It seems lately I am surrounded by magic. "The Healing Wisdom of Africa" is all about magic and the thiness of the veil between our world and the worl of spirit. Two weeks ago, I went to the Drala level of the Shambhala Sacred Path series. Drala is a Tibetan word for magic. It literally means "above aggression." What I love most about the teachings is that magic is about our very ordinary perceptions, the quality of how we pay attention to even the most low level details of our lives.
Drala is an energy that is in everything and an energy we attract to ourselves by the way we maintain our environment and ourselves. I love thinking there are unseen beings who are looking out for my benefit and attracted to me because I am paying attention to them. On the other hand, the instructor said when you are not paying attention, the dralas leave you and shit happens. I would love to live my life in such a way that they would be my constant companions and I might somehow be as aware of their presence in my life as they are aware of me.
Shrine keeping has become a new passion in my life. As the end of the semester rolls around and I am so busy with deadlines, I realize that I cannot neglect them any more than I can neglect my papers and projects that are due for school. It is both challenging and necessary to have them in my life. I would like to believe that at least for this holiday season, I have attracted lots of good drala energy in getting my home all clean and neat for my company on Thanksgiving. I hope to keep things in drala shape throughout the season.
The Christmas season has always filled me with a sense of magic and wonder. This year, I will once again have a chance to see the giant tree in Rockefeller Center and New York done up in lights. It is the New York I love most, magical and beautiful.
May there be lots of drala energy, magic and beauty in your life this season. May all of your interactions be blessed and above aggression.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanks
I was held back by mere trifles, the most paltry inanities, all my old attachments.
– Saint Augustine
"Sooner or later, most of us encounter the haunting fear that if we turn our senses inwards, which is what diving into the murky water of consciousness means, we may lose everything enjoyable in life. This fear is one of the most formidable obstacles between us and deepening meditation. But if we persevere, we will see the day when these old attachments will fall away, almost of themselves, and no one will be as surprised as we are.
Gradually, with experience, our faith grows that deep within us the Self is willing and able to take responsibility for our ultimate welfare. Slowly we can surrender our personal will to an immeasurably more profound purpose. Bit by bit, we can work ourselves loose from the grip of compulsive entanglements in the faith that our capacity to love and be loved will thereby be magnified a millionfold."
–Thought for the Day – November 25th (Thanksgiving Eve) by Eknath Easwarn
This walking the spiritual path seems so difficult at times. I read EE’s Thought for the Day every day, and every day he reminds me in some way of how much work I still have to do. Coming to Naropa has been an amazing opportunity to immerse myself in a practice environment and in connection with so many experiences that push my buttons and raise my hackles as the old folks used to say. I can see daily how much there still is to let go of and once in awhile I glimpse how something has shifted and I am seeing a bit more clearly. For this on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, I have much gratitude. I am truly grateful for the blessings I receive daily from my Naropa experience even as it stresses me some days almost beyond my limits. What I can say without a doubt I am most grateful for in this experience is my Cultivating the Sacred companions on this path. Thanks to you all and may you all have a most blessed and precious holiday.
– Saint Augustine
"Sooner or later, most of us encounter the haunting fear that if we turn our senses inwards, which is what diving into the murky water of consciousness means, we may lose everything enjoyable in life. This fear is one of the most formidable obstacles between us and deepening meditation. But if we persevere, we will see the day when these old attachments will fall away, almost of themselves, and no one will be as surprised as we are.
Gradually, with experience, our faith grows that deep within us the Self is willing and able to take responsibility for our ultimate welfare. Slowly we can surrender our personal will to an immeasurably more profound purpose. Bit by bit, we can work ourselves loose from the grip of compulsive entanglements in the faith that our capacity to love and be loved will thereby be magnified a millionfold."
–Thought for the Day – November 25th (Thanksgiving Eve) by Eknath Easwarn
This walking the spiritual path seems so difficult at times. I read EE’s Thought for the Day every day, and every day he reminds me in some way of how much work I still have to do. Coming to Naropa has been an amazing opportunity to immerse myself in a practice environment and in connection with so many experiences that push my buttons and raise my hackles as the old folks used to say. I can see daily how much there still is to let go of and once in awhile I glimpse how something has shifted and I am seeing a bit more clearly. For this on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, I have much gratitude. I am truly grateful for the blessings I receive daily from my Naropa experience even as it stresses me some days almost beyond my limits. What I can say without a doubt I am most grateful for in this experience is my Cultivating the Sacred companions on this path. Thanks to you all and may you all have a most blessed and precious holiday.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Treat Them Well
In her book Being with Dying, Joan Halifax talks about a miner who died in a catastrophe and wrote a note to his family before he died. Hi name was Martin Toler. His last words were “Tell all I will see them on the other side. I love you.” Joan goes on to say, “Toler’s last words honor the noblest of our human connections, that life is sacred and relationship holy. Through the darkness, he reached out not only to his family but to the rest of us in his community through his abiding and compassionate words. For as the Buddha told his cousin Ananada, the whole of the holy life is good friends. Our relationships—and our love—are ultimately what give depth and meaning to our lives.”
I love the old story of the Rabi that stops overnight at a monastery that had fallen on hard times. When he leaves the next morning, he says to the monks, “one of you is Jesus.” The monks look at one another and no one knows which one it is. From then on they start to treat each other as they would treat Jesus. Eventually there is a revival of the monastery and people from all around come to just experience being with the monks. I believe if we really could treat each person we come into contact with with the same reverence we would treat the Buddha, Jesus or even that we treat the Sakyong in Shambhala, it would not one revive all of our relationships but would create a ripple that would certainly change at least our slice of the world.
I love the old story of the Rabi that stops overnight at a monastery that had fallen on hard times. When he leaves the next morning, he says to the monks, “one of you is Jesus.” The monks look at one another and no one knows which one it is. From then on they start to treat each other as they would treat Jesus. Eventually there is a revival of the monastery and people from all around come to just experience being with the monks. I believe if we really could treat each person we come into contact with with the same reverence we would treat the Buddha, Jesus or even that we treat the Sakyong in Shambhala, it would not one revive all of our relationships but would create a ripple that would certainly change at least our slice of the world.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Don't Act with a Twist
"Don't act with a twist." Chogyam Trunpa
This morning when I pulled this card from my lojong deck, I couldn’t imagine what it could mean. Then I read Chögyam Trungpa’s explanation in Training the Mind. It ended with, “The practice of this slogan is to drop that attitude of looking for personal benefits from practice—either as an immediate or a long-term gain.” All day long I was pondering what would mean to give up thinking about gain from practice.
I imagine that everyone takes up spiritual practice initially at least expecting some benefit unless the inspiration comes from somewhere much deeper and maybe not even recognized. Over many years, I know I have hoped somehow spiritual practice could improve me, make me happier, make me lovable, teach me how to love, and any number of other projections on how life would be different when I finally found my practice. I question now whether I have arrived at a place where I don’t expect anything from it for myself any more or if I ever will get to that point. Jamgon Kontrul in The Path of Great Awakening relates it more to the stages of the Buddhist path and arriving finally beyond practicing merely for yourself to responding “to the inspiration of full awakening for the benefit of others.” In Thomas Keating’s writing he talks about devotion and service. They appear to be to him two sides of the same coin. I believe that what starts out being for ourselves through growing in devotion over time leads to the desire to be of service to others. Somehow it becomes too good to hold onto just for ourselves and a desire to share rises from within. There is a growing sense within me that there is an aspect of “being” for others, not just doing. Perhaps what arises from practicing no longer just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of all beings (which includes us), is that it opens our hearts wide. Then do from this heartful place, whatever we do will be of benefit and not done with a twist.
This morning when I pulled this card from my lojong deck, I couldn’t imagine what it could mean. Then I read Chögyam Trungpa’s explanation in Training the Mind. It ended with, “The practice of this slogan is to drop that attitude of looking for personal benefits from practice—either as an immediate or a long-term gain.” All day long I was pondering what would mean to give up thinking about gain from practice.
I imagine that everyone takes up spiritual practice initially at least expecting some benefit unless the inspiration comes from somewhere much deeper and maybe not even recognized. Over many years, I know I have hoped somehow spiritual practice could improve me, make me happier, make me lovable, teach me how to love, and any number of other projections on how life would be different when I finally found my practice. I question now whether I have arrived at a place where I don’t expect anything from it for myself any more or if I ever will get to that point. Jamgon Kontrul in The Path of Great Awakening relates it more to the stages of the Buddhist path and arriving finally beyond practicing merely for yourself to responding “to the inspiration of full awakening for the benefit of others.” In Thomas Keating’s writing he talks about devotion and service. They appear to be to him two sides of the same coin. I believe that what starts out being for ourselves through growing in devotion over time leads to the desire to be of service to others. Somehow it becomes too good to hold onto just for ourselves and a desire to share rises from within. There is a growing sense within me that there is an aspect of “being” for others, not just doing. Perhaps what arises from practicing no longer just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of all beings (which includes us), is that it opens our hearts wide. Then do from this heartful place, whatever we do will be of benefit and not done with a twist.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Rituals Western Style
I am listening to a program by Joan Halifax. In it she was saying how bereft she felt the West was of rituals of passage.
Yesterday as I sat at the inauguration of Naropa's fifth president, I realized it was very much a ritual of passage not only for our new president, Dr. Stuart C. Lord, but also for the faculty, staff, students, board of trustees and communities that are touched by Naropa. It seemed so appropriate that a school that teaches it students how to make rituals would include a very sweet ritual for the actual swearing in ceremony with Dr. Lord sitting on a cushion with the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche combined with the usual Western style speeches of congratulations, and invocations and music from African, American Native, and other religious traditions.
Most of my life, I have avoided such programs. My initial incentive to go was to support Dr. Lord as a student and as a person of color. Then it was to support the Rinpoche and my Shambhala community. Finally it was in recognition of my own need for more ritual and community in my life and the sheer joy of participating in it. I was happy to arrive early and find something useful to do to be of help.
Today I attended a ritual of a completely different flavor and texture. The Rinpoche is going away on retreat for a year and this was a going away party of sorts. But so consistent with this being a contemplative community, there was a very long, slow, silent ritual by an archer. There were chants and incantations in Tibetan by the Rinpoche's mother, step father and step brother, chants by the community for his longevity, and a blessing ceremony for the whole community. The sweetest part to me was the deep-felt request from Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown to the Rinpoche on behalf of the entire community for the Rinpoche to live a long life and to continue to teach his community. You could feel the depth of her own heartbreak from losing past teachers to death and at the thought of the Sakyong being away from the community for a full year.
I also attended the dialogues on Thursday night. I had the honor of refilling the water glasses for the dialogue participants. I had to find the pitcher and glasses and get everything ready. It seemed like something small at first and then I felt like I had been given a great responsibility. I had an opportunity to care for them in advance and to be very mindful of them throughout the whole dialogue in a way I would not have if I hadn't in my own way been a participant too.
One of my Naropa undergraduate friends is graduating in December. She told me all about her plans for her family and friends to come to the graduation and how excited she is about this opportunity to take the walk to get her degree. I did not even go to my undergraduate ceremony. I only went to my high school and MBA ceremony for the benefit of my mother primarily.
As I sat in the audiences these past few days and listened to my friends excitement yesterday, I realized that I have missed something important by not participating in the rituals that I have passed by over the years including many funerals. Through our Cultivating the Sacred class, I am learning how valuable rituals are and how few opportunities we actually do have to participate in them in our culture. So the next time someone invites me to a wedding or a ceremony of any type, I will not so quickly turn up my nose at it and may even accept with joy instead of disdain and go and really be mindful of the opportunity I have to particpate in a rite of transition Western style.
Yesterday as I sat at the inauguration of Naropa's fifth president, I realized it was very much a ritual of passage not only for our new president, Dr. Stuart C. Lord, but also for the faculty, staff, students, board of trustees and communities that are touched by Naropa. It seemed so appropriate that a school that teaches it students how to make rituals would include a very sweet ritual for the actual swearing in ceremony with Dr. Lord sitting on a cushion with the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche combined with the usual Western style speeches of congratulations, and invocations and music from African, American Native, and other religious traditions.
Most of my life, I have avoided such programs. My initial incentive to go was to support Dr. Lord as a student and as a person of color. Then it was to support the Rinpoche and my Shambhala community. Finally it was in recognition of my own need for more ritual and community in my life and the sheer joy of participating in it. I was happy to arrive early and find something useful to do to be of help.
Today I attended a ritual of a completely different flavor and texture. The Rinpoche is going away on retreat for a year and this was a going away party of sorts. But so consistent with this being a contemplative community, there was a very long, slow, silent ritual by an archer. There were chants and incantations in Tibetan by the Rinpoche's mother, step father and step brother, chants by the community for his longevity, and a blessing ceremony for the whole community. The sweetest part to me was the deep-felt request from Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown to the Rinpoche on behalf of the entire community for the Rinpoche to live a long life and to continue to teach his community. You could feel the depth of her own heartbreak from losing past teachers to death and at the thought of the Sakyong being away from the community for a full year.
I also attended the dialogues on Thursday night. I had the honor of refilling the water glasses for the dialogue participants. I had to find the pitcher and glasses and get everything ready. It seemed like something small at first and then I felt like I had been given a great responsibility. I had an opportunity to care for them in advance and to be very mindful of them throughout the whole dialogue in a way I would not have if I hadn't in my own way been a participant too.
One of my Naropa undergraduate friends is graduating in December. She told me all about her plans for her family and friends to come to the graduation and how excited she is about this opportunity to take the walk to get her degree. I did not even go to my undergraduate ceremony. I only went to my high school and MBA ceremony for the benefit of my mother primarily.
As I sat in the audiences these past few days and listened to my friends excitement yesterday, I realized that I have missed something important by not participating in the rituals that I have passed by over the years including many funerals. Through our Cultivating the Sacred class, I am learning how valuable rituals are and how few opportunities we actually do have to participate in them in our culture. So the next time someone invites me to a wedding or a ceremony of any type, I will not so quickly turn up my nose at it and may even accept with joy instead of disdain and go and really be mindful of the opportunity I have to particpate in a rite of transition Western style.
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