My Mala Is Now A Teething Toy - An English Mother's Journey to Enlightenment
Thursday 17 January 2013
Reflections on my first book class
Saturday 12 January 2013
White Tara
Just thought I would share this amazing pictue the new kadampa tradition has done of White Tara, Lady of compassion :-) xxx
Visit to 2 Buddhism centre
Today as a family we went to a Buddhist centre in chorlton. The food at the cafe was amaZing,but that is not what is provoking me to write this blog.
I went up to the centres meditation room and had such an intense sense to stay there forever n a sense of deep peace, like falling asleep whilst awake. The intensity shocked me. I asked pagpa about it and he told me it could be a blessing from previous good practice in concentration, and that it was a good thing, so that's good... Still freaked me out though!
We then went to the Buddhist centre in Manchester city centre as my wrist mala (prayer beads) broke and I tried to get one from the first centre but having found they had none we rememebred the centre in the city had some and went there. They had so many gorgeous ones, semi precious stones, glass, bone and wood ones. I was spoilt for choice! The lady on the stall made them all herself too, so talented! So here is the one I went for: cracked glass 27 beaded one (a division of 108, as in Buddhism when you do mantras, which earn you good karma points, you are meant to say each mantra 108 times as this number is a sacred number in Buddhism but I can't remember why atm!):
Thursday 10 January 2013
Surrender: teething baby vs meditation n study
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Death and candles
Imagine a room as vast and huge as the world, filled with millions of candles aflame, one for each person of the world. In this room walks death only. As he brushes by a flame, it flickers and the person linked to the flame has a heart attack or stroke. Then death simply blows out a flame, and that person just dies as quickly as the flame goes from burning to nothing, so suddenly n without any warning.
Best make today a good day, earn good karma and work to get rid of the bad karma, as who knows when death will blow u out!
Wednesday 2 January 2013
A Good Start to 2013
Buddhist Stuff
Today I took my first big positive step towards my goal of becoming a Buddhist Teacher.
Dan, Haydn and I went to see Pagpa at his centre in Preston as I really wanted Dan to met him, and Dan really did too as he knows how much of a big influence Pagpa was on my life. Haydn absolutely loved the centre and was so much more vocal that usual, and he seemed to really like Pagpa too, and so did Dan which meant alot to me. Anyway, I got talking to Pagpa and asked if I could join the Foundation Programme course at the centre, and he said YES! :D.
Some basic info on the course from the site:
Foundation Programme
The programme comprises the following five subjects based on Buddha's Sutra teachings and the corresponding commentaries by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso:
- The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, based on the commentary Joyful Path of Good Fortune;
- Training the Mind, based on the commentaries Universal Compassion and Eight Steps to Happiness;
- The Heart Sutra, based on the commentary Heart of Wisdom
- Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, based on the commentary Meaningful to Behold; and
- Types of Mind, based on the commentary Understanding the Mind
The class takes place on tuesday evenings at 6pm to 9.30pm. There are two sessions, 6pm - 7.30pm and 8pm - 9.30pm with a break in the middle for refreshments and socialising. Each session consists of chanted prayers, meditation, teaching and discussion.
Taught by Gen Kelsang Pagpa
Please contact the centre for more information if you are interested in joining.
So yeah, I'm really happy about this! It starts on 15th January and I'm studying the Meaningful to Behold book which I bought today - I have lots of homework as the class is up to chapter 5 already, better get swatting up! It works out at about £23 a month which is abit steep for us atm, but I'm going to give it a month and see if we can afford it ok.
Job Stuff
So, after much deliberation with Dan and my friends, and after much searching on the internet for a job thats 2 days a week, we have decided that I'm going to carry on doing my web-based sales job which is boring but it brings in loads more than any other part time job would, and I'll be self-employed too (which means I'll need to have an accountant! oo errr!). I'm gonna do it for 1 days a week in jan when haydn goes to grandmas, then 2 days a week when he goes to nursery for a day too. I just hope I can make enough for nursery, buddhist classes n all the bills!As for my legal stuff with my previous employer, it seems they have gone into liquidation which is not good for me, as i dont see to be getting my maternity pay any more and also it may mean that i get nothing from the court case either ;( O well, i will live in hope that the liquidation company will give me the 1k in maternity money i will be owed by 22nd Jan!
Thursday 27 December 2012
It's all going to hell: it's just something else to let go of
Things are challenging atm. This bit of the road is bumpy. I'll summarise.
I have a current case against the company I used to work for as they made me redundant whilst I was on maternity without any notice and I only found out via my colleagues Facebook update. It's been going since August and its been a struggle and very unprofessionally handled. The date for the tribunal is end of Feb, but I found out a few days ago that the three companies in the consortium I worked in have gone into liquidation and insolvency. This means even if I win the case I may not get anything if there is nothing left.
The one company who I was on their payroll for my maternity pay has gone.into.insolvency so I have not got any maternity pay this month and I don't know if I'm going to get anything for this or next month.
Boxing day was spent with my parents watching my old school plays.which really embarrass me and also brought up.loads of bad memories of my being bullied. Also, I discovered that my parents, who have been spending like the clappers recently and for a good while beforehand and said it was their savings, had huge amounts of savings, 35k of them from my.grandmothers death 8 years ago which they did not.tell.me about, share with me or offer me a penny when times were hard for us, especially now.
So yeah, this bit of the ride is very bumpy.
Bill hicks, my favorite comedian, said this, n.it's my most loved quote ever:
It's Just A Ride
It's Just A Ride
"The world is like a ride in an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it, you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it's very brightly coloured and it's very loud and it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question, is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, "hey - don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because, this is just a ride..."
...It's just a ride. And we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace."
-- The Late Bill Hicks, Comedian
Ajhan Chah said, in Jack Kornfields 'After the Ecstasy, the Laundry':
"Its just something else to let go of."
I meditated on this tonight and as clear as day I heard my.teacher Pagpa's bells he used to cleanse the ritual rooms which helps the inferno of my mind just clear suddenly.tonight. he told.me.to just let it all go into the river as it will all come back, just give it all to the river n let it go...