Practicing Compassion with Love and Tea

Practicing compassion is an important aspect of Tantra. Helping those less fortunate is a way of practicing compassion and also feeling gratitude for all the abundance we have here in the USA. Because of the situation in Tibet many Tibetans have been forced to leave and are living in refugee camps. My friend Kathleen Gorman lives here in Sedona and she is committed to helping support this Tibetan refugee camp which is located in Mainpat, India. She has created a website to make it easy to give and feel connected the this small community on the other side of the world. It is doing good works to help the refugees and they are also building a monastery there. Even small donations of $5-20 can help create miracles. Learn more http://www.tibetanstupa.org

Hi,
There is some great news on a new small business support program for the projects for the Tibetan refugee camp that Tibetan Stupa is doing! This 'program' started when a small family run, organic tea blend company, called Love and Tea, emailed to ask if they could arrange to donate a portion of their online sales to Tibetan Stupa. In just a short time, we easily worked out an arrangement, based totally on Love and Tea's chosen donation amount, and we're off and running.

Love and Tea does their bookeeping on a weekly basis, and so once a week, they simply go onto www.tibetanstupa.org and donate their chosen amount to any of the active projects they wish. A simple, easy and generous way for them to put as they say "Love in Action' to help the camp. And a welcome contribution from small business for the people of the camp!

The thing I like most about Love and Tea's giving program is that they did not want to wait until they were a big company with a big giving department, they want to help now. I really appreciate that, as just about all of what Tibetan Stupa has been able to do to help the camp has come from many, many people having exactly that same thought and that same action, to help with what they can, now.

If you'd like to check out the fine hand blended organic teas that Love and Tea offers, their website is www.loveandtea.com

If you decide to purchase any of the Love and Tea products, by entering 'Tibetan Stupa' in the 'discount code' box on the second page of their checkout, Love and Tea will donate a generous percentage of your online purchase to Tibetan Stupa. It is that simple!

If you're a small business owner and like what Love and Tea has done and want to explore doing your own giving arrangement in your own style, please contact me at kcampkathleen at yahoo.com

If you have a favorite small business and want to let them know you like what Love and Tea has done, and ask them to consider designing their own giving arrangement to help the camp, please feel free to send them this email. They are very welcome to contact me at kcampkathleen at yahoo.com

Many thanks again to Love and Tea for initiating this wonderful giving arrangement and for their 'Love in Action' to support the camp!

Best,
Kathleen Gorman for Tibetan Stupa
kcampkathleen at yahoo.com
http://www.tibetanstupa.org

Tantra Tip of the Day- Heart Wisdom

In the west we equate intelligence with the brain, intellect, and a high IQ. We also associate the mind with thinking. Consequently, we spend much of our time stuck in our heads. In Tibetan Buddhism the mind is located in the heart center not the brain. They see the Mind as much more than thinking. The Mind is beyond space, time and form. The Mind is Consciousness. Indigenous cultures value the intelligence that comes from the heart as more important than intellect. What we in the west are just beginning to learn is that the heart does have intelligence.

Research is now revealing that the heart has its own intelligence. The brain receives important information from the heart and responds to it. In the past we have considered the heart just a hard working muscle that pumps blood. Actually it is a sensitive organ that gathers and processes vital information in 4 important ways.

Biochemically- The heart produces a hormone called, ANF. That helps to keep the body in balance. ANF regulates blood pressure, edema and the electrolytes and affects the blood vessels, kidneys, adrenal glands and other regulatory parts of the brain. ANF also modulates stress hormones and supports the reproductive and immune system.

Biophysically- As it beats the heart creates a powerful blood pressure wave that travels rapidly throughout the body, much faster than the actual flow of blood. This is what we feel as out pulse.

Energetically- The heart emanates an electromagnetic field that is approximately five thousand times more powerful than the field produced by the brain. This field affects every part of our body and is broadcasted beyond our physical body.

Neurologically- Every time the heart beats, neural activity is sent to the brain. The heart has the ability to monitor hormonal, rate and pressure information, and translates it into neurological impulses, processes it and sends information back to the brain through the Vagus nerve and spinal cord.

The heart has its own intelligence and effects how we think and feel. Our heart is more than a pump it is a center of awareness that sends information to the brain and the body. It is important that we keep an open heart and listen to our heart's wisdom. When we live from the heart instead of from the mind we are able to be more present, centered and connected to life.

Heart Wisdom Meditation

Lie down in a quiet place and take some deep breaths into your belly. Let everything go outside of this moment. Place your hands over your heart and begin to focus your awareness on the center of your chest, this is your heart center. Notice what arises. Is your heart open, closed or somewhere in between. If your heart feels tight breathe into it and allow it to begin to relax and open. Then begin to generate a feeling of love and compassion. You can do this by thinking of someone or something you love deeply. Allow this feeling of love to fill your heart center and gradually spread throughout your entire body. Once you are aware of being full of love, allow love to heal and harmonize your body, mind, and emotions. When you feel ready, send this love out to others- those you love, the Earth, or to someone in need. End by offering gratitude for your life and for the opportunity to connect with your heart. Please share this practice with a friend.

Copyright 2010 Crystal Dawn Morris

Erogenous Zones of Life, Light, and Emptiness - Ken Wilber on You Tube

In this video Ken talks about sex, Tantra and using sexual energy to Awaken. The phase he shares that mirrors the breathing practice he talks about is,
" Bliss realizing Emptiness Arises as Compassion."

Tantra Tip of the Day- Practice Connected Breathing

Connected breathing begins by being present with your breath. Allow your breath to naturally deepen and find its own relaxed pace. As you relax and watch the breath the mind tends to relax. As the mind and body relax, the breath allows you to access emotions and stuck energy you have been holding onto. If emotions arise just be present with them, without thinking about them. Instead, breathe the emotions through the body and watch them transform.

If you notice tension in the body, breathe into the tension and send love into that area of the body. Notice the contraction begin to soften. If thoughts arise let them be as clouds in the sky. Watch them morph and change without becoming attached to them. Always stay connected to the breath, if you get lost for a moment or minutes just return to the breath.

Connected breathing can also be done with a partner in a variety of positions. Here are a few- sit facing each other while you eye gaze and breathe together. Lay face-to-face, in the scissors position, eye gaze and breathe together or try lying in the spooning position with eyes closed as you snuggle and breathe together.

Doing connected breathing helps you to develop presence and equanimity as you let go of thoughts and feelings. It helps you to increase energy, decrease stress, feel more connected, let go of fears and develop more compassion for yourself and others.

(C) Copyright 2009, Crystal Dawn Morris, all rights reserved.
www.TantraForAwakening.com
www.TantraGal.Blogspot.com

Help Heal the World Economy - Chant the Mantra of Compassion

As I was doing this chant this morning it came to me that more than healing the world economy we need to shift the consciousness from one focused on not enough to one of abundance and from abundance to generousity. By being generous energy flows and all beings benefit.

If you want to help please chant the Mantra of Compassion, "Om Mani Padme Hum," at least 5 minutes a day, during the month of March. The goal is for the community-at-large to say the mantra at least one million times, with the intention of healing the world economy. This practice is in alignment with my piece I wrote on Compassion as a Practice.

White Conch is a Buddhist Group on Facebook that I am a member of, I received this message today. Read more below.

Ngawang Thekchen sent a message to the members of White Conch.

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Subject: A MILLION MANTRAS FOR HEALING THE WORLD ECONOMY!

The worldwide economy is in crisis. Let us join together to make a difference! Join all of us by adding to the total of a Million Mantras for Recovery of the World Economy. The whole month of March, we will chant the Mantra of Compassion, "Om Mani Padme Hum" adding up to at least one million times and dedicate prayers for the recovery of the world economy by the power of compassion. Please commit five minutes (or five hours) per day to this effort. Offer one or two hundred repetitions or more each day; record your tally on the White Conch Dharma Center Group every week or so.

White Conch is an invitation only group. You may request to join and participate in the Million Mantras event if you are not a member yet. On the morning of March 1st those gathered for World Peace Prayers at Joyful Path Healing Center in Blue Mounds, WI chanted “Om Mani Padme Hum” together one hundred times. The chanting took no longer than five minutes.


How to count:

Hold a mala or rosary in your hand. As you repeat one mantra/prayer, move one bead towards you. One hundred repetitions is one round of a traditional mala, or five rounds of a wrist mala. It is two rounds of a Christian rosary. If you do not have a mala, you can use other ways to count:such as chant with a recording, marks on a paper or a bowlful of beans.

Tantra Tip of the Day- Compassion is a Practice

Compassion for all beings is the foundation for all Tantric practice. The motivation to achieve enlightenment is born out of a desire to help others to awaken and to help end suffering for all beings. This practice is called Bodhichitta, which means “awakening mind.” In Buddhism the mind is associated with the heart and not the head. Bodhichitta also is associated with wisdom and spaciousness. So to activate compassion you awaken the heart with both wisdom and spaciousness.

Compassion is different from sympathy which can sometimes cause a feeling of being over whelmed by the suffering of others. If you become overwhelm by such emotions you are now one of those who is suffering. If you are suffering you loose your equanimity. Practicing compassion requires equanimity, an open heart and the intent to help others in every moment as much as you are able. Equanimity is an unbiased attitude toward all beings and is the foundation for practicing Bodhichitta. It is a state of being which requires awareness and letting go of attachment or aversion.

Here is a meditation for cultivating equanimity. Imagine you are surrounded by three people; one is your best friend, one your enemy or someone you dislike and one is a complete stranger to you. Now examine your feelings towards each of these people and see why you have labeled them friend, enemy and stranger. As you explore your feelings notice that these labels are impermanent. Your friend could move away and no longer be important to you. Your feelings for your enemy might be resolved if she offered to help you through a crisis. A stranger could become your friend or lover. In doing this meditation you can begin to let go of your attachment to your friends, aversion to your enemies and indifference to a stranger.

See if you can find a place of peace within yourself that allows you to see each person from a place of compassion. Generate the desire that all beings awaken and no longer suffer. You are practicing the beginning stages of Bodhichitta.

(C)Copyright 2009, Crystal Dawn Morris, all rights reserved.
www.TantraForAwakening.com
www.TantraGal.Blogspot.com

Original Art by Paul Heussenstamm
www.Mandalas.com