Buddha’s Thoughts

At least once a week, I get an email or a phone call from a client that gives me pause to think about “why is that person acting or reacting like that?” I usually have a lot of wonderment around the question, and usually, within a day or two, I get a story or explanation for the behaviour. 

This morning I had a chat with a friend who was telling me that he/she would be fasting for the next ten days to help raise her/his vibration. And further, she/he would be avoiding all sweet things. 

I have learned that each person must do what seems right or best for him or her. However, the thought that sticks with me in all that I do is the vow of MODERATION that all those who take Munay-Ki must agree to. Moderation means that one is balanced in all things. Extreme fasting, or denying oneself, or forcing self to do things that are not for the highest good of the body temple are not in accordance with the Munay-Ki Vow. 

As I was reviewing my lesson in Buddhism, the following teaching story came up, and I received confirmation from Great Spirit that I was on the path of understanding that we need to be balanced in all things. Here is the story.

The Holy Man Who Tried To Be Too Holy (Extremism)

Once upon a time, the Enlightenment Being lived in a world where most religions were very similar. They taught that the way to remove suffering from the mind was to make the body suffer instead. As strange as it seems, most people thought that the holiest of the holy were the ones who tortured their bodies the most! Since everyone seemed to agree with this, the Bodhisatta decided to find out for himself if it was true.

He stopped living as an ordinary everyday person and became a holy man according to the custom of the times. This meant that he gave up everything, even his clothes. He went naked, with his body covered only by dust and dirt.

So he wouldn't be spoiled by the taste of good food, he forced himself to eat only filthy things - dirt, ashes, urine and cow dung.

So he could concentrate without being interrupted by anyone, he went to live in the most dangerous part of the forest. If he did see a human being, he ran away like a timid deer.

In the wintertime he spent his days under the trees and his nights out in the open. So in the daytime he was soaked by the cold water dripping from the icicles hanging from the tree branches. And at night he was covered by the falling snow. In this way, in winter, he made his body suffer the most extreme cold in both day and night.

In the summertime he spent his days out in the open and his nights under the trees. So in the daytime he was burned by the most severe rays of the sun. And at night he was blocked from the few cooling breezes of the open air. In this way, in summer, he made his body suffer the most extreme heat in both day and night.

This was how he struggled, trying to bring peace to his mind. He was so determined that he lived his entire life in this way.

Then, just as he was about to die, he saw a vision of himself reborn in a hell world. The vision struck him like lightning, and instantly he knew that all the ways he had tortured his body were completely useless! They had not brought him peace of mind. Lo and behold, as he gave up his false beliefs and held on to the truth, he died and was reborn in a heaven world!

May you find this helpful in all that you do today, and all days!

Blessings,

Judy

River Otter - Another Spirit Animal

 North America River Otter – picture from Wikipedia… 

 

Last night, in my dream, several river otters were transformed from carefree, playful creatures into an ankle length fur coat.  I could only see the back of the coat, and every once in a while, it seemed that an eye would open on the back of the coat and look at me.  I woke up this morning with this image in my head.  Years ago, when I worked for Hudson Bay Northern Stores, we would get in shipments of cured furs, including otter.  The pelts were very soft and warm.  Most often, the pelts would be made into coats or jackets.  I wondered why I was getting this sequence of events.  Then I realized that I needed to talk about spirit animals today, and Otter was telling me that I should write about her.

Otter was born with a great curiosity, and will investigate anything that strikes her fancy.  She brings a message that we should indulge our curiosity about all things, and take no ones word for anything. Otter also looks at things from land, the surface of the water and from beneath the water.  Perspective may change, depending on the angle one views life from… so do not limit your self to one view point.  Explore many.  

We hear the words “go with the flow” and do not really know what that means because humans are constantly trying to control everything around them.  Otter drifts on the water, and follows the current, truly moving as one with the environment.  When in this state, it is easy to relax, and enjoy life.  The message is that we humans should not take life so seriously.  

Otter’s ability to be on land or deep in the water – it will hold its breath for up to four minutes – is a message about learning to get in touch with one’s deepest emotions.  It gives the example of going deep in the water to get food and this tells us that delving deep into our emotions to free up pain is food for our soul.  

Family has deep meaning for Otter who takes care of her offspring for as a two years.  Additionally, Otters love company and live in social groups.  Conservationists have found Otter to be very gentle and trusting.  She will come up on the bank to visit.  Her openness teaches us that we too need to be more trusting, and to embrace new adventures with enthusiasm.  

I wish you “Otter” filled days!

Blessings,

Judy

Snow Leopard Has Messages

"Their big eyes are so well adapted for low-light vision that snow leopards can hunt in near total darkness—but they can still go hungry when humans compete for their prey. Though trophy hunts for wild sheep and goats bring income to local communities, they can deplete food stocks for snow leopards."   Out of the Shadows, photo project by Steve Winter  The Winner of The Best Wild Nature Photo 2008

Snow Leopard has the colour brown, for the Earth, black for the Night and mystery and magic, and white for the Day, and connection to Great Spirit.  The reverence for Snow Leopard is displayed in the many legends around it. 

In  Nepal, in Dolpo, there are stories of great lamas frequently making trips to Tibet in the form of snow leopards, in search of rare medicinal herbs. Other folklore describes the snow leopard as a “fence” for the crops, meaning that in the absence of snow leopards livestock would be free ranging and thus would invade crop fields.

Dr. John Mock, in 2004, went to Pakistan, and investigated some of their myths.  This is one around the Snow Leopard.

Pari are female supernatural denizens of the high mountains. People in Pakistan, Afghanistan, north India and throughout Central Asia are familiar with pari. The Wakhi ethnic population in northern Pakistan, China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan have their own word for pari: mergichan. The mergichan inhabit the mergich realm, which is the realm of the mountains and high pastures. It is a pure, even sacred realm, where the supernatural mountain spirits tend their wild flocks of blue sheep and ibex. The Wakhi word for snow leopard is pes. A pes is a mergich animal found only in mergich areas. It rarely interacts with people, is hard to see, powerful, beautiful, and potentially dangerous. As such, it exemplifies many of the qualities of the mergichan, and so is an appropriate animal shape for them to assume.

If Snow Leopard comes to you, then know it brings several messages, and all of them or some of them may be for you!

1. Living high in the mountains, this animal is at one with Great Spirit and Mother Earth.  Leopard communes with the Wisdom Keepers (in Munay-Ki the mountains are Wisdom Keepers).  She reminds you to open up your intuitive abilities.
2. Snow Leopard moves invisibly and so is able to stalk her prey, as elusive as her prey is.  The message is clear – keep a very low profile as you pursue your goals to avoid drawing attention and competition to what you do.
3. Leopard is a hunter that attacks the neck from the back. As many belief systems say the soul enters and leaves through the back, it is believed that Leopard may consume souls. If Leopard comes to you, know that she is telling you that it is difficult for you to meet people face on, and to ensure your back is covered.  She also cautions about moving up on someone else’s back.  Balance in all things is required.  If you do need to defeat someone, beware of taking on their “stuff”.
4. Leopard medicine is one that requires strong bodies – and quick action.  This may lead to humans with quick, angry tempers.  Leopard cautions that the angry energy must be released. If not released, it will settle into the body causing pain in the bones and limbs…arthritis may result.

May those of you with Leopard medicine find peace.

Many blessings,

Judy