Greetings Everyone! This week's lesson comes from the Teaching of Buddha as scribed by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai.
"Indeed, those who seek for Enlightenment must think of their minds as castles and decorate them. They must open wide the gates of their minds for Buddha (my word: Spirit) and respectfully and humbly invite Him to enter the inmost chamber, there to offer Him the fragrant incense of Faith and the flowers of gratitude and gladness."
Each day, as I prepare to meditate, I ask Spirit to guide me to the book, author, page, affirmation or even prayer, that is to serve as my inspiration for meditation that day. After I've read - what I've been called to read, I light the candle on my "prayer wheel" . The prayer wheel is a small silver dish with a niche for a small votive candle in it's center. Surrounding the candle are the words that I begin my meditation with.
"The Light of God surrounds you. The Love of God enfolds you. The Presence of God watches over you. The Power of God protects you. Wherever you are, God is. Wherever you are, God is. Wherever you are, God is. "
After saying these words aloud, I fall silent and focus on the flickering flame. I allow thoughts of the words on my prayer wheel to clear my mind of the normal "chatter". And then I ask Spirit to show me what it is that I'm to learn from earlier lesson. (The reading I was guided to read.)
Then I listen.
I listen to my breath. As I inhale I say to myself "Wisdom in". As I exhale I say "Excess out". Soon I will have stopped talking and I will start to hear "me speak to me." Spirit using my own voice to speak to me - Enlightening me.
So today, I invite you to try it. I invite you to meditate, pray, treat, get centered and allow yourself to be Enlightened. I will share with you a small reading. Once you've read it - be silent and ask yourself - "What is Spirit guiding me to learn from this lesson?" Enlightenment is all around you. Go get it! Give it away to others and Get use to surrounding yourself with gladness. Here's the story:
"Once there was a boy named Sudhana who also wished for Enlightenment and earnestly sought the way. From a fisherman he learned the lore of the sea. From a doctor he learned compassion toward sick people in their suffering. From a wealthy man he learned that saving pennies was the secret of his fortune and thought how necessary it was to conserve every trifling gained on the path to Enlightenment.
From a meditating monk he learned that the pure and peaceful mind had a miraculous power to purify and tranquilize other minds. Once he met a woman of exceptional personality and was impressed by her benevolent spirit, and from her he learned a lesson that charity was the fruit of wisdom. Once he met an aged wanderer who told him that to reach a certain place he had to scale a mountain of swords and pass through a valley of fire. Thus Sudhana learned from his experiences that there was true teaching to be gained from everything he saw or heard.
He learned patience from a poor, crippled woman; he learned a lesson of simple happiness from watching children playing in the street; and from some gentle and humble people, who never thought of wanting anything that anybody else wanted, he learned the secret of living at peace with all the world.
He learned a lesson of harmony from watching the blending of the elements of incense, and a lesson thanksgiving from the arrangement of flowers. One day, passing through a forest, he took a rest under a noble tree and noticed a tiny seedling growing near by out of a fallen and decaying tree and it taught him a lesson of the uncertainty of life.
Sunlight by day and the twinkling stars by night constantly refreshed his spirit. Thus Sudhana profited by the experiences of his long journey.
Indeed, those who seek for Enlightenment must think of their minds as castles and decorate them, They must open wide the gates for their minds for Buddha (my words: Spirit) and respectfully and humbly invite Him to enter the inmost chamber, there to offer Him the fragrant incense of Faith and the flowers of gratitude and gladness."
[The Teaching of Buddha; Kyokai; "The Way of Practical Attainment - Lesson #9; pages 318-322]
No comments:
Post a Comment