Friday, May 12, 2006
Buddha and Vanity Fair
Yesterday, my dear friend Michael (archangel for short) came by. He straightened my new Buddha thangka for me, then stood before it and meditated for a few minutes. He is extremely sensitive to energies, and he confirmed that those emanating from this image were very, very powerful. We spent a lovely day together, and ended with a stroll through the "arboretum" in Golden Gate Park, which includes many wondrous sections of flowers as well as trees. As always, he drove me here and there to do my chores.
This morning, I decided to step briefly in front of the thangka before getting dressed and eating breakfast. But I was instantly charged with its energies, which felt like gentle yet sweet electric flows through the body, especially the hands and forearms. I was held there, quite mesmerized, for some time, unable to leave this magical "Buddha field."
Finally I broke away, and returned later, intending to do my chi gong warm up exercises. But here again, I was surprised. This time the fellow with the mortar board hat (the one I call "Master Chi") came forward (in my mind) and seemed to lead me in a soft, graceful dance, using the fan and the flowing garments of his robe as part of the overall presentation. It occurred to me that perhaps he had been a dancer/performer for the emperor of his time, and also that he was likely gay. During the dance, I seemed to merge with him (as I usually do with these inner visitors), but I would be quite surprised if he represented a "past life" of my own. In any event, the delicate movements he led me through aroused the inner "bliss currents," so soft they were barely detectable.
Then I went downstairs to finish my laundry, but the dryers were occupied. While I awaited my turn, I picked up the current issue of "Vanity Fair" which somebody had left on the table. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was a "green issue," devoted primarily not to the latest fashions and fads but to the ecological crisis we are currently facing. The lead articles were by Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Al Gore, and Edward Kennedy, Jr. I was quite impressed by what they said--their messages are much the same as those of MoveOn.org and other avant garde sources from some years back. But the news has finally filtered down and is now reaching the mainstream press as people seem to be (finally) waking up to the seriousness we face in terms of keeping the planet (our home) alive. I recommend that you pick up a copy of this issue if you can and see for yourself what these folks are doing. They are to be commended, I think. They are truly "spiritual activists," throwing the weight of their celebrity into their support of this critical cause. Indeed, many now feel that global warning may be a bigger threat than terrorism.
So--again I feel there are grounds for hope, that shifts of consciousness are occurring, both in terms of growing awareness of major issues and ongoing personal openings. As I have noted before, the world seems to be falling apart and being reconstructed all at the same time. Indeed, this is an exciting time to be alive.
This morning, I decided to step briefly in front of the thangka before getting dressed and eating breakfast. But I was instantly charged with its energies, which felt like gentle yet sweet electric flows through the body, especially the hands and forearms. I was held there, quite mesmerized, for some time, unable to leave this magical "Buddha field."
Finally I broke away, and returned later, intending to do my chi gong warm up exercises. But here again, I was surprised. This time the fellow with the mortar board hat (the one I call "Master Chi") came forward (in my mind) and seemed to lead me in a soft, graceful dance, using the fan and the flowing garments of his robe as part of the overall presentation. It occurred to me that perhaps he had been a dancer/performer for the emperor of his time, and also that he was likely gay. During the dance, I seemed to merge with him (as I usually do with these inner visitors), but I would be quite surprised if he represented a "past life" of my own. In any event, the delicate movements he led me through aroused the inner "bliss currents," so soft they were barely detectable.
Then I went downstairs to finish my laundry, but the dryers were occupied. While I awaited my turn, I picked up the current issue of "Vanity Fair" which somebody had left on the table. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was a "green issue," devoted primarily not to the latest fashions and fads but to the ecological crisis we are currently facing. The lead articles were by Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Al Gore, and Edward Kennedy, Jr. I was quite impressed by what they said--their messages are much the same as those of MoveOn.org and other avant garde sources from some years back. But the news has finally filtered down and is now reaching the mainstream press as people seem to be (finally) waking up to the seriousness we face in terms of keeping the planet (our home) alive. I recommend that you pick up a copy of this issue if you can and see for yourself what these folks are doing. They are to be commended, I think. They are truly "spiritual activists," throwing the weight of their celebrity into their support of this critical cause. Indeed, many now feel that global warning may be a bigger threat than terrorism.
So--again I feel there are grounds for hope, that shifts of consciousness are occurring, both in terms of growing awareness of major issues and ongoing personal openings. As I have noted before, the world seems to be falling apart and being reconstructed all at the same time. Indeed, this is an exciting time to be alive.
