GAIA MANDALA
GLOBAL HEALING COMMUNITY
MEDIA LIBRARY
Videos, Teachings, Interviews & Global Healing Meditations with Cynthia Jurs
A selection of resources to inspire the practice of Sacred Activism
for global healing and respond to Gaia’s call
Nepal Earth Treasure Vase Pilgrimage: Coming Home to Gaia
For the Love of Gaia; Becoming a Holy Vessel in Service to Her
Cynthia Jurs shares her love affair with the Earth, and the story of how she met the “old wise man in the cave” and asked him her most burning question. She tells of the assignment she was given, where it has taken her, and what it has demanded. She’ll also speak to a new practice of Tara Gaia that’s been catalyzed in her, which she is now transmitting to all who are hearing the call.
Note: This interview is part of the Mystics Summit, a free online event where you can reconnect with Divine love in the midst of complexity and turmoil. For more information, please visit https://mysticssummit.com. This recording is a copyright of The Shift Network. All rights reserved.
Gaia Calling
A short video for the 7-week course, Gaia Calling; Becoming a Vessel for Global Healing & Collective Awakening. April 2020.
Loving Gaia; Interview with Cynthia Jurs & Clare Dubois
Cynthia Jurs, whose mission includes the spreading and burying of Treasure Vases as gifts for Gaia’s healing, and Clare Dubois, founder of TreeSisters offer their life experience as a gateway into the imagining and dreaming of more feminine potential in this world. This conversation touches on their own journeys of finding courage, dealing with the unknown, feeling intimately connected to Gaia, stepping through fear and working with the limitations of the body. January 2020
Summoned by the Earth; a conversation between Cynthia Jurs & Chameli Ardagh
Chameli Ardagh, founder of the Awakening Women Institute, spoke to Cynthia Jurs as part of the 21-day Sadhana; Becoming Gaia’s Oracle, April 2020.
Introducing Tara Gaia
An hour-long conversation between Cynthia Jurs and David to introduce the practice of Tara Gaia. Includes discussion of how the adaptation from a practice of Tara to one of Gaia evolved, at this time when we are all being called to wake up in relation to Mother Earth, this practice can serve as a profound spiritual support, and features an introduction to methods of practicing in the Vajrayana tradition using visualization and mantra recitation with a brief teaching on the Gaia Mantra with a recitation.
Cynthia Jurs Interview; Earth Treasure Vases, Peacebuilding in Liberia, Sacred Activism, Being Peace & Collective Awakening
Sacred Activism for the Great Turning; Science and Nonduality Conference 2019
Opening night talk of the SAND Conference by Cynthia Jurs
Climate Crisis, Grief and Interbeing
A panel discussion with Charles Eisenstein, Thomas Hubl, Bayo Akomolafe and Cynthia Jurs facilitated by Zaya Bennazzo at the Science and Nonduality Conference 2019
Mirabai Starr Interview with Cynthia Jurs for the Shift Network
For her course on Wild Goddesses and Mystics of Mercy, Mirabai Starr interviewed Cynthia Jurs on her relationship with Gaia and the practice of the Earth Treasure Vases.
Turning Prayer Into Action
This documentary, narrated by Jane Fonda, was produced by Cynthia Jurs and Kim Spencer, and broadcast on Link TV. While the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers were in Dharamsala they met virtually with young people at the Bioneers Conference for dialogues across time, space, and cultures to move us all to heal our relations, heal ourselves, and heal our planet, bringing together the hope of youth and the experience of elders in a call to prayer and action. For more information: http://prayerintoaction.com
Earth Treasure Vase Dialogue with Joanna Macy 10-20-21
This conversation between Cynthia Jurs and Joanna Macy took place on the Full Moon of October 20, 2021 when the Gaia Mandala Community gathered for the monthly Global Healing Meditation. Joanna has been an inspiration to Cynthia since the 1980s. She stewarded an Earth Treasure Vase herself in the 1990s, and her Work That Reconnects and on Nuclear Guardianship has been a guiding influence for Cynthia in carrying out the assignment with the Earth Treasure Vases. Welcoming Joanna to our circle, we honor her for being a living treasure among us.
Full Moon Conversation with Deena Metzger 2-16-22
Earth Treasure Vase Conversation with Cynthia Lazaroff 3-18-22
Evolutionary Sacred Activism ~ a talk by Cynthia Jurs for the Global Mystics Certification Program with Andrew Harvey and Mirabai Starr
Meeting the Moment in these Hard Times; a dharma talk for the group, One Meditation on 6-12-22
These times of crisis provide us a powerful opportunity. We are being presented with the possibility of participating in a collective awakening—being part of a critical mass of humanity that recognizes we are not separate from each other or from the web of life. We have an opportunity to wake up and BE the change—what Buddha Shakyamuni was calling us to all along. When we find our breath in the practice of meditation, we align ourselves with the life force of Mother Earth. When we breathe with awareness, we literally feed our Spirit and the Spirit of Mother Earth. This is enough to transform everything, and bring renewal when we are suffering and afraid. We need to practice touching the wondrous, refreshing, and healing elements that are inside and around us, in order to be able to have the energy to face the difficult things in ourselves and in our world.
Living from a Place of Possibility in Challenging Times
Short Stories from Earth Treasure Vase Locations
Vessels of the Holy; Interview with Joanna Macy
Eco-philosopher Joanna Macy talks about the legacy of nuclear weapons and the need for Nuclear Guardianship and her experience of working with an Earth Treasure Vase.
Liberia Earth Treasure Vase
The first vase for Africa was buried in Liberia, Africa on the winter solstice 2009 in collaboration with the peace-building organization, everyday gandhis and local traditional elders, officials, women, youth and visiting dignitaries.
Life is Returning; Liberia 2011
After taking an Earth Treasure Vase to Liberia, the process of peace building continued with the dedication of a traditional Peace Hut in the village where the vase was buried.
Alaska Earth Treasure Vase Pilgrimage
The Earth Treasure Vase for Alaska was buried in collaboration with native Gwich’in leader and activist, Evon Peter, his family and a small group of participants from around the world. This vase held the intention to protect the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, the native people and animals from oil and other natural resource extraction, and global warming due to big industry.
Papua New Guinea Earth Treasure Vase
This Earth Treasure Vase was dedicated to protecting the Southern Pacific Ocean. The underwater “burial” ceremony was done in the Trobriand Islands of Papua New Guinea in collaboration with the native people of Isala and members of the Biosphere Foundation.
South Africa Earth Treasure Vase
An Earth Treasure Vase was buried at the base of the Nilotic Meridian in South Africa above the Blyde River Canyon after taking it to receive the prayers of the Kalahari San People. We also invited the blessings of all the great African animals including the prophesied White Lions of Timbavati.
Gabarnmang Earth Treasure Vase
The first of the second generation of Earth Treasure Vases was buried at a 50,000-year-old rock shelter covered in paintings in remote Arnhem Land in 2015 at the invitation of custodial elder, Aunty Margaret Katherine Oenpelli.
Women Witness Congo
When an Earth Treasure Vase was taken to Congo, Women Witness Congo began as a digital storytelling project dedicated to connecting the global community with the women of Congo, their rising leadership and their compelling visions for change.
Earth Treasure Vase Full Moon Global Healing Meditation Practice
Monday Mindfulness Meditation Dharma Talks
3/15/21: Foundations Of Bodhicitta
In this week’s MMM, Cynthia speaks to bodhicitta, our wish to cultivate understanding into order to bring happiness to all beings. Each of us has Buddha nature. Each of us has wisdom to offer. We ask ourselves what is our motivation? Are we really aware of where we are coming from? The main point of our practice is to transform the attachment to our sense of self, and to wake up to that selfless nature of all that is. We practice in such a way to break through deep habitual patterns of identifying with a sense of self as being the very center of everything. We see how important it is to care for each other. And so, our practices can facilitate the experience of interbeing. Turning around our orientation from self to other, arousing our great love for the world, we can take the vow of the Bodhisattva to awaken for the benefit of all beings.
3/29/21: The Fruits Of Practice
In this week’s Monday Mindfulness Meditation, Liza Jane Alexander, a dedicated practitioner, musician and sangha member from Eastern Tennessee, was guest facilitator for Cynthia Jurs. Liza spoke eloquently about how we can become gardeners, composting the seeds of our hatred, discrimination, despair and anger into beautiful flowers, to help the energy of happiness and peace grow in ourselves and in the world. She illuminated how our mind consciousness is like a storehouse that contains all kind of seeds and yet like a garden, it cannot cultivate itself. We need to water and tend the seeds of understanding, love, peace and liberation so they grow into fruit that supports life. The practice of mindfulness is not to get rid of afflictions, but to accept them and touch them with our insight, which brings transformation. Liza brought out her guitar and skillfully interspersed her talk with wonderful songs from Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition to open our hearts.
4/12/21: A Call To Collective Awakening
During this week’s Monday Mindfulness Meditation, Cynthia speaks to the intention for collective awakening, inspired by her teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, and his remark in 1993 that the next Buddha may take the form of a sangha, a community practicing loving kindness. Especially during this challenging moment, there is an opportunity to awaken our innate caring and compassion that is in each of us, and to strengthen the ground of our practice, so we can contribute to the awakening in our own lives, and to the awakening of the critical mass of humanity. It is an incredible evolutionary moment in which to slow down and deepen our faith and love. Cynthia shares a passage from Eddie S. Glaude Jr. book, “Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own” reminding us that there is no awakening without love. This love, becomes the basis for genuine democratic community where we can all flourish if we so choose.
2/07/22: Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh
2/21/21: Introduction to The Heart Sutra
In this talk, Cynthia Jurs speaks about how in the weeks after Thich Nhat Hahh’s passing, she is reminded of how he used to say it is a “radical act to stop”. In response to this call to stop and appreciate all he gave us, Cynthia shares that she and her dharma sister in Thay’s lineage, Wendy Johnson, will offer 2 weeks of teachings on The Heart Sutra on March 7 & 14 to bookend the final ceremonies for the 49th day after Thay’s passing on March 11th, when his ashes will be spread. There are many translations of the Heart Sutra, including two from Thay—his 2nd translation was completed just two months before his stroke in 2014—we will explore these together. In today’s talk Cynthia read an excerpt from “The Heart of Understanding” as a warm up for these next 2 sessions. She also chanted the Heart Sutra with the drum the way she originally learned it from Korean Zen Master Soen Sa Nim.
Note: Apologies that the drum’s audio sounds so bad on the recording, and there was a pause in the drumbeat for Cynthia to scroll thru to complete the reading of the sutra.
3/07/22: The Evolution of the Heart Sutra in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Tradition, Part One
with Sensei Wendy Johnson and Dharmacharya Cynthia Jurs
This is the 1st week of a teaching on the Heart Sutra, first translated by Thich Nhat Hanh in 1988. The session opens with an introduction by Cynthia Jurs, followed by Cynthia and Wendy chanting that early version of the Heart Sutra, and going into a wonderful dharma talk by Wendy Johnson who speaks to the history of the Heart Sutra, recounting many engaging stories from her experience with Thay, and sharing some key points in understanding this Sutra. The session ends with a recording of the current version of the Heart Sutra sung by a monk in Plum Village.
The complete archive of Cynthia’s Dharma Talks can be found in our Media Archive
Click here: www.gaiamandala.net/media-archive
All our videos are also available on the Gaia Mandala/Earth Treasure Vase YouTube Channel.
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Podcast Interviews
Earth as Refuge & Choosing Truth Before Tradition
with Olivia Clementine with Cynthia Jurs
It covers a lot of ground, including Cynthia’s visions of Tara, studying with Thich Nhat Hanh, a life-changing pilgrimage in Nepal, Earth Treasure Vases, sacred activism, Peace Huts in Liberia, revealing the Tara Gaia practice & choosing truth over tradition. Enjoy!
Listen on Apple Podcast by clicking the image above, or listen on the website linked here: https://www.oliviaclementine.com/podcasts/
On Synchronicity and Sacrifice, from Living in the Gift
with Charles Eisenstein and Cynthia Jurs
This conversation originally recorded for Charles Eisenstein’s online course, Living in the Gift. It was a meditative, engaging experience with synchronicities that showed up to support the flow of our stories and connection with one another. Truly, it was a lived experience of gift listening to this slow, deep, and joyful conversation on ideas that are central to synchronicity and sacrifice.
Acting from the Subtle; from The Space Between Stories
with Charles Eisenstein and Cynthia Jurs
Many of the themes of the course, The Space Between Stories, come together in this recording with Buddhist teacher and peace activist, Cynthia Jurs. Cynthia was one of four guest teachers for Charles’ course and exemplifies a kind of activism that is less direct than Jodie Evans’s and more politically engaged than Lissa Rankin’s, and deeply embodying the “not knowing” that Bayo Akomolafe upholds. “That is the place,” Cynthia says, “where magic can happen.” Her work is about creating conditions where anything can happen, especially that which is beyond our limited knowledge of cause and effect. This session is about the power that comes from the subtle realms, from the silence, from the stillness, from the slowness—and yet which can change the world in tangible ways. What starts in the subtle does not stay in the subtle. Yet neither is the subtle an escape from the practical. This session is especially for those who feel they are not doing enough, that they cannot do enough, or that the situation (in the world or in your world) is hopeless.
Embodiment Matters Podcast:
Embodying Sacred Activism: A Conversation with Cynthia Jurs (09/04/20)
In this conversation with hosts, Carl Rabke and Erin Geesaman Rabke of Embodiment Matters, Cynthia explores the topic of sacred activism and engaged Buddhism through the practice of stewarding small clay vessels filled with prayers for healing the Earth on every continent around the globe. Cynthia shares about the origins of the Earth Treasure Vase Global Healing Project, her forthcoming book entitled, Summoned by the Earth, the difference between faith and belief, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s prediction that the future Buddha will not be an individual, but rather a sangha, or community awakening together. The conversation closes with a beautiful prayer by Cynthia, and an invitation to explore the latest offerings of the Gaia Mandala community, including teachings on Tara Gaia, a practice that encourages us to turn to the Earth as a source of refuge and awakening, a living embodiment of the of teacher (Buddha), teachings (Dharma) and community (Sangha).
Weaving Light with Gaia
Listening to the Earth Podcast
Full Episode
In this full episode of the Listening to the Earth podcast, Cynthia shares what she has learnt from listening to the Earth as she guided the planting of over 55 “Earth Treasures Vases” around the world, in support of Earth’s healing and protection. She talks about the opportunity we are given to unleash our own treasures of creativity, find our tribe and engage joyfully in support of regeneration in the world. She shares how the “great teacher”, Gaia, can inspire a policy for our own lives, one which guides us to nourish what we want to see more of in the world. She also shares very practical ways whereby we can slow down and cultivate our connection with the natural world, honoring the fact that “we are the Earth”.
Weaving Light with Gaia
Listening to the Earth Podcast
Highlights of the full interview can be enjoyed here.
Listening to the Earth Podcast
Sounding of the bell, by Cynthia Jurs
Here you can enjoy a 2 minute meditation led by Cynthia with the sound of the bell.