There’s a lot of cosmic energy swirling around right now. Don’t forget to breathe!
“As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul…” Hermes Trismegistus
From Lao Tzu:
Empty Mind – Peaceful Heart
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Tag Archives: Wisdom
Empty your mind of all thoughts.
Wisdom from His Holiness The Dalai Lama
How to overcome negative emotions with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Every single time I hear him speak, I’m filled with gratitude for the time we spent together and how he touched me: mind, body, spirit, and soul.
He’s a special, special gift of light and love and wisdom.
Holding Space
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IMHO, this is one of the best descriptions of what it means to hold space.
There will be times when you have to release and trust the awakening process. It may not be an easy thing to do, especially when a connection exists. Let others know you are there, offer support when asked and hold space for them in a kind, loving manner. The rest is up to them and The Universe.
Holding Space The Creator Writings, one of my fave blogs.
I had heard the term but couldn’t wrap my brain around it, and as a slightly OCD Taurus who likes answers to questions and details and timeframes to be specific in order to feel safe, holding space is a confusing and nebulous and ephemeral concept, but I’ve been determined to understand because it resonates deeply with me. I’m relentless when it comes to understandING.
It’s a way of not doing anything when I’m all about doING and fixING and solvING. (All of those ‘ing” words that we’re trained to edit OUT of our writings.)
To hold space is to do nothING but BE.
BeING.
That very beINGness of taking a breath and stayING silent and havING faith and trust that everything is happenING as it should–well, that’s nearly impossible for me.
But here I am. I am. So hum.
The Best Mantra for 2018: Om Mani Padme Hum
I’m pretty new to meditation (dabbled a bit in college but it didn’t stick) and I’m restarting with the basics.
In terms of actually practicing mindfulness and compassion (to self and others) – these are things I’ve sporadically attempted for a few years.
I think it all started during an annual exam when my lady doc suggested something in between my Pap Smear and and the breast exam: every morning, I need to look in the mirror and say “I love you” to myself.
I told her I couldn’t possibly; it was embarrassing, what was the point, and she said in addition to filling my body with healthy foods and wheat grass, turmeric, ginger, and Vitamin D (I was deficient at the time), that loving oneself is another and very important piece of the puzzle needed to attain an optimal level of wellbeing.
When the La Costa Chopra Center used to host one-hour meditations in the afternoon, I attended a few times with friends and it was a good re-introduction, but I’m more of a solitary soul and would rather do my internal discovery not in the company of strangers, no matter how kind…
It’s all about rewiring our brain-using neuroplasticity to change negative thoughts and belief patterns into positive actions and a joyful future.
Meeting the Dalai Lama was a significant experience that opened my eyes (and my heart) and encouraged me to follow an inward searching path.
Om Mani Padme Hum is an ancient mantra related to the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara, and with the Dalai Lama, who is considered to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara. It is believed that all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this mantra.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that by saying Om Mani Padme Hum out loud or silently to oneself invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion.
From His Holiness the Dalai Lama:
It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast …. The first, OM … symbolizes the practitioner’s impure body, speech, and mind; it also symbolizes the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha…. The path is indicated by the next four syllables. MANI, meaning jewel, symbolizes the … altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassionate and loving…. The two syllables, PADME, meaning lotus, symbolize wisdom…. Purity must be achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable HUM, which indicates indivisibility…. Thus the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha….
All I know for sure is that when I say or think Om Mani Padme Hum, no matter how sad or anxious or stressed I feel, even when I wake up at 3AM in a panic, a certain calmness and quiet joy washes over me.
As we leave one year and transition to another, I wanted to share this with you and hope you also find solace and wisdom in this mantra.
Happy New Year!
There was that day I met His Holiness, The Dalai Lama
Remember? It was back in June. You can read all about it here:
Meeting the Dalai Lama.Thaumaturgic.
https://enchantedseashells.com/2017/06/19/meeting-the-dalai-lama-thaumaturgic/
Still thaumaturgic. Still a magical never-to-be-forgotten day. Still healing.
The rest of the story of that day goes like this…
In my thoughts and preparations prior to that amazing experience, I thought it would be an appropriate act of kindness to bring the Dalai Lama a gift.
But what is the right and perfect giftslashoffering for a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with one of the most special humans on this planet?
What do you think?
Flowers? Nope. A gift certificate to Dave & Busters? Nope. An engraved pen and pencil set? Nope again. Money? Maybe, but I don’t have any to spare, so nope.
Guess. No, come on. GUESS!
Only my DIL got it right when I asked, “well, what do you THINK I would give him?”
Give up?
OK, silly as it may sound to you, I beautifully wrapped a few of my most special seashells and a rock that looks like a whale and placed them in a brightly colored cotton gift bag. I know it might seem childish to you, but I never really grew up, so it’s in keeping with my mental/emotional age.
When I thought about what evokes enduring purity and beauty, there is nothing more meaningful to me than seashells and rocks. (Diamonds fit into that category too, but that’s another story.)
Y’all have already seen my seashell encrusted home, right?
Before the Dalai Lama and Ann Curry appeared on stage, I struck up a conversation with one of his emissaries/bodyguards, and told them I had a gift I hoped to present to His Holiness. They pointed out the person I should hand it to and suggested I do it right after the interview.
However, because His Holiness spent so much time answering my question and talking to me, he exceeded the time set aside for the interview and was late getting to the open air stage at Rimac Field where 25,000 people were waiting in the heat for us to finish our conversation…
Ann Curry whisked away the Dalai Lama and there was no time to offer my little gifts to His Holiness.
However, that setback didn’t deter me…
Since I’m such a great snoop investigative journalist, I somehow discovered where His Holiness and entourage were staying, drove there, and left my treasures with the concierge at the front desk. I included a hastily written note to thank the Dalai Lama for speaking with me for such a long time and how much I appreciated his wisdom–along with my name, address, email, and phone number.
I drove home, trying to process the intensity of that surreal and amazing experience, and thought no more about it.
Even though I personally treasure every seashell and rock (truth), I didn’t seriously think that they would actually make the journey to be received –or acknowledged–by His Holiness–I don’t have a grandiose sense of my own importance in this world.
A couple weeks later on a Saturday afternoon, my cell phone rang with an unknown number from Florida. Normally, I don’t answer a number I don’t know-there are all those annoying telemarketing calls, but this time I pressed the accept button and said hello.
Imagine my surprise when a heavily accented voice asked for me (not Princess Rosebud lol, but my other name). The voice introduced himself as the Personal Emissary for Peace to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. OH EM EFFF GEEEE!
Acting on behalf of His Holiness, the emissary was calling to thank me for my gifts and told me how much they were appreciated.
To describe my reaction succinctly. I was literally gobsmacked, And rendered pretty much speechless, which is a rare occurance.
One of the world’s most spiritual humans took the time to express GRATITUDE to me; an absolute nobody.
That’s the ultimate amazing ending to one of the most significant experiences of my entire life.
What’s the message? What’s the lesson?
Gratitude and appreciation. If someone like the Dalai Lama can take the time and effort to acknowledge a handful of seashells and rocks, we all need to follow his example and this world will be a better place for us, our children, and grandchildren.
No, thank YOU, Your Holiness.
You restored my faith in humankind.
Namaste for reals.
Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud 