Wisdom from a Tibetan Buddhist Mandala
I had the privilege to watch the construction of a Tibetan Buddhist
mandala this past weekend. It was so fascinating! My brother and his
friend asked me, "Do you think you could spend 9 hours a day doing
nothing but THAT???? I can't even sit still for 10 minutes!" I know
this isn't the first time someone has uttered that phrase and it
certainly won't be the last.
I'm a huge advocate of meditation, in any form. I believe it's the one
saving grace when the world feels like it's collapsing around you.
Not only does meditation take care of your physical health, it also
serves to care for your energetic body. As an empath, I am particularly
prone to "dirty sponge syndrome" and those moments of complete and
utter present time mindfulness are what keep me from sucking up all the
energy around me. Meditation also serves as the release of excessive
energy buildup. Honestly, I used to be such a ridiculous dirty sponge
that I am surprised I even functioned. I'd cry for no reason. I'd
become unglued and unhinged from the tiniest incident. I was
angry...but why? I didn't know. Even for people who are not highly
empathic--and we're all empathic to a certain degress--meditation
allows you to connect with source and allows you to connect to "us".
So many believe meditation follows this formula: you need to sit
quietly in a room and force yourself to be absent of thought. This is
not the case. First, if you are trying to force the absent of thought,
you're still thinking. Coming into that state of "just being" happens
naturally and it's a process. Second, I want to add that you can
meditate while engaging in an activity. Yes! It's possible....and my
favorite form of mediation. You see, meditation is really about
bringing yourself into the NOW. I love to take a walk and pay
attention to buildings, animals and the scenery around me. If that
does'nt shut up the mind chatter, I will trace the outlines of objects
with my eyes. That always works! Active meditation can even occur
through spending time with a pet, folding the laundry, cleaning your
place, grocery shopping. The key is to do something you love that
brings you into the moment. Focus on what you are doing right now.
Spirit LOVES the moment. This is where he/she lives!
As I watched the monks work on the mandala, it was apparent to me that
nothing was thought out and everything flowed. Through continued
connection with source, these men knew without hesitation what their
next move should be. I feel the same way about all of us. The more we
connect to source, the more fluid our lives become. We make decisions
because we know. We connect to everyone, the Spirit in all of us, and
see the world as unified. The world certainly takes on a different
shape....one of love.