Know Where You Come From And Where You Go

On top of recovering from medical emergency, I have been sharing my life with a cold for the last four days, and a bit, and, sometimes, it seems that the cold has a better life than I do. It grows strong, barks loudly, and emits heat.  Then, that passes, and it seems like I have the best life. 

Then I read this quote by  Soko Morinaga Roshi, a Buddhist teacher, and I realized that I was experiencing the continuous process of life and death in my experience of the cold. 

 

Our lives appear to be unbroken blocks of seventy or eighty continuous years, but, actually,...when you maintain the straightforward frankness of your own mind as it comes to life each instant, even without effort, even without training, you are beautifully born each instant. You die with each instant, and go on to be born again, instant by instant.
~Soko Morinaga Roshi~

I am now believing that Cold is my friend, who is working to keep me from doing too much – taking on too many tasks.  I do what I need to and I spend a lot of time sitting and reading and watching movies because if I get too active, I begin to cough, and to congest.  When I sit quietly, then the light can move through my body and do the work that the light needs to do to work on changing me.

Blessings,

Judy

Truth From A Buddhist View

                                               Picture of wild lily by J Hirst in July 2023

When we had our Winter Solstice gathering, one of the things that we did was pull a card with one word on it.  That word is the thing that we will work on over 2024.  The card that I pulled was “Truth”.  Interesting to me is that stuff that I do every day is supporting that.  

In my study of all things Buddhism, I came across a little book called “The Little Book of Zen Haiku, Koans, Sayings” from Barnes and Noble, and edited by Manuela Dunn Mascetti.  Now, Koans are stories that are meant to be puzzling to help the student gain enlightenment after meditating on the story – sometimes for great lengths of time. 

The Koan that I am sitting with is called “Tipping Over A Vase”.  

Hyakujo wished to send a monk to open a new monastery.  He told hi disciples that whoever answered a question most ably would be appointed.  Placing a water vase on the ground, he asked, “Who can say what this is without calling its name?”

The Chief monk said, “No one can call it a wooden shoe.”

Isan, the cooking monk, tipped over the vase with his foot and went out.  

Hyakujo smiled and said, “The chief monk loses.” And, Isan became the master of the new monastery.

The point of the Koan is to show that truth, as symbolized by the water vase, can only be shown. The cooking monk makes this demonstration very effectively.  

One of the leadership tools that I used to teach in my Organizational Behaviour Class was “How to Refute Rumour”.  The only way was to ignore it, not comment on it, and show the employees what the truth was.  

Truth is healing! It gives us a spiritual peace.  We feel balanced and at one with all things… Nature is our friend.  Sadly, we as a civilization seem to have moved far from Truth.  Perhaps we have reached the furthest swing of the pendulum and we are now ready to start kicking over vases, politicians, corrupt CEO’s and Boards, to get at the Truth.

May you find Truth in all you do!

Many Blessings,

Judy

Daily Necessities

A Statue of the Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India  From Wikipedia

 

 

 

I enjoy the teachings of Buddha and all of the various advices from Buddhist teachers.... the following daily advice is something that "zinged" through me and made me feel like I had discovered a hunk of gold in a cold stream.  

Tips & pointers for building a spiritual life from scratch 

Pray 
Meditate 
Be aware/Stay awake 
Bow 
Practise yoga 
Feel 
Chant and sing 
Breathe and smile 
Relax/Enjoy/Laugh/Play 
Create/Envision 
Let Go/Forgive/Accept 
Walk/Exercise/Move 
Work/Serve/Contribute 
Listen/Learn/Enquire 
Consider/Reflect 
Cultivate oneself/Enhance competencies 
Cultivate contentment 
Cultivate flexibility 
Cultivate friendship and collaboration 
Lighten up 
Celebrate and appreciate 
Dream 
Give thanks 
Evolve 
Love 
Share/Give/Receive 
Walk softly/Live gently 
Expand/Radiate/Dissolve 
Simplify 
Surrender/Trust 
Be born anew 
~~~~~from Awakening The Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das

Feel the peace and enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,

Judy

Tranquility’s Power - A Buddhist Story

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth...

not going all the way and not starting.

Buddha

This is a Zen story about the power of calmness.  

 

A master of the tea ceremony in old Japan once accidentally slighted a soldier. He quickly apologized, but the rather impetuous soldier demanded that the matter be settled in a sword duel. The tea master, who had no experience with swords, asked the advice of a fellow Zen master who did possess such skill. As he was served by his friend, the Zen swordsman could not help but notice how the tea master performed his art with perfect concentration and tranquility. "Tomorrow," the Zen swordsman said, "when you duel the soldier, hold your weapon above your head, as if ready to strike, and face him with the same concentration and tranquility with which you perform the tea ceremony."  The next day, at the appointed time and place for the duel, the tea master followed this advice. The soldier, readying himself to strike, stared for a long time into the fully attentive but calm face of the tea master. Finally, the soldier lowered his sword, apologized for his arrogance, and left without a blow being struck. 

After you read this story, gage your reaction to it.  Does your mind tell you that this is impossible?  Why do you think that?  Does your anger flare up and get you into trouble?  Have you ever experienced the power of tranquility?  What is the gift in this story?  Why did the soldier back down?  

May you find the first seeds of tranquility here.

Many blessings,

Judy

Why Challenges Repeat On Us

 In past postings, I have talked about the lessons that we get in life.  This poster featuring a quote from the Buddhist teacher, Peña Chodron, explains the concept quite well.

Let me give some examples.  An acquaintance of mine was having a terrible time with dating.  She was using a dating app and it would seem to connect her with some great guy.  They would go out for a month or so, and then he would dump her.  She was feeling extremely awful about herself.  Her confidence took a huge hit as did her ability to trust and to manage her time. 

She finally did some self work using the Tapping Process, took a break from dating and deleted the dating app.  She spent close to a year doing things for herself and going out with girl friends to do things that she liked.  She even adopted a rescue dog.  She loved taking him to the dog park and taking walks with him.  You guessed it, on one of her outings, she met a wonderful man, with a dog, and found that they are very compatible.  They are good fun to be around and they are slowly combining their houses to one.

The lesson was that as long as she was trying to control her process and manage dating, meeting the right guy wouldn’t work.  When she let go of control and went with the flow, then the Universe “helped” her find a companion in two ways.

Many blessings,

Judy

Relaxing by Stressing

Meditation picture from www.ehow.com

 

 

 

One of the things that I have learned about meditation is – there are many more ways to meditate than one could practice in this lifetime.  I quite enjoy the Buddhist meditations.  Here is one that I thought would be a good one for these times that seem to be creating a lot of stress for people.

           *****************************

RELAXING BY STRESSING 

A very effective method to relax the body by stressing all the muscles, holding that 5 to 10 seconds, and then releasing the tension.

1.  Sit or lie in a relaxed way.  
2.  Put an extremely tense expression on the face, straining as many face muscles as possible. (If you practise Yoga, then you might use the Lion’s Pose here.)

3. Take a deep breath and forcefully hold it. (Use a count of three to start with, and then, as you practice, increase the count for holding the breath to ten.)  
4. Now slowly release the breath and the tension of all the face muscles, feel as if you breathe out all stress.  
5.  Inhale deeply again and stress all neck and shoulder muscles, and then let go. (If you feel slightly dizzy, simply keep breathing until the feeling passes.)  
6. Inhale, make fists and stress the arms, and then let go.  
7.  Inhale, stress chest, belly and back and then let go. 

8.  Inhale, stress buttocks, legs and feet and then let go.  
9.  If you still feel tension at some places, just stay relaxed. Don't hold the breath now and slowly breath out, and release all the tension while breathing out. 

Now, sit in this moment of relaxation, and ask your body to enjoy the feeling, and to remember the feeling, so that your body can recall it at will. Note that this will take some practice.  

Let me know how this meditation worked for you! 

Blessings,

Judy

The Lesson From The Useless Eyebrows

Have you ever complained about something, and called it useless?  I know I have.  When I read this Buddhist teaching, I was cast into a place of asking forgiveness from all those “things” over the years which I labelled useless.  Just because I could not understand their place in the system of “things” did not give me the right to call them useless.  I felt quite humble after I finished this story, and, it stays with me. 

                 +++++++++++++++++++++++

The Useless Eyebrows                                                
(told by Ven. Master Hsing-Yun) 

Note:  rough drawings from Judy…

Once, a person's eyes, nose, and mouth had a meeting. First the  eyes said, "We, the eyes, are of utmost importance to the body. Everything must be seen by us to know whether it is beautiful or not, big or small, tall or short. Without eyes, walking around will be very difficult. So we, the eyes, are very important. But we have been improperly placed under the eyebrows, which are of no use. It is just not fair!" 

Next, the nose said, "I, the nose, am the most important. Only I can distinguish a good smell from a foul odor. The act of breathing is also dependent on me. If I do not let the breath pass through, everybody will die. So I am the most important. As important as I am, I have been unfairly placed beneath the useless eyebrows. I am most unhappy." 

Then the mouth said, "I am the most important part of the human body. I can speak; if not for me, there would not be any communication among people. I take in the food; if not for me, everybody would die of hunger. Such an important part as myself has been placed in the lowest part of the face. The useless eyebrows, however, have been put on the highest part of the face. This I cannot accept!" 

After the others had spoken, the eyebrows spoke slowly, "Please do not fight anymore. We, the eyebrows, are surely the most useless things; we admit defeat. We are willing to be placed below you." Having said this, the eyebrows settled down below the eyes. Unfortunately, the person no longer looked like a human being. Next, they eyebrows settled down below the nose. It was still horrible; it still did not look like a human being. Then the eyebrows settled down below the mouth. This looked even more ghastly! The eyes, nose, and mouth huddled to discuss the situation again. They concluded that it was best if the eyebrows returned to their original place on the face; it was the most appropriate spot for them. When the eyebrows returned to their original spot, the appearance was once again that of a human being. Thus, we can see that what appears to be the most useless thing can be indeed the most useful.

Many blessings,

Judy

You are a Visitor Here

  

   "Lady Traveler" from Microsoft Clip Art....

 

                                                           I have been experiencing many different lessons of life over the past twenty years.  Early in this adventure, after each experience, I usually would say, "Wow!  That was intense! I am glad that I am through that!"  As I grew older and wiser, I realized that the lessons were the journey. And, as I traveled around the world, I realized that the lessons of life were very much paralleled by the challenges one faces traveling in different countries where we cannot communicate in a common language and thus revert to signing and engaging in a genuine exchange.  Words do limit how another interprets what one says. 

I had pretty much forgotten about my earlier discoveries as I am busy learning new things all the time.  Then, the other day, I found this passage when I was working through some Buddhist teachings.  I loved the phrasing!  It took me back to the earlier times when I was a visitor in so many countries and cities.  

May you enjoy this teaching as I did!

                                      Dhammavadaka

Remember always that you are just a visitor here, a traveler passing through. Your stay is but short and the moment of your departure unknown.

None can live without toil and a craft that provides your needs is a blessing indeed. But if you toil without rest, fatigue and weariness will overtake you, and you will denied the joy that comes from labour's end.

Speak quietly and kindly and be not forward with either opinions or advice. If you talk much, this will make you deaf to what others say, and you should know that there are few so wise that they cannot learn from others.

Be near when help is needed, but far when praise and thanks are being offered.

Take small account of might, wealth and fame, for they soon pass and are forgotten. Instead, nurture love within you and and strive to be a friend to all. Truly, compassion is a balm for many wounds.

Treasure silence when you find it, and while being mindful of your duties, set time aside, to be alone with yourself.  
Cast off pretense and self-deception and see yourself as you really are.

Despite all appearances, no one is really evil. They are led astray by ignorance. If you ponder this truth always you will offer more light, rather then blame and condemnation.  
You, no less than all beings have Buddha Nature within. Your essential Mind is pure. Therefore, when defilements cause you to stumble and fall, let not remorse nor dark foreboding cast you down. Be of good cheer and with this understanding, summon strength and walk on.  

Faith is like a lamp and wisdom makes the flame burn bright. Carry this lamp always and in good time the darkness will yield and you will abide in the Light. 

Note - I believe this was written by  Shravasti Dhammika ... I thank you for this writing.

Blessings,

Judy

Right Eating

A surprisingly large portion of the Vinaya [monastic code]’s two hundred and fifty rules advocate a proper way to eat. “A lot of things are based on this idea of eating food properly,” the Tibetan teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche taught his American students, “which is how to behave as a basically decent person.”  –Sandra Garson, "Food for Enlightenment" A Buddhist book often used for teaching.

The idea of right eating has been around for a long time.  However, for me, over the last several weeks, the need to eat the best food in the healthiest manner, has been pushing at me.  I want green, clean food.  I want food that is home made. And, I want food that boosts my immune system.  It feels that a strong immune system will be very important towards the end of 2011.

When I say I crave green – I am not saying that I will not eat meat.  I was reading a teaching about meat eating in Buddhism.  I’d like to share part of it with you.

In the days of the Buddha, the Buddhist monks wandered from village to village carrying minimum necessities, which included a begging bowl. They ate whatever food that was given to them, without preference and choice as a part of their effort to control greed and desires. Since choice meant desire, they shunned all preferences and choices in matters of living and practicing the Buddhist Dharma. The tolerated harsh conditions of life and accepted them as opportunities to practice the Eightfold Path. They observed the same discipline in matters of eating food. When they passed through a village and if someone offered them meat, they ate it dispassionately, without craving or contempt. 

The essential practice of Buddhism, which was based on the Four Noble Truth and The Eightfold Path precluded any possibility of seeking and desiring on the part of the monks. The teachings of the Buddha encouraged them to overcome their desires and live unconditionally with an ethical bent of mind. Thus there were no restrictions on meat eating in the early days of Buddhism. This practice continues till today in many schools of Buddhism. For the followers of the Buddha, right resolve or right intention is more important than the superficial display of morality, which is defined as "resolved on renunciation, on freedom from ill-will and on harmlessness.  

- from a teaching by Jayarm V

Everyone gets to make up their own mind about what they eat and how they eat it.  I believe that decision should come from the heart, not because someone says so.

May you choose what is right for you and may you allow others the same right.

Many blessings,

Judy

Staying in Synch

Today, I was trying to figure out why the podcasts on my iPad were not updating the way that I expected them to.  I started checking every setting.  What I found was that the “Synch” check box on my settings has some how become unchecked.  Now, since I never go in and change my settings, this seemed to be quite a “weird” thing for me.  I felt that maybe there was a lesson waiting to be learned.

I went to my podcasts and I listened to a Zen Buddhist lesson on “Being Present”.  There were several things that inspired me about this lesson.  One was that the emphasis through sutras and through stories was around being in the present moment.  If you cannot be in the present moment, and need to dwell on the past or the future, then what in the present moment is causing you so much pain?  

The second item in the teachings was that each act of living is about being in the present moment.  If we cannot be in that moment, then we are missing most of our life.  That too makes sense to me because I see so many people wasting happy and fun moments by texting or being on the phone, or trying to get away from themselves in some way.  

The third item I enjoyed in the teaching was around recognizing that each person is living perfectly in their present moment, and that we do not need to impose our ideas of what is going on.  I start to laugh as I read this because back in my second item, I realized that I was imposing judgement on those who choose to text in the present moment.  (I still wish they would not text while they are driving!)

I realized that Spirit was giving me a “hands on” lesson about staying in balance and harmony with my passions and my path.  When all is going well, then little thought is required because a person simply rolls with the flow of what is going on.  We are living in the present moment.  However, when we start to over think our actions and try to second guess all the people around us, then we are “out of synch” with our purpose.  Our harmony is compromised, and therefore life seems choppy and full of obstacles.  The serenity is gone. 

 I am truly grateful for the lesson.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Who Do You Want To Be?

  

One of the things that a person undertakes when they begin the practice of Buddhism, is to figure out who they are.  This is a difficult thing to do because many times we have been shaped by so many people, beginning with our parents, that we truly have no idea of what we like.  We are much like the bride in the movie, “Run Away Bride”, who does not know what kind of egg she likes because she has always liked what her fiancé liked.  Here is a simple meditation to do each time you sit in meditation. Try to answer one question per meditation.  

Enjoy the journey!

WHO DO I WANT TO BE? 
Mentally project yourself 5 years into the future: how would I like to be, having accomplished what I want to accomplish, learned what I want to learn, did what I wanted to do.
- Which qualities have I developed in myself?  
- Which are the most important lessons I have learned?  
- What have I done for others that I feel most happy about?  
- How did I manage to stop underestimating myself?  
- How did I manage to stop underestimating other people?  
- How did I manage to stop pretending that I cannot do things?  
- Which kind of powers and abilities did I discover in myself?  
- Which kind of powers and abilities did I find in others?  
- What can I do right now in order to be this person in five years?  
- If it feels right, make a commitment to yourself to make this vision reality.

Many blessings,

Judy 

Comfortable and Wise

  

Picture’s origin is not known as it was part of an email.

The most comfortable and wisest people are those who watch their health when they are healthy; guard their country when it is untroubled; and cultivate their fields well when weeds are nonexistent or scarce.
—Venerable Chwasan, “The Grace in This World” - a Buddhist

The Archangels share many ideas with us, and the wisdom today is about being on guard.  This means that we must not slip into complacency about health, protection, growing our food, and tending our animals and children. 

Mankind is a caretaker of many things, and over time, mankind has forgotten how to care-take himself and others.  This is a tragedy that has transpired into many businesses that profit from the idea of doing your caretaking for you.

Today, choose one thing to be more mindful about.  It may be looking after plants at home or in the office.  Become the best that you can be at this task.

Many blessings,

Judy

On Being Happy - A Buddhist Story

 

 

  Picture of Buddha's first sermon - from Wikipedia

Clients come to see me for a variety of reasons.  Recently, however, clients come in and talk about how they feel, and they talk about how they are not happy.  The best teaching story about happiness that I have read comes from Buddhist teachings.  

Here is a story about happiness.

"Once I was staying with my mother in London. At the time she was the housekeeper for a very wealthy Canadian who lived in a luxury flat just off Hyde Park. They all went off for a while, and I had the flat to myself. There I was in London, living in this luxurious flat with two huge colour television sets and all the food I could possibly eat! I had enough money for whatever I wanted, lots of records, lots of everything. But I was so bored!  I told myself, "Please remember this. If you are ever tempted to think that physical comfort gives happiness, remember this." 

But then, another time I was staying in a cave, not my cave but another cave, which was very small. It was so small that you couldn't stand up in it, with a tiny box you could only just sit in, and that was the bed as well. It was full of fleas, so I was covered in flea bites. You had to go half a mile down a very steep track to bring up water. There was also almost no food at all, and it was hot. But I was in bliss. I was so happy. It was a very holy place, and the people there were wonderful. Although from a physical point of view the situation was difficult, so what! The mind was happy. I remember that whole place as being bathed in golden light. Do you see what I mean?"   from Ani Tenzin Palmo, from "Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism'

Each person reading this story will have a different take away, and that is a good thing.  What I hope that everybody understands from this story is that our happiness stems from how happy we are at the time we examine our happiness.

As the last line of the "Loving Kindness" Meditation says, "May you be happy!"

Many blessings,

Judy

What Are The Valuable Things in Life?

 Picture from Microsoft Clip Art

 

I came across this lovely teaching story the other day in a Buddhist online journal.  The idea of staying healthy and fit is probably the one task that resonates for me at the moment.  We are in a short time of extreme weather when colds and flu are prevalent. Our temperature (in Calgary) changes from –20C to +9C in twenty-four hours.  The shifting – which mimics ascension shifting, is hard on the human body.  I digress.  Enjoy this story! 

Once upon a time there was a rich man living in Benares, in northern India. He had a son who was intelligent, curious and eager to learn. Even though he was only seven years old, he was determined to find out what is really valuable.

One day the little boy asked his father, "What are the ways to gain the most valuable things in life?"

His father said, "Only worthy ways lead to worthwhile goals. These are the six worthy ways:

• keep yourself healthy and fit;
• be wholesome in every way;
• listen to those with more experience;
• learn from those with more knowledge;
• live according to Truth;
• act with sincerity, not just energy.

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After I read this story several times, I believe that sincerity means both compassion and kindness, depending on the situation.  

Many blessings,

Judy

Reach me at lighthousewisdom@gmail.com

The Healing Tool - Ho'oponopono

This week seems to be about me talking about healing and healing methods.  Our friend, Theo, introduced my husband and me to Ho'oponopono when he was visiting us in 2005.  He talked about the process as part of the training that he undertook to become a Huna (one who can connect to the highest wisdom within and with the Universe). He talked about how the process changed him over the course of several months.  

It is a process that I have adopted as part of my self work.  It is a process that I have shared with many.  I hope that you find it helpful.

              

The Hawaiians' have a practice that allows them to clear themselves of issues. The following definition of Ho'oponopono comes from Uplift Connect at http://upliftconnect.com/hawaiian-practice-of-forgiveness/.

What is ho’oponopono?

On the surface level, many people have understood ho’oponopono to be a mantra where one repeats the words ‘I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you’ as a form of mental and spiritual cleaning that could be compared to Buddhist techniques for clearing karma. It has been defined as a forgiveness and reconciliation practice, cleansing of ‘errors of thought’ – the origin of problems and sickness in the physical world, according the the Hawaiian worldview. The literal translation is ‘to put to right; to put in order or shape, correct, revise, adjust, amend, regulate, arrange, rectify, tidy up, make orderly or neat.”

The process that you can use is neatly summarized in the website at http://www.ancienthuna.com/ho-oponopono.htm.  

Try the process and see how it works for you.

The Process of Ho'oponopono:

1. Bring to mind anyone with whom you do not feel total alignment or support, etc.
2. In your mind's eye, construct a small stage below you
3. Imagine an infinite source of love and healing flowing from a source above the top of your head (from your Higher Self), and open up the top of your head, and let the source of love and healing flow down inside your body, fill up the body, and overflow out your heart to heal up the person on the stage. Be sure it is all right for you to heal the person and that they accept the healing.
4. When the healing is complete, have a discussion with the person and forgive them, and have them forgive you.
5. Next, let go of the person, and see them floating away. As they do, cut the aka cord that connects the two of you (if appropriate). If you are healing in a current primary relationship, then assimilate the person inside you.
6. Do this with every person in your life with whom you are incomplete, or not aligned.
   The final test is, can you see the person or think of them without feeling any negative emotions. If you do feel negative emotions when you do, then do the process again.

Remember, the information in this blog  is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider for a medical condition. 

Remember, too, that links to websites change over time so at some point, the links may not work.

Many blessings,

Judy

How To Understand the “Fool” Card - Card 0 In The Tarot Deck

Image from the Osho Zen Transformation Tarot

 When people come to me to learn how to read the Tarot cards, I tell them that they must find a deck or two that feel right to them.  If they do not already have a sense of a deck, I usually start them out on two of my favourite decks - either the Universal Tarot by Maxwell Miller or the Zen Transformational Tarot by Osho.  Although the Zen deck reflects a Buddhist path, the journey depicted in the cards is true of most people's lives.

The first card in any Tarot deck is "The Fool".  I love this card because it is a happy card.  It speaks of innocence and joy!  Who of us does not want to achieve a state of joy that provides harmony in all that we do?

The first step in understanding any card is to look at the picture , at the central figure or item, and then look at all the supporting pictures or symbols as we move out from the central picture.  In this card, the picture of a young man or woman - possibly in their late teens or early twenties - is looking expectantly into the sky, and offering a charming bouquet of flowers to whomever they seem to see.  The uncomfortable part of this figure, for us, is that the person is dressed unusually colourful and is stepping off a cliff into space.  We say that this person is not acting normally and must be a fool to do something so dangerous.  

The opposite interpretation is probably more accurate and begins the message of this card.  The person stepping off the cliff does so with absolute trust, and shows their trust to the heavens - what we would call The Universe, Great Spirit, or Mother/Father God - by offering a gift, and showing no hesitation in taking this BIG step.  We may even feel some jealousy that someone is able to take that big a risk without any fear.  Fear is so pervasive in our lives that we believe all people should feel fear.

As we move out to examine the rest of the picture, it becomes clear that even if the Fool falls from the cliff, the river below will cushion the fall and carry the person on a great adventure.  The clouds lie below the person and give the impression of big, pillowy cushions that will soften any fall or journey the person may take.  Indeed, the individual will step off into LOVE and experience the ONENESS of all.  This card shows how we may depend on NATURE to carry us just as the ANGELS carry us. 

Osho says: "A fool is one who goes on trusting; a fool is one who goes on trusting against all his experience. You deceive him, and he trusts you; and you deceive him again, and he trusts you; and you deceive him again, and he trusts you. Then you will say that he is a fool, he does not learn. His trust is tremendous; his trust is so pure that nobody can corrupt it……………In the beginning it is going to be very difficult. The world will start taking advantage of you...let them. They are poor fellows. Even if you are cheated and deceived and robbed, let it happen, because that which is really yours cannot be robbed from you, that which is really yours nobody can steal from you." Osho Dang Dang Doko Dang Chapter 2

If this card turns up in a reading, the querent is being asked to return to their natural state and to trust their instinct.  It is about knowing that the message from The Universe is true, and that any action taken is fully supported by the ONENESS of all things.  You may ANGER some by your actions, however, this card is about TRUST.

May your journey be an adventure unhindered by your family and friends.  And may they stand by you as you travel.

Blessings,

Judy