Obaitori

adding love

I'm reading Immortal Light. This precious tiny drop of love offers a practical and insightful guide about how to blend spiritual life with home life and family life.

Lovely second hand copies here.

I really want to start adding this practice to our day;

"At sunset a lamp filled with clarified butter or any vegetable oil should be lit and everyone in the household should gather near it to sing hymns and do a little meditation. There is no need to compel anyone to participate in worship. Do not be troubled if someone is not joining.

Saying prayers at sunset was a common practice in every household - in India. Today we are suffering the consequences of this neglect. At dusk, the juncture of day and night, the atmosphere is impure.

Through meditation and singing devotional songs, we gain one-pointedness of mind which will purify our minds and the atmosphere."

I'm going to do this instead of 'suicide hour' or the 'witching hour/s.'

Is this a type of Evensong?

We sing many different devotional songs, mainly in sanskrit. I have a feeling that Indira will like Psalm 26 The Lord Is My Shepherd. We have a lovely version of this as a picture book. My favourite line, " I shall not want."

 

 

zen purr

This morning whilst chanting, the second best thing to enlightenment sat and curled on my lap. Chanting, mantra, vibration and purr I believe are second nature to cats. Did you know that cats heals seven times faster than any other animal on the planet and that this is attributed to their purr?

This weekend I attended a Buddhist meeting and I made a new determination that 6am will be my chanting time.

I heard these words; look forward to every moment, every new day to renew your life, to build yourself anew, live with determination, know you are a Buddha, praise others, be sincere, encourage others...

I read something that will steer the direction of our family from Kaneko's Story - Kaneko, householder, a mother of three sons and wife to Ikeda; Buddhist spiritual leader to millions around the world;

 

"We did not have house rules as such, but we always stressed the following points:

 

1.    Live for the welfare of others and society.

2.    Relate honestly with all people.

3.    Maintain your faith and conviction throughout life.

4.    More important than winning is not to be defeated. That way you ultimately win        in everything."

 

 

GOSFORD/EDOGAWA COMMEMORATIVE GARDEN

We walked around these beautiful Japanese gardens.

'The garden was a gift to the people of Gosford as a symbol of cultural exchange and friendship, by our Sister City, Edogawa, (near Tokyo in Japan).

It is designed in accordance to the original principles of Japanese design of the Heian (700AD) period.'

ॐॐॐ    ॐॐॐ    ॐॐॐ

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful weekend. What did you do? I hope that you are well, safe and happy.

I'm joining Amanda for weekending over at Habit of Being.

The Buddha teaches us about the cycle of samsara, a cycle in which the same suffering repeats itself. If we don’t practice, we won’t be able to step out of it. With mindful breathing, mindful walking, and mindful dwelling in the present moment, we don’t need to consume and run after objects of craving in order to be happy.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

spiritual principles in daily life

This morning I awoke after the children, grumbling and complaining. I spent a good ten minutes convincing myself otherwise. It lasted until the whine of children's requests scrambled my brain a bit more and set me back. I struggled through the breakfast routine and secured myself safely in front of my altar where usually I'm not harrassed. I started chanting - Bodhi plonked himself on my lap, this is okay I love it when they sit on my lap but my mind was drawn back into the high pitched voices - and I started to remind myself, "It's okay. You'll be alright. You'll get through this morning. You are doing really well" talk. I said my prayers, "Let me unfold Buddhahood from my life, develop a pure heart, change my karma ..."

The positivity chord really did not strike for me today until I was reminded of my good fortune. I was picking up two new dresses. I have two dresses!

Let me backtrack. Katherine Swynford, my namesake was a powerfully, strong woman from the 14th Century. Although she was connected to royalty and later on created the line of the Tudors she was poor. At age 18 she was given a dress. She now had two dresses nothing else but the dress on her back and a clean dress to wear.

Okay, so I have alot more than two dresses and here I was grumbling. I took a deep breath, looked at the beautiful blue sky around me and mouthed, thank you;

Thank you for my valuable lesson about the nature of my mind, thank you for being so patient with me, thank you for so gently showing me the light through gratitude.

"Spirituality is the technique of increasing our level of awareness. Meditation, chanting, trying to follow the spiritual principles in our daily life - all of these will help us to increase our awareness. If we can cultivate more awareness, we can overcome the obstacles that prevent us from realizing our True Self."

Ramakrishnananda Puri in Ultimate Success.

Also, I'm not sure about the coincidental or synchronicity of this event but the dresses that I was picking up were being made for me. I have worn the same dress for twenty five years and every few years or so I get another one made. Last night whilst reading Katherine I googled what 14th century women wore and sure enough my dress popped up. It is very plain, long sleeved, fitted around the bosom and to the waist then it falls out into a full skirt. ?

Ah, my dear friend, ego. Hello.

spice in my sauce, honey in my tea

I love the hibernating effects of autumn and winter and I love the clearing, cleaning and creating that spring brings. And like spring, creativity burst from our lives this weekend.

We danced to the Cat Empire and this party track Days Like These till all hours of the morning.

 

I'm Alive I'm Alive I'm Alive I'm Alive
And my eyes want to cry
Coz the night and the sky is so high
And my life is sublime and its mine and it's time
(It's now time)
Whoa

 

There were faces painted, rice coloured, yantras and a kundalini rainbow serpent drawn and decorated, a tree swing made, a slip and slide orchestrated in the back yard, friends over, lavender bathtubs, new prayers written and a play at the beach.

You may have noticed the Yoga Nidra cd available now here at Obaitori on the right hand side of your page. Thanks to a friend with sublime i.t skills I am finally able to present this to you. As a mother Yoga Nidra is my saving grace. It is a daily practice that rejuvenates, realigns an keeps the entire body refreshed, vibrant and awakened. A big thanks and eternal oms to Andrew Golightly.

Also new on Obaitori are two sweet little gifs. I hope you and your children enjoy them. Bodhi especially likes the little, "Don't worry. Be happy"  gif. And right at the bottom of the page a prayer wheel. The Dalai Lama has said that a digital prayer wheel mantra on your computer works the same as a traditional Mani wheel. They send prayers of peace and happiness around the world.

In Dazla's weekend kitchen he; dried sage and mint, made tabbouleh, a big breakfast of mushrooms, eggs, haloumi, not bacon and tomatoes with sage, a delicious sunset bbq, a sattvic soup - recipe to come - milo marshmellow porridge!? And with that Indira commented that he was the best cook daddy in the whole wide world and Bodhi agreed.

And finally, big 70th happy birthday wishes to my sweet Dad and to our lovely niece and cousin Annie who turned 14 on the same day. And celebrating another wonderful Libran today, our beautiful Tibetan sponsor child living in exhile away from her parents, Woeser Lhamo. A very happy 7th birthday. We hope you are united with your family soon. We love you! Free Tibet!

 

 

I hope your weekend was great. I'm joining up with the beautiful Amanda over at Habit of Being for Weekending. What did you get up to over the weekend?

 

walking the path myself ~ with encouragement

 

Dazla said, "Are you okay?"

Me, "Um, not really. I need to breath deeper, drink more water and pray more."

He said, "Take three deep breaths, have a drink of your water and say a prayer."

I breathed, I drank, I said, I love you God.

I felt instantly better.

 

"Wherever you are is always the right place. There is never a need to fix anything, to hitch up the bootstraps of the soul and start at some higher place. Start right where you are."

~ Julia Cameron ~

 

 Today is Amma's birthday. Join over at the celebrations with millions of others who have come to celebrate at the main ashram Amritapuri.

 

It is also the first day of nine in celebration of Navaratri. This is a highly auspicious time* for sadhana. For more information please visit here for the explanation of the nine day purification. Please remember that when we are talking about yoga, the deities mentioned such as Saraswati, Durga, Kali etc are the true form of these energies. The energy was created first then people associated them with the form of humans as it is much easier for us humans to worship form. Some people worship the formless but this is very difficult for most of us. So in yoga we look at, for example, Saraswati for her qualities of purity, knowledge, creativity and wisdom. At Navaratri we hope to evoke these qualities of energy within ourselves through the vibration of mantra, which came first. 'In the beginning was the word and the word was God or Om or Allah or ....' Got it? Excellent, I thought you would.

My prayer to Amma ~

Make me a perfect vessel to receive your wisdom and guidance at every moment of my life.

*The end of summer and beginning of winter, and the end of winter and beginning of summer, are two very important junctions of climatic conditions and solar influence in the year. Our bodies and minds undergo change on account of the changes in the outer nature. In India, the two occasions are considered opportune times to commence sadhana and worship the divine, indicated by the Chaitra Navaratri (April) and Ashwin Navaratri (October).

Today is the last day to win the Obaitori giveaway for The Yoga of Birth. Simply follow the link and leave a comment.

 

along the spiritual path

When I was married in Darjeeling I adorned my toes with the traditional symbol of marriage, toe rings on the second toes. To remind myself to step in the right direction I placed anklets with bells on around my ankles. You see, I need constant reminding of grace.

"Only your Soul knows the path it is here to walk. The next step is right there inside of you...Divinely imprinted on the soles of your feet."

Jeff Brown

 

 

Love ~ Reiki Divine Energy ~ Love

Master Mikao Usui Shiki Ryoho 1865 - 1926

 

Last night at The Circle ~ Women's Gatherings, Amanda Richmond ~ Reiki Master ~ offered Usui Shiki Ryoho's Reiki 1. I felt so blissed to be there & gained much insight, made new vows & refreshed all of my Reiki knowledge, power & wisdom. Us fortunate 19 women were attuned with the Universal Light Energy by the very beautiful Amanda. The candle lit evening began with smudging of sage, flowers, frankincense & low Sanskrit mantras. It was beautifully paced, dark & filled with the Light Energy. We performed chakra awareness meditation, prayer & chi-goong. I was once again reminded of the Reiki principles & wanted to share them.

 

The 5 REIKI Principles

{Meiji Emperor of Japan, 1868 - 1912}

Just for Today:

Don't get Angry

Don't Worry

Be Grateful & Honor your Elders

Work Hard on Yourself

{meditation & spiritual practice &

earn your living honestly}

Be Kind to Others

Creating Your Own Sweet Song of Life

Mystic Medusa reminds us today that the message of the New Moon is; Keep Evolving. It's hard though, as Retro-Venus is bringing up every single little teensy bit of unresolved or still poignant-albeit-resolved relationship crud.

So how to be fabulous and evolutionary whilst not ignoring the romantic muck-raking as it can be productive? You process it: write it out, sing it out, analyze it with an objective pro, exercise it out, acknowledge what wants to be acknowledged, take some Pluto Juice...

Medusa considers Pluto Juice as Bach’s Walnut Essence;

"For those who have definite ideals and ambitions in life and are fulfilling them, but on rare occasions are tempted to be led away from their own ideas, aims and work by the enthusiasm convictions or strong opinions of others. The remedy gives constancy and protection from outside influences" ~ Dr. Edward Bach.

So we made... Walnut Biscuits

Oh, that Venus in retrograde! Lately, I have heard a lot of people saying that they are having these relationship ‘spring-cleans’ including my own. Personally, I really like it! Saying that it is horrible, scary & revolting when it all comes out, a bit like a raging boil bursting but there is so much relief when it is released. & with it comes, healing, understanding, compassion which all equal, Love. A stronger, more-Loving relationship.

At Satyananda Yoga Mangrove Mountain there is a Non-violent Communication; From Conflict to Connection course run by Dorset Campbell-Ross the weekend 19^th-21^st November. Yes, we will be there. It is $350 each with a 10% discount if booked 7 days in advance. With this relationship being among the most important in my life - I consider it money well spent. Ahimsa or non-violence is the second yama in Raja Yoga. The course includes;

Exploring & observing without evaluation. Exploring the origins of feeling, sending clear rather than confusing messages about feelings, stating universal needs clearly, making requests rather than demands. Expressing ourselves honestly: being real rather than 'nice'. Communicating pain, sadness, fear, and frustration without compromise, and in a way that meets the needs of others too. Self Empathy - connecting with ourselves with compassion, receiving others empathically. How to hear and be present for others in pain, anger, fear and sadness without fixing/comparing/analysing/belittling/ criticising etc. How to put it all together, homework, journalling.

I know that when I do my spiritual sadhana regularly I am more balanced, clearer & less grumpy - especially with my partner & my dear children. The following is a beautiful teaching by Satya Sai Baba that I like to read when I'm feeling unmotivated to practise. This recharges me to further strenthen the determination on my path.

The farmer, intent on cultivation, ignores even food and sleep, for he is too busy ploughing, levelling, scattering seeds, watering, weeding, guarding and fostering the crop. He knows that his family will have to subsist on the harvest that he brings home and that if he fritters away the precious season in idle pursuits, his family will be confronted with hunger and ill-health. So, he sets aside or postpones other pursuits and focuses all his attention on farming alone. He puts up with difficulties and deprivations, toils day and night, watches over the growing crops and garners the grain. As a consequence, he is able to spend the months ahead, in peace and joy, with his happy family. Students and spiritual seekers have to learn important lessons from the farmer. The stage of youth is the season for mental and intellectual culture. These years should be intensively and intelligently cultivated irrespective of difficulties and obstacles. The clamour of the senses has to be silenced; hunger and thirst have to be controlled; the urge to sleep and relax has to be curbed.

Fill the reservoir when it rains, so that in times of drought, you can feed the fields. Do intense Sadhana (spiritual exercises) now, when you are young and strong so that you can be in peace and joy for the rest of your life. Make the most profitable use of this present period of your lives. Do not waste the hours in irrelevance and irreverence. Do not indulge in the condemnation of others or in self-disapprobation. Let your hearts rejoice, clothed in fresh ideals, feelings and resolutions. Mould your lives into sweet songs of Love.

~ Divine Discourse October 1981.

Kitchen Altar

I've been making a morning offering at the kitchen altar. This small offering of tea & porridge encourages me to think of the greater good, to be thankful for all the elements for bringing food. I'm tuning in to the universe, Jesus, Saraswati, Mary, Ganesha, Surya ~ the sun god, Siva, the Divine force of nature... I'm thinking of something other than myself, my little world, my family. I turn my thoughts to greater things. This small form of sadhana brings other parts of my life into order. When I feel life getting out of control, I want to become centred. If I make this offering it realigns me & other things more naturally fall in to place.

Our kitchen altar consists of a few basic things which all have a significant meaning -

a cloth; earth element

a candle; fire

a bell; air

incense; ether

water

a flower in a vase; a reminder that our life is fleeting & is cyclical

a picture/icon of a person/guru/saint or object of personal significance.

The kitchen altar has a few small stainless steel or ceramic bowls I use exclusively for the offering of food & a little cool water. The food is offered not because the gods are hungry but to reawaken our eternal Loving relationship.

Before the food is offered it needs to be prepared. Food that is of the best quality I can afford is preferable. The cook tries to think about positive things when preparing the food. As you know, not only the ingredients go into the cooking but also Love. One way to keep my mind on God is to chant or listen to devotional music in the kitchen. Prabujee is delightful, also great for settling children at the table. Most often than not, I don't taste the food until after it has been offered. This saves it so it can be relished by the higher power first. It is also a form of tapas - not the Spanish type! - the self-restraint version.

When the food is ready, with awareness; I place it on the small bowls. Light the candle & incense, ring the bell & say a mantra three times & a little prayer of offering. When the food is offered, it is now considered to be prasad. Prasad is the grace of the deity given to the worshipper in the form of food after worship. The literal meaning is "grace." The prasad is permeated with the Guru's or Deity's blessing & grace. The food is now ready to be served. Some traditions mix the prasad with the other food & some traditions serve the prasad on the side of the plate or hand it to the person who then accepts it on their palm & eats the holy food.

When we offer our food to Krishna we say the Maha Mantra three times;

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

& pray, "My dear Radha & Krishna, please engage me in your devotional service."

To Siva -

Om Namah Parvati, Partaya, Hare Hare, Mahadeva

Jesus -

"Thank you for the world so sweet, thank you for the food we eat, thank you for the birds that sing, thank you Lord for everything."

Others -

A song Dazla made up & a bit embarrassing for the less child like version of yourself, all hold hands, smile & sing...

"Thank you for this food, Lord. Thank you for this food - repeat,

It's healing, it's healing, it's healing me.

Thank you for this day Lord, Thank you for this day - repeat,

It's healing, it's healing, it's healing me."

& simply, the short invocation for peace;

"Om, shanti, shanti, shanti."

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

We worship the Mother in all her glorious forms & incorporate prayer that is offered to the feminine, Mary, Lakshmi, Saraswati. We change Lord to Lady. We are polytheist - as a mother I believe this creates tolerance, understanding, compassion, Love, oneness; Yoga.

 

Heaven Is In Your Heart

 

Close your eyes & picture

A place within your mind,

A green & tranquil garden

Where trouble's left behind.

Imagine, too, the sunlight

That warms the peaceful air,

& dances on the blossoms

That graceful branches bear.

Now pause awhile & listen

To birdsong, soft & sweet,

Breathe in the scent of flowers

That bloom around your feet.

Just use your imagination,

& you may find it's true

A little glimpse of heaven

Is just within your view.

~ Margaret Ingall.

 

Cardinal Among Pear Tree Blossoms

Photo from Thundafunda