Monday, May 31, 2010
THE VISITORS
Some let the angels
come into their house
like guests dropping by
for a visit,
some keep the door
locked against unwelcome intruders,
all windows tightly closed.
I say, let them enter
through every opening and aperture,
with wings spread wide
in billowing light,
faces radiant with love,
chanting their hymns
of transcendence and joy.
Let us listen
in full attention,
lifting our eyes
now and again
to behold, briefly,
this bewildering beauty,
this dazzlement of revelation.
And, should they leave,
let us savor
the scent which lingers in the room,
the single feather
we clasp in our hand.
(from "A Cloth of Fine Gold"
# posted by Dorothy : 5/31/2010 07:23:00 PM
Sunday, May 30, 2010
A Language You Once Knew
A LANGUAGE YOU ONCE KNEW
There will be an invitation.
It will not come tied in ribbons
nor a message streaming down
from the sky.
There will be no Roman candles
sizzling
nor brilliant colors
exploding overhead.
Instead there will be a soft
whisper
in your ear,
something in a language
you once knew
and are trying to learn again.
In order to hear it,
you will need to
put down all your packages,
stop everything you are doing
and stand very still
then wait. . .
until something stirs inside.
(from "A Cloth of Fine Gold")
# posted by Dorothy : 5/30/2010 09:46:00 PM
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Maybe Somewhere (poem)
Maybe somewhere
Maybe somewhere there is a monk
chanting
even though he lived
many years before
our time
began.
He is still there
saying his mantra,
Padmasambava listening,
sacred syllables
reverberating
his flesh.
Sound ascending,
nada brahma.
Hands turning.
Face of light.
Dorothy Walters
May 29, 2010
This morning, as I listened to a CD of a lama chanting, this poem appeared. And, as the chant continued, I lifted my arms and felt the sweet energies of the aura around my face. As I moved my hands outward, I continued to feel the gentle bliss flows around and over my head. And as I opened my arms even more (now some ten or so inches from my temples) the energies became more and more exquisite. And then I saw (inwardly) , first, a goddess with many arms who thus revealed herself in divine currents of feeling, and then, suddenly, a quick vision of the god and goddess in union (the image that began it all for me so many years ago, Shiva and Shakti, male and female, potential and realization, emptiness and the forms of all creation).
Such blessings are bestowed when we offer ourselves to transcendent experience, allowing our vibrations to move to ever higher levels.
Dorothy Walters
May 29, 2010
(image of the goddess Lalita found at http://www.shivashakti.com/tripura.htm)
# posted by Dorothy : 5/29/2010 11:07:00 AM
Friday, May 28, 2010
Who Is Melchizedek?
Who Was Melchizedek?
In one of the Dead Sea Scrolls is part of an ancient text called “The Heavenly Prince Melchizedek.” This text, written a century B. C. E., lends (according to some interpreters) evidence that Jesus and Melchizedek are one, that is, they served the same purpose. A passage in the New Testament (Hebrews) refers to God as saying to Jesus, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
But who was Melchizedek?
The title of the text, speaking as it does of a “Prince”, implies that Melchizedek was a specific being, one of high status. And indeed, in one of the Old Testament narratives, he appears as though he were an actual person. But most interpreters explain that “Melchizedek” was not a person or being but is rather merely the title or name of an order--and that this group consisted of those who served the spiritual welfare of humanity, not as public figures and ordained members of the priesthood, nor those who presided in church and temples, but rather those who served without title, perhaps invisibly on this and other planes, not occupying public roles in the certified religious institutions, but working instead “behind the scenes.”
Thus when God speaks to Jesus, he is confirming his mission as an “unacknowledged priest,” dedicated to divine purposes through his life service.
I suspect that even now there are those who are in truth included in Order of Melchizedek as unacknowledged priests, of whatever faith, akin to the Boddhisattvas, who also serve humanity, putting the needs of their fellow beings before their own advancement.
Indeed, there are many among us, unnamed, unannounced, who often move quietly through the world, doing their good work for humanity, though perhaps unnoticed by their fellows.
In researching “Order of Melchizedek” I came across this article. I don’t know what I think of it. In part, I feel it goes too far in co-opting the original notion into a more schematic format for modern readers. But another part of me is drawn to many of these ideas, for they are similar to some of my own beliefs. Interestingly, the ariticle combines the notion of Melchizedek with a network of Light Beings. You be the judge.
The article is found at: (www.pleiadianlight.net/)
My sweet friends
Welcome to The Melchizedek and Pleiadian Light Network. This website is dedicated to all seekers of the Light who hold a focus of Service in Love. When we truly understand that the entire experience of Life, from beginning to end, is about serving others through the Cosmic flame of unconditional Love, we are on our way to becoming co-creators to the Company of Heaven in this magical weaving of Life. As we step into a deeper level of trust and surrender, allowing each Now moment to embrace the Divine within ourselves and others, we have the opportunity to experience the golden Liquid Light and Cosmic Flame of Divine Love of Mother/Father God.
2010 is Overlighted by the tenth ray of Divinity. 2010 ushers in the perfect balance of power, Love and wisdom through the pearlescent flame of Divinity and allows us to experience this balance within ourselves as well as removing all bands of forgetfulness as we truly cross the threshold into the Abyss ~ this ray is focused on synergy through Divine Equality, allowing us to find the grace and harmony in our own lives, whilst honoring and recognizing the Divine Equality of all Life, simply experiencing different levels of Cosmic Consciousness awareness. If we recognize and understand this, we step out of the “lesser than and better than consciousness” into a deeper level of self-acceptance, Self Love and Self nurturing ~ and then in this moment, we truly start to master our experiences, and draw upon the wisdom and Love of the Universe as Co-Creators in this ascension process through Service in Love. Primarily we are focused on greater abundance in all aspects of our lives as we have already planted the seeds of thought to bring this to fruition in a way that is fulfilling and joyful ~ we have the opportunity to network on a greater level with one another and to share our teachings collectively to more and more people.
With each passing year, we are experiencing more and more the eternal and everlasting Now through parallel realities and dimensions of Light, as we step beyond the veils of illusion and merge consciously with our Higher Light. Through the energy of the Christ Consciousness Grid we are at a Now moment where we can truly experience Self mastery, and cloak ourselves in our invisible garments of Light. What is often required is trust, surrender and dedication to our Spiritual goals. It is to remember that for every step forward we take, the Company of Heaven takes ten steps towards us, and we are always surrounded in legions upon legions of Light.
The teachings we offer on The Melchizedek and Pleiadian Light Network, are Overlighted by the entire Company of Heaven, with a focus on many of the incredible Christed ET’s that work with us, such as the Pleiadians, the Sirians, the Andromedans and the Arcturians, as well as Mystery School teachings, focused on ancient Egypt and Atlantis, through the Order of Melchizedek, and the Overlighting of the Mahatma, the Cosmic Avatar of Synthesis. And since September 9th, 2009, and the activities of Light that occurred at this time, primarily the activation of three of the twelve Atlantean crystals as well as the activation of the 48 symbols of immortality, a portal of Light has been created into Atlantis, and we can now bring through many of these Mystery School teachings.
Many of these Light teachings are not beginner’s material, so to speak, although if you are drawn to these teachings, it is simply a level of remembrance as you awaken the dormant DNA. These experiential teachings of Light are offered throughvarious programs and Light teachings. The first program, The Pleiadian Light Body DNA Activation Program, focuses primarily on coming into the understanding that you are a Master Being of Love, through working with psycho-energetic techniques to clear your false beliefs and judgments, and bringing your focus to Service in Love through merging with your multidimensional Selves, awakening the dormant DNA and activating your sacred Merkaba/Light Body. The second program, The Melchizedek Ambassadors Training Program (The MAT Program), focuses on working with rays, initiations, sacred geometry and the Qabala, as well as a nineteen breath Merkaba/Light Body activation meditation. There is a further focus on ancient Egypt and Atlantis, which weaves through the twenty-one initiations you undertake through the Left and Right Eye of Horus and the Priesthood training, Overlighted by the Order of Melchizedek, and the Mahatma. The third program, called Return to Original Innocence takes you through twelve guided visualizations, as you merge with your twelve Higher Selves of the Light from different realms, planets and stars, while working with the rays and archetypes. Mp3's, CD's and eBooks are available on all these our programs as well as bundled Mp3's. Many of the teachings are also available as Mp3 downloads in Portuguese, produced by my husband Chiang Choun, and can also be purchased from our website.
We have recently produced a series of new channelings, mostly in a series of seven and available as individual Mp3's. These include The Elders series by The Elders, ancient celestial Beings and High Council members to the Order of Melchizedek, the Arcturian Stargate series, the Seven Divine rays and numerous other guided visualizations, so we encourage you to look at this page under New Products.
We also have numerous eBooks available. The 82 page Ray Reading manual, available as an eBook in PDF format, gives an in-depth understanding of the earthly and Cosmic rays and is currently available in English, Spanish and Dutch. The Ray Reading manual includes details of the archetypes and key words as they relate to the rays. We also offer a Ray Healing manual, which is a wonderful eBook to work with the rays from a healing perspective, as well as DNA Activation eBooks, and related material and further details can be found under the eBooks page.
This Earth is our Home, and as Peace Ambassadors and custodians to this sacred Earth, we are the ones who need to make the changes for ourselves and others, as we have the Cosmic awareness to do so.
It is my hope that the writings and teachings on this website may inspire you to remember and become the magnificence that you are, and have forever been, as a magical Master Being of Love and Light through Service in Love.
From my Heart to your Heart to the Cosmic Heart of All Creation.
Blessings in Love
Anrita Melchizedek-Choun
************************************
Contact details:
South Africa: Sacred Life Foundation. Telephone: +27-21-785-7587. 11 Willow Street, Milkwood Park, Sunnydale, 7975, Cape Town.
Portugal: Chiang Productions. Telephone +351-969-852-803 or +351-918-117-547. Apartado Nº 8, Laranjeiro, 2811-601, Almada, Portugal.
Website Anrita: www.pleiadianlight.net Email:info@pleiadianlight.net
Website Chiang: www.goldenstarseed.com Email:chiang@goldenstarseed.com
# posted by Dorothy : 5/28/2010 03:33:00 PM
Thursday, May 27, 2010
LIGHT OF A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY
They call it the ascending.
The soul divesting itself
of all the nonessentials
like a pilot desperately
throwing things overboard
trying to keep the plane aloft
in the storm,
or a wagon made lighter
as it struggles to make it
over the next steep hill.
It is laborious work.
It takes years or lifetimes
of effort.
It comes little by little,
the tiny increments of joy,
the ongoing intervals
of pain.
Always there is a polishing,
a honing.
A smoothing away of the
flaws,
the imperfections.
Then something grows lighter
within.
Shift to a higher register.
Light of a different frequency.
Pulsations flowing like light
or breath.
Heart crying its rapture,
silence like pain.
Who can find words
for this constantly moving
upward, this always being lifted
to a higher plateau,
where the blood grows thinner,
the atmosphere
ever more refined.
(from "A Cloth of Fine Gold")
# posted by Dorothy : 5/27/2010 05:04:00 PM
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Entering the Next Level
Entering the Next Level
We are, of course, moving forward, encountering new experiences in our own journeys of transformation all the time. We never stand still, but keep moving on to new stages, unfamiliar and exciting levels of awakening.
But at times, many of us sense a sudden shift into a new level of awareness and response, a kind of “jump” into a still more advanced state of our common evolution.
And such swift shifts can be challenging. It may take us into more intense infusions of bliss, or it can awaken old unresolved issues, wounds of body and spirit. If we move ahead too fast, we risk being overwhelmed. If we close to the new energies and the expanded awareness they bring, then we fail to accept our role in this key process and thus fail to realize our life purpose.
Here are some suggestions that I offer as a kind of loose guide:
Be open to what is unfamiliar, but don’t lose all your boundaries. Don’t be swept away as by a swift current, but don’t dam up your inner responses so that your process becomes static and hence begins to wither up and die.
Do whatever you need to to maintain balance on all levels--whether it is counseling or medical advice, more physical exercise, a change of diet--all these are important. Your body is your physical vehicle and your emotional and mental bodies all have a role to play.
Explore new territory but don’t throw away all your maps. Test every “truth” from every source in the fire of your own discriminating mind. Remember Buddha’s advice, “Believe nothing just because I have said it. Weigh it in the scales of your own rational mind.” (Paraphrase)
Examine diverse views, various perspectives, even those that seem too “weird” or “far out” to be credible. Often there is a kernel of truth even in the most seemingly outrageous positions. Extract what is valuable to you, and leave the rest for others.
Don’t “give away your power” to any teacher or source or self-proclaimed prophet. None has a monopoly on final truth--though many may have gleaned helpful insights.
Listen to your heart. If it feels right, embrace it. It it frightens you or makes you uneasy, let it go.
Enjoy each stage as it occurs, allow time for sufficient integration before moving too fast to the next.
Follow a meditation practice, but choose the one that is best for you. Some like to sit quietly and clear the mind. Others do mantra, yoga, visualization, movement and so forth. There are meditation practices for every temperament and taste. If you are on a Kundalini path, let the energies themselves show you the way.
Many believe that we are now in a time of swift transformation like that referred to above. Our energetic and physical bodies are undergoing obvious changes. As always, the cause and final purpose are clouded in mystery, but we welcome the process. As the world scene “heats up,” as crises become more acute in every arena, we realize that these challenges are part of the overall transition now taking place.
This time of massive global change has been predicted for many centuries by numerous traditions and sources, including native traditions, Nostradamus and other prophets, even such writers as W. B. Yeats, who wrote in “A Vision” about the coming close of one era and the beginnings of the next.
As is often said, “Crisis is Opportunity.” Our crisis is upon us. 2012 has already begun. It is our time of challenge, and our chance to restructure ourselves and our universe.
Dorothy Walters
May 23, 2010
(Mandala created by Stacy Wills--see more of her work at
www.stacywills.com
www.amagicmomandhermandalas.blogspot.com)
# posted by Dorothy : 5/26/2010 04:11:00 PM
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Why I Believe in the Light Body
Why I Believe in the Light Body
The notion of the light body is not new. It has been referred to in virtually all of the esoteric traditions past and present. Sometimes it is called by another name--the process of creating it may be described as the divinization of matter, creating the Merkabah vehicle, the evolution of consciousness, entering Nirvana, or attaining enlightenment. The Egyptian, Taoist, tantric, and Jewish traditions all have names for a similar or same process.
I believe in this phenomenon because I experience it frequently in my living room when I do my energetic practice and feel the energetic shifts occurring, always at a new level. I watch the process unfold as successive layers are peeled away, “like an onion,” as some say. I note the increased sensitivity not only to the inner energy but also to outer things. I sense a transition to an ever higher vibration, as if I am being molded into a “new” being, with a transformed nervous system that more and more feels like it belongs to a being from some other place, so that I am reminded over and over that I am not truly “of this place, of this time,” but am an alien among my own species.
And--of course--there are countless others undergoing the same experience. When we are lucky enough to find one another, we confide the details of our journey, realizations that the “ordinary, normal” person could not fathom. For the most part, we keep our altered identity secret from others unless we sense that they are like minded souls.
One friend remarked, “Why should I read scientific books about cellular transformation, when I experience it constantly in my own body?” Indeed, if you are part of the process, you will know it. It is the actual transformation of consciousness (we become aware of an infinitely wider field of possibilities, of ways of experiencing ourselves and the world, than before); it is the true evolutionary shift of the species. The notion of a “light body” is not a metaphor, but a reality.
Evolution is not an easy process. We often feel we “signed up” for this mission before we got here. And we sometimes kid among ourselves that we might not have agreed so readily had we known how difficult and prolonged the journey would be.
But we are here, we are doing it, and more and more of us are involved as we move toward critical mass.
We enter by many portals--Tantric Buddhism, esoteric yoga, esoteric astrology,Taoism, the great mystery religions of Egypt and the Middle East, Sufism, mystical Christianity, mystical Judaism, native traditions--and many, many others.
All of these are leading us to a similar goal--personal transformation leading to universal initiation.
Kundalini is the driving force behind all of these movements. We feel blessed to be part of the process, for we know this is why we have come.
Dorothy Walters
May 23, 2010
P.S. If you are interested in reading more about light bodies, here is a site containing some channeled information:
http://www.selftransform.net/Light%20Bodies.htm
I cannot vouch for the validity of this information, but it does provide some thought provoking perspectives. And there are various other sites listed under "light body," with interesting material for reflection.
What is evident is that in these writings, "light" is often described in terms similar to Kundalini, and the process of awakening the light body is similar to that of Kundalini awakening. Each stage is marked by "infusions of light," which is then followed by a process of integration, until the body is ready to receive the next infusion. These stages consist of initiations of various kinds. The process literally changes the cells themselves, as they adjust to the new frequencies. And often the process involves considerable pain and difficulty as the body adjusts.
In essence, the descriptions of "light body activation" are also those of Kundalini awakening, using a different vocabulary to describe a related process.
Much of this material is channeled, and should be approached with considerable caution, but it makes for intriguing reading.)
# posted by Dorothy : 5/25/2010 09:52:00 AM
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lalita
Lalita
I was never a priest
who stood in the temple
and made sounds
calling down god.
I was a little
girl child
who danced
in the dust
before my house.
One day Shiva
came,
took me in
his arms.
After that,
I did not care.
Household,
family
all drifted away.
All I wanted
was to dance
with what
had entered
my body.
They speak of me still.
Dorothy Walters
May 24, 2010
On this day 29 years ago, Shiva entered my body. Since then we have danced together many times.
(Image from British Museum, found on Wikipedia)
# posted by Dorothy : 5/24/2010 12:36:00 PM
Sunday, May 23, 2010
New Age and Ancient Wisdom
The New Age has gained a bad name. What began as an attempt to rediscover and revivify ancient wisdom has become diluted, revised, commercialized, and packaged for sale on the marketplace. Yoga, one of the most sacred and (often) esoteric practices for centuries, has, in many venues, become an athletic exercise, devoted to enhancing one's physical strength and appearance. Do yoga to look good, is often the theme. Perform asanas so you can sweat and feel better is another.
Now, there is nothing wrong with doing physical exercise to improve one's health and bodily strength. But this is not the purpose of true yoga. The word yoga means (in one interpretation) "yoke." What is yoked is the inner self with the divine source. Each asana, each move, even the flicker of a finger or the turn of an eye, is part of that process of divine union, and blessed is the practitioner who is conscious of this. The enhanced physique, the improved appearance--these may occur as the byproduct, but they are not the intent.
The great gods and goddesses whose power was acknowledged and reverenced in the past become shrunken symbols worn as ornaments by those who often don't even know their names. The ancient texts are ignored or diluted so that the core messages are skewed, as if a nourishing soup had literally been watered down for a palate too weak to swallow the pure essence. Modern "prophets" who repackage ancient ideas in forms "suitable for the Western audience" go on T. V. and make millions for their offerings.
I think such activities are diversions, traps to lead us away from the true path. Some, observing the shallowness of much of the contemporary New Age scene, turn away from spiritual pursuits entirely.
But I believe that none of this detracts from the inherent truth and authenticity of the central message, given to us by sages from many eras and societies, and often spoken to us by the "teacher within". The message is simple: we and the Divine Source are one and the link between us and all other beings in our universe is Love Itself. There is indeed a "jewel in the lotus" but it is up to us to find it.
(Image from yoga.ask.com)
# posted by Dorothy : 5/23/2010 11:11:00 AM
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Shiva and Kali
The Tantric interpretation of Kali standing on top of her husband is as follows: (taken from Wikipedia)
The Shiv tattava (Divine Consciousness as Shiva) is inactive, while the Shakti tattava (Divine Energy as Kali) is active. Shiva, or Mahadeva represents Brahman, the Absolute pure consciousness which is beyond all names, forms and activities. Kali, on the other hand, represents the potential (and manifested) energy responsible for all names, forms and activities. She is his Shakti, or creative power, and is seen as the substance behind the entire content of all consciousness. She can never exist apart from Shiva or act independently of him, i.e., Shakti, all the matter/energy of the universe, is not distinct from Shiva, or Brahman, but is rather the dynamic power of Brahman.[31]
Kali in Traditional Form, standing on Shiva's chest.
While this is an advanced concept in monistic Shaktism, it also agrees with the Nondual Trika philosophy of Kashmir, popularly known as Kashmir Shaivism and associated most famously with Abhinavagupta. There is a colloquial saying that "Shiva without Shakti is Shava" which means that without the power of action (Shakti) that is Mahakali (represented as the short "i" in Devanagari) Shiva (or consciousness itself) is inactive; Shava means corpse in Sanskrit and the play on words is that all Sanskrit consonants are assumed to be followed by a short letter "a" unless otherwise noted. The short letter "i" represents the female power or Shakti that activates Creation. This is often the explanation for why She is standing on Shiva, who is either Her husband and complement in Shaktism or the Supreme Godhead in Shaivism.
To properly understand this complex Tantric symbolism it is important to remember that the meaning behind Shiva and Kali does not stray from the non-dualistic parlance of Shankara or the Upanisads. According to both the Mahanirvana and Kularnava Tantras, there are two distinct ways of perceiving the same absolute reality. The first is a transcendental plane which is often described as static, yet infinite. It is here that there is no matter, there is no universe and only consciousness exists. This form of reality is known as Shiva, the absolute Sat-Chit-Ananda — existence, knowledge and bliss. The second is an active plane, an immanent plane, the plane of matter, of Maya, i.e., where the illusion of space-time and the appearance of an actual universe does exist. This form of reality is known as Kali or Shakti, and (in its entirety) is still specified as the same Absolute Sat-Chit-Ananda. It is here in this second plane that the universe (as we commonly know it) is experienced and is described by the Tantric seer as the play of Shakti, or God as Mother Kali.[32]
Kali and Bhairava (the terrible form of Shiva) in Union, 18th century, Nepal
From a Tantric perspective, when one meditates on reality at rest, as absolute pure consciousness (without the activities of creation, preservation or dissolution) one refers to this as Shiva or Brahman. When one meditates on reality as dynamic and creative, as the Absolute content of pure consciousness (with all the activities of creation, preservation or dissolution) one refers to it as Kali or Shakti. However, in either case the yogini or yogi is interested in one and the same reality — the only difference being in name and fluctuating aspects of appearance. It is this which is generally accepted as the meaning of Kali standing on the chest of Shiva.[31]
# posted by Dorothy : 5/22/2010 01:27:00 PM
Thursday, May 20, 2010
More on Shiva
Only if Shiva
Yes, there was a Moment
the sky flew open in a brilliant flash,
Shiva’s eye awaking,
and I was present,
the observer
torrents of thunderbolts
all the vajras of heaven
unlocking, nada brahma, the silent word,
but what do I know
I saw but what can I say about
such things.
If you are seeking
explanations and prescriptions
then study lost ancient languages
rummage primal texts.
You will find phrases you can intone,
gestures to repeat at sunrise and dusk
through years of yearning,
eons of striving to shatter time.
But only if Shiva nods you alive
will you enter the first moment
when the sky tears open
and earth shudders,
creation exploding,
the beginning of the dance.
Dorothy Walters
August 16, 2001
(Image found on Wikipedia, which offers the following description:
Ardhanarishvara
An iconographic representation of Shiva called (Ardhanārīśvara) shows him with one half of the body as male and the other half as female. According to Ellen Goldberg, the traditional Sanskrit name for this form (Ardhanārīśvara) is best translated as "the lord who is half woman", not as "half-man, half-woman".[146] In Hindu philosophy, this is used to visualize the belief that the sacred ultimate power of the universe as being both feminine and masculine.]
The same article goes on to say this about Shiva:
See also: Jyotirlinga
Apart from anthropomorphic images of Shiva, the worship of Shiva in the form of a lingam, or linga, is also important.[37][149][150] These are depicted in various forms. One common form is the shape of a vertical rounded column. Shiva means auspiciousness, and linga means a sign or a symbol. Hence, the Shivalinga is regarded as a "symbol of the great God of the universe who is all-auspiciousness".[151] Shiva also means "one in whom the whole creation sleeps after dissolution".[151] Linga also means the same thing—a place where created objects get dissolved during the disintegration of the created universe. Since, according to Hinduism, it is the same god that creates, sustains and withdraws the universe, the Shivalinga represents symbolically God Himself.
# posted by Dorothy : 5/20/2010 03:20:00 PM
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Power of Shiva
Tibetan, Resonant
At first it was a carillon,
resounding all the notes
of my body, making a bright song
of my flesh and inner realms.
Then it became a bell,
Tibetan, resonant,
awakening me everywhere,
sounding god in my body.
Now it is more like light
playing over a surface
of water,
the sun glinting over
reflections of itself,
mountains snow clad
and brilliant
shining white within the lake’s dark waters.
Dorothy Walters
June 19, 2006
Yesterday I stopped in at the Tibet store and bought a CD offering a recording of the famous mantra “Om Namaha Shivaya” plus another track of "Om." The first consisted of a chorus of pleasant young women singing in sweet tones, very gentle and discreet. But somehow it didn’t feel right. Shiva is not a tame household god. Shiva is majestic and wild, containing and emanating the massive energies that sustain the world. He dances in abandon, and it is that dance and the strength it implies that maintains all the dynamic activity of the universe. He is not, I think, someone to be cooed to, as if you were singing a baby asleep in the cradle. Indeed, this approach suggested that this was a chorus of “nice girls,” trained in “ladyhood,” perhaps at a finishing school, and not truly grasping real “Shiva power.” I think they were not ready to approach this wheeling altar.
The next track consisted of deep male voices trained in Tibetan and Mongolian styles of overtone chanting, with a strong instrumental background, chanting “Om” as one continuous note. You had the sense that they had been there, knew the journey, and were not afraid to confront its profound implications. To listen to them was like taking a voyage into space itself, the farthest reaches of the cosmos. Nothing was left out--like space, the sound went on and on--into infinity, into the place where nothing is, where there is only this one “brahma nada,” the primordial tone from which the universe began.
When the second track ended, I thought there had been a mistake on the recording. It listed the first track as lasting more than 40 minutes, but I had heard it for only 10 or so. Then I remembered. I had simply not listened to all 40 minutes of those sweet voices, that seemed so unsuitable to me. I had simply skipped to the next section, for I felt that to do otherwise would have been like trying to hold god in a teacup.
The great gods and goddesses of antiquity are no sweet Mary, meek and mild. They are often ferocious in their energy, dynamic, with limitless creative force. They may be formidable, but they do command our respect and veneration.
(I should add, however, that this CD has sold tens of thousands of copies, so obviously it is a favorite of many. Indeed, there are many wonderful "soft" versions of Om Namah Shivaha, which means simply I bow to Shiva in all his glory. The chanting/singing of Vyaas Houston is a brilliant example of shakti power captured in a gentle rendition of this and other famous mantras and kirtans. But this particular recording did not--for me--convey the majesty and power of the Lord of all that is.)
"Never trust a god who doesn't dance." (Old saying)
Dorothy Walters
May 17, 2010
(Image found on internet)
# posted by Dorothy : 5/19/2010 02:21:00 PM
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Poem by Rumi
The Grapes of My Body
The grapes of my body can only become wine
After the winemaker tramples me.
I surrender my spirit like grapes to his trampling
So my inmost heart can blaze and dance with joy.
Although the grapes go on weeping blood and sobbing
"I cannot bear any more anguish, any more cruelty"
The trampler stuffs cotton in His ears: "I am not working in ignorance
You can deny me if you want, you have every excuse,
But it is I who am the Master of this Work.
And when, through my Passion, you reach perfection,
You will never be done praising my name."
Rumi
(image from Wikipedia)
# posted by Dorothy : 5/18/2010 08:03:00 PM
Monday, May 17, 2010
Dancing with Buddha
“At the still point of the turning world…
there the dance is…
Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”
(T.S. Eliot)
Now, when I say "dance,' I do not mean ordinary rhythmic movements around the room. I stood perfectly still (or almost) and moved my arms and hands slightly, gradually moving into a slightly more obvious positions and gestures. (Body mudras.) What I did was enough. I felt the light move through my body, knew the places that were ready to receive bliss, those in slight distress.
The Buddha within remained still and watching, as the dance took place. Buddha was thus the still point of the turning world, and the dance which occurred was the movement and activity of the stars and all the universe.
We are, of course, all Buddhas. Buddha in this sense is our Source and our Destination. We have come here to exemplify and express our "Buddha nature" to the fullest.
But--much of the time we forget our essential nature. We go about pursuing the mundane activities of the world, not providing time to remember our precious connection with what is most important of all. Some even squander their energies in actions that harm, rather than help, our world.
Do not forget your Buddha nature (which you of course may name any way your please.) It is there always waiting for you, for it is you. At times you will contact it and think, oh, yes, this is what I have been seeking for so long. When those times happen, enjoy them fully. They are the inexhaustible fountain of joy, when we become whole and know who we truly are.
# posted by Dorothy : 5/17/2010 10:12:00 AM
Friday, May 14, 2010
Be Prepared to Swelter (poem)
BE PREPARED TO SWELTER
If you want to go there,
check your boots and your
water bottle carefully.
Find the map
that the old one gave you
so long ago
and do your best to
follow it,
though often
you will make the wrong turn,
go astray.
Be prepared to swelter
under many suns,
drown
in countless rivers.
You will be shipwrecked many times,
or else burnt to cinder,
dust to dust.
You will meet strange winged creatures
who have no names,
beings descending
from the sky
or rising up like cloud specters
from below.
They will tell you
how to continue,
what paths to follow,
but check carefully
what they say.
Sometimes you will fall
into canyons or caves,
and will not know
how to get out
until you see a
a faint light coming
from a crack or crevice,
lit wings beckoning.
.
When you at last arrive,
you may not remember
who you are,
what you were seeking,
why you came.
It will not matter.
Now only silence will do.
( from "A Cloth of Fine Gold")
# posted by Dorothy : 5/14/2010 03:38:00 PM
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Let Yourself be drawn
Let Yourself Be Drawn
Let yourself be silently drawn
by the strange pull of
what you really love.
It will not lead you astray.
Rumi
Oh, yes, and seek it everywhere,
embrace it,
treasure it,
even give it a name
if you are into naming things.
Do you know what it is
you are seeking?
Can you whisper
its name?
It is love itself,
waiting.
Jump into
the pool of love,
let it carry you
to its hidden depths,
swirl you
in the currents
of your desire,
then yield to its longing
to enfold you utterly.
Dorothy Walters
May 13, 2010
(Image from Wikipedia)
# posted by Dorothy : 5/13/2010 12:33:00 PM
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Poem by Ivan Shamir
Advice from a Tree
Dear Friend
Stand Tall and Proud
Sink your roots deeply into the Earth
Reflect the light of your true nature
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance
The Energy and Birth of Spring
The Growth and Contentment of Summer
The Wisdom to let go like leaves in the Fall
The Rest and Quiet renewal of Winter
Feel the wind and the sun
And the delight in their presence
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night
Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures
Earth, fresh air, light
Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water
Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes
Be flexible
Remember your roots
Enjoy the view!
- Ivan Shamir
# posted by Dorothy : 5/11/2010 07:58:00 PM
