Meditation on the Goodness in Our World

Celebration of the harvest is as old as civilization itself. Autumn is the time people traditionally give thanks for the results that all their hard work in the fields has produced. In the Buddhist calendar, the autumn season is the time of the Ratna Buddha family, whose qualities include abundance and generosity. These two qualities complement each other in the Harvest Festival, which also has a component of generosity to those in need. When we ourselves feel resourced and in abundance, goodness naturally flows out and is offered to others.

I have been enjoying bringing my attention to the cycling of the seasons and the ways that humans have celebrated and engaged with different energies at different times of the year. This focus brings me into closer relationship with the natural world and the elements around and within me. My sense of belonging in the world and to the world feels deeper. There’s a feeling of safety and profound meaningfulness that comes along with that, and also of responsibility.

As part of this process in these Autumn months, I have been sharing this Goodness Meditation in our Wednesday meditation sessions to help us connect with the abundance and goodness that surrounds and permeates us. We do this meditation with a feeling of joy and gratitude. Fear and despondency are widespread in our world at the moment, particularly for younger people who have only ever known a planet in extreme climate crisis. So it is easy to feel lost in what is going wrong, and yet, it is vital to remember why we love this planet so much and our deep relationship with our world. This in turn help us prevent despair and burn-out.

In this spirit, I have recorded this Goodness Meditation for everyone, and with the specific intention that it help support children in these difficult times and bring them closer to the nourishment and love that is in their world and in their own beings. The meditation works with the four elemental energies—earth, water, fire, and wind—to bring us into connection with the loving power at the heart of each.

We know that these four elements also have a destructive aspect to them. Children can be very logically minded and they might point this out to us, so it is helpful to acknowledge it at the outset. For example, fire is warming and vital to life, and it can destroy homes and forests; sometimes what was dependable earth begins to quake and feel unstable; rain cleans the air and nourishes the crops but may also cause flooding; and high winds spread seeds of life and also blow down whole trees. The human mind is wired to look for danger, which is vital in securing that most fundamental safety of our physical bodies. That’s why we need to balance that predisposition with connecting to the loving heart at the center of these elements, and of ourselves (known in Buddhism as buddha nature). In this practice, we give ourselves complete permission to focus on the supportive heart of goodness in these elements.

Please feel free to share this meditation with anyone, of any age, that you think may enjoy and benefit from it.
With love,
Rose