Those venomous words!

Humans can spit venomous words that are more poisonous than what snakes spew out.

Yes, God has given us this power. We need to think about the deep injuries this inflicts on another’s heart. It not only inflicts pain at the time these words are heard, but the same amount and intensity of pain will be felt whenever those words are remembered, even decades later.

Differences between a snake bite and word bite

When a snake bites, there is only one line of action. Antidote has to be administered as soon as possible to remain alive.

When venomous words are directed at you, there can be two approaches. I am reminded of an incidence when my kids were young. One day they came and told that their friend called them monkeys and they were very sad.

I asked them, ‘Do you think you are monkeys?’

‘No.’

‘Then what is there to be sad?’ Their faces brightened up.

I had not finished yet, ‘And if you behave like monkeys, see how you can improve yourselves. So she has given you an opportunity to be a better person and be thankful. Then here also there is no need to be sad, right?’

‘Yes’, they smiled and ran off to play.

When we hear caustic words, we can let them seep into our hearts and tear our soul.

Or we can choose to ignore them and maintain our sanity and peace in the heart. It sounds difficult, but not impossible. Reiki can help us in this, which I will describe a little later.

Generating karma

When a snake bites somebody, it is their inherent nature. Usually they bite only when disturbed. It is their natural behaviour.

When a human utters caustic words, instantly karma is created, which has to be paid back, may be immediately, after a week, after a year or after a life time. When one gets affected by the words, he/she will be participating in the pay back, along with the person who has shouted. Why should one take up the shouting person’s karma like this? It is better to leave him/ her only to pay for it.

Reiki comes to help

When you are forced to listen to angry words from somebody, imagine a mirror between you and the person shouting. The mirror should be facing the abusive person. Its reflective surface then reflects the power of those words back.

Invoke Reiki and request Reiki to send white light and interpose it between the back of the mirror and you. If any words are not reflected back but scattered, they will be absorbed by the white light. Thus you are totally protected.

Compassion and love

When you are being abused, try to understand that person. If you can read aura, you will notice brownish black gooey auric threads emanating from him/her. If you can’t read aura, just look at the face carefully and you will be surprised at what you see.  

A snake spews venom because that is what it has. A person talks hurtful words because their heart is filled with negative emotions like hatred, anger, jealousy, helplessness or depression. If you retort in this situation, you are further feeding it.

What that person needs is compassion and love. But it looks humanly impossible to project love to a person who is abusing you. As you spiritually progress, this becomes achievable. Till then, you can request Reiki to flood that person with love. Requesting alone will do wonders, but if you can imagine healing light coming from above, surrounding and penetrating that person, it is better.

Don’t forget you too need that healing light of love, to come out of the draining emotions those words caused inside. So request Reiki to flood you too with the healing light, imagining the light if possible. 

For the abusive person

If you are in the habit of making acid remarks, stop for a moment and think. The snake is programmed to bite, it doesn’t have a choice. But as humans, we do have a choice. Through words and deeds, we can transcend ourselves to divinity, or we can turn into devils.

If one wants to improve, first step is to accept the fact that what is being done is wrong. Then before the conversation, invoke Reiki and request it to flood your throat chakra with blue light. Imagine this blue light expanding, and forming a blue net that spreads in front of your face.

This will help in choosing kind words and it also softens any aggressive words that you use, before it reaches the person in front. 

Let us strive to utter words that are music to the person listening.

A mysterious divine revelation

Dambulla cave temple

Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.

This temple complex that dates back to the first century BCE, was one of our must visit locations in Sri Lanka. We started out early in the morning. The beautiful Royal Rock Temple complex sits about 160m above the road in the southern part of Dambulla, and the access to the temple is along the gentle slope of the Dambulla Rock, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding flat lands.

We climbed the steps taking in the fresh oxygen and reached the top. Since it was too early, we had to wait, giving us more time to absorb the rejuvenating beauty from around.

There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha.

As we visited the caves with beautiful statues of Buddha and paid obeisance to the Hindu deities, I noticed a parijat tree in the compound with flowers strewn around the tree trunk.

 I have a special connection with the parijat flowers, so closed my eyes for a second and connected with the divine flowers.

Sita Kotuwa.

When Ravana first brought Sita to Sri Lanka, he did not take her directly to the Ashok Vatika. Their first stop was Sita Kotuwa, which is in the midst of the forest. 

Luckily our driver knew the way and took us through the downward forest trail, it took us 20 minutes to reach down.

The vibration was just amazing there. We sat down to meditate and I felt so much of peace and bliss that was left there from the presence of Sita. 

It was confusing because according to the stories that are prevalent, Ravana took Sita by force, she must have had untoward feelings and her mind couldn’t have been peaceful. But our experience was nowhere near that. Experienced many picturesque visuals there that told an entirely different story!

I asked Sita ma, if what we felt was correct, show me an indication. I looked around and saw a plant with just one bunch of Ashoka flowers in it. Yes, I got my answer, leaving no iota of doubt.

Ravana Ella Falls

Similar thing happened at the Ravana falls too. I could feel the tremendous power and stability there, which removed any feelings that Ravana was a totally evil character. Standing in front of the waterfall with closed eyes was a stabilising experience.

The Final meditation

I had the thought of a final meditation to consolidate all the spiritual experiences in Sri Lanka before we left the place. And it was so arranged that we had the opportunity for a group meditation. During this group meditation, I felt the presence of Lord hanuman, Sita ma and Ravana. Their combined energy field was all around and inside my body. I saw the parijat flowers that were strewn around the tree in the Dambulla temple being wrapped in a white cloth, then another red cloth and being placed in my pineal gland.

The pineal gland is something that is spoken of as being the intuition organ and the connection point between body and spirit. French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) emphasized the pineal gland in his writings, calling it the seat of the soul and “The part of the body in which the soul directly exercises its functions.” He contended that this was centre at which the soul and body interacted, and where we receive our messages from the Divine.

I could feel the intense vibration in my third eye area. I was sure something has happened from the energy field. I thanked the Universal Energy for my experience.

A continuous process

On reaching back home, I was not sure how to take my experience forward. After two days, a friend gifted us a small idol of Ganeshji. I noticed that the third eye area had a pronounced mark, which I had never seen in any similar idol before. 

I kept it in my puja room and now during my daily puja, I connect my third eye with the third eye mark on the idol and re experience the vibrations I felt in Sri Lanka. So this is my routine till I am led to the next step!

References:

http://www.peppystory.com/articles/photographs-that-prove-the-existence-of-ramayana-1278

http://energeticsinstitute.com.au/spiritual-concept-of-third-eye/

Vibrations from the tree inside a tree

During our stay in Coorg with friends, they recommended visiting Dubare elephant camp. We listened to the memories of their visit many years back when it was not so much developed. Since we had a morning free, we set out to the elephant camp.

Dubare Elephant camp is a project undertaken by forest department and Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd. The elephants here are trained under naturalists. To explain the different aspect of elephant history, biology and ecology, there is a trained naturalist. One can spend hours simply watching Elephants, and can also participate in various activities involving elephants.

The place seemed very serene and I wanted to spend some time near the water and a huge tree. 

While walking towards the tree, my husband remarked, “I am getting the vibrations of a temple here.”

He walked away and I was taking in the divine vibrations.  Considering the vibrations, I thought that it may be a banyan or peepal tree. But the leaves looked different. 

Then I noticed a large opening on the trunk of the tree. I peeped inside and saw what looked like thick roots. On closer examination, it looked like trunk of another tree, which must have grown from a seed lodged in the crack of the tree trunk.

I traced that stem up and to my surprise, saw leaves of peepal on its branches!

That explained the energy field around and my heart was filled with reverence and wonderment at Nature’s ways.

Coconut pieces ready to eat

We were on our way to Bhilai from Amarkantak when a small temple and huge statues adjacent to it attracted our attention. We stopped and admired the huge statue of dancing Shiva and other statues.

Deciding to pay obeisance at the temple, we bought a thali with flowers, coconut, scentstick and camphor and offered it at the sanctum sanctorum. The pujari gave back prasad tied in a plastic bag. I could feel half coconut with a good amount of husk inside the plastic bag.

Usually we use a knife to take out coconut pulp. We were going to stay in a hotel in Bhilai, where this procedure would have been difficult. I prayed that somehow the coconut pulp is in pieces and we could eat it there and then. I gave Reiki also to this effect and then opened the plastic bag.

And there they were! The shell inside the husk was broken into many pieces and the pulp was also in small pieces which we could easily munch on. In my whole life it has never happened like this before. Every time either a knife or coconut scraper was needed to take out the pulp. The moment I discarded the coconut shell it struck me that I should have taken a photograph of that. So I decided to make a drawing to show you what I found on opening the plastic bag:

 Later I searched for the information on the temple. It was Kaal Bhairav Mandir  situated at Ratanpur, about 25 km from Bilaspur, in Chhattisgarh. 'Bhairav', Lord of Terror is another form of Lord Shiva, regarded as his 'rudra' or dreadful form. The temple lies around 3 km away from Shri Mahamaya Devi Mandir towards Bilaspur. The temple is dedicated to Kaal Bhairav, one among the 52 Bhairavs.

 A popular belief among the devotees is that Kaal Bhairav Mandir should be visited first before the visit of the Shri Mahamaya Devi Mandir as the deity here is regarded as the door keeper of Devi. Devotees have been practicing worship in the Mahamaya Devi temple since centuries ago, the first 'Abhishek' and pooja are said to have occurred in 1050 AD. 

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.

  

Activating Blueprints

I was eagerly looking forward to attend Jacqueline Maria Longstaff’s workshop on Activating Blueprints (Realise your full potential). It was an amazing learning experience.

She had asked us to bring drawing paper and color pencils/crayons. In the afternoon of first day, she told us we had to make three drawings. It was not simply any drawing, there was to be some introspection needed before deciding on what to draw.

•      She asked us to do a brief meditation on ‘Where do you come from? What is your journey?’   She asked us to stay in the heart, zero in on what picture comes, then look for all the smaller details.

The picture that came to my mind was that of a mother bird sitting near three eggs. One of the eggs had cracked open and the chick was trying to emerge out. The nest was on a huge tree and as I watched for the details, I could see a feather falling down.

•     The second drawing was to be based on ‘Where do you go from here? What is the journey about?'

I saw myself in Varanasi, the temple was visible in the background. There was a dead body being burnt at the pyre. There were steps leading to the Ganges and a man was sitting on a boat, just waiting.

•  'What’s the way in which you can sabotage your journey?’

There was a clothesline on which three cloths were hanging. They were tied at their corners onto the string. The middle cloth represented me, one corner of this cloth had opened up and left the string, but the other corner was still tied onto it. There was Sun shining brightly in the background.

After everybody had finished the drawing, we were asked to look at our drawings, then close the eyes  and see what message the Universe was giving.

The three eggs in my first drawing represented the three completed decades of my intense spiritual practices. The egg cracking open gave an indication that a breakthrough for my sadhana is imminent. Then there was the falling feather. I know that whenever I sense the presence of angels, I get to see feathers in all unimaginable places. So, that meant the angels are there to always help me in my efforts.

It is interesting that on the previoius day, when I was asked to just blindly pick up one bookmark from a box with different bookmarks, this was the one that I got:

The second drawing depicts  that I have yet to burn my vasanas. Then there is somebody waiting to take me across!

Even after knowing things, I may have a tendency to not let go, which is shown by one corner of the cloth still tied to the string. But there is the Sun shining on the cloth. When the cloth is totally dried up, it will shrink and I can decide to let go of the string.

It is interesting that in all three situations, Divine presence is there to render help. This is my core belief too. If we just take one step ahead, the whole Universe will be there to take us forward!

Divine manifestation in Valparai

A friend had booked for stay in Valparai and since she couldn’t go due to some reason, we got to avail the facility. It was a tough journey, there were 40 hair pin bends on the way to reach there, but once we arrived, it was magical. There were tea plantations all around and a plethora of birds with unique colors, singing melodies!

In the evening time we sat in the balcony, trying to absorb the beauty and serenity around. My eyes stopped at the mountain top straight ahead, visible between trees, and I was strongly guided for an open eye meditation. 

It was a very powerful experience and after a while I began seeing images on the mountain top. First it was a shivling that appeared. I have superimposed the divine images from the net onto the photographs I had taken, just to give an idea of what I saw. But the images that I saw were lifelike, not like pictures.

After I meditated on the Shivling for some time, it slowly faded out and the image of Shiva appeared in its place. 

Sometime later Goddess Parvati  appeared to his left side and the divine beauty exuding from her face was mesmerizing! Then came Goddess Saraswathi and for quite some time I could meditate on those celestial beings.

The evening turned to dusk and it was somewhat dark when I finished meditation. Suddenly a bird came and sat  in front of the balcony. 

There were no other birds visible at that time; probably they were already in their nests.  It looked black, but I knew it was not a crow. It spread its tail like a fan for a few seconds. 

Turning to left side, it spread its tail again. Further it turned ninety degrees, spread the tail, again ninety degrees and fanned tail. Now it sat there, looking at us (my husband, daughter and me) for some time and flew off.

Next day I saw the bird in day light and realized it had a  very beautiful blue color; the Malabar whistling thrush let us listen to its divine melody during brahma muhurt and dusk time. I managed to record it at 4.30 am. Click here to listen.

It was a surreal experience to me and I am indebted to the friend because of whom we visited Valparai.