When philosophers, intellectuals, and sophists came to the Buddha with skeptical questions, often he would not answer with words — his answer would be to touch the earth. He would sit in meditation for hours in his renowned posture of Bhumi Sparsh Mudra, the posture of touching the earth with the fingertips of both hands, which symbolizes reverence for the earth and recognition that all and everything, our body, our knowledge, and our wisdom, comes from the earth and returns to the earth. We disregard the earth at our peril.
— Satish Kumar, Path Without Destination