Wednesday
Befriending Self and Other in Minneapolis
By Lisa Havelin
Our family has a new dog, a Scottish Terrier. Her legs are five inches long and the “feathers” of her belly and her nose are nearly always in contact with the ground. She is an Earth Dog, always touching the earth. Her nourishment and pleasure come directly from that contact with the earth and also from her relationships with her family. She is a constant reminder that the earth is available to support and nourish.
Touching the earth enables us to witness how things are, how they change, how they are born and die. From the loss of human life itself to encountering the impermanence of daily life, touching the earth or connecting authentically with the world is nourishing and wakeful. This is one of the topics being explored by the Community Care and Well-Being Working Group (CC&WB) at the Minneapolis Shambhala Center.