Dogen’s Care of Things and Honoring the Earth Spirits

Each morning in the Soto Zen temple, we dedicate the merit of our practice to “the earth spirits of this place.” What/who are the earth spirts and how do we honor them? Eihei Dogen’s teachings on care of things provide some clues. Keep your eyes open. Do not allow even one grain of rice to be lost. See the pot as your own head; see the water as your life blood. When we learn to care for the things of our lives with reverence, every action of our lives becomes an act of reverence.