The thief left it behind: the moon at my window - Ryokan

Monday, June 7, 2010

Bhakti-heart

This blog site is getting slow to load. My new blog site is here-
http://bhakti-heart.blogspot.com

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Friday, May 7, 2010

everyone on earth...



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Friday, February 26, 2010

addressing suffering

8752_monkspraying

I decided that my being should be dedicated to something useful for others. One of my favourite prayers says "So long as space remains... So long as sentient beings suffer and remain... I will remain in order to serve". This gives me a lot of comfort. This is the meaning of my life


The Dalai Lama

*

Ahimsa

By
Sri Swami Sivananda
[extracts]

.... There is one religion - the religion of love, of peace. There is one message, the message of Ahimsa. Ahimsa is a supreme duty of man.

Ahimsa, or refraining from causing pain to any living creature, is a distinctive quality emphasized by Indian ethics. Ahimsa or non-violence has been the central doctrine of Indian culture from the earliest days of its history. Ahimsa is a great spiritual force.

MEANING OF AHIMSA

Ahimsa or non-injury, of course, implies non-killing. But, non-injury is not merely non-killing. In its comprehensive meaning, Ahimsa or non-injury means entire abstinence from causing any pain or harm whatsoever to any living creature, either by thought, word, or deed. Non-injury requires a harmless mind, mouth, and hand.

Ahimsa is not mere negative non-injury. It is positive, cosmic love. It is the development of a mental attitude in which hatred is replaced by love. Ahimsa is true sacrifice. Ahimsa is forgiveness. Ahimsa is Sakti (power). Ahimsa is true strength.

SUBTLE FORMS OF HIMSA


Only the ordinary people think that Ahimsa is not to hurt any living being physically. This is but the gross form of Ahimsa. The vow of Ahimsa is broken even by showing contempt towards another man, by entertaining unreasonable dislike for or prejudice towards anybody, by frowning at another man, by hating another man, by abusing another man, by speaking ill of others, by backbiting or vilifying, by harbouring thoughts of hatred, by uttering lies, or by ruining another man in any way whatsoever.

All harsh and rude speech is Himsa (violence or injury). Using harsh words to beggars, servants or inferiors is Himsa. Wounding the feelings of others by gesture, expression, tone of voice and unkind words is also Himsa. Slighting or showing deliberate discourtesy to a person before others is wanton Himsa. To approve of another's harsh actions is indirect Himsa. To fail to relieve another's pain, or even to neglect to go to the person in distress is a sort of Himsa. It is the sin of omission. Avoid strictly all forms of harshness, direct or indirect, positive or negative, immediate or delayed. Practice Ahimsa in its purest form and become divine. Ahimsa and Divinity are one....

.... Ahimsa is never a policy. It is a sublime virtue. It is the fundamental quality of seekers after Truth. No Self-realization is possible without Ahimsa.... More

*


In Engaged Buddhism, Peace Begins with You

By John Malkin

Thich Nhat Hanh, who originated Engaged Buddhism, in an interview with John Malkin.



I met with Thich Nhat Hanh recently at the Kim Son Monastery in Northern California. I was happy to be seated on a zafu drinking tea with him, but I was also glad when he motioned with a simple gesture towards the page of questions sitting at my side: otherwise the lunch bell might have sounded an hour later without the interview having begun.

Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1967, after playing a central role in the Vietnamese peace movement. He is the author of over one hundred books, including Love in Action, Peace Is Every Step, The Miracle of Mindfulness and No Death, No Fear. He currently lives at Plum Village Monastery in France.
-John Malkin



John Malkin: Will you describe the origins of Engaged Buddhism and how you became involved in compassion-based social change?

Thich Nhat Hanh: Engaged Buddhism is just Buddhism. When bombs begin to fall on people, you cannot stay in the meditation hall all of the time. Meditation is about the awareness of what is going on-not only in your body and in your feelings, but all around you.

When I was a novice in Vietnam, we young monks witnessed the suffering caused by the war. So we were very eager to practice Buddhism in such a way that we could bring it into society. That was not easy because the tradition does not directly offer Engaged Buddhism. So we had to do it by ourselves. That was the birth of Engaged Buddhism.

Buddhism has to do with your daily life, with your suffering and with the suffering of the people around you. You have to learn how to help a wounded child while still practicing mindful breathing. You should not allow yourself to get lost in action. Action should be meditation at the same time.

John Malkin: Why did you come to the United States for the first time in 1966, and what happened while you were here?

Thich Nhat Hanh: I was invited by Cornell University to deliver a series of talks. I took the opportunity to speak about the suffering that was going on in Vietnam. After that I learned that the Vietnamese government didn't want me to come home. So I had to stay on and continue the work over here. It was not my intention to come to the West and share Buddhism at all. But because I was forced into exile, I did. An opportunity for sharing just presented itself.

John Malkin: What did you learn from being in the United States during that time?

Thich Nhat Hanh:
The first thing I learned was that even if you have a lot of money and power and fame, you can still suffer very deeply. If you don't have enough peace and compassion within you, there is no way you can be happy. Many people in Asia would like to consume as much as Europeans and Americans. So when I teach in China and Thailand and in other Asian countries, I always tell them that people suffer very deeply in the West, believing that consuming a lot will bring them happiness. You have to go back to the traditional values and deepen your practice.

John Malkin: What did you learn from Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement in the United States?

Thich Nhat Hanh: The last time Martin Luther King and I met was in Geneva during the peace conference called Paix sur Terre—"Peace on Earth." I was able to tell him that the people in Vietnam were very grateful for him because he had come out against the violence in Vietnam. They considered him to be a great bodhisattva, working for his own people and supporting us. Unfortunately, three months later he was assassinated.

John Malkin: What is your view of the current peace movement in the United States?

Thich Nhat Hanh: People were very compassionate and willing to support us in ending the war in Vietnam during the sixties. But the peace movement in America did not have enough patience. People became angry very quickly because what they were doing wasn't bringing about what they wanted. So there was a lot of anger and violence in the peace movement.

Nonviolence and compassion are the foundations of a peace movement. If you don't have enough peace and understanding and loving-kindness within yourself, your actions will not truly be for peace. Everyone knows that peace has to begin with oneself, but not many people know how to do it.

John Malkin: People often feel that they need to choose between being engaged in social change or working on personal and spiritual growth. What would you say to those people?

Thich Nhat Hanh:
I think that view is rather dualistic. The practice should address suffering: the suffering within yourself and the suffering around you. They are linked to each other. When you go to the mountain and practice alone, you don't have the chance to recognize the anger, jealousy and despair that's in you. That's why it's good that you encounter people—so you know these emotions. So that you can recognize them and try to look into their nature. If you don't know the roots of these afflictions, you cannot see the path leading to their cessation. That's why suffering is very important for our practice.

John Malkin:
When the World Trade Center was destroyed, you were asked what you would say to those responsible. You answered that you would listen compassionately and deeply to understand their suffering. Tell me about the practice of deep listening and how you think it helps in personal situations, as well as in situations like the World Trade Center attacks.

Thich Nhat Hanh:
The practice of deep listening should be directed towards oneself first. If you don't know how to listen to your own suffering, it will be difficult to listen to the suffering of another person or another group of people.

I have recommended that America listen to herself first, because there is a lot of suffering within her borders. There are so many people who believe they are victims of discrimination and injustice, and they have never been heard and understood.

My proposal is very concrete: we have to set up a group of people—a kind of parliament—to practice listening to the suffering of America. It's my conviction that there are people in America who are capable of listening deeply, with compassion in their hearts. We have to identify them, and ask them to come and help us. Then we will ask the people who suffer to come forward and tell us what they have in their hearts. They'll have to tell us everything, and that won't be easy for those listening.

If America can practice this within her own borders, she will learn a lot. The insight will be enormous, and based on that insight, we can start actions that can repair the damage done in the past.

If America succeeded in that, she could bring that practice to the international level. The fact is that people know America has the capacity to hit. To hit very hard and make people suffer. But if America does not hit, that brings her more respect and gives her more authority.


Source


*
When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. And there are ways in which we can consciously work to develop feelings of love and kindness. For some of us, the most effective way to do so is through religious practice. For others it may be non-religious practices. What is important is that we each make a sincere effort to take seriously our responsibility for each other and for the natural environment.

- The Dalai Lama

*

'The truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more that you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer, because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt.'

'What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.'






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Friday, December 18, 2009

The Infinite Heart

infinite Love : in all things and everywhere


My sense is we can never 'share' or 're-live' an experience.
We can speak 'around it', point to it, tell tales or draw pictures to illustrate
- but the experience itself can only be experienced with awareness.

The experience can only be experienced in the present
once experienced
it is in the past
- a memory or fantasy
not 'the thing itself'

Since the beginnings of time beings have been on a search
to experience the utter sacredness of all
to find meaning of Be-ing

Endless books have been written, tales told, paintings painted and
The Enlightened Ones in their compassion have left us trails and signs
and we each walk a path on our Life's Journey

and every path leads to
Oneness which is beyond words
which only takes place in the present

So can I share an experience
I can only invite you to experience it...

gratitude, love, wonder, awe, devotion, surrender ... words keep flowing in the attempt...

... Be-ing whispers its heart-language as sacred prayer.
No words, just surrender, devotion, infinite love ...

the Infinite Heart is realised


No matter what our path
unobstructed, receptive Be-ing in the moment
- the Divine flows through the window

in the thunder of silence
Many Windows
One light
raising Gaia's vibrations

Gurjisflower



Bowing to Beloved Guruji [Swamiji Sraddhasudhasharananda, also lovingly known as Swamiji Eli] who brought the GIFT of The Gaia Minute to all of us


The_gaia_minute_logo


The Gaia Minute has two aspects:
1. Sincere prayer by 1,500-2,000 people EACH day at the SAME appointed time.
2. At the individual level, Prayer as Daily Practice.


"... morning and night, for 9 minutes beginning at 9:09, in each participant’s time zone, this Divine Mandate – will join my heart with yours in combined prayer. An hourly wave that takes place on opposite sides of the globe simultaneously, every hour. Every hour, somewhere, it will be 9:09.
Please consider also, if both morning or night at 9:09 in your time zone, does not work for you, that you may also define time by the word MUHURTA, the moment of NOW. As noted, at 9 past the hour, someone, somewhere, will eventually be part of this prayer project and will be meditating with you."
Swamiji Sraddhasudhasharananda



sign in


practice The Gaia Minute daily


also join Siona's GAIA MINUTE CALL


organise a Gaia Minute prayer group where you live



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Q&A

Share experiences

Do you have a Gaia Minute link?

Prayers and Meditations

Spreading the message





Om Namo Narayanam




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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Farewell to FaceBook

For some time now my facebook account has been hacked. Although my profile page is visible, I have been unable to post, comment, etc. Now I have also been disabled to login, make inquiries about my password etc.

I would like to be able to login one final time in order to close my account and have written a request to FaceBook admin to close my account for me as I am unable to do so myself.

This morning I remembered that when I post a blog here from my HummingBird blogsite, it automatically shows up on FaceBook and so I'm attempting this avenue as an opportunity to say farewell to FaceBook - not to my friends and beloveds.

Those wishing to stay in contact are welcome to do so in the Gaia network where my name is hummingbird and my profile page is http://anuradha.gaia.com/profile.

I receive my Face Book notifications and have been sorry not to be able to respond to them. I would be grateful if those who read this message pass the word on so those who don't know, so they understand why I have not responded.

I have asked my daughter Natalie, who has lovingly downloaded all my photo albums, to post an explanation in my group 'passing', which I am most sorry to say goodbye to, but know all is as it must be and it will be in good hands. Those who wish to join http://groups.gaia.com/passing in the Gaia Network which is a similar group are most welcome - it is a very compassionate and interactive group.

Clearly I am not meant to be here any longer. Thank you for the wonder filled journey together and may those who feel a connection contact me on Gaia - and those who don't wish to join another network, know the heart is the best meeting place of all

love a

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Gaia Minute





Beautiful teaching on prayer
Join us on Gaia minute
Love

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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A Guide To Prayer Prepared For The Gaia Minute




Great blessings!


It is so wonderful to hear this simple but powerful teaching

Guide To Prayer Prepared For The Gaia Minute -

What we’re asking here is pray, just pray.
Pray… Pray… Pray…
Gaia needs your prayers.
Just pray with total surrender,
in complete faith…
and that prayer collectively done –
at least 1,000 or 1,500 people,
done at the same time,
will generate the positive healing energy for all of us.
Not asking for anyone special,
not even for the betterment of general life.
Nothing…
Just surrender and praying.
Om Namo Narayanam.

If you keep your palms upside down,
how can you hold the blessings in your palm.
So to receive the prayers also,
to receive the blessings also,
you are to turn your palm the right way up and receive it.
Praying is that.
Although we know that the blessings are around,
but to be aware of the blessings
we’re to put our palm the right way up
so that it comes into our palm.
That is the prayer which has the maximum power.


dee
p bows






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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Israeli-Palestinian 5 day Retreat conducted by Thich Nhat Hanh



I found this 5 day retreat series conducted by The Most Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. I have collected the whole series together so the retreat may be at the disposal of anyone wishing ‘to attend’. For any one giving this retreat the time it deserves there will be great benefit. Simply click the links below.

With metta, a




Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, a poet, a scholar, and a peace activist. His life long efforts to generate peace and reconciliation moved Martin Luther King, Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. Thich Nhat Hanh (Thây) teaches, writes, and gardens in Plum Village, France, a Buddhist monastery for monks and nuns and a mindfulness practice centre for lay people. More about Plum Village

A long-term exile from Vietnam, he was allowed to return for a trip in 2005 and again in 2007. He has published more than 100 books, including more than 40 in English. He also publishes a quarterly Dharma talk in the journal of the Order of Interbeing, The Mindfulness Bell. Nhat Hanh continues to be active in the peace movement, promoting non-violent solutions to conflict. He conducted a peace walk in Los Angeles in 2005, and again in 2007. He was awarded the Courage of Conscience award June 16, 1991. More

Day 1

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 1 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkDWWwdNKeM
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 2 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5NMd1mmBgo
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 3 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aypOSxGPLI
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 4 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhHL30XWoW8
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 5 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIQqEQO9zzU
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 6 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCnDhBsFvhw
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 7 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOBEFioQnMU
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 8 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkIfW0AbRiM
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 9 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y0Lx0Hnpg8
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 10 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1UQCM6cnqM
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 11 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hz-BgUROU0

Day 2

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 1 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6a-3k7NZME
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 2 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKlPQjLAV0k
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 3 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXOYJoss2m4
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 4 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvlD2SCFYJA
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 5 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEd9GKos2zE
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 6 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca7MNx5ANng
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 7 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1WIIru-8aM
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 8 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UTInRdsIZI
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 9 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y9Eh1FlgS8
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 10 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivrEqBQtb-s
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 11 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx7IPoKZUUw
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 12 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EF-AYmUtYo

Day 3

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 1 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVu2KHItg88
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 2 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRyTNGWgvik
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 3 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76X0n1T8mlo
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 4 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_CbeTWIS6A
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 5 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWl-Maeb9UQ
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 6 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnaklEsytEs
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 7 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cQuo2Qi8ZA
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 8 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmb7r2lL3gA
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 9 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSFLGtTue5g
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 10 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FoSOkrim08
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 11 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XODVDo_3h3g

Day 4

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 1 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFuvKkux2Es
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 2 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAgUBAtkHrQ
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 3 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSxy7zQG0bE
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 4 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lBl3xE3o6Q
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 5 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KaUdFxCpug
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 6 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27yz1GblQYQ
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 7 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWg_HI0eSdg
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 8 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE57WjQ5q-g
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 9 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmhQWyAPLdw
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 10 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K-kuDYTiRg
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 11 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptqrdjTmG0Y
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 12 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yWCNVK8Rpc
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 13 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9uGwzu9DjQ

Day 5

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 1 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PabJW7b1l-4
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 2 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBOja2meapI
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 3 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4aNxWP2y9Q
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 4 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h44IjoY5ko
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 5 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGve8csgv0
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 6 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBxoyetS27I
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 7 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcocfMucYHg

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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Gaia Minute



: 9:09 :
The Gaia Minute
a sacred time to beam your light, chant a holy mantra or say a prayer for 9 minutes


Each day at 9:09 in the morning and/or evening, let us contribute to the peace and harmony of Gaia, our Mother Earth, by raising our vibration and holding in our hearts all sentient and insentient beings.


To do so, we can pray, meditate, hold intention or simply visualize all Gaia, and ourselves, as healed, healing, whole, radiant. When thousands of people join together in an endeavour such as this, the energies so generated can bring miraculous changes. And when each of us does this in our own time zone, our Mother Earth and all of benefit from a round-the-clock and round the world healing. An hourly wave will take place on opposite sides of the globe simultaneously, every hour.

Every hour – somewhere - it is 9:09

The idea is for 1,000 or more people to focus positive energy on earth and beings living on earth, simultaneously

Go ahead - join The Gaia Minute in your space!

If you wish you can also click to read the history - The Gaia Minute


- Spread the word -

love from Swamiji and all at One Light Many Windows

* * *
you can also
Conference call and participate with others
from all over Earth in a guided meditation


– THE GAIA CALL –


Dial-in Number: 1 (218) 862 1300
Conference Code: 855 676

Siona says -
'... those who are able and interested, I'd like to invite you .... to a virtual weekly gathering. Each Monday, at 9:09 am MST (GMT-7), I'll be hosting a brief guided meditation intended to help strengthen the connection between us each and benefit more fully from the power of a shared positive intent. I hope you can join me.'
________________

Step out of the circle of time
And into the circle of love
- Rumi -

________________

see also here



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OM NAMO NARAYANA



the heart holds nothing
yet is full

sitting in this fullness
nothing to hold



beloved Swamiji
thank you for the gift of your loving ways

the seeds you have sown

the myriad gifts you impart

- may they s
pread their branches
like wings

and soar

Om




_______________________________________________
Note Some of the seeds planted and nurtured by Swamiji -
One Light many Windows
The Gaia Minute



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