Meditate Like the Mountain
(By Paolo Propato, LAc) The following story is something I recall from reading L’esicasmo by Jean-Yves Lesoup many years ago.
There was once a young philosopher who traveled to Greece in search of spiritual wisdom from the orthodox monks. He would hang around the monastery in hopes of receiving spiritual guidance. One day, Father Seraphim offered him some advice: “You must learn to meditate like a mountain.” The monk brought him to the mountain and advised him to sit strong and be like the mountain.
The philosopher tried to sit and be firm but his body ached and his mind was full of thoughts. “What am I doing here? Am I wasting my time? What are my friends back home up to?”
The monk would come back daily to drop off food and drink. Eventually he gave some instruction. “Sitting firmly as a mountain means to relax and sink into the ground. Sitting like a rock, legs crossed, pelvis above the knees.”
One morning after practicing diligently for some time, he felt deeply rooted in the ground as he sat perfectly still. He understood the mountains moved by a different time and rhythm. This practice began to transform him. He felt heavier and calmer, more rooted. His thoughts also changed, no longer judging, allowing everything to be, and not feeling the need to interfere. Like the mountain with its inhabitants, everything had a right to exist.
One day a group of tourists was hiking and saw the young man sitting still, mistaking him for a monk. They made their way to him in hopes of receiving a blessing. He sat undisturbed and neither answered their questions nor reacted to their polite gestures.
Father Seraphim, seeing this from a distance, quickly went over to him and began to hit the philosopher's body. The young man remained still, until at one point a painful moan escaped. The monk yelled at him, “I thought you became as stupid as a stone! This meditation should not transform you into a dry log but a sensitive, truly alive being!”
The young philosopher was practicing a very “Earth element” style of meditation. The East Asian Five Element system shares that we have the five elements—Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood—within us, but outside of us as well. These elements all have their own characteristics, colors, seasons assigned to them. In his meditation, the young philosopher formed a strong foundation, but the foundation is just one internal facet of Earth. Externally, “Earth” also means being a caregiver, generous and reliable.
Right now, we are amidst late summer which is associated with the Earth element. The season of the late summer is when fruits are ripe as we begin to go from the extreme Yang of summer towards the Yin nature of autumn. The extreme Yang of summer is the Fire element. Fire is more spontaneous, creative, authoritative. The Earth follows that act by being a bit more chill, like a buddy that is going along for the ride with you.
It made sense that the old monk reprimanded the young man when he wasn’t responsive to the hikers. Expressing Earth can be as simple as a small chat with a barista getting your morning coffee. Saying hello to a neighbor as you walk around the neighborhood.
Another example of Earth is the 15th Anniversary party for Bridge coming up this weekend, which includes gathering together and celebrating the inspiration of old traditions, including dancing and music as well as the traditional healing arts we practice.
The practice of Earth is the awareness of being rooted where you are, and the awareness of all the surroundings. Your body is the mountain, the community is the mountain. The people we see daily—mailman, barista, shopkeepers—are all part of the mountain. The mountain is a truly alive being!
As for the young philosopher, he moved on to meditate like a bird, but I'll save that for another post.