Category: <span>Buddhism</span>

Published September 5, 2021 by

When Things Fall Apart

The book fell off the shelf and opened to this page when I picked it up.   When Things Fall Apart, Heart Advice for Difficult Times  by Pema Chodron   page 91

 

Spiritual awakening is frequently described as a journey to the top of a mountain.  We leave our attachments and our worldliness behind and slowly make our way to the top.  At the peak we have transcended all pain.  the only problem with this metaphor is that we leave all the others behind-our drunken brother, our schizophrenic sister, our tormented animals and friends.  Their suffering continues, unrelieved by our personal escape.

In the process of discovering bodhichitta, the journey goes down, not up.  It’s as if the mountain pointed toward the center of the earth instead of reaching into the sky.  Instead of transcending the suffering of all creatures, we move toward th turbulence and doubt.  We jump into it.  We slide into it.  We tiptoe into it.  We move toward it however we can.  We explore the reality and unpredictability of insecurity and pain, and we try not to push it away.  If it takes years, if it takes lifetimes, we let it be as it i9s.  At our own pace, without speed or aggression, we move down and down and down.  with us move millions of others, our companions in awakening from fear.  At the bottom we discover water, the healing water of bodhichitta.  Right down there in the thick of things, we discover the love that will not die.

That’s what we do in yoga therapy,  we dive down.   It’s an exhilarating journey, if you are on a path of spiritual awakening.  It doesn’t matter what shape you’re in, there’s a lot to learn and discover inside your self.

Join us this Fall for Yoga Therapy for Grandma, An Introductory Course   On Zoom.  Are you on the mailing list?

 

Ancient Wisdom Buddhism Yoga Yoga Therapy

bodhichitta buddhism Pema Chodron

Published June 20, 2021 by

Green

 

During the winter months I took a writing class with Ann Randolph and the prompt was

Think about a time that you were wild and green in the ways of the world…the whole world was before you, green a newness, a novice, sense of adventure, anything was possible…a curiousity, maybe stumbling and fumbling during this time too…excitement, anticipation, or maybe the wild and green in the ways of the world got you into trouble….if you think about the phrase Wild & green in the ways of the world…is there an openness & Curiosity to that now…and if so, what does the picture look like? we just to a future moment of being wild and green  in the ways of the world…what would it look like for you, in this case green= learning something new that brings you joy, delights you, brings you adventure? 

A month or so after that I participated in an online watercolor class where we would learn how to paint The Green Man using various techniques involving crackle paste, ink, and other stuff.  Purist that I am, I prefer to limit myself to one medium.  Choosing colors is complicated enough.  The Green Man is part of Celtic lore and gets Spring up and running. 

Green is the color that aligns best with the Heart (4th) Chakra. Anahat in Sanskrit. Within the heart space are the Four Immeasurables (also know as: heavenly or divine abodes, divine abidings, or the four Brahma Vihari’s.

Equanimity,

Compassion,

Sympathetic Joy,

Loving Kindness (Metta)

The philosophy and practices that focus on these four *states of being* have attracted millions of *followers* who *like* it a lot, to use a modern-day cliche. the instructions are simple. stabilize your mine through: mindfuness, or calm abiding, or meditation. Then bring each immeasurable to mind, first to yourself, always, and then over time extending out toward all sentient beings.

Many have said that these four are the only emotions worth having.

June 21 is the Summer Solstice and I guess I’ll have to find a different face to paint? For the solstice I will be facilitating a one day retreat at the Grounds for Sculpture. I can’t think of a better place to connect with nature, art, silence, space, and the heavenly abodes. Namaste.

Blogging Buddhism StudioIFC Watercolors

Five Remembrances
Published November 28, 2019 by

Five Remembrances

Buddha’s Five Remembrances

– Thich Nhat Hanh

I am of the nature to grow old.

There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill health.

There is no way to escape ill health.

I am of the nature to die.

There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change.

There is no way to escape being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings.

I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.

My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Buddhism Dharma Karma Yoga

Buddha

Published November 10, 2016 by

The Metta Sutra

 

 

Once again my own words fail me.   Here are some from the Buddha.

 

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!
Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

The Metta Sutra

 

Buddhism Dharma Meditation philosophy Poetry quotes Yoga

Buddah loving kindness Meditation Metta mindfulness sutra

Published December 24, 2015 by

The Metta Sutta

Today, my own words fail me.  Here are some from the Buddah

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in saftey,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!
Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

Reposted from Aug, 2008

Buddhism Dharma Meditation philosophy Poetry quotes Yoga

Buddah loving kindness Meditation Metta mindfulness sutra

Published April 2, 2014 by

uh, oh!

20070615_eris

Woke up to the news of the large-scale earthquaking in Chile.  No doubt there will be many, more events to come right up until April 22 (at the very least). as the alignment of the planets reminds us just who is Boss.  Now, sit for a few moments  and watch where your mind goes after reading that.  Then, take a long, slow, deep breath.

Chant Om.

(Go to a yoga class and ask the teacher, “why om?”)

If I could sum up everything I’ve learned over the past few decades and reduce it down to  2 words, today those words would be:

 Practice Kindness.

anjalimudra.jpg

…more later.  New Class starts today, 4:30pm.  We’re gonna talk about Om.

 

Astrology Blogging Buddhism electro-magnetic energy Feng Shui journal entry philosophy

earthquake

Published March 30, 2014 by

and so it begins today with

The new moon at 10 Aries.  The Cardinal Square is aligning and the moon beginning today, will be  giving us a taste of what is to come.  So much change, so fast can be frightening and disorienting for many.  Others get  inspired by all the adrenalin that gets secreted during times like these.  There is no right/wrong way to respond to major change in your life.  There are simply too many variables with too many different context’s to judge.  For me, Ram Dass coined the best mantra for times like this when he wrote:  Be Here Now.  And yoga has taught me that Now, is only 1 breath long.

the ram

Between April 16 – April 25, 2014  some of the certified planets of our particular solar system will be coming into an alignment that the astrologer’s call a planetary picture.  Rather than get into the astronomy and physics of the upcoming alignment I’d prefer to write about how to manage our lives thru this unprecedented time in human history.  Yes.  It’s that big.  We talked about it on International Astrology Day.

The planets  involved in this configuration are:  Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars, and on April 20 the moon will join the group and act as a trigger.   The Sun moves thru the sensitive area beginning around March 30 – April 6, depending on what orb you like to work with.   And then there’s Eris, a little bit too far away to factor into this Cardinal Cross, but,  twenty-one degrees is not far away enough as she continues to inspire calamity & chaos whilst traveling thru Aries.  More on Eris another time.

It’s easy to see the cross configuration that’s setting up, and the fact that all the planets are in cardinal signs will make this into a dynamic period of time unlike anything we have seen before.  This particular alignment has never occurred before in human history.

more later…………..

may all beings live in peace

Ancient Wisdom Astrology Buddhism lunar phases

cardinal cross Eris history lunar cycles

Published December 6, 2013 by

GodWinks…….

Mala BeadsCall it luck.  Call it politics.  Call it whatever you want.  I call it a godwink that I didn’t get a ticket for a moving violation today.

I was ‘cruising’ along a wide open waterfront street in a local town when I spotted the police car.  I looked down, and I was going a gentle 40mph on a 25 mph road. Oh! God! No!  But, I didn’t get the ticket for speeding.  I also didn’t get a ticket for not having my (newly re-newed) car insurance with me. That fine would have been expensive.   However, I did indeed receive a ticket,  for obstruction, and he pointed to the old, faded, sun-bleached malabeads that have hung off my rear-view mirror for over 20 years.

Immediately I felt saved by the god of my understanding.  I smiled at Patrolman P., took the beads off the mirror and then handed them to him as a gift, explaining at the same time that they were a gift to me from a beloved swami and that I felt it only right to pass them along to him.

He smiled at me, his eyes were twinkly, and I could tell he was happy to only serve me with a ‘mild’ offense. He refused my gift and we said goodbye.

Om shanti, peace to all beings.

ps.  I put them back a few miles down the road.  🙂

Blogging Buddhism journal entry NJ The Jersey Shore Yoga

mala

Published July 29, 2013 by

Instantly Calm…………….

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5JAVk3Qwi8&w=420&h=315]

Ancient Wisdom Buddhism consciousness ecstatic poetry Meditation Music

Metta

Published May 20, 2013 by

Back from Kripalu…….

swami kripalu….where I do volunteer work at least three times a year.  This trip I worked as a facilitator and hatha yoga teacher.  The program was called the Inner Quest Intensive and I have been a part of this amazing ‘production’ since ’99.  Here’s a post I wrote after another such trip about 5 years ago.

The world really needs this program.  Those of us who facilitate transformation and healing for others know this.   I am completely filled with love, gratitude, and kindness once again as I continue to live and teach yoga.

This time I came home inspired to develop and deliver an experiential program with transformational possibilities of my own.  My plan is to use the natal chart as a launchpad.  We’ll address all the planets of our solar system with the intention of  expanding our self-awareness and self-knowledge. Interested ?  Contact me at idafae@gmail.com.

Buddhism consciousness journal entry Kripalu Meditation Yoga

kripalu