Buckle Up! Buddha

Peacefully sitting in a hidden corner of the discount department store, he waited for me. Unhurried and with a dignified sweet smile he humbly sat, waiting patiently until I eventually found him. I was thrilled! He was the one. And the price was right! The perfect finishing touch to my Zen garden. :) Today I had found a Buddha statue that wanted to come home with me. With my new meditation buddy safely buckled in my car we made the short journey home. Instantly the perfect garden spot revealed itself. I gently placed him in position surrounded by passion fruit vines and flowers. I breathed a sigh of relief and lit a candle offering a prayer of gratitude to the divine consciousness for bringing us together.

I've discovered that creating a serene Zen-ish environment is paramount to my progress in spiritual life. A quiet sacred space where my mind can relax and focus on God. Some days the weight of the world seems to be clouding my mind and it becomes restless. By committing to a daily sitting practice in a peaceful sunlit garden, the divine seems more easily revealed through nature. Surrounded by sacred art, birds chirping, bees humming, leaves fluttering, and clouds effortlessly floating on a fragrant orange blossom breeze, I momentarily transcend... bliss.

We are told... One day, after much practice, if we do not grasp at enlightenment or run away
from it, realization will catch up to us. Blissfully shining the great "I Am" sits as witness to all... as if to say, "I knew you would finally remember who you really are!"

Song of Zazen

By Hakuin Zenji

All beings by nature are Buddha,

As ice by nature is water.

Apart from water there is no ice;

Apart from beings, no Buddha.

How sad that people ignore the near

And search for truth afar:

Like someone in the midst of water

Crying out in thirst;

Like a child of a wealthy home

Wandering among the poor.

Lost on dark paths of ignorance,

We wander through the Six Worlds;

From dark path to dark path

When shall we be freed from birth and death?

Oh, the Zen meditation of the Mahayana!

To this the highest praise!

Devotion, repentance, training,

The many perfections

All have their source in Zen meditation.

Those who try Zen meditation even once

Wipe away beginning less crimes.

Where are all the dark paths then?

The Pure Land itself is near.

Those who hear this truth even once

And listen with a grateful heart,

Treasuring it, revering it,

Gain blessings without end.

Much more, those who turn about

And bear witness to self-nature,

Self-nature that is no-nature,

Go far beyond mere doctrine.

Here effect and cause are the same;

The Way is neither two nor three.

With form that is no-form,

Going and coming, we are never astray;

With thought that is no-thought,

Even singing and dancing are the voice of the Law.

How boundless and free is the sky of Awareness!

How bright the full moon of wisdom!

Truly, is anything missing now?

Nirvana is right here, before our eyes;

This very place is the Lotus Land;

This very body, the Buddha.

*Translation by Robert Aitken

The Story of Buddha

Lecture by Swami Tyagananda

I have arrived.

I am home.

In the here.

In the now.

I am solid.

I am free.

In the ultimate I dwell.

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Sitting with Our Father and Mother

Guided 10min meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh

Breathing in, I invite the Buddha to breathe with my lungs.

Breathing out, I invited the Buddha to sit with my back.

Buddha is breathing, Buddha is sitting.

I enjoy breathing, I enjoy sitting.

I know that the quality of the breathing, in the Buddha breath, is excellent.

I know the quality of his sitting is excellent.

I enjoy breathing. I enjoy sitting.

I am aware that my father is fully present in every cell of my body.

I invite my father to breathe in with me. Breathe out with me.

I would like to invite my father in me to sit with my back 

– this is my back, but it is also his back.

Father and son. Father and daughter. Breathing together.

Breathing in, I feel so light. Breathing out, I feel so free.

Daddy, do you feel as light as I do? Do you feel as free as I do?

I know that my mother is fully present in every cell of my body.

I invite my mother to breathe with my lungs, to sit with my back.

This is my back, but it is also hers.

Mother and son breathing in together. 

Mother and daughter breathing in together.

Mother and son breathing out together. 

Mother and daughter breathing out together.

Breathing in, I feel so light.

Mother, do you feel as light as I do?

Breathing out, I feel so free.

Mother, do you feel as free as I do?

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Buddha's Spiritual Humanism
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda

Do you have the patience to wait

Till your mud settles

And the water is clear?

Can you remain unmoving

Till the right action arises by itself?

-Tao Te Ching

Bread of Life

The Message of Easter

Lecture by Swami Tyagananda

Joy dawned again on Easter Day,

The sun shone out with fairer ray,

When, to their longing eyes restored,

The apostles saw their risen Lord.

His risen flesh with radiance glowed;

His wounded hands and feet he showed:

Those scars their silent witness gave

That Christ was risen from the grave.

O Jesus, King of gentleness,

Do thou our inmost hearts possess;

And we to thee will ever raise

The tribute of our grateful praise.

Jesus, who art the Lord of all,

In this our Easter festival,

From every weapon death can wield

Thine own redeemed, thy people, shield.

All praise, O risen Lord, we give

To thee, who, dead, again dost live;

To God the Father equal praise,

And God the Holy Ghost, we raise.

Amen.

Hymn ascribed to Saint Ambrose. 

English translation is by J. M. Neale

Christ a Yogi

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda

Luke Chapter 24 : Bible Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

News That Jesus Has Risen From Death

Very early Sunday morning, the women came to the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. They brought the sweet-smelling spices they had prepared. They saw that the heavy stone that covered the entrance had been rolled away. They went in, but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. They did not understand this. While they were wondering about it, two men in shining clothes stood beside them.  The women were very afraid. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person here? This is a place for dead people. Jesus is not here. He has risen from death. Do you remember what he said in Galilee? He said the Son of Man must be handed over to the control of sinful men, be killed on a cross, and rise from death on the third day.” Then the women remembered what Jesus had said.

The women left the tomb and went to the eleven apostles and the other followers. They told them everything that happened at the tomb. These women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James, and some others. They told the apostles everything that happened. But the apostles did not believe what they said. It sounded like nonsense. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb to see. He looked in, but he saw only the cloth that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. It was just lying there. Peter went away to be alone, wondering what had happened.

On The Road to Emmaus

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a town named Emmaus. It is about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking about everything that had happened. While they were talking, discussing these things, Jesus himself came near and walked with them. (But the two men were not allowed to recognize Jesus.) He asked them, “What’s this I hear you discussing with each other as you walk?”

The two men stopped, their faces looking very sad. The one named Cleopas said, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has just happened there.”

Jesus said, “What are you talking about?”

They said, “It’s about Jesus, the one from Nazareth. To God and to all the people he was a great prophet. He said and did many powerful things. But our leaders and the leading priests handed him over to be judged and killed. They nailed him to a cross. We were hoping that he would be the one to free Israel. But then all this happened.

“And now something else: It has been three days since he was killed, but today some of our women told us an amazing thing. Early this morning they went to the tomb where the body of Jesus was laid. But they did not find his body there. They came and told us they had seen some angels in a vision. The angels told them Jesus was alive! So some of our group went to the tomb too. It was just as the women said. They saw the tomb, but they did not see Jesus.”

Then Jesus said to the two men, “You are foolish and slow to realize what is true. You should believe everything the prophets said. The prophets said the Messiah must suffer these things before he begins his time of glory.” Then he began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures. He started with the books of Moses and then he talked about what the prophets had said about him.

They came near the town of Emmaus, and Jesus acted as if he did not plan to stop there. But they wanted him to stay. They begged him, “Stay with us. It’s almost night. There’s hardly any daylight left.” So he went in to stay with them.

Joining them at the supper table, Jesus took some bread and gave thanks. Then he broke some off and gave it to them. Just then the men were allowed to recognize him. But when they saw who he was, he disappeared. They said to each other, “When he talked to us on the road, it felt like a fire burning in us. How exciting it was when he explained to us the true meaning of the Scriptures!”

So the two men got up then and went back to Jerusalem. There they found the followers of Jesus meeting together. The eleven apostles and the people with them said, “The Lord really has risen from death! He appeared to Simon.”

Then the two men told what had happened on the road. They talked about how they recognized Jesus when he shared the bread with them.

Jesus Appears to His Followers

While the two men were saying these things to the other followers, Jesus himself came and stood among them. He said to them, “Peace be with you.”

This surprised the followers. They were afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus said, “Why are you troubled? Why do you doubt what you see? Look at my hands and my feet. It’s really me. Touch me. You can see that I have a living body; a ghost does not have a body like this.”

After Jesus told them this, he showed them his hands and his feet. The followers were amazed and very, very happy to see that Jesus was alive. They still could not believe what they saw. He said to them, “Do you have any food here?” They gave him a piece of cooked fish. While the followers watched, he took the fish and ate it.

Jesus said to them, “Remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must happen—everything written in the Law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.”

Then Jesus helped the followers understand these Scriptures about him. Jesus said to them, “It is written that the Messiah would be killed and rise from death on the third day.  You saw these things happen—you are witnesses. You must go and tell people that they must change and turn to God, which will bring them his forgiveness. You must start from Jerusalem and tell this message in my name to the people of all nations. Remember that I will send you the one my Father promised. Stay in the city until you are given that power from heaven.”

Jesus Goes Back to Heaven

Jesus led his followers out of Jerusalem almost to Bethany. He raised his hands and blessed his followers. While he was blessing them, he was separated from them and carried into heaven. They worshiped him and went back to Jerusalem very happy. They stayed at the Temple all the time, praising God.

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh

Fulness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones he came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied 

For every sin on Him was laid;

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine 

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath.

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

by Natalie Grant

Heart Prayer

Oh Lord please roll away the stone of my heart 

That blocks my connection to you. 

Divine eternal ever free your love 

Is the bread of eternal life. 

Risen from darkness unto light 

Your fire of immortality is the grace of infinite peace. 

Please remove the crust of my ignorance. 

Help me to go inward towards the clear light 

Of your unchanging oneness.

*Painting by Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí

A Mother's Love

Refuge of Divine Love

Lecture by Swami Chidbrahmananda

Mary did you know that your baby boy will some day walk on water?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

- Mark Alan Lowry, "Mary Did You Know" Song lyrics

Jesus Christ : Historical and Universal

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda

Vivekananda's Influence on Modern India

The Darling of Modi's Spiritual Heart

Swami Vivekananda Influences India's Prime Minister - Read Article

India's new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has let it be know through social media his great reverence for the words and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Publicly proclaiming Vivekananda's message of religious harmony, Modi encourages the young Hindu movers and shakers to emulate the forward inner change they want to see in their world. Swami Vivekananda is credited with bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion following his grand appearance at the 1893 Chicago Parliament of Religions where he planted the first seeds of the modern day Yoga movement. For years Swami Vivekananda lectured successfully throughout America bringing Eastern philosophy to the Western World introducing such Vedic ideas as Karma, Bhakti, Raja, and Jnana Yoga. “Every nation has a message to deliver, a mission to fulfill, a destiny to reach. The mission of India has been to guide humanity.” At Kanyakumari Swamiji realized India’s purpose- its message of spirituality, its mission to teach human beings the science of life- a destiny of wearing the crown of a world leader. He spent his entire life in spreading this message. And so it is fitting that Vivekananda's teachings have recently become societal main stream speaking points between contemporary world leaders. The latest exchange on the subject of "Yoga" being recently discussed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama, with hopes of leading today's youth to an ever expanded global oneness of body and mind. This could truly be the realization of Swami Vivekananda's dreams and India's pre-ordained destiny for the betterment of humankind. As an American and a Vedanta Society devotee, I pray this will be the case.  :)
My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation, out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problem, like lions. - Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda His Life and Work

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda

Swami Vivekananda and the Unity of Mankind

Lecture by Swami Atmajnanananda

Read Narendra Modi's views on Swami Vivekananda

Obama Commends Modi in WTO Deal

Buddhism & Hinduism

Please Call Me By My True Name
by Thich Nhat Hanh

Don't say that I will depart tomorrow -- 

even today I am still arriving.

Look deeply: every second I am arriving

to be a bud on a Spring branch, 

to be a tiny bird, with still-fragile wings,

learning to sing in my new nest,

to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower,

to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry,

to fear and to hope.The rhythm of my heart 
is the birth and death of all that is alive.

I am the mayfly metamorphosing

on the surface of the river.

And I am the bird 

that swoops down to swallow the mayfly.

I am the frog swimming happily

in the clear water of a pond.

And I am the grass-snake

that silently feeds itself on the frog.

I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones,

my legs as thin as bamboo sticks.

And I am the arms merchant,

selling deadly weapons to Uganda.

I am the twelve-year-old girl,

refugee on a small boat,

who throws herself into the ocean

after being raped by a sea pirate.

And I am the pirate,

my heart not yet capable

of seeing and loving.

I am a member of the politburo,

with plenty of power in my hands.

And I am the man who has to pay

his "debt of blood" to my people

dying slowly in a forced-labor camp.

My joy is like Spring, so warm

it makes flowers bloom all over the Earth.

My pain is like a river of tears,

so vast it fills the four oceans.

Please call me by my true names,

so I can hear all my cries and my laughter at once,

so I can see that my joy and pain are one.
Please call me by my true names,

so I can wake up, and so the door of my heart

can be left open, the door of compassion.

Buddha, Shankaracharya and Swami Vivekananda Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda

Training in Mindfulness - Deer Park Monastery