Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, January 7, 2009


World, we live and die on your lap.
On you we play out all our woes and joys.
You are our home, old ancient one.
Forever we cherish you; we could not bear your loss.
We wish to transform you into the pure realm of our dreams,
into a field where all creatures live without prejudice, all equal.
We wish to transform you into a loving warm gentle goddess.
Our wish to embrace you is unchangeably steadfast.
To that end be the ground which sustains us all.
Do not show us the dark side of your character.
And we too will transform you,all your corners
into fertile fields of peace and happiness.
May the harvest of joyfulness and freedom’s sweet scent
fulfill our limitless infinite wishes.
So we pray.

- His Holiness the Seventeen Karmapa, Ugyen Trinley Dorje
who fled Chinese-occupied Tibet on this day, 2000

His Holiness is now 22, I think. He was 14 when he fled his brutally subjugated land. It would be good to know about the Karmapa tradition: “Karmapa” means "the one who carries out buddha-activity" or "the embodiment of all the activities of the buddhas." In the Tibetan tradition, great enlightened teachers are said to be able to consciously arrange to be reborn as a teacher who can carry on the teachings of a predecessor in a prior life. Pursuant to this tradition, the Karmapas have incarnated in this form of manifestation body (Skt. nirmanakaya), for seventeen lifetimes, as of the present, and all have played the most important role in preserving and propagating the Buddhist teachings of Tibet.

I am struck – and delighted – by the gentle and loving sense that the 17th Karmapa has of our relationship with Mother Earth. “You are our home, old ancient one.” He is so aware of the abuse and damage that we humans have inflicted upon Mother Earth, a “loving warm gentle goddess”. Our home. Needing to be transformed “into fertile fields of peace and happiness”.

This certainly resonates with the Gospel. With the Hebrew Scriptures. I completely disagree with the popular interpretation of the Genesis creation story that grants to humans the “right” to “have dominion” over the Earth. As if it was our “right” to destroy our Mother for our own short-sighted, selfish ends! Rubbish!

Ponder His Holiness’s prayer. Remember: “We live and die on your lap.” The Earth is as much our Mother as our biological mother. It is our sacred duty to honour Her, sustain Her, to plant and bring in the “harvest of joyfulness and freedom’s sweet scent”.

Soon may we see Her rise, healed and whole!

Brian+