Obaitori

{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. 

row your boat

Out of the mist of confusion of wordly desires comes the ability to sit down & sing;

Row, row, row your boat,

Gently down the stream.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.

So today, I will row my boat - live my life - gently because I am learning that life is an illusion.

When we see everything in life as a game, we will be equally joyous when falling as we are when rising. If we can fully understand this—if we can see life as swinging on a swing—we will never fall apart when failure comes our way.

--Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

Making Life a Celebration

Only when festival and values merge does life become a true celebration. Many a times we sacrifice values for our pleasures. To cultivate values needs a lot of patience, effort and time, but to destroy it is easy.

--Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

Tears for Ears & Pakistan

I woke to a bright & beautiful autumn day after a difficult night of crying, waking, crying, waking... Both children are unwell. I've been tending to them all day & I certainly didn't figure this little 'setback' into packing & moving the entire contents of a house by Saturday! Out came the  Tender Loving Care, water, reiki, cuddles, wet flannels, frozen fruit, flower essences, hydrating iceblocks, antibiotics for a savage middle ear infection & panadol. I was grateful for our 'emergency' appointment, late at the doctor's this afternoon & said a silent prayer for all those orphaned children & the mothers & fathers of Pakistan caring for their's without a home, a community, fresh water, food & medicine.

Dazla & I were talking about the extremity of the situation in Pakistan last night. For the next gatherings of Obaitori & Stitches for Tibet I would like to give the money, raised by gold coin donation, to Pakistan.

For more information on Pakistan visit here or go to the above site Light a Candle to offer a prayer.

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land" Proverbs 25:25.

High altitude wetlands of Pakistan

Photo by Hassan Zaki

Procrastination, Practise & Perfection

I've been playing my beautiful cello today. I Love it so much. I even Love hearing & saying the word, cello. Cello, cello, cello, it rhymes with mellow & reminds me of merlot... & yes, I'm procrastinating slightly, after all who would want to put stuff in boxes when having cello lessons on youtube is so much fun!?

Dazla bought me a cello for my birthday a few years ago but before that I used to hire a cello from Gosford Conservatorium of Music. I had lessons there too. It was a beautiful old sandstone building that used to be the police station. My practice room was actually an old lock up cell. 2 by 1 metres - a tiny square window right up near the ceiling. I used to imagine being locked in their practising cello, meditating, doing my japa mala. Without all of the distractions of the outer world I think I might have progressed to a fully fledged yogini & celloist extraordinaire!

I read cello blogs with one of my favourites being Emily Wright's Stark Raving Cello & listening; my all time favourite piece - is Trio in E-Flat, Op. 100 by Schubert played here by the incredible Capucon Brothers. Pure beauty & perfection in every element.

Streamlining Life

We have found a house we will make a home & we move in on Friday of this week. It is a simple home with a lovely view of the ocean - a sea change. It is a move I'm looking forward to with the anticipation of new resolutions - because I always make them with a new change - new perception; 'cause I think that naturally happens when you physically change places & I have fresh hopes. I know that the beach is really good for you, especially when you walk along the shoreline. The ions are negative - a good thing for the human body - they give you that really alive, fresh, aware type feeling.

This will be our local beach & isn't the exact view from our house. I will show you one once we are there though.

We have been packing, sorting, recycling, discarding, selling, giving-away & cleaning both physically & mentally. The children have been also moving things around, hopping in & out of boxes, finding long lost little items around the house, oh & fighting. They have been cared for but also left to their own devices a bit more than usual. This often causes a few more conflicts & of course some tears. I found them standing in the fridge yesterday & realised that, yes it was dinner time & they were simply feeding themselves because they had to. They found milk, Dutch biscuits & apples. What did I think? Resourceful. Self-sufficient. A balanced choice ; )

In terms of what we are taking materially, I have packed boxes according to need. The ones marked G will stay in the garage until they need to be opened or recycled. It is simply the attachment I have to these things that make me hold on to them. But looking at all our stuff in boxes all stacked neatly next to each other I think, 'how do we have that much stuff?' But, do you know what? - instead of being overwhelmed by it, I'm choosing to be grateful for it & I'm also choosing to remain equanimous about it all. & relatively speaking we don't have an embarassingly large amount of stuff. At a recent green study of our home I was able to say, 'no, we don't have the following'; plasma tv, microwave oven, boat, multiple tv's, towel warmers...

We have streamlined our possessions & I want to do a bit more. One of my favourite movie scenes is when Jimmy Stewart has to leave his home. He goes over to a cupboard, takes a suitcase off the top of it, opens it, puts in a couple of shirts, closes it, puts on his hat & turns to leave. This is my ultimate idea of moving. I pride myself on living on very little - also I'm a little bit lazy & I don't want to carry anything heavy - on my last trip to India I took 7kg. But how much did I bring back? Yeah, good point, lots!!! Embroidered, gorgeous fabric is so heavy!

Mary - Mother of God

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.

*** *** ***

In the Quran, Mary's story begins while she is still in her mother's womb. The mother of Mary, said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate into Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things." (Quran 3:35).

Today is The Assumption of Mary - the Mother of God. There are many theories on this day, the day Mary went up to heaven. I have read a fair few of them & they each contradict each other nicely.

I think what these stories are trying to say is that Mary - Mother of God - is pure Love, peace, fullfilment, compassion, bliss divine. Today is a day for quiet contemplation on how we mother. It is a day for whispering Hail Mary's & a day of tuning into to this endless giving energy of Mother. 

 

Here is a slightly different version of Hail Mary by Chapel of Our Mother God.

Hail Mary, Fount of grace,

Lady of earth and heaven,

Blessed art Thou by all maidens

And blessed is Thy most beloved Daughter.

Holy Mary, Mother and God,

Shelter us fallen ones

Now and in the hour of our death.

The Quran

In the Quran, no woman is given more attention than Mary. Mary receives the most attention of any woman mentioned in the Quran even though all the Prophets with the exception of Adam had mothers. Of the Quran's 114 chapters, she is among the eight people who have a chapter named after them. The nineteenth chapter of the Quran is named after her, Mariam. Mariam means Mary in Arabic. The third chapter in the Quran is named after her father, Imran. Chapters Mariam and Imran are among the most beautiful chapters in the Quran. Mary (peace be upon her) is the only woman specifically named in the Quran. Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of Imran and Asia, the wife of Pharaoh." (Bukhari 4.643). Indeed, both Mary and Pharoah's wife are an example (Quran 66:11-12). The Virgin Mary plays a very significant role in Islam. She is an example and a sign for all people. - Wikipedia.

This was one of the photos I had with me whilst in labour with Bodhi. It enabled me to focus strongly on this magnificent, brave woman. I was able to concentrate on her shakti or energy coming out from her hands & know that we were safe in her universal energy, her Love.

Saint Pius X Day

Sometimes I go to a Christian Church service. When Communion is offered I always go to receive it & I take the children to take it & also receive a blessing. Some priests/fathers give the children the opportunity to take the bread - the body of Christ -  & others do not. I have to be prepared for this as the children usually like to eat a biscuit. I keep mine secretly tucked away in my hand so that when we sit down again I can divide it up whilst people are praying with their eyes closed. This prevents the children from howling & screaming they are bored or hungry. Quietly, I've always had the notion that Pius the Tenth had the same idea when he instigated the Church law that children were allowed to take Communion. Today it is Saint Pius X's day. We remember him fondly for all the holy work he did in the Church, his very pious deeds & the fact that he counted children as worthy beings.

Yoga - the science of life

There are many definitions of Yoga but ultimately Yoga is the Science of Life. You may wish to find your own definition to suit you, one that means something to you, one that you will understand.

From Sivananda;

The word yoga means union.

Yoga is a conscious & sustained

Attempt towards self-perfection.

The contact of the individual consciousness

Is the essence of yoga.

Yoga is a complex subject that was first recorded about 10,000 years ago in South America. It was preserved in India. There are many paths of Yoga but here are the descriptions of the 6 main classic paths of Yoga.

The following images are all Shri Yantras

Jnana Yoga is the process of converting intellectual knowledge into practical wisdom. It is a discovery of human dharma in relation to nature and the universe. Jnana Yoga is described by tradition as a means to obtain the highest meditative state and inner knowledge.

Jnana literally means 'knowledge', but in the context of yoga it means the process of meditative awareness which leads to illuminative wisdom. It is not a method by which we try to find rational answers to eternal questions, rather it is a part of meditation leading to self-enquiry and self-realisation.

Some of the components of Jnana Yoga are:(1) not believing but realising, (2) self-awareness leading to self-analysis, (3) experiencing knowledge, (4) realising the personal nature, (5) developing intuitive wisdom, (6) experiencing inner unity.

Classical books on this subject are Yoga Darshan, Yoga Sadhana Panorama series, Nine Principal Upanishads and others.

Bhakti Yoga is the path of channelling the emotions and feelings to realise the transcendental and divine nature inherent in every human being. Many people describe this as the yoga of devotion and give it a religious bent, however, it is through Bhakti Yoga that it becomes possible to experience the unity of all life.

The stages of Bhakti Yoga can be classified as follows: (1) meditation, to realise and channel emotional energy, (2) mantras and kirtans, to open the heart, (3) identification with the source of inspiration and life, God, (4) experiencing transcendental human qualities in daily life.

The validity and depth of Bhakti Yoga can only be understood by realising the experiences of union that masters have had over the course of their lives. The Bhakti Yoga Sagar series describes this process of the human journey towards divinity in a clear and concise form.

Karma Yoga is a system which develops immunity to the reactive and negative components of an action. This awareness of action leads to a greater ability to manage mental associations in the form of desires, ambitions, ego and other personality complexes.

The aim of Karma Yoga is to gain freedom from the bondage of karma which restricts and inhibits dynamic, creative and constructive expression in life. In the Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna has emphasised the need for action as a means to become truly human and attain divine grace.

Karma Yoga is a sadhana and not a practice. The state of Karma Yoga can be attained through seva (selfless involvement in all activities), the spirit of which can be imbibed under the guidance of a competent master.

The concepts of Karma Yoga, as a means to enhance human spirituality, have been described in Karma Sannyasa, Eighteen Yogas of the Gita, the Teachings series by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, and the Yoga Sadhana Panorama series.

The term Hatha Yoga has been commonly used to describe the practice of asana (postures). The syllable ha denotes the pranic (vital) force governing the physical body and tha denotes the chitta (mental) force thus making Hatha Yoga a catalyst to an awakening of the two energies that govern our lives. More correctly the techniques described in Hatha Yoga harmonise and purify the body systems and focus the mind in preparation for more advanced chakra and kundalini practices.

The Hatha Yoga system includes asana along with the six shatkarmas (physical and mental detox techniques), mudras and bandhas (psycho-physiological energy release techniques) and pranic awakening practices. Fine tuning of the human personality at increasingly subtle levels leads to higher states of awareness and meditation.

Hatha Yoga has been described in several classic texts, notably Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Gherand Samhita.

Raja Yoga usually refers to the system of yoga that is described in the Yoga Sutras of Sage Patanjali. In this ancient text Sage Patanjali describes eight stages of yoga which are known collectively as Raja Yoga.

Raja Yoga is a comprehensive yoga system which deals with the refinement of human behaviour and personality through the practice of the yamas (restraint) and niyamas (disciplines); attainment of physical health and vitality through asanas (postures) and pranayamas (pranic breathing techniques); management of mental and emotional conflicts and development of awareness and concentration through pratyahara (sensory withdrawal) and dharana (concentration); and developing the creative aspect of consciousness for transcendental awareness through dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption in the universal identity).

A detailed description of the above mentioned yoga system has been given in Four Chapters on Freedom.

The practices of Kriya Yoga were propagated by Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati from secret teachings described in the Yoga and Tantra Shastras. The kriyas, as taught by Satyananda Yoga, are one of only two systems of Kriya Yoga recognized the world over, the other being that of Paramahamsa Yogananda.

The word kriya means 'activity' or 'movement' and refers to the activity or movement of consciousness. Kriya also refers to a type of practical or preliminary practice leading to total union, the final result of practice. Kriya Yoga does not curb mental fluctuations but purposely creates activity and awakening in consciousness. In this way all faculties are harmonised and flower into their fullest potential.

Kriya Yoga originated in antiquity and evolved over time through practise and experience. The full form of Kriya Yoga consists of over 70 kriyas out of which only 20 or so are commonly known.

The kriya practices are inscribed in numerous tantric texts written in Sanskrit. To date only a few of these have been translated into other languages. The most authoritative magna opus on the subject of Kriya Yoga today is A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga & Kriya, its companion volume is Kundalini Tantra.

From yogavision.net

Kindness

A part of yoga is called satsang. It is about hearing words from realised masters. Here is Swami Sivananda Saraswati - a bhakti yogi - on kindness;

Kindness is goodwill, humanesness & tenderness. A kind person delights in contributing to the happiness & welfare of others. Kind people are good-natured, sympathetic, accomodating & amicable. They are disposed to do good to others. One who entertains kind thoughts is ever calm & cheerful. Kind thoughts increase the flow of vital energy into your body & mind.

Kindness is the cheapest of all things. Smile, serve, radiate joy. Speak kind & sweet words. Cheer up one who is in distress. Kind words sooth & comfort the hearer. A kind look, a kind word, a kind act, a friendly smile, all cost nothing but bring to others happiness that money cannot buy. They are priceless in their value.

Kindness is the language the deaf can hear & the dumb can understand just as little drops of water make the mighty ocean, in the same way, little acts of kindness make an ocean of goodwill.

Cultivate kindness. Be kind to all.

Be Fearless - Choose Love

August 17, 2010 - today is Tara Day & Medicine Buddha Day. Buddhists around the world recite mantras today according to these specific deities. Often they focus on their qualitites & try to imbibe them or become them.

Tonight I will make an offering of our family dinner to the beautiful energy of these deities & ask for blessings of health, longevity, peace, happiness & enlightenment. I have also printed out some White Tara images for the children to colour-in & place on the family altar.

Tara is actually the generic name for a set of Buddhas or bodhisattvas of similar aspect. These may more properly be understood as different aspects of the same quality, as bodhisattvas are often considered metaphoric for Buddhist virtues.

The most widely known forms of Tārā are:

• Green Tārā known as the Buddha of enlightened activity, helpful if you are trying to conceive.
• White Tārā is the goddess of compassion. Her love heals at the source of dis-ease, bringing health, strength, longevity and beauty.
• Red Tārā, of fierce aspect associated with magnetizing all good things.
• Black Tārā, associated with power.
• Yellow Tārā, associated with wealth and prosperity.

The main Tārā mantra is the same for Buddhists and Hindus alike: om tara tuttare tura soha. 

You can find the mantra here.

If you are a Tibetan Buddhist or if you are just interested you will find some lovely guided meditations on Tara & the Medicine Buddha here.

A little bit about malas for today. For Tara, many people fancy turquoise, malachite or even jade. For White Tara, you can choose pearls. For the Medicine Buddha, there is lapis-lazuli, but there is also aquamarine (blue beryl), and blue quartz (dumortierite quartz). If you don't have any of these - like me - I will just use a tulsi mala. If you don't have any mala simply hold the feeling you want to imbibe in your heart.

Love to you all on this beautifully auspicious day.