Chenrezig, four armed Avalokiteshvara

It’s noisy in here, my son is playing the Xbox with his friends, my daughters are all screaming and laughing while they run around the house, Barbie’s in hand.  My wife is sitting close to me, a book in her hands, and Brian Eno is providing some ambient sounds from my laptop.  This is not the ideal environment that most people would seek for meditation, but this is my reality.

To me, meditation is not just sitting still, focusing on my breath and lifting my consciousness; but rather meditation is a breath to breath occurrence that can take place in every situation.  I have no cave to disappear into, no retreat cabin on a secluded lake in the high hills.  What I do have is a suburban backyard and a house full of exuberant life, and that is okay with me.

My meditation practice is a simple one: I focus upon my breath, I murmur Chenrezig’s mantra, and I become all compassion as the form of Chenrezig slowly becomes real, one atom at a time, until he is fully formed before me in my mind’s eye, and then I assume his form.  In the end, if I retain the effortless focus needed, I am Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion.

I do this practice while sitting beside my friends and family, and most are never aware.  I wear a small wrist mala on my left arm, while on my right arm there is a 9 inch tattoo of his mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum.  The mala is seldom touched while I chant the mantra in my head, but it is there as a reminder for me, a touchstone that I can reach out to if necessary.  I had the tattoo done last summer, I wanted something that was an outward reminder to me that in all things I can observe my practice.  I love it when people ask me what it means, as I get to mention the mantra to them, and I know that most have never heard the mantra spoken before in this incarnation.

Some ask me why I chose to focus upon Chenrezig, I answer with an old proverb: Practice one deity, find all, practice all, find none.  I was drawn to Chenrezig, perhaps by karma, through my lineage, Karma Kagyu.  Chenrezig may well be the most widely known Buddhist deity, second only to Gautama Buddha himself.  Chenrezig is his Tibetan name, while in India he is known as Avalokiteshvara, in China he is the female emanation known as Kuan-yin, and in Japan she is known as Kannon.  Chenrezig’s name in Tibetan means ‘One Who Looks with an Unwavering Eye’ demonstrating that he, no matter in which emanation, is always watching over all sentient beings.

In the end, that is what I strive to be, a compassionate soul, seeking to aid all I encounter while living within the tenants of Buddhism; The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

I will never forget my first restorative and sound therapy yoga class. I have practiced Hatha and Ashtanga for a few years, but at the time I was a little hesitant. It has always been difficult for me to meditate on my own. Anyone with a busy lifestyle can relate. Your mind is constantly jumping from one thought to the next. Admit it, you’ve laid in Chavasana and thought about what you were going to have for dinner. It’s difficult to focus, a lot of the time. Especially for females, who are constantly thinking multiple thoughts.

Sound therapy changed the way I let go. In this class, we use a lot of props. I used to see all of these blocks and blankets and sandbags and thinking to myself, “There’s nothing wrong with what I’m doing now, I don’t need that”, and now that I know better I am a little dissapointed in myself for being so closed minded when it came to my yoga practice.

In a typical class, we start with two bolsters and two blocks. One bolster lays horizontal against the wall, this becomes your seat. A smaller bolster goes behind your back, against the wall,  along your spine to provide alignment. Start by sitting in bound angle pose , or baddha konasana. Place a block beneath each knee. In this practice, every part of your body is supported.  Here is where you begin to relax.

The class progresses into a series of comfortable variations of child pose, and while in childs pose April Helen, the teacher, comes and places a singing bowl on your chest and plays it in a circular motion. This sound resonates through your body and creates an unusual calmness. For me, during meditation, sounds are disruptive and annoying, but not so with the singing bowls. She also hits the gong above your head which creates a similar feeling, but you become aware of where the sounds are coming from and how they are making your body feel.

The entire point of the class is to put yourself in a solid medatative state, while being fully aware of what your body is telling you. Your body knows when something is wrong, but most of us never stop to take the time to listen, we just go on about our daily lives. Listen.

Sound therapy is an excellent way to experience how to feel. After my first Restorative class, I felt more clear and I felt like I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life from that moment on. Now, if I miss, I feel incomplete, like I’ve just been existing, not living. Even if you are new to yoga don’t be afraid to try it. If you are a practiced yogi and/or meditate regularly, try adding some sound therapy to your routine. You’d be surprised what your body says to you.

Patrick Sweeney continues his beautiful discussion of nondual consciousness, the nameless, effortless, self-liberating quality of awareness in which all distinctions between self and other, this and that, inside and outside fall away completely, leaving only the brilliant clarity of this very Moment, exactly as it is.

Although this “Ordinary Mind” is and always has been the ever-present condition of consciousness, the separate self somehow rarely seems to notice that which it always already is—in fact, it is fair to say that the majority of our actions and intentions as human beings are in avoidance of this simple recognition, with all its ego-shattering implications. However, we have all experienced this radical One Taste many times in the course of our lives, if even for the briefest of moments.

Patrick mentions accidents, orgasms, and death as typical moments of spontaneous and profound realization, but these experiences tend to occur whenever the normal continuity of life becomes suddenly disrupted—during which people tend to report radically altered states of experience, including a sense of time dilation, an overwhelming feeling of peace or oneness with the world, and everything simply becomes much more vivid, vibrant, and present.

Namaste,

Matt

Music from the album “Buddha-Lounge 6“
Performed and composed by David & Steve Gordon
Provided courtesy of www.SequoiaRecords.com

If you have any comments, please post them below.

Namaste.

Celestial Chakras

Take some time study this image to the left.  Notice where the chakras are, and also notice the colors associated with them, these colors where not decided upon randomly, but they were associated by meditation masters and the great yogis of the Hindu and Buddhist schools.  I want you to use these colors in your own meditations as they are universally recognized, I believe this will speed you along on your path.

For this meditation we will focus upon the root chakra, the Muladhara chakra.  To begin let’s find a quiet room, if there are distracting noises then perhaps put on some soft music that is meant for yoga, meditation or reiki.  Start with your intention, specifically your ‘attention’.  Focus your thoughts first upon the room in which you sit or lay, bring your presence into this room now. You are not just a body occupying this space, but rather you are an energy being which pervades the entire room, wall to wall, floor to ceiling.  Pull your being into this space and relax into it for as long as you need, until you are grounded to it.  Once you feel grounded I want you to move closer to your body, bring in your thoughts and focus them on your flesh.  See it as perhaps you have never before, see it as the sustaining vessel for your consciousness.  See it as a regal estate with a beautiful house, within which your mind resides.

Journey now down a path from this magnificent main house to a shaded area which is nestled amongst great trees at the edge of the estate.  There is a large seat waiting for you.  This seat is sure and strong, the legs are made of rough-hew wood tied together with leather strips, but the seat and back have been sanded smooth, they are cool to your touch.

Sit now.  Rest on your chair, and in your mind close your eyes again.  With your meditative mind feel your energy body which sits upon this seat.  Allow the color of this chakra to fill your mind as you focus your whole attention at the base of your spine.  Feel your body pressing down against the seat, feel the seat holding you up, working against and with gravity to keep you in that space.

Give yourself enough time to completely inhabit this place within your body.  You can slowly enfold your being, all that you are, into this tiny space.  Realize that this space, like all space, is relative and pliable.  It can contain all of creation within this finite area.  Now feel the pulsation of energy that arises within you, the energy of the earth that is accepted and utilized from this very chakra.  It is given freely from the earth, given to you so that you may be grounded and close to the energy that sustains all life on earth.  The rains, wind, lightning, thunder, the grasses, trees, myriad plants and animals are all connected to you through this energy.  Feel them within you.  Feel those aspects of this earth energy flow across your body.

Sit within this energy and allow it to fuel you.  For now, in this moment, this is all you need.

Focus on your breath.  Follow the in breath down to the base of your spine, where the Muladhara Chakra resides.  On the exhalation I want you to feel the energy move throughout your whole body.  Awaken this power within you, it has always been there, stirring below the surface, waiting to be acknowledged and used.

Be in this place until you feel your consciousness begin to re-enter the world.  Know that you can return to this place at any time.  Be refreshed and well.

Namaste,

Matt

Your Mountain Trail

You are walking up a gently sloping trail, the trail is covered with dirt, soft green grass, and small smooth stones.  The grade is easy, and your feet fall lightly upon the path, the mountain lifts to meet your footfall with gentle, loving-kindness.  The skies are forever deep, with the colors of blue and turquoise, and where the clouds can be seen there is silver and white; the clouds are soft with no hint of threat within.

Walking further up the trail, your mind wandering and letting go of worries, you settle into a peaceful pace.  Before you there stands a small boulder to the right of the trail.  You approach the boulder with no apprehension, as you pass the boulder an animal steps upon the path with you.  This animal has the confidence that you had until now been lacking, and now you also have this quiet confidence within you as well.  The animal offers you its energy as you continue up the trail beside it.

You and your animal come to the top of the trail and there before you is an endless lake.  The waves of this lake are rolling up to a rocky shore, the sound is soft and dreamlike, you reach your hand into the water and on a whim you take a drink of the water.  In your mouth there is a warmth, an amazing vibration of energy from this water that is alive with knowledge and love, compassion and happiness.

The animal lifts its head from the water and stands erect, looking out over the water to a small island.  You follow the animal’s gaze and settle your attention upon the island as well.  On this small island there is a building.  It is sturdy and well kept, made of your favorite materials and adorned with a variety of flowers, shrubs, and grasses around the building grounds.  In a moment of peacefulness a notion arises within you.

To be on that island, that would be a good thing.

A sound attracts your attention, and looking to your animal you see that it is headed to a small boat rocking gently against the rocky shore.

Your animal climbs into the boat and looks to the island.  You follow, knowing that is where you should be, safe in the understanding that no harm can come to you on these waters.

The boat moves effortlessly across the waters and then slides gently up on to the grassy shore.  You and your animal leave the boat behind and walk to the door of the building.  At the door there is a note hanging on the wall, it is written to you, in your own handwriting.

I reads ‘Please come in, you are always welcome here’, and it is signed with your signature.  You look at your animal, who is looking at you, and then you both enter the door.  The interior of the building is decorated in your favorite style, with your favorite things all around you.  You can see that this main room extends into darkness, clearly larger on the inside than the outside of the building.  There are doors off of this main hall, and beside each door there is a small wall hanging.  As you walk toward the closet room and its wall hanging you can make out the inscription.  It reads Healing Room.

The door opens as you come close and you walk inside.  The room is well lit, but it is not too bright.  The windows are full length from the floor to the high ceiling, white drapes blow gently in the easy breeze.  In the middle of the room there is a plush couch.  The couch is the color of natural cotton, about seven feet long and sits only a few inches above the wood floor on four claws carved from an alabaster stone.

“Welcome,” a voice says from just behind you.  You turn slowly, as if in a dream, and see your twin smiling at you warmly.

“I am so glad you have come,” your twin says to you.  “Do you understand yet?  Do you know where we are, who I am?”

Realization spreads through your being, and an easy, calm understanding grips you lightly.

“You are me.  You are the me that is the healer, right?” You ask your twin.

“I am the part of you that is the healer, the universal doctor, the heavenly nurse,” your healing twin says walking toward the couch.  Your twin sits down and then looks into your eyes again.  “This temple is you, it was built by you out of pure compassion for yourself.  There are other rooms here as well; a library, meditation rooms, a garden, a sleeping room, an entertainment room, and many more.  Each room or place within your temple also contains an aspect of you, an avatar that represents your higher self.  We are each connected, as we are you, and though we may appear to know some knowledge that you do not, that is an illusion, as you already know all that there is.”

“And what of this animal?” you ask your healing twin.

“This is no mere animal, this is your totem, your power animal.  You chose the animal yourself, and it is also an aspect of you, an avatar.  It is us, we are you.”

You look at the animal, and see yourself in its eyes.

“This animal,” your twin says, “will stay on the shore across the waters, ready to bring you back to the temple when you call to it, or when you need it.  Be calm, be rested, and breathe.”

Closing your eyes you feel a breeze on your skin.  You find yourself in the great hall once again, refreshed and ready for the journey back to daily life. Your eyes close again, on opening them you are standing on the far shore, your animal is standing beside you.

“Until next time,” you tell the animal and start upon the trail back down the mountain.