Like A Living Prayer Wheel
My lunch date with the Mother of all Buddhas
Repost from November 5, 2023
Thought I’d share this post from one year ago today. I hope it serves you.
Wishing you peace and blessings.
MB
Hello Dearest Reader,
Blessings! How are you doing, dearest sweet soul? Ok?
Now, how are you really feeling? Needing to move about just a bit? Go ahead, stretch or even a little shimmy shake. Get yourself situated…feel yourself settle. Long deep breaths, now, one and then another one, and another…
The breath technique or Pranayama I’ve been really digging lately is conscious alternate nostril breaths, Anulom Vilom in Sanskrit. It’s been a helpful tool and a way to calm my mind quickly.
(If you deal with asthma, COPD or any respiratory issues, consult your doctor first)
Sitting comfortably. Exhale completely. Place your right hand in a “hang ten” type position.
With your breath out, place your thumb against your right nostril, seal it.
Inhale in with the left. Then, seal your left nostril exhale with the right.
Inhale through your right side, then seal it.
Open left side and exhale through left nostril.
Continue for about five minutes.
I know that it’s been a rather long spell since my last letter. But, one very exciting thing is Mantas & Coffee is one years old! I started this little thing up last October as a way to release and share and chronicle a poignant chapter in my life.
Current life has certainly been teaching big lessons to me these past few months that I want to honor and never forget. I have felt myself building ‘something’ within myself that felt different than ever before. This ‘something’ was seeming to taunt me daily. Showing me my place in this world was right where I was meant to be. This ‘something’ I realized and dubbed raw confidence. I guess why I call it raw confidence is because I’ve been humbled in such ways, that even the most mundane human things, like sipping a warm mug of coffee, sitting in the quiet, waiting in line at a store, sleeping in my own bed, using my very own bathroom has been my most precious privilege. I also delt with some major back pain after coming back home with our son, processing everything I watched him endure while recovering in the hospital. And those hospital couches are not easy to sleep on for many nights! But, grateful, none the less, for just being able to be with him and have something to lay down on. This understanding has been the daily reminder that I CAN do hard things. Very hard things, at that. Making peace with the uncontrollable. Understanding the calming power in prayer and that I CAN control my own personal response to all these challenging stimuli in life. This includes all the painful world events currently taking place, as well. Taking a stand for peace. Turning through each day like a living prayer wheel. Each person I come upon, the morning barista-prayer, my child’s teacher-prayer, the postal worker taking my package-prayer, the checkout person at the market-prayer… and so on. We don’t know what someone maybe going through. Bringing the mindful intention I make during my morning, into each action taken throughout my day. All while doing my best to take care of myself in the process. We cannot pour from an empty cup. I take lots of breaks. Lol Breaks to just reground and recenter. So so very helpful.
So, without going into it too much, once again we spent a large amount of time in the hospital during the month of September, with my son. He had some complications and is back on the road to recovery. Doing well and getting back into his daily life routines with his schooling and being a kid. These events took up a massive amount of my energy. But, you know what carried me through…right? haha You guessed it, Mantras!
I put my latest listening gems all together in one place as a resource to share. I created a Fall playlist, including them here⬇️ for just that reason, for you, dear one. Take a few minutes to yourself to fill up your cup.
The mantra I felt was important to share here now Is OM Tara Tutare Ture Soha.
Tara has been calling me back. I discovered her a few years back through Whitney Freya
She hosted a Tara painting meditation course. It was tremendous to participate in. There were many layers, to the painting, as well as, the processing of so many of my emotions. I had to pause it in the middle, just because I had to take space.
Here is my Tara mid-completion. Hoping to carve out time to finish it this winter. I will keep you posted.
OM represents the body, speech, and mind of Tara and her enlightened qualities.
TARE means liberation from suffering.
TUTARE indicates liberation from the eight fears and the causes of suffering.
TURE means liberation from disease, bestows all the benefits
SOHA means ‘may this come about,’ ‘let it be so’
Tara has such a beautiful story. This is how it goes…
We come upon a young woman, a very long time ago, her name being Yesha Dawa or Wisdom Moon. She was so joyful in her devotion to Buddha. Wisdom Moon had opened her heart to bodhicitta, meaning mind of enlightenment. This openness brought the motivation to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all beings every where. It also brought attention from some monks. These monks were curious and they wondered why and how she was working so hard. Surely, as a woman, she would not attain enlightenment. These confident monks engaged with Wisdom Moon and told her so. “You should transform yourself into a man in this very moment or pray to be reborn as a man in your next lifetime. Surely, then you will instantly attain enlightenment!”
Wisdom Moon gave these monks grace. She received what they had to say with understanding. She then responded with intelligence and love…”Ultimate reality has no such distinctions as self or other, male or female”1
Wisdom Moon knew she was alone in this plight. Her male counterparts were all working to achieve enlightenment in their male forms. Almost with a subtle air of arrogance. She knew this was a road less followed. Deciding to walk this path, as a woman, took immense courage.
She then took a vow to achieve enlightenment ONLY in female form. She became a Buddha known as Tara, the Mother of all the Buddhas. 2
Talk about digging your heels in!
So, you can see why Tara has been harkening to me. All of that rich Mother energy is right there…waiting. Tara is always at the ready. She will leap to our defense and help us like a mother is known to do.
I sprinkled a few different Tara Mantras into the playlist if you are curious about it. Sitting in the quiet, perhaps taking a break in your day…have a listen, you may just find that same grace Tara exhibited towards the monks that long time ago. Or perhaps you may just feel better having just a little time to yourself, helping you to finish your day more mindfully. Small acts do add up. I have found that pairing my lunchtime with Tara makes for a perfect date each day. Very nourishing!
Find what may work for you. It’s really about taking some quiet contemplation time for yourself. It’s ok to rest. It’s ok to take space.
So, lastly, I just wanted to leave you with some of my most favorite books that have really been helpful to my life. Ranked in no particular order.
You may find one to really focus in on over this new season. Last Winter, it was Bob Thurman’s Wisdom Is Bliss. Everyday just a little bit. So, much nuanced complexity. It allowed for me to tap into just a small amount of calm contemplation within the busyness of my daily life.
Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet
Thich Nhat Hanh
Shakti Mantras: Tapping into the Great Goddess Energy Within
Thomas Ashley-Farrand
Shaman, Healer, Sage
AlbertoVilloldo, Ph.D.
Miracles Now
Gabby Bernstein
Devotions
Mary Oliver
Wisdom Is Bliss
Robert Thurman
So, there you have it for now, dear friend. We now head back into our lives. One foot in front of the other. But, knowing that we can take breaks when needed. Whether it’s only thirty seconds or a whole three hours, we can have a say. The more we can take breaks, gather our energy, the more we can sustain the expectations in life.
If you’ve made it it this far, thank you for reading!
And as always, what was your favorite part of today? Something you noticed? Something that made you smile?
Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear!
With Grace & Gratitude,
Mary Beth
Wooten, Tara: The Liberating Power of the Female Buddha 11.
Wilson, In Praise of Tara, 12.