Obaitori

deep peace descends ~ Amma's desire ~

After a day's pilgrimage to be with Amma, it's time to sleep little one...

"Everyone in the world should be able to sleep without fear, at least for one night. Everyone should be able to eat to his fill, at least for one day. There should be at least one day when hospitals see no one admitted due to violence. By doing selfless service for at least one day, everyone should help the poor and needy. It is Amma's prayer that at least this small dream be realised."

 ~ Mata Amritanandamayi Devi ~

it will be alright

 

Work to develop the positive qualities.

This is the work of a life time.

So keep on trying.

~ Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati ~

 

 

life is precious and irreplaceable

 

 

Over the weeked I went around the world with Kien Lam.

Farewelled friend's moving to the city. The children bathed in their ginormous tub.

Ate figs, boccochini and mint here in the Easiest Sexiest Salad.

Attended a Buddhist meeting where the discussion material was on Courage - more about that later.

Painted furniture. Admired Dazla's horticulture abilities.

Swam in the crystal cool ocean and started creating my list for a wonderfully, happy, determined life.

Joining up with Amanda.

Wishing you all a very happy and auspicious week ahead. There are many reasons to celebrate, today is Mahashivaratri, Wednesday heralds Losar - Tibetan new year and is also the beginning of Lent. So, on this new moon it is a good time to start anew.

"This lifetime will never come again; it is precious and irreplaceable. To live without regret, it is crucial for us to have a concrete purpose and continually set goals and challenges for ourselves. It is equally important that we keep moving toward specific targets steadily and tenaciously, one step at a time.”

~ Ikeda ~

 

present moment, wonderful moment

live simply so that others may simply live ~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

Pay Attention and Respect to All Beings and Mother Earth

When we demand the rights and freedoms we so cherish,

we should also be aware of our responsibilities.

If we accept that others have an equal right

to peace and happiness as ourselves

do we not have a responsibility to help those in need?

~ His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama ~

 

May all beings be free from suffering. May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in peace and freedom.

midwives are love

Last night I attended a fabulous fundraiser for the Midwives of East Timor Australia at the beautiful Avoca Beach Cinema - who are celebrating 60 years - we had drinks and canapes and then enjoyed the heart warming film, Africa United.

Midwives East Timor Australia is a non-profit organization that aims to support midwives in East Timor with education, resources and equipment so that maternal and neonatal outcomes can be improved in East Timor.

I'm sure you know a great midwife. There are many in our locale but a very special thanks goes to Kate, midwife extraodinaire and friend of Obaitori for organising such a memorable and very successful event.

Go to the East Timore Midwives Australia to help others.

buddhism at the beach

I'm always working on improving my karma by trying to create good causes and by chanting, singing mantra and all other types of yogic practice. This weekend I've been chanting the Lotus Sutra with vehemence. A mantra chanted daily by Buddhists all over the world. I chant it in Japanese and each time I get better, my tongue wraps itself around the syllables and after 5 years of chanting this mantra, I don't sound so 'foreign.'

This weekend I've been chanting for world peace, relief of all suffering, a Free Tibet!, to change my karmas, a new home, health and happiness for all, my own enlightenment and those of others. I've been giving thanks to all the Buddhas - enlightened ones - past, present and future.

This weekend we also celebrated with friends; a graduation ~ well done Clint! ~ a new baby ~ congratulations Kate! ~ we played kirtan, toasted marshmallows, tap danced, ate and slept.

We paddled at the beach and had a sunset dinner. I sung out over the ocean, nam myoho renge kyo!!!

Hear the Lotus Sutra; here, not at all relaxing but full power, here, with explanation and, here, in Tibetan.

"You are not alone because all the time there are numberless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas surrounding you, everywhere loving you, guiding you, that is what they do".

~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche‏ ~

I'm joining up with Amanda from Habit of Being for Weekending. How was your weekend?

Knitting for Sivananda Math rural India

Once again I'm joining in with Ginny and everyone else over at Small Things for the Yarn Along.

In Ginny's words;

I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a single photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us!

I'm reading The Quran. I have an interest in Mary and apparently when the Bible was being put together they took out the chapter on Mary. ?! So now in the Bible there are about four lines about Mary - the Mother of God. In the Quran she is known as Maryam. There is a lot of debate over this issue so I thought I would find out for myself. Religion, politics and drama aside, what I need to remember are the qualites of Mary, a good woman; loving, kind, compassionate, provides un-conditional love, devotional, giving. I wrote a little more about being polytheist, here.

I'm knitting blanket squares for Sivananda Math - see the invitation below to join us if you are living in Australia. I'm using lovely soft, durable wool that washes and dries well. Currently, Australia has a massive oversupply of wool. I usually buy Australian made but it makes even more sense to do this now. Thankfully we too have an oversupply of red wine - particularly Merlot, exciting! I remember one comment from when the Pope was in town last year. Australia was in drought and someone asked if he, the Pope could turn our wine into water! I'm trying to knit with as much awareness as possible and putting an 'om' into every stitch.

 

♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥

Join our knitting project to knit 108 blankets ~ start with knitting a square or two, leave them here in the box, at Satyananda Mangrove or post them to Mangrove and we will sew them together and send them to Sivananda Math in India to keep rural Indian children warm this winter.

For one 20 cm square;
8 ply yarn or scraps pf 8 ply
size 6 mm needles

1. Cast on 32 stitches. Try to make your stitches neither too loose nor too tight to help insure uniform squares. You will need to cast on less if you are going to use thicker wool. If you are unsure, use a tape measure to check.

2. Row 1 ~ knit

3. Row 2 ~ knit. These two rows form the "garter" stitch knitting pattern for your square.

4. Continue knitting as per these two rows until you have knitted a square. If you want to change colors, do so, but use the same thickness of wool.

5. To ensure your square is 20 cm, either use a tape measure or form a triangle by folding one corner of your square over to meet the opposite corner.

6. Cast off.

an invitation to high tea

A reminder of the High Tea fundraiser for Midwives of East Timor Australia, our dear friend of Obaitori, Kate Jury is organising.

There will be prizes, laughter, high tea and the satisfaction of giving to others.

If you can, please come along to The Little Teapot, Davistown tomorrow morning at

10:30am , Sunday 17th April, 2011.

Heart Culture ~ Let all that you do be done in love ~

Watching the magnificence of nature around me I am always overawed of the beauty of our environment. I am so ever grateful to live in a place where our children can breathe fresh air, where we can sleep peacefully at night. It is where I feel safe & consequently where how our children feel safe. Thank you God.

~~~ Heart Culture by Swami Sivananda ~~~

༶ Doing good to others is the highest religion. Do some selfless service for a few hours every week, without egoism or expectation of reward. Do your wordly duties in the same spirit. Work is worship. Dedicate it to God.

༶ Give two to ten percent of your income in charity every month. Share what you have with others. Let the world be your family. Remove selfishness.

༶ Be humble & prostrate yourself to all beings mentally. Feel the Divine Presence everywhere. Give up vanity, pride & hypocrisy.

༶ Have unwavering faith in God, your teachings, your teacher. Make a total self-surrender to God & pray, "Thy Will be done; I want nothing." Submit to the Divine Will in all evevts & happenings with equanimity.

༶ See God in all beings & love them as your own Self. Do not hate anyone.

༶ Remember God at all times or, at least on rising from bed, during a pause in your work & before going to bed. Keep a mala or rosary in your pocket.

࿄࿄࿄

A Gift ~

Memorize for yourself & teach your children;

Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:14