Obaitori

Possession & Attachment

Don’t accumulate possessions and attachments. Have the attitude of being a visitor to this world Amma.

Well, I have accumulated both. Lots of stuff & heaps of attachments. I also have attachment to some of my stuff. Looking around my home I have alot of stuff. Even though I thought I was being a minimalist, I recycle, I take 'stuff' to Vinnies at least once a fortnight & I say 'no' to a lot of things offered. I've been wondering how this stuff comes into the house. I've come to the realisation that apart from being programmed to 'consume' these items come into the house one, maybe two at a time. So it is here. Sometimes I have no attachment to the stuff & I feel like I could give it away freely. Somethings, I wouldn't like to live without.

I had this idea & I proposed it to Dazla. When we move - we pack only what we think we need for a month or so. All the rest we put back into the universe. Thinking carefully about this I also considered that I don't want to give away something that I might have to replace a bit later, like my lasanga dish. Unlike my lasanga dish this last comment is shallow. But I really want to give the idea a go. It would mean giving away clothes, & other stuff but certainly not books. My goodness I have a very strong attachment to my books, also to my friends but thankfully I don't have to give them away. 

Attachment & possession -  a few photos.

 

 

Honouring human birth

Take the fullest advantage of this human birth. Have a real, inner, divine life. May divine grace illuminate your spiritual path. May the divine power actuate you to perform great deeds. May the divine grace transform you into divinity.

- Sri Swami Sivananda

Terrigal Beach at sunset.

The magestic & magical colours of sunset. These photos were taken moments apart.

Indira asked me to draw her a picture. I did, very subconsciously whilst watching The Lost World of Tibet & looking on realestate.com - because that is where I've been 'hanging' out lately. I looked down to 'see' my picture for the first when Indira had exclaimed, "A rainbow crown fairy!" I kind of liked the picture, so here it is; 

 

Hope you too were able to find magic in your weekend.

Om Mani Padme Hung

Photo - Mani stones courtesy of Dazla.

Many traditions use stories to teach great spiritual truths. Here, on Sundays, some of these stories will be re-told. They can be understood by adults & children. Where possible I will suggest a children's picture book that teaches the same or similar story.

Om Mani Padme Hung originated in India; as it moved from India into Tibet, the pronunciation changed because some of the sounds in the Indian Sanskrit language were hard for Tibetans to pronounce.
 

Sanskrit form	Om Mani Padma Hum mantra of Avalokiteshvara
Tibetan form	Om Mani Peme Hung mantra of Chenrezig

---

The True Sound of Truth

An old story speaks about a similar problem. A devoted meditator, after years concentrating on a particular mantra, had attained enough insight to begin teaching. The student's humility was far from perfect, but the teachers at the monastery were not worried. 

A few years of successful teaching left the meditator with no thoughts about learning from anyone; but upon hearing about a famous hermit living nearby, the opportunity was too exciting to be passed up. 

The hermit lived alone on an island at the middle of a lake, so the meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. The meditator was very respectful of the old hermit. As they shared some tea made with herbs the meditator asked him about his spiritual practice. The old man said he had no spiritual practice, except for a mantra which he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was pleased: the hermit was using the same mantra he used himself -- but when the hermit spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was horrified! 

"What's wrong?" asked the hermit. 

"I don't know what to say. I'm afraid you've wasted your whole life! You are pronouncing the mantra incorrectly!" 

"Oh, Dear! That is terrible. How should I say it?" 

The meditator gave the correct pronunciation, and the old hermit was very grateful, asking to be left alone so he could get started right away. On the way back across the lake the meditator, now confirmed as an accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit. 

"It's so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little time to practice correctly before he dies." Just then, the meditator noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see the hermit standing respectfully on the water, next to the boat. 

"Excuse me, please. I hate to bother you, but I've forgotten the correct pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?" 

"You obviously don't need it," stammered the meditator; but the old man persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told him again the way he thought the mantra should be pronounced. 

The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.

The Lost World of Tibet

Filled with stunning & rare footage of Tibet pre 1940's. This is a beautiful documentary filled with detailed Tibetan spiritual practices, culture, history, geography, lifestyle & a few extremely rare moments of the ordination of HH Dalai Lama aged 5 years at the Potala Palace, Lhasa.

This 58 minute original viewing lasts for all for the next 25 days on free streaming television, Australian Broadcasting Commission.

Om Mani Padme Hung

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama. In her words...

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Moving Forward Fearlessly

As renters, we received that dreaded letter last week in the post. "Termination notice of a residential tenancy agreement - Vacate in 60 days." Consequently, this week has been a rollar coaster of a ride. I cried, felt positive, cried a bit more. Tried to implement all of the teachings I know. But in the end, I just had to feel it. So I did. Denial, sadness, attachment, acceptance... sounds a bit like the 6 stages in grieving over death & it was like that a bit too. An era that is over.  A new opportunity has arisen. So I picked myself up, several times, & got on with it. I read some of the H.H Dalai Lama's autobiography, 'Freedom in Exhile' & I thanked God that they didn't come & knock on my door & say, 'Get your coat, your life is in danger, you have to leave now.' Lots of phrases came into my mind - 'all good things must end,' 'everything happens for a reason' ... at times I felt like saying, 'blah, blah, blah' but a week later & after finding a potential home for our family & having 'let go' of the one we are in [I think] all is well. It, so far, has been an experience that has given me the opportunity to practise impermanence. I'm grateful & even though I have always felt safe, I'm glad that we have a potential piece of Mother Earth to call our own. Temporarily & all.

 

I was also reading the story of the very beautiful nun, Ani who is described in Claire Scoobie's book, "Last Seen in Lhasa." Ani is a real life practising Buddhist who wanders around Tibet on pilgrimage. Ani, 35 years old, wears maroon robes, has long 'established' dreadlocks, & carries very little. She lives in caves & sometimes convents, begs for her food & chants her mantra happily along the way. This is a story of an extraordinary friendship in modern Tibet. The quote that truly inspired me is from the chapter titled, The Essence of Flowers, Claire & Ani are walking through magical Pemako...

"... I had seen rainbow after rainbow along the trail & mused that, perhaps, there is some truth in the legends that in Pemako one has no need to fear death, as all beings - insects, dogs, people - are immediately reborn into a 'rainbow body' & go direct to the Buddha lands. For this reason, Ani says it's where she hopes to be reborn. The further I went into the hidden lands, the deeper I seemed to go within myself. Lying in the darkness, hearing the wind moaning gently through the trees, I could see that Ani's ability to be adaptable & spontaneous, to move with the flow & mould with the landscape, gave her both a profound acceptace & a light-hearted approach to life. She seemed at ease fearlessly stepping into the unknown, confident that she too would find her way home. Drifting to sleep, I hoped that I, too, would learn such trust."

Come, whoever you are

Winter has set in - our weekend was drizzly, grey & cold. We set out on Sunday to The Rhythm Hut which always bring good cheer with sweet friends, delicious homemade vegetarian food & good music. This time it was more of a family event with an art table, ice-cream, cup cakes, pop-corn & face painting. At one stage there was at least 20 children rolling hoops down the street. I just loved how they were playing so freely on the road. The event , Karma Ocean, was to raise money for the No Ship Action Group.

The best & worst 'roady.'

The music was great & every musiciann put in all they had & what was really heartening was the amount of effort put in by so many members of our wonderful community to create such a fantastic event. I'm not sure how much money was made for a very important issue, but I know that everyone had a whole lot of fun in the process.

~~~

Something I didn't photograph but should have was a quote by Rumi hand-painted on the wall;

Come, come, whoever you are.

Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.

It doesn't matter.

Ours is not a caravan of despair.

Come, even if you have broken your vow

a thousand times

Come, yet again, come, come.

Shanti Path ~ From Darkness Lead Me To Light

 

 

On this beautiful cold, dark night of the winter solstice we gathered together under the light of a three quarter moon to give thanks to our Protector. This dark night marks the point of time where we can not get any darker ... from now on in ... we head towards the full light again of the Sun. This I am grateful for because I have had two dark days & I'm ready now to be returning to the warm comfort of the light.

Swami Niranjan describes the first three lines of the Shanti Path as sankalpas/resolves.

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya; From The Unreal Lead Me To The Real. In other words lead me from the material word to the spiritual world.  

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya; From The Darkness Lead Me To Light. From the wrong to the right.  

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya; From Death Lead Me To Immortality. Or, from the endless cessation of birth & death to enlightenment.

 

Shanti Path

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

 

Saravesham Svastir Bhavatu

Saravesham Shantir Bhavatu

Saravesham Purnam Bhavatu

Saravesham Mangalam Bhavatu

 

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavatu

 

Om Trayambakam Yajamahe

Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam

Urvarukamiva Bandhanan

Mrityormukshiya Mamritat

 

Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti

 

Translation;

 

From The Unreal Lead Me To The Real

From The Darkness Lead Me To Light

From Death Lead Me To Immortality

 

May All Beings Dwell In Happiness

May All Beings Dwell In Peace

May All Beings Attain Oneness

May All Beings Attain Auspiciousness

 

May All Happiness Be Unto The Whole World

 

OM, we worship three - eyed - all seeing/intuitive - Lord Shiva, who is full of fragrance and who nourishes us all. May he liberate us from death and lead us to eternal salvation in the same manner as the ripe cucumber is severed from bondage of the creeper.

 

Om peace peace peace

 

 

~~~

 

 

 

 

 

I take these prayers & mantras from a yogic perspective & not a Hindu one. That is, I see the gods, goddesses & dieties & their symbols as types of energy in the world that can help me & liberate me. Satyananda once described it as God being the main source of electricity & the gods/goddesses like  electrical appliances. If you want toast; you plug in the toaster, dry hair; the hair dryer. So like electricity having a certain current, we too can tune in to the universe to ask for what we need.

 

This is explained beautifully by Saint Matthew:

“Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocked, it shall be opened.”

  

Gayatri Mantra

The most powerful & significant of our family sadhana or spiritual practice is Gayatri. At the beginning & at the end of each day I sing the Gayatri Mantra to the children. It is often very informal - & simply sung when they wake & when I tuck them into bed.

ॐ भूर्भुवस्वः ।

तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।

भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।

धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

Om Bhur Buvaha Suvaha
Thath Savithur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonaha Prachodayath

The Gâyatrî Mantra was first recorded in the Rig Veda (iii, 62, 10). For a detailed commentary see here.

There are many translations. I understand this one best;

'You are the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness. Just as the sun illuminates the darkness may your purifying rays enlighten our minds.' 

I also play it throughout the day, especially on those types of days. It is a bit like trying to skip when you are angry. It creates a sense of peace & calm. This recording, by the sublime Anuradha Paudwal, is my most favourite. I could listen to it all day & night. I hope you enjoy it too.

Karma Ocean

 

For locals, come along to The Rhythm Hut today at 2pm to raise funds for the No Ship Action Group. Dazla is playing, accompanied by Lord Leroy & so too is the lovely Shane Romeyn.