Dear Friends,
In the The Discourse on Mindfulness Meditation, one practice invitation is that the body be known in a very simple way: as made up of elements. Today we begin with the earth element – the qualities of solidity, structure, and support.
The earth element includes everything in the body that feels solid or resistant: bones, teeth, flesh, organs, skin. These qualities give the body shape and stability. They allow us to sit, stand, and move through the world.
It is easy to experience this solidity as me or mine. But the teaching invites a different perspective. The earth element in the body is not something we created or own. It is borrowed from the natural world and constantly in exchange with it.
Every day, earth flows through us. Food grown in soil becomes part of the body. Digestion transforms it. Cells are continually shed – through skin, hair, and bodily processes – and returned to the environment. Over time, everything we call “body” will return to the earth again. From this perspective, there is no firm boundary between “inside” and “outside,” only ongoing movement and exchange.
The Longer Advice to Rāhula offers a further reflection: earth is not reactive. Whether something clean or unclean is placed on it, the earth does not respond with preference or aversion. In the same way, we can learn to relate to the earth element in the body without taking it personally – without pride, judgment, or resistance.
This doesn’t mean ignoring the body or treating it carelessly. Stability and support matter. But when solidity is known as a natural process rather than an identity, it can be met with more ease. The body becomes something to care for, not something we have to defend or control.
The invitation today is simply to begin seeing the body as earth – stable, supportive, and continually shared with the world around us. Not separate from nature, but belonging to it.
Tomorrow, we will reflect more personally on how the earth element shows up in our own experience.
If you are inclined, you are invited to share a brief reflection. You can reply to the email or add a comment to this post. Noticing how the earth element shows up for you may inspire others and help us stay connected and engaged as we explore this together.
With good wishes,
Andrea
Trained in the classical way as an earth scientist, aka geologist, it took several decades and teachings from peoples of the land to let me have glimpses of how the earth is not just inert rocks, but that it lives and yes, that we are connected in both physical and non-physical ways.
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Thank you for sharing this Rod. I found it helpful.
Hi Rod, Thank you for sharing this. Your words beautifully point to how conditioned views of separation can give way to a deeper, relational knowing of the earth.
I love this view of the body, feels true and aligns well with my life experience and training in biology – the study of life. There is so much of our own corporeal self that we (the cultural we) take for granted in our quest for satisfaction and meaning in current society. What a gift to slow down and reconnect with our elemental self.
Thanks Twyla for this reflection. I appreciate how your training in biology and your lived experience meet here, reminding us how much we overlook the body in our search for meaning, and how grounding it can be to return to the elements.
For over 10 years – I have been trying to “fix” the problems with my body. The fixing or controlling became a problem itself in adding to by suffering – pushing away pain and discomfort and grasping for the silver bullet solution. In the last few years, I’ve slowly loosened that grip and am more curious about my body and its functions. Reflecting on the body as part of nature and its ongoing change and impermanence is very helpful for me. Thank you for that reflection.
Hi Jenny, I appreciate your honesty about how striving can become its own source of tension. It is beautiful to hear how curiosity and a sense of belonging to nature are opening a different way of relating to the body.