocol:

1. Begin with "checking in"--self-introductions and/or brief updates on our lives and practice.
2. The Facilitator then asks a participant to offer an opening benediction in his/her own faith tradition--or to read a poem from Earth Prayers or a similar Gaian anthology.
3. This is followed by a period of formal meditation practice, beginning with a guided meditation using the 10 Breath Dharma Gaia sequence: Breathe, Observe Let Go; Be Well, Do Good Work, Keep in Touch; Learn, Teach, Heal, Create. (This is the core practice that constitutes a Dharma Gaia Circle).
4. Following a period of silent meditation, the Facilitator passes around a Talking Stick, allowing each participant to share any insights that have arisen from his or her meditation session--or to simply pass the stick on. On the second go-around, participants could optionally respond, mindfully and skillfully, to anything that others may have shared about their practice.
5. Participants could then (either) watch a Dharma Talk, or discuss a portion of a book they have decided to read together, or both. 
6. Thereafter, participants could share healthy snacks and socialize.
7. In addition to the above meetings, participants would periodically meet for Gaia Walks, which are a hybrid of formal walking meditation and a casual hike, in some refreshing locale, whether urban or rural. The rules for a Gaia Walk are as follows: (1) Breathe mindfully while walking, coordinating breath with walk, but walking naturally, and deeply observing the life that is all around; (2) Keep conversation to an absolute minimum, only to draw others' attention to something worth seeing, right then and there (e.g. a blue heron). (3) Walk in a normal, casual manner, smiling and making eye contact with passersby, but minimizing interaction. The idea is that no one outside the group should be able to guess that you are doing walking meditation; if you should meet someone you know, who has something to talk about, feel free to withdraw and chat if necessary.  The goal of Gaia Walking is to practice integrating mindfulness with our day-to-day existence in the world. But it is also simply to enjoy the sacred beauty and diversity of a living planet.

Now imagine that Dharma Gaia Circles catch on, budding off, and proliferating, staying in touch via the Internet. Soon people everywhere are meditating, reading good Gaian books,  taking Gaia walks, and practicing Tonglen, Satyagraha, and Permaculture in Dharma Gaia Practice Centers that form the nucleus of urban ecovillages and permacultural communities, while providing growing ranks of peaceful activists, speaking truth to power, organizing nonviolent noncooperation with evil in all forms, and cultivating local self-reliance and withdrawal of their financial support for Glomart.

Imagine, that is, the Spontaneous Remission of the Cancer of the Earth, starting right here, right now!

May it only be so...