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Who’s watching over me?
By Silver Blue
I have a corner in my den that I affectionately refer to as “Meditation Corner.” I say that because it has my tapestries that I purchased from the Monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery, a photo of me with the Geshe-la (lead Monk) and the translator, a photo of the completed Sand Mandala of Peace, and two dried roses that were on the altar while they were constructing the mandala.
I’ve also a quote from the Dalai Lama, a bronze bell, a silver plated incense stick cannister, and a copper and chrome thurible (which is what holds incense cones and loose burning incense to defuse it).
So, as you can tell, I take my meditation corner (and my meditations) seriously.
But, if I look up and to the left, I can see a special candle I burn (“Storm Watch” by Yankee Candle), a candle holder that is much like a goblet (in cobalt), and a harlequin that I’ve referred to as “Mama Quinn” (a play on Harlequin) since she waltzed into my life 7 years ago.
Behind her are peacock feathers. Why peacock feathers? I only consider positives, not negatives, ergo…
Peacock feathers represent pride, and by extension, nobility and glory. Peacocks are also known to eat poisonous plants with no ill effects, making their feathers a symbol of incorruptibility and immortality.
Buddhists associate peacock feathers with openness, since the birds display everything when they spread their tails. Buddhists also ascribe great meaning to the bird’s diet of poisonous plants–the ability to thrive in the face of suffering.
In ancient Greece, the peacock was the patron bird of the goddess Hera. According to myth, she placed “eyes” on its feathers, symbolizing all-seeing knowledge and the wisdom of the heavens.
Hindu mythology associates peacocks with the god Lakshmi. The feathers thus represent his qualities: kindness, patience and good fortune.
(Definitions courtesty of http://www.ehow.com/facts_4925293_peacock-feather-symbolize_.html )
Silver Blue, who wonders if the world couldn’t be made a better place if we all would just take the time to be quiet, turn our thoughts inward, and listen instead of always jabbering…
My moment of Zen
By Silver Blue
We all need to take some time to come back to centre, from all the noise and distractions of life. I find it easier to do when looking for beauty…in everything possible. From the simple lines of a nautical street lamp and a living gull perched atop to…
The piece of stained glass above my sofa (and my two plush companions, Blackberry Bear, and Roxette Bunny™ to my mantlepiece:
…as you can see, I run the gamut in blue. I find it a mindful, soothing colour. The way I see the world through my eyes. I also have, IMHO, the perfectly balanced picture frame with inspirational messages:
As I’ve often said, “Life isn’t about learning to weather the storm, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” The “rain” comment here means just as much to me.
I was fortunate in 2010 to meet with a group of the Drepung Loseling Monks who came to ODU for Peace week and received several gifts from them.
I also watched them construct a sand mandala:
…which took the better part of the week to construct. They had, in the background, an altar of sorts with a picture of HH Dalai Lama, fresh fruit, and fresh flowers:
A better view of the altar. The mandala represents the energies of the universe, and is “destroyed” upon completion, to show the energies merging again…
Half of the sand is disbursed to the people in attendance. The other half:
is disbursed back to nature, preferably in a body of water.
I carry on the gifts that were given to me (physically, and spiritually) in my own “Zen” corner, which I’ve dubbed “Meditation Corner” in the Shenandoah Forester:
The roses are from the opening altar and the closing altar (they’ve been pressed and dried). The upper photo is also above, the lower photo is of the completed mandala. The blue tapestry to the right is the “Om Mani Padme Hum“. The metal canister to the right is an incense holder. The tapestry to the left spoke to me, but I do not know what it means.
The tapestry in the upper right (the small blue one) says:
The True Meaning of Life:
We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, something useful, with our lives. If you contribute to other people’s happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life. – HH the XIV Dalai Lama.
Silver Blue – who seeks mindfulness and enlightenment in all things.
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