This month, we will be celebrating Earth Day on Sunday, April 22! With the insight of interbeing, we know that we are a part of Mother Earth, and just like how we take care of our own bodies, we aspire to take care of our precious planet.
How will you show your love for Mother Earth? How can you show your love for Mother Earth as a community? One idea is to host a mindful plant-based potluck with your local Sangha, and in the following article, Eve Heidtmann, member of the Plant-Powered Earth Holder Sangha, shares how these potlucks not only help support their local community but also the planet.
This upcoming Earth Day, we invite you to take this article (and the vegan recipes we’ve included) back to your Sangha and host a mindful potluck of your own!
Mindful Plant-Based Potlucks
When we met for our first Mindful Cooking potluck, we never imagined we were starting a practice that would continue for nine years and beyond. Apparently, we have evolved a format that meets a need and keeps people coming.
We began as a small group of sangha members who were inspired by Thay’s 2007 call to move to a plant-based diet for the sake of the Earth. After several months of e-mailing recipes to each other, we met for a potluck in my garden. We gathered around the food table and read the Five Contemplations together. When our plates were filled, we settled ourselves in a circle and took turns telling our food stories, going around the circle, and being sure to hear from everyone. The result was a fascinating, surprisingly deep conversation.
Our Relationship to Food is Multi-Dimensional
We realized how important food is to us and how emotional we are about it. Each of us has a story to tell, a story that begins at our family’s table and progresses to adulthood, often with vivid turning points along the way. We discovered how much food connects us to our families and friends. Our food choices connect us also to the larger community, to issues of hunger and fairness, and ultimately to the needs of all species. We were speaking of our roots and our deepest concerns, but we also shared a happy awareness of the simple joy of eating, a source of joy that comes to us every day.
Food turns out to be a multi-dimensional subject that takes us all over, from how to make tofu crispy, to the social complications that come with changing one’s diet, to shopping on a budget, GMO’s, allergies, restaurants, cookbooks, factory farming, the problem of cooking for one, and on and on. We have found ourselves at times talking of war and peace, livestock and global warming, and connections with other cultures. Somehow we always end up with joyous appreciation of the food in front of us and the time we are having together.
In Touch with How Much Food Matters
Our group is always changing. We have a few regulars but also many people who only come once, or a few times, or who drop in and out over the years. Though we started in a sangha context, we have always included spouses and friends who do not have a sangha connection. To keep it comfortable for them, our only ritual element is the reading of the Five Contemplations, which connects us to the origins of our project and reminds us to look thoughtfully at our relationship with food. A few of us are consistently vegan while others are curious about the possibilities. We make no assumptions about how far anyone will go with plant-based cooking. Our potlucks are simply a chance to experience a plant-based meal and talk with others about food.
As I reflect on the 29 potlucks we’ve had so far, I realize that we are offering something that doesn’t occur elsewhere. Though food is present at most social gatherings, we usually talk of other things, as if food were simply mundane. Our potlucks are a rare chance to get in touch with how much our food matters to us and how important our food choices really are. Our long-running Mindful Cooking potluck tradition fills a need to come together and think about food, especially now, when our world is changing so fast. At our potlucks we are facing change together, learning from each other, and strengthening our resolve to adapt to these new times.
Try These Mindful Vegan Recipes
We invite you to learn how to choose and prepare food that supports your commitment to a compassionate world. This way of eating cares well for the planet, for our animal brothers and sisters, and for our health.
 Jackfruit Fensenjan: Fesenjan is a Persian pomegranate and walnut stew that is traditionally made with chicken. This version is an instant crowd pleaser and uses young jackfruit to create a stew that is just as hearty and satisfying as the original. |
 Veggie Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce: Vegetable stir fries are one of the simplest and quickest meals you can prepare. This recipe features an Asian-inspired peanut sauce that you can make gluten free, and you can use a variety of vegetables.
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The Earth Holder Sangha is an affinity group within the Plum Village community with the aspiration to apply Thay’s teachings to protect Mother Earth. Anyone who is inspired can join. We hope you enjoy this beautiful teaching by Nomi Green, co-founding member of the Earth Holder Sangha.
Practice Being an Earth Holder
In the above image of our Great Bodhisattva Earth, we can see the very thin area where all life exists. Each of us is a tiny speck somewhere in that thin blue haze. Our Earth is a sentient being, and we are all cells in her body. We think “we” are the sentient beings individually, but in truth we are simply cells in the oneness of her.
To be alive with this awareness is to practice being an Earth Holder. Breathing in, I am aware of all the trees and plants that offer me oxygen. Breathing out, I am aware that I offer the gift of carbon dioxide to the trees and plants as well. We interare. In fact, it is not possible to be separate.
A single breath can bring me to the realization of interbeing. As Thay teaches us, it only takes one breath to come back to ourselves. In this case, the first breath helps me be aware that I am a part of the Great Bodhisattva Earth. In the next breath, I can ask myself, “What will I do with this precious moment, this day, or this life to support my Mother Earth?”
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On December 17, 2016, MPC had their Christmas party celebrating with a potluck lunch, readings, singing and games. A good time was had by all!
