Water offering accepted

A bird bath in the balcony

I had kept a bird bath in the balcony of our bed room a couple of years ago. It was my silicone baking dish. I used it for baking two three times, but somehow I didn’t like it and was lying in my kitchen. One day I thought it will be good for bird bath, so filled it with water and kept it on the parapet in the balcony.

After a few days, I saw a bird plunging into the water gleefully and enjoying a bath in the afternoon. When it came out and was shaking its body to dry the feathers, another one dived into the water. My happiness knew no bounds! After a few days I noticed that the birds take bath in the morning also.

The empty bird bath

Every day morning when I go to the balcony to offer water for the Sun God, I replenish the small quantity of water that is reduced in the container. Last week I noticed that the container was totally empty one day. I was confused, it has never happened before. I asked my maid whether she threw away the water, and the answer was negative.

If some animal, like a cat or monkey, who is occasional visitor, has drank the water, I think the container cannot remain exactly in its position. I was really confused for a few days.

The revelation

Then it struck me. As per instructions, I had started water offering for Tara and a week had passed. 

Here was the indication that the water offering has been accepted. This is not the first time a miracle has happened in that balcony. My heart was filled with reverence and gratitude. 

When Buddha took me along

‘Buddham sharanam gachhami, Sangham sharanam gacchami, dharmam sharanam gacchami’- that’s what I learned in school and thought that’s all about Buddhism. The main thing that impressed me was the concept of non violence or ahimsa. Going through the literature I found that there are four divisions in Buddhism and it is very vast and deep.

Buddha’s picture

 I was in awe of the magnificent Buddhist temples in Thailand during our visit in 1985. The Thai music and dancing were balm to my agitated self. I got this Buddha’s picture in 2006 as a gift.

I hung it on the door of my puja room. It had a yellow cloth over Buddha’s picture and I was at a loss to find a way to expose the picture without destroying the yellow cloth. So Buddha remained behind the veil for 11 years.

Last March (2017) when we visited Buddhist monasteries in Bhutan, the mystery was solved. I saw how the covering cloth could be rolled up and kept in a particular way to expose the picture.

Tara’s statue

We got a statue as a memento during a dental conference in early 1990s. It is a graceful female figure and I had kept it in the show case.

In 2008 I bought the book “Tantric yoga and the wisdom Goddesses” autographed by the author David Frawley. That is when I realised that the statue was of Tara.  I had read the complete book in 2008, but today when I brought it from the library to refer, I was amazed at how much more information I am grasping now.

Once I realized that it was Tara, I used to clean the statue periodically and offer flowers daily. Somehow, I was associating her with Buddhism all the while.

The Vajra cross

When I was browsing through the gift shop at the Tiger Nest base in Bhutan, I was drawn to this small cross with red and blue stones on either side and I bought it.

I had absolutely no idea what it was. Then I collected information. The double dorje or crossed Vajra represents the stability of the physical world and is a powerful protective symbol in that it cannot be destroyed but itself destroys all evil.

It is also associated with Amogasiddhi , one of the five Dhyani Buddhas whose mudra is granting protection or fearlessness and whose consort is the Green Tara.

Before time began, there was only darkness and the emptiness that is the Void. A gentle wind arose from the four directions that, over time, filled the Void.  It began to grow in power until, after eons had passed, the wind coalesced into a substance so thick, so heavy, so solid, so immutable that it formed Dorje Gyatram, the vajra cross that is the basis of the physical universe. 

The vajra cross is also considered an emblem of protection. It is also the emblem of Buddhist deities whose influence encourages immoveable determination.

Ok, now I know why it came to me. While attending the course on ‘Activating blueprints’, during the symbolic drawing to the question, ‘What’s the way in which you can sabotage your journey?’ I had got the answer that I may have a tendency to not let go.  I need the protection and staunch determination that the vajra cross can provide.

Instructions from Tara

When I kept the vajra cross near the statue of Tara, I got instructions to chant her mantra and to do water offering daily. I was confused why this sudden shift to a Buddhist deity has happened. I started looking for a clue.

Tara is not only the most important of the Buddhist Goddesses; she is also an important Hindu Goddess. Among the Ten Wisdom Goddesses Tara resembles Kali and is her first transformation. I have been doing Kali sadhana for many years with rituals being dictated from time to time. 

Durga- Tara

As the power of deliverance Tara is related to the Goddess Durga, who similarly takes us across all difficulties (durgani). Hence she is also called Durga-Tara. Whereas Durga represents the power that overcomes or destroys obstacles and difficulties, Tara is the power which takes us beyond them.

Tara is the power to transcend all things. She not only lifts us beyond dangers but allows us to rise beyond our achievements and accomplishments to higher levels of realization.

During a previous visit to an ancient temple, this Durga’s replica came to me.

I have been doing kumkumabhishek on this, as per guidance once a week so far. Now I can see the common thread running through all this and I am ready to walk the path.

In the morning I got confirmation from the Universe when I saw this rose flower, with a bud in its center in our garden.