Universal Mind

Whispers of the infinite

  • The Five Earth Touchings

    The Five Earth Touchings

    In gratitude, I bow to all generations of ancestors in my blood family.

    I see my mother and father, whose blood, flesh, and vitality are circulating in my own veins and nourishing every cell in me. Through them I see my four grandparents. I carry in me the life, blood, experience, wisdom, happiness, and sorrow of all generations. I open my heart, flesh, and bones to receive the energy of insight, love, and experience transmitted to me by my ancestors. I know that parents always love and support their children and grandchildren, although they are not always able to express it skillfully because of difficulties they encounter. As a continuation of my ancestors, I allow their energy to flow through me, and ask for their support, protection, and strength.

    In gratitude, I bow to all generations of ancestors in my spiritual family.

    I see in myself my teachers, the ones who show me the way of love and understanding, the way to breathe, smile, forgive, and live deeply in the present moment. I see the Buddha or Christ or the patriarchs and matriarchs as my teachers, and also as my spiritual ancestors. […] I open my heart and my body to receive the energy of understanding, loving kindness, and protection from the Awakend Ones, their teachings, and the community of practice of many generations. I vow to practice to transform the suffering in myself and the world, and to transmit their energy to future generations of practitioners. My spiritual ancestors may have had their own difficulties and not always been able to transmit the teachings, but I accept them as they are.

    In gratitude, I bow to this land and all of the ancestors who made it available.

    I see that I am whole, protected, and nourished by this land and all the living beings that have been here and made life worthwhile and possible for me through all of their efforts. I see Chief Seattle, Thomas Jefferson, Dorothy Day, Cesar Chavez,Martin Luther King, Jr., and all the others known and unknown. I see those who have worked hard to build schools, hospitals, bridges, and roads, to protect human rights, to develop science and technology, and to fight for freedom and social justice. I see myself touching my ancestors of Native American origin who have lived on this land for such a long time and know the ways to live in peace and harmony with nature, protecting the mountains, forests, animals, vegetation, and minerals of this land. I feel the energy of this land penetrating my body and soul, supporting and accepting me. I vow to cultivate and maintain this energy and transmit it to future generations. I vow to contribute my part in transforming the violence, hatred, and delusion that still lie deep in the consciousness of this society so that future generations will have more safety, joy, and peace. I ask this land for its protection and support.

    In gratitude and compassion, I bow down and transmit my energy to those I love.

    All the energy I have received I now want to transmit to my father, my mother, everyone I love, and all who have suffered and worried because of me and for my sake. I know I have not been mindful enough in my daily life. I also know that those who love me have had their own difficulties. They have suffered because they were not lucky enough to have an environment that encouraged their full development. […] I want all of them to be healthy and joyful. I pray that all ancestors in my blood and spiritual families will focus their energies toward each of them, to protect and support them. I am one with those I love.

    In understanding and compassion, I bow down to reconcile myself with all those who have made me suffer.

    I open my heart and send forth my energy of love and understanding to everyone who has made me suffer, to those who have destroyed much of my life and the lives of those I love. I know now that these people have themselves undergone a lot of suffering and that their hearts are overloaded with pain, anger, and hatred. […] I pray that they can be transformed to experience the joy of living, so that they will not continue to make themselves and others suffer. I see their suffering and do not want to hold any feelings of hatred or anger in myself toward them. I do not want them to suffer. I channel my energy of love and understanding to them and ask all my ancestors to help them.

    Excerpted from https://plumvillage.org/key-practice-texts/the-five-earth-touchings

  • Twin Verses

    Twin Verses

    5 For hatred can never put an end to hatred;
    love alone can. This is an unalterable law.

    6 People forget that their lives will end soon. For
    those who remember, quarrels come to an end.

    17 Those who are selfish suffer in this life and in the
    next. They suffer seeing the results of the evil they have
    done, and more suffering awaits them in the next life.

    18 But those who are selfless rejoice in this life and in
    the next. They rejoice seeing the good that they have
    done, and more joy awaits them in the next life.

    The Dhammapada, translated by Eknath Easwaran (Nilgiri Press)

    The Dhammapada is one of the most revered Buddhist scriptures, consisting of 423 verses that distill the Buddha’s teachings on wisdom, ethics, and the path to liberation. Part of the Pali Canon, it is structured as a collection of short yet profound verses that emphasize mindfulness, right action, and the impermanence of life.

    It is one of the most widely read texts of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition and well suited as a beginners introduction to Buddha’s teachings. Often poetic and direct, the text serves as a practical guide for cultivating inner peace and awakening. Its timeless wisdom continues to inspire seekers across traditions, offering insights into the nature of suffering and the way to transcend it.

    When people used to complain to the Buddha that they were upset, telling him, “Our children upset us; our partner agitates us,” his simple reply would be,

    “You are not upset because of your children or your partner;
    you are upset because you are upsettable.”

    – Eknath Easwaran

  • Let nothing trouble you

    Let nothing trouble you

    Let nothing trouble you.

    Let nothing scare you.

    All is fleeting.

    God alone is unchanging.

    Patience

    Everything obtains.

    Who possesses God

    Nothing wants.

    God alone suffices.

    From The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila Volume Three translated by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriquez.

    Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, and reformer, known for her deep spiritual writings and visionary experiences. She played a key role in reforming the Carmelite order, emphasizing a return to simplicity, prayer, and contemplation. Her most famous works include The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, where she describes the soul’s journey toward divine union. A master of Christian mysticism, she wrote about deep states of prayer and the transformation of the soul through love. She was canonized a saint by the Roman Catholic church in 1622 for her profound spiritual insights.

    “The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love. Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything.”

    Works of St. Teresa of Ávila

    In 1566 she wrote Camino de perfeccion (Way of perfection), to tell the nuns how to reach their goal.

    In 1580 she wrote what is considered her greatest work; the Castillo interior/ Las moradas (Interior castle/ The mansions) this involved describing the various stages of spiritual evolution leading to full prayer.

    Between 1573-82 she wrote Las Fundaciones (Foundations), so they would remember the early history of their order.

  • Only Breath

    Only Breath

    Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu,
    Buddhist, sufi or zen. Not any religion

    or cultural system. I am not from the East
    or the West, not out of the ocean or up

    from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
    composed of elements at all. I do not exist,

    am not an entity in this world or the next,
    did not descend from Adam and Eve or any

    origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
    of the traceless. Neither body or soul.

    I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
    worlds as one and that one call to and know,

    first, last, outer, inner, only that
    breath breathing human being.

    ~

    There is a way between voice and presence
    where information flows.

    In disciplined silence it opens.
    With wandering talk it closes.

    Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273) was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic originally from Balkh (in present-day Afghanistan).

  • Didn’t I Tell You

    Didn’t I Tell You

    Didn’t I tell you
    Do not leave me for I am your only Friend,
    I am the spring of life.
    Even if you leave in anger for thousands of years
    You will come back to me for I am your goal and your end.

    Didn’t I tell you
    not to be seduced by this colourful world
    for I am the Ultimate Painter.

    Didn’t I tell you
    you are a fish do not go to dry land
    for I am the deep Sea.

    Didn’t I tell you
    not to fall in the net like birds
    for I am your wings and the power of light.

    Didn’t I tell you
    not to let them change your mind and turn you to ice
    for I am your fire and warmth.

    Didn’t I tell you
    they will corrupt you and make you forget
    that I am the Spring of all virtues.

    Didn’t I tell you
    not to question my actions
    for everything falls into order, I am the Creator.

    Didn’t I tell you
    your heart can guide you home
    because it knows that I am your Master.

    Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273) was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic originally from Balkh (in present-day Afghanistan).

    — Translation by Azima Melita Kolin and Maryam Mafi
    (Rumi: Hidden Music, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001)

    Photo: Unknown author, Source: Google Image