Obaitori

Sufi Dance ~ centering

Sufi Dance is a great method know as Dervish Dancing.

The axis remains constantly in one position, centered, and the wheel moves on it.

Sufi Dance bring us in a state of meditation and we remember our center inside as a center.

This technique of staying centered is used in many traditions. The Buddha called it 'the middle path.'

Coming back to center is used by people all around the world.

& in the words of Jesse (the 16 year old Australian girl sailing around the world alone & unaided due to arrive back in Sydney very soon),

"I'm going to keep this update short because we're drifting off course again and I need to go correct us. Less than 1400 nm to go till we're under Australia now!"‏

Dedication

This weblog is dedicated to my guru, Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati.

Little One ~ Rabindranath Tagore

 

I have been trying to preserve, on film camera & in memory, those really divine parts of Bodhi as a baby which I don't want to ever forget. His skin, blessed like ghee, the hair on his skin which you can only see in the light from certain angles. Those dimpled hands, feet, elbows & cheeks. His golden silk like hair. The warmth of his body on mine, his gentle, held cuddles & that all around softness a baby brings to the home, Love. He has a comforter, a kangaroo skin. It was Dazla's meditation seat for many years. When Bodhi moved into the meditation room, I grabbed it one night in desperation for him to settle & go back to sleep. It worked & he has carried it ever since.

Bless this little heart, this white soul that has won the kiss of Heaven for our Earth.

He loves the light of the sun, he loves the sight of his

mother's and father's face.

He has not learnt to despise the dust, nor to

hanker after gold.

Clasp him to your heart and bless him, he has come into this land of 100 crossroads, I do not know how he chose you from the crowd, how he came to your door and grasped your hand to ask the way.

He will follow you laughing and talking, not a doubt in his heart.

Keep his trust, lead him straight and bless him. Lay your hands on his head and pray that though the waves underneath grow threatening, yet the breath from above may come and fill his sails and waft him to the haven of peace.

Forget him not in your hurry, let him come to your heart and bless him.

 Rabindranath Tagore

 

 

Stories on Sunday ~ Greatest Devotee 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.

Sage Narada thought that he was a great devotee.

“Once Lord Krishna said, ‘Narada, there is one farmer on earth who is a greater devotee than you.’ Narada doubted this and came down to earth to see the peasant in person. He found that the farmer would chant the Lord’s Name only three times a day. ‘How could he be a greater devotee than I?’ thought Narada. Upon returning, he mentioned his doubt to the Lord.

“The Lord gave him a small vessel filled to the brim with oil and asked Narada to keep it on his head and go round a particular hill without spilling even a drop of it.

“When Narada returned after finishing the round, the Lord asked, ‘How many times did you chant My Name in between?’

“Narada thought and was surprised to discover that he had not remembered the Lord’s Name even once because his attention had been fully concentrated on keeping the vessel of oil steady so as not to spill it.

“The Lord smilingly said, ‘Now do you understand what a great devotee that farmer is? Even in the midst of his toilsome work, thrice he is remembering Me, is he not?’

“Children, one who simultaneously does karma (action) and remembers God is the noblest. “

Story told by Amma.

Earth Hour 2010

"To act in the world as if it were a sanctuary is to make it reverential & sacred. What the universe becomes depends on you...treat it like a divine place & it becomes a divine place. Reverence for life & for all there is in the universe, is the first condition of ecological spirituality."

~ Henryk Skolimiwski (founder of eco-philosophy)

Tonight Indira & I attended Earth Hour at Yogaways. Earth Hour is an Australian initiative which started in 2007. It is now a global event. This year 5 million supporters in over 100 countries have (& will) turn off their lights  for one hour. Ultimately the event promotes the awareness of global climate change. So, tonight in Sydney, both the Harbour Bridge & the Opera House stood in darkness.

At Yogaways we lit candles, chanted the sacred mantra om, sang 54 rounds of the Mahamrityanjaya Mantra, had a yoga nidra & drank chai. We individually sent out our prayers, hopes & dreams for our beautiful blue planet. Hope you received them, x

Sun Worshiper

Surya, the Supreme Light, refers to the Sun. 

In Hindu religious literature, Surya is notably mentioned as the visible form of God that one can see every day. Surya is said to be one of eight forms of Shiva, named the Astamurti.

Surya has hair and arms of gold. He is said to drive through the heaven in his triumphal chariot harnessed by seven horses which represent the seven colours of the rainbow or the seven chakras. He presides over "Suriya-waar" or Sunday.

Our cat, Yogi, follows the sun around the house all day. As you will see, he takes his worship very seriously.

 

 

"For the moon & the stars will be gone like the night & the sun will be shining on"

From 'Will You Love Me' by Brian Boniwell

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama. In her words...

{this moment}

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. 

Becoming the Embodiment of Love (Prema Vigraha)

Live in Love. Breathe in Love. Sing in Love. Eat in Love.

Drink in Love. Walk in Love. Talk in Love. Pray in Love.

Meditate in Love. Think in Love. Move in Love.

Write in Love. Die in Love.

Purify your thought, speech & action in Love.

Bath & plunge deep in the sacred waters of Love.

Taste the honey of Love

& become the embodiment of Love.

~ Swami Sivananda Saraswati.

And now, a few images of our school from this week...

 

Story telling...

Mama Apple Orchard

Classroom mantra

Watercolours

Sakura ~ cherry blossom mural ~ preparatory classroom for two year olds. 

And now a few from home...

Make a beautiful weekend.

Prayer Placemat

A few years ago I bought this placemat for Indira to use at meal times from a woman living in the United States. It reminds us to pray, be mindful & think of those with high qualities & virtues.

                                                                                                            ~ (The reverse side)

The prayer placemats are very easy to make for your own children & something that children can make for themselves, brothers & sisters, friends & family.

They can be done in several ways depending on your resources. The easiest way is to take an A3 size piece of paper, collect several pictures of saints, sages, healing flowers, or whatever you or your child is inspired by, glue them onto the paper & contact it.

Or it can be easily created on the computer through the use of google images or photos from your own collection, you may need to go to a print shop to get an A3 size printed, here too you could laminate the placemat. I recommend laminating over contact as the seal is very strong.

If you are savvy with transfer paper, printing & sewing, the placemat could easily be made from fabric. Due to the nature of food on the placemat, this design makes it tricky to wash often. In this case a favourite saint or inspiration (text or images) could be embroidered onto the fabric by the child according to their capabilities.

Green Tara ~ The Mother of all Buddhas ~ Mantra

 

                                                                                        Green Tara 

The Green Tara mantra often plays continuously in our home during the day. It calms me significantly & you know the effect that has on children. To explain the vibration of the mantra makes me go a bit dreamy, so here goes ... actually I won't, I'll leave that to Kandro. As part of a huge series on Tibetan Buddhism, Wikipedia also has some incredible research about this divine powerful, female bodhisattva.

 

Please, go here to listen to this tranquil & powerful Green Tara Mantra...

 

 

Om Tara Tutara Tura Swayha

 

*2020 Coronavirus Note: During these uncertain, times, His Holiness the Dalai Lama — when asked for spiritual advice on the pandemic — suggested that chanting the Green Tara mantra could be helpful. Here to listen to H.H chant the mantra, he begins around the 40 second mark.

 

For initiation into Green or White Tara, contact your local Tibetan Buddhist centre.

Image: source