In this teaching, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh explains how the practice of bowing deeply helps us to return to the earth and to our roots, and recognise that we are not alone but connected to a whole stream of spiritual and blood ancestors.
The first bow, says Thay, helps us to direct our practice to our ancestors in our blood family through all the generations of ancestors.
The second bow is directed to the ancestors of our spiritual family - the people who have guided and inspired us and many other generations to live in peace and joy.
The third bow is directed to the ancestors that have made this land available to us and found ways to live in peace and harmony with nature.
The fourth bow is to transmit our love and kindness to the people we love – we touch the earth and, looking deeply into our relationships, check in with ourselves to see if it is possible to improve them and to channel our energy of support to the people we carry in our heart.
The fifth bow invites us to look deeply into the relationship between us and the people who have made us suffer - this, too, is a practice of looking deeply in order to recognise the suffering that exists in those that have caused us harm. Motivated by compassion, we wish to send them our energy, hoping that they suffer less and are able to enjoy peace and happiness.
For the full text guiding The Five Earth Touchings practice, please click here.
For a tutorial on how to touch the earth, please click here.