Receiving the Blessing

In Buddhism, the Sanscrit word Abhisheka and the Tibetan word Wang, have a meaning in action – Receiving the Blessing. The story of Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth and subsequent Abhisheka provides us with a dynamic visualization of this happening.

It is said that when Shakyamuni was born, he walked three steps speaking the purpose of his incarnation. In the timeless moment of his separation from his mother, as the child-Buddha stood for the first time, the Blessed Ones assembled over his head. Who were these Blessed Ones? In one story, they were the Gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. In another story, they were the five Primordial Buddhas, each associated with an element of creation – Earth, Air, Fire Water, and Space – each with its own distinctive rainbow color, and each having a unique positive motivation of manifestation – such as Compassion, Free Action, Clear Perception.

These Blessed Ones gathered together over the child-Buddha, each of the five with a vase filled with the colored nectar of their Blessing. Together, each poured their colored nectar into a crystal clear stream, through the top of the child-Buddha’s head, filling him with the substance and motivation of their Blessings.

This is such a wonderful story, I feel so good sharing it with all of you. More, we can take this story and use it in our lives to experience these Blessings. And we can use our morning shower as an aid in this.

As you stand beneath the flowing water, feel it messaging the top of your head, feel the water cascading down your body – become very present in this sensory experience. With your imagination, create the Blessed Ones above you – chose the Blessed Ones that fit with your Spiritual Path, you can choose to use rainbow filled crystal clear nectar without any personages, if that suits you best. Imagine that you are receiving the Blessings of those whom you honor, let their Blessing Nectar enter through the top of your head. It can spin through your body, it can slowly fill you from the bottom up; you chose how it will enter and fill you.

Once you have been filled with the Blessings, it is very good to say Thank You – Perhaps to dedicate this new energy within you to helping others – helping in your own unique way.

Today, you have completed a method of Self-Empowerment.

Blessings to you all

Embracing Security and Safety in the Wholeness of Humanity

The other day a nicely dressed young fellow came up to me in the park and inquired, “Have you been Saved?” A joyous smile rose from within me, I thanked him for his question, and walked on.

Years ago, L Ron Hubbard spoke about the primary urge of the human species – Survival. Joseph Campbell once said that for a religion to be popular, it needed to provide a sense of ‘Health, Wealth and Safety’ to its practitioners.

I am describing a fundamental need that all humans share – a need for safety and security. We build great communities, develop laws, elect officials; all in the hopes of maintaining safety and security.

In our physical and social world, we attempt to control nature, control people, control events; all with the intent of maintaining safety and security. In our spiritual world, we join groups that seem to follow similar rules as ourselves. We establish Scripture and focus on our group’s interpretation of that Scripture.

We become exclusive; we separate ourselves from the rest of humanity. We believe, “They are wrong and I am Right.” With this exclusiveness, we ignore events; we value only the words of those who agree with us – in this exclusivity and ignore-ance, we end up endangering our safety and security.

Pope John 23rd spoke about the Wholeness of Humanity. Gandhi spoke of the Power of Soul – the power of a people who are not divided. Among followers of Buddha, there is a practice entitled ‘Metta’, where Loving Kindness is cultivated and shared with all beings. Individuals of these various religion faiths have realized that Safety and Security is found in discovering what all human beings share – a desire for safety and security. Understanding this foundational, shared desire, we can begin to work together to embrace Security and Safety in the Wholeness of Humanity.

Joy, Bliss and the depths of 'why'

As a child, when confronted with a disapproving authority, who questioned me about my actions; I would make a commitment to never “do that” again. Laughing, of course over time, I forgot my commitment and did “that again.”

When once more confronted with my errant activity, my answer was “I really didn’t mean to do that, it just sort of happened.” Humbled, perhaps spanked, I once more committed to never “do that” again.

I am guessing that most of my readers share this confusing entrapment, even today. The other day, I shouted out, “Why is this happening?”

In my anguish, I opened to Infinite Possibility – wondering, “Why can’t I, truly keep my commitments?” In my womb of possibility, I writhed for a while, allowing words and sentences to form – a question clarified, “What is it that I am committing to?” “Hmmm….”

In my life, I find that I consistently repeat specific patterns of physical action. When a dis-harmonious pattern arises, I call out, “Ekkk!” I am victimized by my unconscious patterns that are truly in conflict with my intent. Am I bound to live this way for ever, continually tossed between conscious intent and the reality of my actions?

Laughing, as Buddha said in his second Golden Truth, there is a way out of our bondage. The beginning is to realize that my intent is the source of my physical actions. Saying that I will spend one hour in meditation every morning seems like a really good commitment. Yet I am committing to a physical action without really knowing why I am doing it. Without knowing the depths of ‘Why’ I am doing the action, my morning meditation will eventually disappear from my life. Pavlov called this pattern, Extinction.

I have a cerebral cortex, I am more than animalistic reaction. I can reach within myself and find the depth of purpose for my action; then when I choose a pattern of expression, all of my deepest purpose is being manifest in that action. I find myself creating a whole new group of patterns of living – each and every one of them reflects the Joy and Bliss of my deep purpose for action.

Wahoo!!