The day is gorgeous with all the spring blossoms in full display of colors. My husband and I mowed, weeded and  mulched the entire front and back flower beds this year, unlike last year.  Although my back feels achy, I feel an urge to try our new zero turn riding mower. 

Yet feel the time crunch to wrap up things and pack up as we will be heading towards a four day trip to Ann Arbor to see his holiness Dalai Lama for  the two day weekend program, do some visiting in the area and bring our daughter Maya home!


Tonight Maya is attending a pre-dalailama talk with Philip Glass, Bob Mcferrin and Richard Gere. You can the see the  livecast here. Ann arbor seems to be a very thriving place with all kinds of holistic and concious businesses and community events.

A month or so ago we had the good fortune to attend President Abdul Kalam lectures here in my hometown at the University of KY, Lexington. The peak moment for me was to spontaneously merge my voice in unison with over 500 fellow Indians in the audience, singing the nostalgic national anthem of India after more than a decade.

I will be joining Maya and her dad, leaving a week before me, in India on May 3rd. Meeting my mom, neices, nephews, cousins, in-laws is something I am cherishing very much as we are visiting as a family this time, upon Maya's insistence. We are taking a family group  tour to Darjeeling and I am likely to visit for the first time my birthplace Jalpaiguri!

Dalai Lama's two day teaching at Crisler Arena was filled to capacity! Overall the program was good, although Maya did not understand much of Sunday's teaching as much of Nagarjuna's emptiness, dependent origination, middle way went over her head. For myself the the best parts were the begining and ending of the program.

Dalai Lama began the program Saturday by saying how as individuals we have different view of many things and he jokingly mentioned the various hats or practices - yellow, red, white, black traditions in Tibetan buddhism itself. And may be a new color Blue hat would arise here in American scene. Then HH folded his hands and said. "But Sakyamuni (Buddha) had no hat! Perhaps it is time that we return to the original teachings of Sakyamuni."  I am in total alignment here  with HH  Dalai Lama. And I especially  liked  his gesture of asking a  Sri Lankan Monk  (?)  to begin the  program by  chanting Mangalam Sutta in Pali, something I heard in Bodh Gaya and Saranath as teenager. The program ended with collective reading of simple verses repeating three refuges and bodhisattava aspirations for generating and cultivating the mind for enlightenment for the wellbeing of all sentient beings.

I am amazed at student activism at University of michigan. There was a large contingent of chinese student protesters who gathered along the path of Crisler arena with all kinds of signs and info. Every time we visited, we came across some kind of student demonstration or protest and other groups including some faculty members support them. I am getting a little biased already for u.Mich as you can see.

A couple of days ago had a wonderful time with Liz, Richard and Joan and few others in the BPF Cincinnati Dhamma group. Richard is doing some great work transcribing Buddha's original teachings from Pali in a manner that is most user friendly for beginners and advanced students alike.

Now we had almost a panic attack Friday evening, just before departing Lexington after I posted the initial half of the blog. We discovered Maya's US Passport (as minor) has expired last October as we were planning to go to Windsor Canada to visit my neice. Things looked really bleak Sunday, but somehow today Monday morning all pieces and puzzles came together. We could gather all documents needed and with the help of a very kind postal passport agent and travel agent (who appeared just in the nick of time) it looks like we are going to receive the new passport wednesday in Ky, when we reach home!

We had a great mother daughter day shopping in the mall and enjoying dipping dots icecream (my first time), a chair massage and a sizzling chinese dinner with energy left to finish this blog before bidding goodnight to you all! 

BTW counting blessing works since I just came across another headline with same subject posted a few days ago somewhere in the wide world of web! And the passport arrived at 10Am sharp and we arrived home at 3AM last night to receive it! When things don't turn out my way, that is also a blessing. That reminds me to let go, relax my focus on obstacles and barriers  and not watch my rear-view mirror so much as long as I can see the front 200 yard clearly. Joyful blessings to you.

Grateful cheers

It is already February. Time seem to be flowing in a FF mode for me with so many things happening at many levels. Wanted to post something this year of 2008 which is a year of conscious creation and partnerships suggested by number 2 with two zero's indicating pure potential or accessing the zero point is going to bring heaven on earth (suggested by 8). That's how I see it anyway.

Historically politics has been the tool for managing conflicts, instigating cahos, extend power and implement sophisticated "divide and rule" strategy via mass ideology, survival fear-based propaganda via mass media, mass distraction via decadent mass entertainment to maintain staus quo of the few (power elite) over the masses.  Independent minded conscious citizens may gather to create ideology free third party to reclaim "democracy of the people by the people for the people" everywhere.


Did you know the current Republican party was a minority Third Party and Abraham Lincoln was the first and only Third party Candidate to win presidency, back in 1860! Also just came across this site on potential bi-party presidential candidacy of kucinichpaul
Of course Barack Obama is htting a cord with grassroots and independents. latest CNN

Obama is seen as someone for Change and listen to best of  Obama in Youtube and his
quite amazing life experience (Obama biography)

Also see the passion of  Ron Paul for Sane Foreign Policy

More in my my Sister blog aha2008!

Now this year my goal is to take mindful pauses for lighthearted fun and laughter every now and then by accepting the present moment with all its possibilities and perils and keep the harmony.

Here's some laughter to defuse the stress and pressure of rapid energy shifts and microenergies many of us are quite sensitive to now . Watch the spill over of  'i' tech boom
   'i'mac attacks.

Enjoy the year. Take last year's trash out, let the cat play and take the dog out ~

Peace&joy
mita

We are all human beings. We all need human care and affection to survive, thrive and stay humane!

I started wondering 6 months ago about the origin of the word human and the sound 'Hu' came to me. A month ago I walked into a booth at Inner light festival, same one I had seen a month before in a peace fair.  I instantly recognized the face of someone, whose book I read at one time 7-8 years ago in the public library.

I learned the word "HU" is the ancient word for God that connects one with Holyspirit from
a meeting of Eckankar! This sound is similar to Tibetan sacred sound 'HUM'
There is also the Vedic sacred chant of 'OM' that connects us with our divine essence.

Unlike 'OM' I found instant connection with 'HU'.

Intuitively I feel the word HU + OM = HUOM (feels like Home)! Just an amusing muse I have this morning ;)

OR it also sounds like the Tibetan Sacred sound HUM....wondering

Date: 1/26/08

This past two weeks I had some strange or auspicious coincidences (subject of another blog perhaps)

Last night I fell asleep with HU, and at one point woke up from a dream where i felt like communicating with Rebazar Tarzs (his image came) a Tibetan Eckmaster....as I was contemplating similarities in the ECk and Vajrayana...(both I don't know much about) and afte waking up opened up the CTR book in my bedside and exact page which describes HUM

According To Chogyam Trungpa, collected works volume 5...

HUM is  the seed sound in all four orders of Tantra (kriya, upa, yoga, and anuttara) and composed of HA (which expels impure air from lungs), U (of U M) releases irritating thoughts thru the mouth and M clears the remaining thoughts thru nose.

For advanced meditators HUM is a means of developing five wisdoms.

H is the mirrorlike wisdom: Clear and continuous
A is the wisdom of equanimity
U is the wisdom of discriminating awareness
M is all accomplishing wisdom, effortless accomplishment
A is the wisdom of all accomplishing space (dharmadhatu) ground from which all things originate and to which they return

This is very beautiful and I very much resonate with it. The breath of HA feels very good...always and MA is the sound of mater or mother in many languages, including my own Bengali. to be contd...

• Re: Being a Mindful Leader,  Inner Guidance Network by Adrianus
  

• Re: Dalai Lama's Congressional Medal , SKy High's blog A Dove & a Hawk

• Re: Biology of Enlightenment at Birdtribes.ning.com created by SOL Luckman
  

• Re: Al Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize for What? Brent's blog

Many times i lose my posts. So this may be a better way to keep track for now.

Spontaneous Art - Bengali Alpana art for auspicious occasion. My drawing class sample work, big and miniature art. After many years of gap this is my first drawing class and my teacher and class mates liked it a lot. I used markers on the spontaneous pencil sketch I drew in the class...reminded me of my childhood and my current association with Lexington Shambhala.

There are quite a few. Here is one by Rabindranath Tagore
Listen To Martin Sheen Recite “Mind Without Fear”
Another Bengali Poem "Ecstasy of Creation" by the Rebel Poet Nazrul.

Here a little bit on Bengali Alpana Folk art history from online search.
"Alpana (Ritual Painting)  is a kind of folk art and a spontaneous expression of the artistic sensibility of people. It retains the past experience of the community and, at the same time, is very much contemporary in feeling. It is mainly the womenfolk who have kept the art alive in this part of the subcontinent. They retain connections with age-old traditions and at the same time are bold enough to experiment with new forms and new colours. They are conscious of the changing moods of the seasons and their creativity thus marks the changing cycle of the year. ..It is difficult to determine the origins of the art. Many authorities hold that many of the vratas and pujas with which alpanas are associated can be traced to pre-Aryan times. It has come down to us from the Austric people who lived in the country long before the coming of the Aryans."

Alpana is more popularly known as Rangoli in Hindi. It is a form of sandpainting decoration or floorart that uses finely ground white powder and colours, and is used commonly outside homes in India, similar to Hindu or Buddhist mandalas. (see wikipedia).

Comtemplating Capitalism


I would Transform Capitalism. Inspire and engage others to be part of a big bold solution to myriad systemic problems at macro and microlevel generated by unexamined foundation of capitalism...modern financial system based on debt-money, usury, fractional reserve banking, centralized commercial bank generated credit instead of 100% debt-free decentralized publicly issued money.

Changing the ("capital" in capitalism) system requires three things.....

1) Shifting our own individual perception of what money is and its proper function in the economy and society, separating means of production (tangible capital) from currency (abstract capital that is a medium of exchange and circulation). The first can be privately owned, but currency itself as public agreement must be issued 100% debt-free by the people (not a few private banks centrally controlled).

2) understanding the basic sources of the problem inherent  in our current system and educating others by sharing information; issueing fiat money privately as compound-interest bearing debt via fractional reserve banking is mathematically unsustainable and rationally indefensible

3) Taking Small inspired actions. Simultaneous actions would be taken by many spontaneously growing social networks and grassroot groups. Once our inner perception shifts outer reality will shift effortlessley through a peaceful transformation. A dancing revolution where the "capital' is us, and we the people design it collectively.

I invite you to explore, think and discover it for yourself....and be part of a bold public awareness and education project so we can collectively shift the evolutionary path of the planet and human civilization for the benefit and welfare of all beings.  A sustainable currency system is essential now to ensure survival of all people and restoring ecological balance in the planet.

Come and Join my Conscious Capitalism Discussion. Be the fearless change.

Envision abundant debt-free Trust Money that keeps circulating love, gratitude, gift of human labor and joyful service.

In order to create a reality, YOU must see it.

In the West you have been struggling for many years with the problem of evil. But in the light of non-duality, there is not any problem.  You need both right and left to have a branch. Do not take sides, if you take sides, you are trying to eliminate half of reality, which is mpossible. For many years, the United States has been trying to describe the Soviet Union as the evil side. Some Americans even have the illusion they can survive alone, without the other half. If we look at America very deeply, we see the Soviet Union. And if we look deeply at the Soviet union, we see America. If we look deeply at the rose, we see the garbage; if we look deeply at the garbage, we see the rose. In this international situation, each side is pretending to be the rose, and calling the other side garbage.

 

- Thich Naht Hahn, The Heart of Understanding, Commentaries on Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, 1988 p36
cheers

Just now a note arrived from a friend in Calcutta, India reminding me to take a pause and celebrate the worth of all women today! I am truely happy to be who I am and no longer need the validation of my worth from my children, spouse, family, in-laws, relatives, friends, work, social expectations or anything external to me....and it feels great just to be me
....the whole me smiling with sun peeping through the window on my face ;-)

The Woman

When God created woman he late on the 6th day

An angel came by and said: “Why spend so much time on that one””’

And the Lord answered: 
“Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her ?"

  “She must be durable, but not made of plastic, have more than 200 moving parts which all must be replaceable and she must function on all kinds of food, she must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, give a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart and she must do all this with only two hands”. The angel was impressed.

“Just two hands....impossible!“ And this is the standard model?!  

“Too much work for one day....wait until tomorrow and then complete her“.

“I will not”, said the Lord. “I am so close to complete this creation,

which will be the favourite of my heart”.

“She cures herself when sick and she can work 18 hours a day”.

The angel came nearer and touched the woman.

“But you have made her so soft, Lord”  
 
“She is soft", said the Lord, “But I have also made her strong. You can’t imagine what she can endure and overcome.“ 

“Can she think?" the angel asked.

The Lord answered:

“Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate."

The angel touched the womans cheek....

“Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her.”

“She is not leaking....it’s a tear” the lord corrected the angel  

“What’s it for?" asked the angel. And the Lord said:

“Tears are her way of expressing grief, her doubts, 

her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride.” 
 

This made a big impression on the angel; “Lord, you are genius.

You thought of everything. The woman is indeed marvellous!"

Indeed she is!

Woman has strengths that amazes man. She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens.

She holds happiness, love and opinions.

She smiles when feeling like screaming.

She sings when she feels like crying, crys when she is happy and laughs when she is afraid.

 She fights for what she belives in.

Stand up against injustice.

She doesn’t take “no” for an answer, when she can see a better solution. She gives herself so her family can thrive. She takes her friend to the doctor if she is afraid.

Her love is unconditional.

She cries when her kids are victorious. She is happy when her friends do well.

She is glad when she hears of a birth or a wedding.

     Her heart is broken when a next of kin or friend dies.

But she finds the strength to get on with life. 

She knows that a kiss and a hug can heal a broken heart.

There is only one thing wrong with her

She forgets what she is worth...

Please share it with women you love. Thanks.

Here's more on International woman's Day

Here's my article on some Invisible Women of Science and Technology

Waking Up from The tragedy of woman's enslavement by Ramtha

Cheers

I have been active past week or two working for peace! I feel this is the time for those who are passionate about bringing peace within our hearts and out in the world to stand up and show up publicly for the cause of  "Peace" on Earth  and The Missing Peace       




Some insights and ideas for making posters

WAR IS What??

Of Insane Few Power Elite

 

World's Biggest "T" Organization??

see wikipedia.org

 

NoWar Project In Our Name
Stop PNAC Architects of war

Wall Street Bankers Win

 As People & Planet LOSE

 

STOP IRAQ WAR

End OUR WAR ECONOMY

  

Reject 5 US Bases in IRAQ

700 US Military Bases Worldwide

Makes war-economy going

  

War is "Uncivilized", has no place in "CIVILIZATION" or "CIVIL SOCIETY"

PEACE IS THE POWER TO CREATE, COLLABORATE & 
ENJOY COMPASSIONATE LIFE!!!

PEACE is Life After Capitalism of a Foolish Few

May be the children can teach adults a lesson with a banner
"There are no enemies, we are all brothers and sisters".

Keep an eye for News on Tommorow's March at DC, not likely to be reported in main media. Search Youtube for Live Video of rally.

Thumbs up and Hi five for Peace!!!

"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount."
(General Omar N. Bradley)

Reflections: from Sacred Path of a warrior - Chogyam Trungpa

TO EXPERIENCE FEARLESSNESS, IT IS NECESSARY TO EXPERIENCE FEAR
The essence of cowardice is to not acknowledge the reality of fear. Fear takes many forms. We are afraid of death, we are afraid that we can't handle the demands of our life, and there is abrupt fear, or panic, when new situations occur. Fear is expressed as restlessness: how we move, how we talk, how we chew our nails, how we sometimes put our hands in our pockets uselessly. We have to realize our fear and reconcile ourselves with fear. However, acknowledging fear is not a cause for depression. Because we possess such fear, we can potentially experience fearlessness.

GO BEYOND FEAR When you examine your fear, if you look beneath the veneer of your nervousness, you find sadness. Nervousness is cranking up, vibrating all the time. When you slow down, when you relax with your fear, the sadness is calm and gentle. In the Shambhala tradition, discovering fearlessness comes from working with the softness of the human heart.

Listen To Martin Sheen Recite "Mind Without Fear"

"In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us." - Thich Nhat Hanh, Socially Engaged Buddhist Monk.

Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal. - Dhammapada

<><><>

I am reposting my answer here from a thread in Pod  What the Bleep do You Know
-----
My new Dream of a Butterfly workshop that I am envisioning for the year 2007 is focused on creating an Enlightened Society (which is also the Shambhala Vision).

Three things that an Enlightened Society must love and cherish are: Knowledge, Wisdom and Truth

And each of them can be understood at many levels, the highest being the Universal and non-dual perspective. Knowledge must progessively encompass a mindful process of inner self-inquiry and an exploration of outer world (both natural and social, subjective and objective, primary and secondary) ultimately leading to self-discovery and self-realization of the unity of Nature of Self and Nature of Reality.

"The "perfect practice" is not to search for enlightenment, but to inquire into the motive for seeking (practice) itself." - K.wilber

So ours would be based on a process of understanding how realities (personal and social) are constructed and created and how best to consciously evolve so we can collectively co-create realities that works for the highest good of both the individual and the society.

We need to unlearn many things before we can begin learning from a fresh and empty mind. This is difficult if we have not looked within our own social conditionings and our sense of self that is very much socially constructed.

Our calling is to be authentic and genuine by honoring the sacred within each other and all life forms.  Walking every step mindfully and fiercely is our final heroic journey back to home - our own self-enlightened peaceful nature.

["Radical transformative spirituality is extremely rare, anywhere in history, and anywhere in the world. Authentic spirituality is an incredibly rare bird, anywhere, at any time, at any place.
The alarming fact is that any realization of depth carries a terrible burden: Those who are allowed to see are simultaneously saddled with the obligation to communicate that vision
in no uncertain terms.

Authenticity always and absolutely carries a demand and duty: you must speak out, to the best of your ability, and shake the spiritual tree, and shine your headlights into the eyes of the complacent. Speak out with compassion, or speak out with angry wisdom, or speak out with skillful means.But speak out you must. This is truly a terrible burden, a horrible burden, because in any case there is no room for timidity."]

The radical way is to get enlightened about war and terrorism.

Here is a related topic "Terrorism: Can it be eliminated? If so How? What is your plan?" posted at  Omidyar Net

Here was my answer:

Terrorism thrives under Fear

Dispel Fear with Knowledge and Skillful Actions

Knowledge requires understanding issues from all sides and looking deep within man-made systems and beliefs

Understanding requires respectfully listening others views..creating dialogues of personal experiences across and within every race, religion, culture factions (as within interfaith alliance, diversity groups and christian-muslim dialogues

Go relentlesssly for TRUTH as Truth will set you free.

Who or what creates the conditions for War and funds terrorism (often hidden by propaganda by media and think tanks)

Who benefits/profits from war and who finances wars and revolutions?

What's the relationship between bloated War-economy and debt-economy?

Ask questions others are not asking or focusing on.

Clue 1:  War is a Racket

 Example: Iraq for Sale

Clue 2:  Journey from Freedom to Fascism


Clue 3:  Billions for ??? Debt for People

Riddle:  If Terrorism is a form of low budget war by the poor, and War is massive affair by the elite...do you wonder how War on Terror solves the problem?

Wisdom Notes :  Terrorists are known as freedom-fighters in their home country... and freedom loving activists may be labeled as enemy combatants,  security threats or conspirators here at home

Solutions: To be continued.....

Meanwhile Choose ~L O V ~E ~V O L ~E 



SB