We humbly offer incense, flowers, fruit, tea, our love and faithfulness, and touch the earth four times before you. Please continue to lend us your wisdom and compassion, and please be our witness as we make these aspirations. We also vow to continue your work of discovering, exploring and restoring a beautiful culture of spirituality, so that we can offer society the kind of energy, joy and beauty that can heal and protect ourselves and our planet. We promise not to close our eyes but to face the suffering in ourselves and in the world with great courage and non-fear. We promise to look deeply at our actions of body, speech and mind, to recognize and transform the harm we are presently causing ourselves and mother Earth. We know that the world is undergoing deep crises. And may each of us continue to cultivate our mind of love, learning to love without discrimination and to embrace all beings without exception. We promise to cultivate the insight of interbeing, to see the sangha’s happiness as our own happiness and to harness and take refuge in collective insight as we practice, study, play and work together. We promise to cultivate openness, to practice deep listening and compassionate speech so that we can truly be present and take good care of one another. We are truly fortunate to be your physical, genetic and spiritual children.ĭear Thay, dear Mother Earth, dear Ancestors, we promise that in the year 2023 we will continue to practice bringing more lightness and harmony, joy and compassion into our homes, our sanghas, and the world. Time and again we have taken refuge in the depth and richness of your teachings: from the wonders of nature to the practices that have helped us to love ourselves and each other again from the radical insights that have kept us free from polarization to the encouragements to build a beloved community that could be a model for true peace. The tinkling raindrops that accompany our sitting sessions, the trumpeting cranes echoing the joy of going together as a sangha, the splendid colors that burst forth or fade out at the start and end of each day. We see your continuation in every one of your students around the world, and in your diverse sangha body, which is still nourished by your Dharma and continues to grow, evolve and flourish.ĭear Thay, dear Mother Earth, dear Ancestors, the year 2022 has really been a year of deep gratitude and of taking stock of the wonders and beauty that you have offered us. We hear your voice in the birdsong and rustling bamboo, and feel your footsteps on the legendary Plum Village paths. Although Thay, you may not be with us in physical form, we feel your presence in all your continuation bodies. In this sacred moment, entering the year 2023, we know that you are all here with us. As we enter 2023, we at Plum Village, offer you our ‘New Year’s Prayer to Mother Earth and Our Ancestors’.ĭear Respected Ancestors, both Spiritual and Genetic, Here’s another favorite: This is my trunk, I’m a tall, tall tree.On New Year’s Eve each year, we gather as a four-fold community to express our aspirations for the new year. I can’t tell you how many times, in my parent-child classes, that there was a child who seemed to be paying absolutely no attention to our circle time, and the next week, the parent would report to me that their child sang the entire circle for them. They are soaking in everything whether you see it or not. Play with it and have fun–that way your child will, too.Īnd don’t worry about whether or not they do the gestures with you. Do it with my gestures or make up your own. Use it as a way to stretch in the morning or use it as a touching game. I usually sing each song (at least) two times because it gives the children a chance to really sink into it. Try it sitting or standing–or do it both ways. And the children generally love it! Parents, too. Let me lean on you with all my heart instead of relying on my own imperfect understanding. O Lord, my God, help me to trust you with my decisions and my future. I’ve sung this with almost all of my early childhood and parent-child classes. As your humble child, I ask for the gift of wisdom today. She probably doesn’t sing this song anymore (but maybe she’ll get back to it if she has children of her own someday), but I do. I first learned it when I went to parent-child class with Gabi when she was just 2 years old–and now she’s 23. Good morning, sunshine Some thoughts and ideas about this song With one of my classes, when we sang about bees, the children started stinging each other (with their fingers), so I switched to “beasts” and it worked much better. *You can also sing “good morning dear beasts” instead of “bees” if you prefer–if you happen to have a beast around or if you prefer it. That way I can share the melody and gestures, too. Good morning, dear friends, too! I just recorded my first ever video! I want to share some of the wonderful songs that I’ve learned in Waldorf world, and the best way to do that is to make videos. Good morning, dear earth! I see you are waking from your long winter’s rest.
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