Ramana

Tiruvannamalai, located in Tamil Nadu, southern India is where Ramana Maharshi lived his life as an enlightened sage.

Here at the foot of mount Arunachala lies his ashram – Ramanaashram.

Although “Sri Bhavagan” left his body over 60 years ago, his presence is alive in this truly vibrant ashram, where many devotees live and work, perform ceremonies, offer readings from Ramana’s books, feed the poor, the animals, and all the visitors who come to their halls.

Meals are served in the traditional style seated on the floor with banana leaf for a plate and no utensils. they consist of traditional vegetarian south indian food: dals, curries, ghee, rice, lassi, potato or corn fritters and other delectables that include the six flavors, sweet, sour, salty, astringent, pungent and bitter.

Arunachala is India’s holy mountain. Bhagavan lived in various caves on Arunachala mountain for many years. His many devotees constructed shade structures and paths for him to use.

The essence of Ramana’s teaching is this: We are all divine and awake. To know this we must overcome our belief in the thoughts that block that awareness. How? “Asking the question Who Am I, will destroy all other thoughts and like the stick used for stirring the burning pyre, it will itself get destroyed. Then there will arise self-realization.”

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Sri Bhagavan achieved self-realization at age 16, whan he faced his fear of death and realized clearly without any doubt that the body dies, yes, but the being – the Self is untouched by all things that come and go. There are many remarkable books written by him and those who knew him. He is one of the great treasures of India.

The Sacred Ganges River

The River Ganges gushes out of the Himalayas, the highest mountain range on earth.
In Rishikesh she is a wide, cool, rapidly flowing and ever gurgling presence.

Along her banks are ghats – or steps – leading down to the edge.

Every evening at sunset, fire pujas with devotional chanting are performed along the ghats. Tiny floating offerings of candles, incense and flowers are placed in the sacred river.

Ganga is the center of life in all the cities through which she flows. In the holy city of Varanasi, restaurants, ashrams, hotels, and guest houses are perched along her banks.

People bathe in her, pray to her, wash their clothes and cremate their dead on her banks. And like a mother does, she receives it all, offering her blessings.

Papaji and Satsang Bhavan

HWL Poonja also known affectionately as “Papaji” has left this earth but his spirit and teachings live on.

Here at Satsang Bhavan, the place where Papaji offered Satsang, we are gathered for three weeks of video Satsang with Papaji, in Lucknow, India. We are the guests of Brindavan Farm and Organic India. We have the privilege of going to the farm every afternoon for kirtan and dinner.
Papaji is in the lineage of Ramana Maharshi and Advaita. This branch of Hinduism declares that all beings are awake. We are only blocked by our mental content.
In our daily video satsangs with Papaji we are directed to be still, to keep quiet and to not follow the thoughts that are disturbances to our natural state of peace.
Soon Gangaji will join us to offer Satsang and retreat. She eloquently points to the truth in each one of us, and assists in actually having the experience of that.

Awake in Rishikesh

Rishikesh, a holy city on the banks of the Ganges, is known for its ashrams, spiritual teachers, yoga centers and pilgrims.  Sadus,  cows and monkeys populate the pedestrian walkways, along with vendors, motorbikes, bicycles and everyone else. It’s colorful!

 

I am here to  attend open satsangs with Mooji. Satsang means “in association with truth”. It is a gathering with a master for the purpose of liberation from ignorance and suffering. There are 600 of us gathering at the ashram every day. We are richly blessed by Mooji’s presence and his generous spirit. If you are curious about him you can visit his web site at www.mooji.org.

 

The essence of his message is that we are already awake, only blinded by belief in our thoughts, stories, and opinions. These beliefs keep our lives very small. We  are that awareness that does not die with the body. We are that which is not impermanent. When we inquire, we notice that everything we see, feel and think is impermanent. We are instead the one who is aware of all of it, yet untouched by it.

 

There are a couple of fellows here at my hotel who are also atteding Satsang with Mooji. Our sharing is rich. We don’t talk about much else! We share breakfast together, walk across Ram Jhula and catch a tuk-tuk for 100 rupees to the ashram.

Last week my Indian Facebook friend Pooja and I attended satsang together on her 33rd birthday. Afterwards she walked right up to Mooji and invited him to a birthday fire ceremony at her house. He accepted!

 

So that evening  I found myself at Pooja’s family home with Mooji.  Pooja received a personal blessing from Mooji. What grace.

A Spiritual Pilgrimage to Mother India

 

 

With 7 days remaining until my departure to Delhi, I have stuffed my bags with everything required to live on the road for the next 75 days. This is my 70th  birthday present – the journey I have  longed for. I leave everything familiar behind – puppy, husband,  friends, my comfy bed,  the ” security” of a predictable life, and my identity. I become another face  in the sea of pilgrims seeking truth and release from the dream we call reality. And I am blessed to have such company.  Our gurus, way-showers and teachers await us. Gratitude  pours from my heart. Mother India, take me home to myself! I am ready to be consumed.

 

 

My travels will take me into the presence of two extraordinary beings. In Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganges in the foothills of the Himalayas, I will sit in satsang with Mooji.  My heart  is already with him there, and I hear his words in the stillness..  In mid march I’ll meet up with my friend Heather and together we will  retreat with my beloved Gangaji.

 

 

Ganesh is the Hindu God whose benefic blessing is invoked at the beginning of any new endeavor. He rides upon a rat. He is the God of good fortune, and the remover of obstacles.  Bless us all, Lord Ganesh,  as we pilgrimage to this far away land. May all beings be happy . May all beings be at peace. Om Shanti.

 

 

 

Rainbow Tattoo Wedding ~ Index Finger Moustache!

 

 

Meeting Erin and James, hearing their stories of love and hope, sharing and laughing with this delightful couple as we planned their ceremony was pure pleasure. Meeting their friends and family and performing their colorful wedding was pure joy.

Erin’s stunningly beautiful tattoos of Kuan Yin and her Dragon by artist Jeff Gogue were a spectacular part of her appearance in her jewel studded gown. The bridesmaid and guests in their own jewel-tones: turquiose, purple, blue, green, fuscia, orange – created an eye popping rainbow on this otherwise gray Mendocino afternoon.  Erin and James, two happy lovers filled with warmth and gratitude,  locked gazes throughout the ceremony. Standing closely together, crying and smiling, they were in rapture –  Wow!

Following the ceremony and more by hugs and handshakes, we adjourned to the “barn” at Spring Ranch where we were treated to luscious figs and cheeses. Many guests received their complimentary “index-finger moustache”  or “fingerstache” tattoo from T.J. Meres as we awaited our royal wedding feast beautifully presented by Sonya Houston of Mendocino Weddings .

Every wedding is unique and surprisingly different from the others.  For some couples, their officiant is just a necessary tool for accomplishing the job of getting married. For others, there is a real and enduring friendship that grows from the shared experience of creating a life-changing event together. James and Erin blessed me with their openness, enthusiasm and freindship. I write this post in gratitude to them, their friends and family who welcomed me into their circle that day. I was richly blessed.

Erin and James, may you have every happiness – “until the wheels fall off!”

Presence: Simply being with what is here.

When I first returned from Mexico this past June after a month long retreat, I was very quiet inside, so able to be in the moment and feel and see the vibration of life around me. As my days became busier with more demands, my walks with my puppy were different – it was hard to shut down my planning mind and future-past mind so I could just be walking with her.

We all need to find these simple moments of quietude, these moments of deep healing and awareness. Why? Our true selves- our essence – is very still. In this stillness nothing need be done – we need only witness and enjoy the play of life. Here, no problems exist. We are free to enjoy the moments as they arise.  The most adept can do this all the time, even in the most trying of circumstances. Every moment holds an opportunity for going deeper into the mystery. In this spirit, I share this blog post by Brynne Betz.

Posted: 14 Aug 2012 11:51 PM PDT On a quiet side street of my island home there are dandelions and tall, weedy grasses and a tiny creek that dances over bits of stone. It makes me happy to walk along this street, my senses open, my heart oh, so wide. I like to see the things that no one else notices, to give them my attention and to feel them plump up when I do. Like the tuft of grass in the middle of the street. I love him. I don’t know how he happened, but there, suddenly, in the middle of pure asphalt, is mister tuft of happy green grass. When neighboring lawns turn brown and coarse, he doesn’t. Here it is late summer and still he’s his sweet self of lush green. And then there is the Stop sign tucked behind the tree that so few can ever see unless they get under the tree like I did. What color is the Stop sign, I asked my little girl. And now I ask you…what color is the Stop sign? Is she really red? Or is she something more? Is she also white…with maybe a little bit of tree juice mixed in there, too? What color is your Stop sign, the one nearest to your home? She’s not just red even if 99% of us say it is so. For we forget to really see. To see the letters, to see the happenings, to see the life of something we stop beside every single day. When we take the risk, because it is indeed a risk, to look closer and closer, the things around us begin to change. You see, it takes a certain bravery to wait and just look when the rest of the world is in such a hurry. But when we do, when we soften enough to step outside of our self-centeredness, we open ourselves up to a realm of wonder where we are a part of something larger. That place where we connect not just with a person or a people, but with the things around us too, that place, it emerges. The You in you and the Me in me…walk into the light to guide us home. We are steered back to our center. And all because we took the time to give our attention to something. A patch of grass A Stop sign Anything that finds its way into your path Is your sacred ticket To You.

Traveling in Mexico

Many American friends ask me if I feel safe living and traveling in Mexico. They innocently assume that the terrible news stories they hear and read in the American media pertain to all of the country all of the time.  Our little village of La Manzanilla, situated on the Pacific coast, is safe and very welcoming. One very quickly feels more relaxed and open.  The wonderful local restaurants, the long crescent beach, the warm air, the dancing palms, and the friendly locals, all add to the feeling of well-being.  And yes, there is an occasional incident that causes alarm – usually a robbery of someone’s laptop or cell phone.   But life is no different in our pueblo than elsewhere in the world. And mostly, life is very, very good. The following blog is a thoughtful and helpful look inside our cherished, adopted home country. The second piece,  ”Mexico Maligned” posted on July 23rd,  is a very good article for anyone interested in travel to Mexico who may have been having second thoughts. Have a look. It will enlighten you.

http://travelbyterry.wordpress.com/category/divine-destinations/

 

Return to the pottery studio

Sculpted elephants, polished little pots, wedding vessels, cereal bowls – yes, I am back to work! It is more like “play” and very rewarding! After living in Mexico for 8 months – rewarding in itself, but without a studio –  it is a true pleasure to be immersed once more in art-making. It brings me into the moment, into the joy of just being with the material as it takes form. I let my love of this experience flow through my hands. Oh my, what fun this is! What will emerge is a mystery to be revealed in time. I am fully engaged in the discovery!

A Grand Bay Wedding/ Yachting Style

The sun was setting over the Pacific as we gathered on a rocky bluff to celebrate the love that radiated from Joanne and Jon. Here we were –  friends and family assembled – surrounded by  the beauty of the tropics,  sharing this moment filled with electric joy. Jon and Joanne arrived via dune buggy to our gathering and joyfully ( nearly skipping!) approached me – their minister – grinning at the water’s edge. The guests were cheering, clapping and whistling. Wow!

I have witnessed many weddings, but this had a mythic quality to it. The tears flowed, the smiles widened, and the cheers continued as they spoke their vows to one another. And these were not any pre-provided words. These words were straight from the heart, from a deepening love based on life in the trenches;  grounded in generosity  and authentic appreciation.

A second marriage can be one that has its foundation based in accumulated wisdom and a deep understanding of what is important in life. Such was our experience that day as we witnessed the miracle healing power of love.

Later we gathered on Jon and Joanne’s yacht at the Grand Bay Marina. Many other yacht owners were among their friends.  All 35 of us were lavishly provided food and drink as we enjoyed the evening on their beautiful floating estate.  I had the opportunity to meet some fabulously good people,  have some rich conversation and enjoy the fun!

Thank you Jon and Joanne! It was a time to remember!