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Happy Green/White Tara Day!!! <3

Dec8

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(Green Tara – not my photo)
“There is a true feminist movement in Buddhism that relates to the goddess Tārā. Following her cultivation of bodhicitta, the bodhisattva’s motivation, she looked upon the situation of those striving towards full awakening and she felt that there were too few people who attained Buddhahood as women. So she vowed, ‘I have developed bodhicitta as a woman. For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman.'”
~Dalai Lama, 1989

Today is Tara Day!!

Tara is the female Buddha of love and compassion. She represents Perfected Wisdom.

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE

This is the mantra for Tara. It appeals to longevity, merit, and wisdom.

Listen here:

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE – mobile

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE – desktop

It may be easier to understand at first if you read the mantra while listening.

Om
ah- essence of awakened body
o- essence of awakened speech
m- essence of awakened mind
Tare –
quickly with boldness
Tuttare –
clearing away all fear, distress and suffering of all beings
Ture –
complete victory of truth over all negativity
Soha/svaha –
all accomplishments

Tara’s Vow

“There are many who wish to gain enlightenment
in a man’s form,
And there are few who wish to work
for the welfare of living beings
in a female form.
Therefore may I, in a female body,
work for the welfare of all beings,
until such time as all humanity has found its fullness.”

White Tara(1)

(White Tara – not my photo)

Tara is often mentioned as Green Tara or White Tara.
Green Tara represents youth and vitality. Green Tara is depicted as being youthful and girlish. White Tara is more womanly and mature and more “motherly” or maternal. White Tara is full – breasted and represents day while Green Tara represents night.

Green Tara is said to help people with immediate and worldly concerns such as wealth while White Tara responds to problems relating to emotional and physical health. She is associated with health and beauty. Her love is said to be so powerful, it can cure diseases.

Isn’t that beautiful?!

Also, check out these beautiful  legends.

“Origin of White Tara

According to legend, White Tara originated from the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.  When Avalokiteshvara witnessed all of the suffering in the world, he was so moved that he began to cry.  It is said that White Tara emerged from the tears flowing from his left eye.  Her essence is the compassion within Avalokiteshvara’s tears.”

“From the Tears of Avalokitesvara
Tara is a female form of Avalokitesvara, the bhodhisattva of compassion.  There are many legends of how Tara came into existence. One legend, similar to the legend of Kuan Yin says that as Avalokitesvara wept for those sentient beings trapped in the lower realms Tara was born from a lotus flower that grew from his tears.  Another version of this story tells of how the Green and White forms of Tara were born from 2 tears of Avalokitesvara.  Yet another version of the legend says that Tara was created from a blue beam of light emanating from Avalokitesvara’s eye.”

How inspiring these myths are! We can look to this beauty, Tara, in both her White & Green forms, for inspiration. We can channel our inner Tara to be more compassionate to others and be more loving in everything that we do.
When we chant her mantra, we can summon all the love and goodwill and strength we have within, bringing it to the surface of our mind to be more conscious of it.

Here is me channeling my inner White & Green Tara!

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Celebrating our femininity. ❤

There are 21 praises of Tara. Here are some of my favorite ones.

1
Homage to Tara swift and fearless
With eyes like a flash of lightning
Lotus-born in an ocean of tears
Of Chenresig, three worlds’ protector.

2
Homage to you whose face is like
One hundred autumn moons gathered
And blazes with the dazzling light
Of a thousand constellations.

3
Homage to you born from a gold-blue lotus
Hands adorned with lotus flowers
Essence of giving, effort and ethics,
Patience, concentration and wisdom.

9
Homage to you beautifully adorned
By the Three Jewels’ gesture at your heart.
Your wheel shines in all directions
With a whirling mass of light.

10
Homage to you, radiant and joyful
Whose crown emits a garland of light.
You, by the laughter of TUTTARA
Conquer demons and lords of the world.

12
Homage to you with crescent moon crown
All your adornments dazzling bright.
From your hair-knot, Amitabha
Shines eternal with great beams of light.

15
Homage to the blissful, virtuous, peaceful one
Object of practice, nirvana’s peace
Perfectly endowed with SOHA and OM
Overcoming all the great evils.

16
Homage to you with joyous retinue
You subdue fully all enemies’ forms
The ten-letter mantra adorns your heart
And your knowledge-HUM brings liberation.

18
Homage to you who holds in your hand
A moon like a celestial lake
Saying TARA twice and the letter PEY
You dispel all poisons without exception.

19
Homage to you on whom the kings of gods,
The gods themselves and all spirits rely.
Your armor radiates joy to all
You soothe conflicts and nightmares as well.

21
Homage to you, adorned with three natures
Perfectly endowed with peaceful strength
You destroy demons, zombies and yakshas
O TURE, most exalted and sublime!

They are all beautiful but here are just some.

You can find all 21 and other information about our Tara here!

http://cubuddhism.pbworks.com/w/page/24906657/TARA

I hope to one day receive a Tara Empowerment at the Buddhist center. I received the one for Avalokitesvara, the masculine version of Tara.

So, in honor of Tara and Tara Day, which is the 8th day of each month, here’s this post! Sometimes I attend the chanting ceremonies at the center. They are beautiful and inspiring. We chant together to Tara to generate positive energy and receive her love & wisdom into our own minds. Even if you aren’t a Buddhist, it’s an inspiring way to open your mind to greater love for all and just as a state of being. It’s a great ritual to develop inner strength and deepen our wisdom. Tara symbolizes great love & beauty and equality which is good for anyone. Tara is to remind us that a woman can do many things as well as a man can and we can do this while cherishing our feminine nature.

“For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman.”

Happy Tara Day!! 😀

Much love to you,

Xoxo Kim ❤

Uniformly Considerate

Dec4

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“The habit of being uniformly considerate toward others will bring increased happiness to you.” ~ Grenville Kleiser

😀

I agree with this. I think it’s important to be mindful of others and how our words/actions may affect them, not just for what we get out of it but because it can help them be happier and put more love out into the world. ❤

It's a great reminder that I think most of us can use sometimes. It can be tempting to be thoughtless or rude on occasion, especially when other people are unpleasant first.

I found this quote in the book on my Kindle app, "Happiness 365." It's a whole book full of happy quotes!

Also, I love it because the authors dedicate their book to us & our happiness.

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I love when an author dedicates a book to people in general or certain people they don’t even know! ❤

Much love & happiness to you!

😀 ❤

xoxo Kim

Perfect idea!! <3

Nov26

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My cousin sent me a Facebook invitation for an event taking place here in Philadelphia and when I opened it, I was ecstatic!

It’s the perfect idea for everywhere, not just here!

There are people collecting gloves, hats, scarves…anything to keep people warm, and hanging them in trees, putting them on park benches, and anywhere for homeless people to take and be a little bit warmer.

Isn’t this absolutely amazing?! Why did I not think of this?! I thought of leaving inspiring notes, dollar bills, books….for anyone to find but never thought of leaving pratical material objects like gloves & hats for people in need.

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I am so thankful I was introduced to this idea and that people thought of it and reached so many people to inspire to do this. Gloves and hats can really make a big difference to people walking or sitting in the freezing cold.

My heart is overwhelmed in love & gratitude. It’s so heartwarming to see people helping like this.

Thank You to all who do things like this and inspire others to help.

Maybe you will do something like this if it’s cold where you are? You can donate your own or buy some things to help warm up those in need. Just put them outside anywhere and especially where homeless people usually are. In Philadelphia, they are often in “Love Park.” But people in need are everywhere. ❤ ❤

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(this isn’t my picture. I found it on Google images.)

😀

Compassion song – mobile

Compassion – desktop

Hugs & love,

xoxo Kim

To My People – Ode to Humanity

Nov24

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“Best friend, acquaintance, lover, co-worker, 
Even if I don’t know you, all the good that you do,
Helps me see my way through,
Service space thanks for sharing all the good news” ~ Empty Hands 

Nimo Patel (of Empty Hands Music) is one of my favorite singers! All his songs are great, I love both the tunes and his messages. You know how you may love the words of a song but not the tune or music? Or the other way around, you really like the tune or music but not the words or message? One example of a song I like the tune and music of but not the words is “Pumped up Kicks” I think it’s called. It’s so uplifting and will get you pumped…..until you realize it’s a song about gun violence! He’s like running through the school blowing away all the kids. I don’t have anything against people listening to it, it’s just not my cup of tea(i do listen to Alice Cooper’s twisted songs about killing and stuff, Alice gets away with it just because he’s Alice! Lol).

Anyway, I love every single one of Nimo Patel’s songs, both the tunes and the messages. Most of his songs are about universal love, loving everyone, friends, family, strangers no matter their views, ethnicity, lifestyles, about togetherness and being thankful for life and every single living being in it, insects, humans, everything. So beautiful! 

So today I want to share this incredible song, “To My People – Ode to Humanity.” I love it because “my people” are not just their own friends and family and community…but people everywhere, even strangers. It’s an ode to humanity. The singers are thankful for every single life, even those they never met. They acknowledge the goodness in everyone all around the world and give thanks. They encourage us to love our friends, our family, our acquaintances, our coworkers, everyone. 

This song resonates with me so deeply. I have always felt this way and sometimes I feel it deeper than other occasions. But I frequently feel that everyone is someone to me, even strangers. Every life matters to me. I can identify with everyone in some way, some more deeply than others. I think if we tune into our empathy and wisdom, we can all feel this way often. We can relate to one another through our basic humanness, even other species because members of other species (animals, insects) share our basic will, desire to live, to avoid suffering and gravitate towards pleasure and relief.  

“To my people yeh,
You’re my soul, you’re my roots 
Your’re my family, my life and my truth
To my people yeh,
Your everybody, every being, every life, every moment, everything
To my people yeh,
Your my God, you’re my soul,
You’re the one that pushes me to help me grow
To my people yeh, 
I bow down to your heart of gold” ~ Empty Hands 

Imagine a world full of not strangers but friends, family, acquaintances, even if we don’t know them, we have some sense of kinship with them. Everywhere we look, in crowded shopping malls, in cars around us, at work, in stores, in hospitals,….we see family, living beings who are all someone to us and have a place in our heart.  Imagine.

Wouldn’t that be beautiful? 

We all have a name, a life, a breath, goals, pleasure, pain, happiness, fears, loves, a desire to avoid suffering, and gravitate towards things that bring pleasure or relief. 

Underneath we are really quite similar.

We can practice feeling this more frequently and deeply by intentionally wishing the best for each person, each sentient being, we look at even if those people don’t know it. Even if just in our heads we can hope nothing but good for each person, animal, life we encounter. Each person we see on the streets, in cars, in stores, we can consciously, make it a point to think positive, pleasant things about those people. This can get our minds in the habit of loving everyone. I often feel this automatically without even trying but when I don’t feel it, I can make an intentional decision to wish each person the best. Not only is it just great to feel this, it can carry over into our actions, consciously or unconsciously. 

I am so thankful for every life I come across in some way, no matter how briefly, online and in person. Every encounter we have with someone can impact that person so let’s make it a positive encounter. Let’s smile and send out love and engage in acts of kindness.

I’m so thankful for Nimo Patel and those who can write and sing these messages I receive so deeply, so lovingly. They take the words right out of my mouth, my heart, my being.

So I dedicate this post to my people.

You, you, you, you, and you! All of you and everyone around the world.

I bow down to your heart of gold.

I appreciate your goodness, your beauty, your love, your kindness, your compassion, your smile….

I love you and wish you the best in everything you do, all the good intentions you have. 

I wish us all the best. It may seem like it doesn’t make sense because sometimes what’s best for one person may not be to someone else. What’s “best” for one may be the “worst” for someone else.For example two people going on a job interview and only one can get it. How can they both get the best? And what if someone wants to murder someone, that may seem best to the potential murderer but certainly not to the victim! The person who doesn’t get the job can still be at peace, still be happy and just try again. And the potential murderer can change and no longer hurt or try to hurt people.  When I wish the best for others, I don’t just mean in an external way but inside, inner peace and love and happiness. Some people argue that universal love cannot possibly work out in a practical sense even if it’s a beautiful concept. But that’s simply not true. When we wish others the best, we are referring to an inner experience whatever happens on the outside. 

Here is this wonderful song! 

To My People – Ode to Humanity – mobile

To My People – Ode to Humanity – desktop

Much love to you, 

😀

Xoxo Kim ❤ ❤ 

Love & Compassion <3

Nov22

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(this is not my photo..)

I agree, I don’t eat meat or wear fur or support killing animals for food, clothing, or sport and don’t support animal testing and I do not kill any insects or rodents intentionally, I cherish their lives, but I also do not support violence or hostility against people who don’t agree with me on this and don’t think “less” of them, I’m in no position to. There’s no doubt in my mind that many/most people who consume meat products are just as compassionate as I am. There’s nothing wrong with stating my views to people in appropriate contexts/situations, writing about them, signing/sharing things to help end animal cruelty and other things involving animals but I don’t have to be in people’s faces with it every chance I get, and criticize them in a destructive way. I don’t have to act like my morals are better than anyone else’s. I don’t freak out if people eat meat around me or anything. I won’t throw stuff on your fur clothing or destroy science labs and scientists’ vehicles and other property.
I can be firm in my views, confident, and passionate but still accept others, no matter what our differences are. Some people think if we’re very passionate about some specific issue and someone is on the opposing side, we can’t be compatible with one another without compromising/weakening our own views or passion or morals. When I was young I felt this way about certain issues but as I grew up and practice universal love more and more, deeper and deeper, I now know that’s not true. My greatest passion is love and compassion, all encompassing love. I won’t reject someone as a friend/lover/acquaintance….because we disagree. Also, “attacking” individual meateaters accomplishes nothing good or very little; it’s the corporations and government and people with more authority that would likely be best to contact. And individual people likely aren’t going to want to listen to us if we are going to be vicious, who wants to listen to someone who approaches us with hostility? And the main thing is to extend my compassion to everyone, whether or not we are in agreement or will ever be, on issues I am passionate about and whether or not that compassion is returned to me.
“Be love. Be so much love that when others are with you, they are love too.”
“The power of love has no limits.”

Love & Compassion – Parachute Club – mobile

Love & Compassion – desktop

❤ 😀

Hugs & love,

xoxo Kim

Me, Me, Me, Mine, Mine, Mine

Nov21

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“The ideas of ‘me’ and ‘mine’ are the seeds of every problem in the world.”

This quote is out of the Kindle book “365 Wisdom Pills.”

It’s true, it’s so ingrained into us to think in terms of “me” and “mine” and “me,” “us” and “them.” 

It’s good to once in a while let the self dissolve into the Oneness. Realize we are a small part of a much larger Whole, the whole uni-verse. The world doesn’t revolve around me. I am not the most important aspect of life. Others have desires, opinions, convictions just as strong as mine. Life will not always work how I want it to.

Let’s give selflessness a try, let others go first, try to understand other views, ways, and accept diversity. It’s good to remember others feel just as strongly as we do and experience in similar ways. 

This is a great concept to think about!  

❤ 😀

Hugs & love, 

Xoxo Kim 

Empathy v. Jealousy

Nov20

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“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~ attributed to Voltaire

By tuning into our empathy for others, not just feeling another’s pain but also pleasure, joy, happiness, we will be happy for others as we would our own selves, instead of jealous in a destructive way or depressed when they have something we want and do not have. 

When someone wins, succeeds, accomplishes something great, or is just happy, and we feel a bit jealous or resentful, imagine how we would feel if it were us who has something great happen and then we can feel more happiness for that person instead of jealous, disappointed, or depressed.

Being jealous and resentful helps no one. Wouldn’t you love if someone was happy for you? Not that we need others to be happy for us to be happy ourselves but it’s a great experience to know someone wishes us well. So why not be happy when someone else is? Empathy will get in the way of resentment. How can we resent someone too much when we are extremely happy for that person? A little bit of jealousy now and then is ok but it doesn’t have to drag us down or provoke us to drag others down. Let the happiness and success of others inspire us instead of provoke envy and resentment in us. It’s better for everyone!  

When one person wins, we all win. ❤

😀

Hugs & love,

Xoxo Kim 

Oneness

Nov12

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“Everywhere you look 
You can see yourself 
In different forms:
this is the Consciousness 
of Oneness.”

We can see our own self in others and the world around us. One idea of Oneness is that we are all alike in significant ways. We all want to avoid suffering (except maybe people who want to suffer feeling as if they deserve it or one form of suffering helps allay another form…). We all have goals, a life, a breath, a name, we gravitate toward things that bring pleasure or relief or calm and want to avoid things that provoke pain. 
This is an underlying trait that applies to us in general, a universal trait. 
We are One with each other and the uni-verse. 

I found this quote in my Kindle book “365 Wisdom Pills.”

It reminds me of this quote:

“Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.”

This quote can inspire us to feel and act on compassion for others, knowing what it’s like to be afraid, to lose, and to love.

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When we look around us at the trees, the stars, the sky, feel the breeze on our skin, smell the floral fragrances and scents of the Earth, hear the chirping of the birds & crickets, taste the raindrops and snowflakes on our tongues, feel the firmness of the ground beneath our feet or the softness of soil or grass, we can be reminded that we are part of the whole uni-verse, a small, beautiful part. We can see glimpses of ourself in all that we love, all the beauty surrounding us. 

I think that to truly understand Oneness, just like meditation, Zen, Tao, it must be experienced, not merely understood intellectually. 

Whenever we feel empathy for another or deep understanding, that is a glimpse of Oneness. When we feel a connection to mountains, trees, the sky, a sunset or sunrise, animals, the season, an ocean or a beach….that is a glimpse of Oneness. When we realize we are a small part of the uni-verse, not the whole of it, not the biggest part, not the most important part, that is a glimpse of Oneness. With meditation, mindfulness, contemplation, and other things, we can feel this Oneness more and more until it’s our general state. One simple way is to breathe and consciously focus on our breath. 

What is your concept of Oneness?
How do you experience it? 

You can just think about it or answer here!

Much love to you tonight & always! 

❤ 😀

Xoxo Kim