Pachamama's* Voice
By Yamin Chehin

It was a cold morning, the air crisp, the mountain silent.  I felt heavy with emotions after the presidential election.  My head was chatty and my feet felt numb.  I decided to walk with a very alive question in my heart: What actions would best serve my Environmental advocacy?

I noticed how the more I hiked, the more Mother Nature’s both gentle and intense wisdom penetrated my body and my emotions, showing me free space inside awaiting to receive more breath, more calmness, more presence.

I climbed up a tree from where I could see a man and a woman sitting very still, looking into each other’s eyes.  Inspired by their quiet presence, my focus began to shift from random mind chatter to the rise and fall of my chest.  The more attention I devoted to my breathing, the more I felt arriving to the tree that held me, to the sound of birds around me, to the intense dryness in the air and to the two beings that kept looking into each other’s eyes in complete stillness.  The mind chatter gave way to curiosity: who would move first?  The light shifted, yet the figures would not move an inch.  After a while, I climbed down the tree, refreshed and smiling. As I walked away, I decided to turn my head towards the direction of woman-and-man-in-silent-dialogue to thank them and say a silent goodbye, but they were not there anymore.  They had literally disappeared! At first I felt confused, disoriented and then amused and thankful when I realized the magical ways in which Pachamama shares her Wisdom.  In changing perspective, I understood that the two figures I had perceived as human were actually shapes carved by the light on a felled tree.

I kept on walking towards the meadow, feeling Mother Earth with my entire body and inspired by the way in which the Spirit of the Forest had made itself visible through form.  A winding road took me to a cattle guard where I found this man looking down at the soil.

“Bobcat footprints”, he said by way of introduction.

“Yay!” I exclaimed, revealing my happy heart at the thought of these beautiful animals surviving both the intense drought and the loss of habitat in California.

He was wearing a cowboy hat which provided shade to a very white and wrinkled face over a fairly athletic body.

“You see that meadow?” he said, pointing at the flat behind me.  “That used to be a lake.  You can still see the marks of the water edge carved on the stones.  They dried up the lake when they built a dam up north.”

I felt the familiar pang in my heart when I heard the words “dry up” and “dam”, meaning manipulation of Mother Earth as if she were an inert “thing” to serve no one but humans.

“Well, it’s progress, you know.  It’s the right thing to do.  We need progress.  That is why I voted for Trump”.

The blow of his words caught me by surprise, but the roots of the trees pulled down my reactive answer while infusing my heart with the sap of curiosity and inclusion. I had the clear feeling that Mother Earth was listening through my ears, allowing me to take the witness seat.  My feet felt rooted in Earth while my spine grew ever so straight towards the sun.  I felt spacious, fresh and present. I was meditating!  

As much as I wanted to rebuke this veteran of war for what he had said, I found myself not only listening but understanding his story of disillusion and pain.  This understanding, I felt, was possible only because it was the Earth herself who was listening, through me.

Since that encounter I’ve had daily opportunities to practice “rooting in Earth."  My confession: At times, the powerful winds of injustice and political volatility have almost uprooted my steadfast commitment to let Mother Earth listen deeply through my body.  It takes only a deep, connected breath, a short visit to the ocean, or a tree hug, however, for me to remember that there is no separation between this human being called “Yamin” and every other species on Earth. It is this collective wisdom that allows me to find heart in the words I speak and compassion in the actions I take as an advocate for Nature.

“Thank you for fighting the war," I heard my voice say to the man.

“And thank you for fighting yours.  Keep at it," he said with a wink.

We walked across the cattle guard.

Still in opposite directions.

Still in disagreement.

AND…

Held by the same wondrous Mother Earth.

*Pachamama is a goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes. She is also known as the earth/time mother.

Yamin Chehin, Tranquil Awakening of the Heart, practices Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles and facilitates Council Circles in communities throughout Southern California.

Producing a Moment of Happiness
By Nomi Green

“As activists we want to do something to help the world to suffer less. But we know that when we're not peaceful, when we don't have enough compassion in us, we can't do much to help the world.... Peace, love, and happiness must always begin here, with ourselves. There is suffering, fear, and anger inside of us, and when we take care of it, we are taking care of the world."

Thich Nhat Hanh

One could ask, “How is it possible to feel happy in a time like the one we are living in now, with catastrophic climate change, racial injustice, xenophobia, transphobia, and so many other needs calling for our attention?” I lived many years looking at the world in this way, feeling I could never do enough and feeling guilty for my good conditions. During Q-and-A at retreats, I have heard Thay asked questions such as this many times. It really is a burning question for those who care deeply about all beings.

Many times I have heard Thay say, “A good practitioner can always produce a moment of happiness." When I would hear him say this, I would instantly conclude that I must not be a good practitioner, as I could not “always produce a moment of happiness." I started to ask myself, “Am I sure?” One day I tried it out. I started to ask myself during a moment of suffering, “Can I produce a moment of happiness now?” and was surprised that I could, merely by taking a breath and noticing the very moment I was in. Oh! Big light bulb over my head! This is what Thay has been teaching us all along. Over and over, during difficult moments, I would ask myself this question. “Can I produce a moment of happiness now?” Reading the news, I would ask myself this question. Listening to a friend's sorrow about the world, I would ask myself this question. When I felt my own despair for the people, animals, plants, and minerals that are suffering at this time, I would ask myself this question.

I began to see that I actually could produce a moment of happiness even in difficult moments if I remembered to turn my attention in the direction of happiness. The Second Mindfulness Training reminds us as well that we already have more than enough conditions for happiness. In my case today, looking out my window, I see the inspiring sight of tulips, fresh, alive and sturdy despite being covered by the snow. There are so many miracles of daily life. I have so many favorable conditions if I am able to stay right here in this very moment and notice them.  

“Don’t think that you and the world are two separate things. When you breathe in mindfully and gently, when you feel the wonder of being alive, remember that you’re also doing this for the world. Practicing with that kind of insight, you will succeed in helping the world.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

Nomi Green, True Source of Virtue, is a co-founder of the Earth Holder Sangha and is enjoying the tulips. She practices with Desert Rain Sangha in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Cheeze Please
How to feed your cheese-eating habit energy with plant-based, baby cow-friendly alternatives

You think you are craving cheese.  But, looking deeply, we see many things.  We consider the little calf who is being denied his food and destined for the veal market.  We see his mother, living a life sentence of separation, discomfort, then painful death.  Seeing this, you can wish for another path.  Yet, cheese-eating is one of the hardest habits for us to change when we try to be more plant-based.  The good news is there are many good resources for making alternative cheese.

The Homemade Vegan Pantry and Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner are excellent places to start.  Her method ranges from crazy simple to more complicated (with good results).  Many of these cheezes are cultured with rejuvelac.  These recipes are quite easy, and none of them take much time.  But steps are often spread out over a series of days, so they do take some planning.  

The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak is also an easy and delicious cookbook.  Also, it has great recipes for "cheesy" dishes that we know and crave.  Mac and cheeze, cheezy soups, etc.…all are in here!

Some of our Favorites Cheeze Recipes

Luckily, the many great cooks of our own Mindful Cooking have taken on this issue already.  You can access the cheese collection here :  http://mindfulcooking.org/browse?taxonomy_vocabulary_3_tid=294&title .

Many cheese alternative recipes call for cashews.  But there are even options to this!  If you want to avoid cashews, you can try the Minimalist Baker’s:

• Cashew-less Vegan Queso: http://minimalistbaker.com/cashew-less-vegan-queso/

• Vegan Green Chili Queso:  http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-green-chili-queso/

Parmesan Many Ways

One of the easiest and most satisfying cheezes is parmesan.  You can easily adapt any of these recipes to taste.

Pecan Parmesan

In a food processor, combine ½ cup toasted pecans, 1.5 teaspoons nutritional yeast, 1-3 teaspoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt to taste. Pulse until it looks good, tasting as you go!   

Pine-nut Parmesan

In a food processor, combine 1 cup pine nuts (toasted if you want a deeper flavor), 1 cup nutritional yeast (or less depending on your taste), 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Pulse until it is the texture you like.  Add some olive oil and get another texture option. You can also add other flavorings if you like, such as rosemary or oregano.

Almond Parmesan

• ½ cup almonds (blanched if you want a lighter color) or white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1-2 teaspoons light or chickpea miso
• Salt to taste

1. Grind nuts almost to a fine powder.
2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until it’s the texture you like.

Vegan Parmesan "Cheeze"

This delicious topping may be used on pizza, pasta, salads, tacos, rice and beans, baked potato, or steamed veggies.

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ½ - 1 teaspoon salt, depending on desired saltiness; use the lower amount if you need to or want to reduce your sodium intake

1.  Grind almonds in a blender or Vitamix. Stop before it starts to clump or get pasty.
2. Add other ingredients and blend briefly, to mix.

Cheezy Sauce

This is great as a dip for chips, over taco salad, on tacos or burritos, over vegetables (such as steamed broccoli), and over baked potatoes.  You may also sauté veggies, pour cheesy sauce over the veggies, then serve the cheesy veggies over baked potatoes. The sauce may also be added to broccoli soup for broccoli-cheddar soup or put over macaroni for macaroni and cheese.  The sky is the limit!

• 1/4 cup raw almonds or raw cashews (cashews are softer, so may work better in some blenders)
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (flakes)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot  (If you want a thicker sauce, add up to 1 tablespoon more arrowroot or cornstarch.)
• 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon lemon juice to taste.  (More makes it a sharper cheese flavor; less is a mild cheese flavor.)
• (Optional - for color)  1/3 cup red bell pepper, approximately or 1 small jar pimentos
• (Optional - blend 1 teaspoon canned jalapeños for a great nacho-style cheese)

1.  Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. It will thicken to a nacho cheese consistency.
3. Serve hot (left-over sauce may be stored in the refrigerator, then thinned with a little soy milk/almond milk/rice milk, stirred, and heated)

Makes 2 ½ cups. Prep Time: 8 minutes. Cook time: 8-10 minutes

The People’s Climate March in Washington, DC, April 29, 2017

The People’s Climate Mobilization in Washington, DC on April 29 is unique opportunity to put the Dharma teachings into action. Practitioners in the Plum Village tradition will gather with other Buddhist and mindfulness practitioners, and members of numerous faith communities, in support of climate justice.  This event is part of a long-term mobilization of our communities to mindfully and energetically commit to the cause of environmental health and justice. Together we offer the gifts of mindfulness and the Dharma to heed urgent calls for climate action and the protection of our Mother Earth and all beings.

Practitioners in the Plum Village tradition, through the Earth Holder Sangha, are coordinating with One Earth Sangha to designate a meeting place before the march so that mindfulness practitioners can walk together, as a river.  We will be part of a Buddhist contingent within the Faith Communities section. Updates about the meeting place will be announced by the Earth Holder Sangha.

Editors of Touching the Earth newsletter are seeking stories about Climate March participants' practice before, during, and after the event. Please submit your stories and photos to newsletter@earthholdersangha.org by May 15.