Your eyes are the window into the soul

This week at the Living Wisdom School our classrooms celebrated with one of our staff members her national heritage, culture and events in her early life. She has a extraordinary story to tell about coming to this country with her family on a boat from Vietnam. She is one of my dearest friends and shares so much joy with many truth-seekers. Her generosity is so humbling. 

  Together we were able to participate in the Vietnamese New Year and tour the local Buddhist Temple just around the corner from where we live in Lynnwood,Washington. We took a small group of older students there this afternoon from our 3rd-5th grade class at the Living Wisdom School.

This is a magical spiritual place and I wanted the children from our school to feel the power and devotion that is so measurable on the grounds.

There is a section at the top of the property, lined with over 30 statures of Buddha and Quan Yin.

Devotional Prayers   

Walking peacefully together in a prayer mediation, we instructed the children as to the deeper meanings of each Buddha. I also spoke to them that each stature represented a small part of themselves inwardly.

One of the third graders said to me, "You can really look into their eyes and see the difference."  Many of these children have been at our Living Wisdom School now for many years. They know what it is like to pray, meditate, chant and they see themselves as light and energy bodies.

Even though stormy weather had closed down the New Years celebrations, the temple remained open just for our students. They were also personally guided through prayers in the temple by one of the monks. They were able to do full saluations to the Buddha along side of him.  Two of the boys when leaving today said to me," I wish I could live here."

Lightening incense and offering prayers to the great ones.

This was a deep experience for all of us today.

May your heart and soul be filled with gratitude during this auspicious time in the Asian New Year.

" I bow to the soul in you as you bow to the soul in me

And together we are one." 

Aum, Namaste

Accepting a moment in Divine Gratitude

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a short entry about my new approach to the holiday season. I wanted to let you know that I am still slowing down and taking a day at a time. The world is speeding up and I have to constantly remind myself that in order to experience each moment I have to remain centered. Living at my center comes from my daily practice of meditation and prayer life.  I had a small break in my holiday schedule and was able to relax and catch up on some reading this afternoon.

This video was sent to me on Facebook a few weeks ago by my dear friend Julie Szybz from Hopscotch Photography.  Timing is everything and low and behold, I found this today. This film is like a walking meditation of gratitude as we remind ourselves about daily reconnecting to this inner awareness of life. It is truly timing and beautiful.  I hope you can take a moment of gratitude to watch it.

May your holiday season be filled with divine gratitude in every moment. 

Many Blessings,
Chandi

New approach this holiday season

The other day I was chatting with a friend and she was asking about a couple of dates coming up and if I had them on my calendar. Now, I just blurted out:"I don't know, I'm only looking one day at a time this Christmas." I was a little surprised at myself when I actually said this. "How can you actually do this and still stay on top of all your the responsibilities?"  A teacher's life is extremely full at this time of year. What if I forget something? What if? There are many what if's we can get tangled up in. I just wanted to take the leap this year and try something new.

I am making a very conscious peaceful decision this month to enjoy even the simple moments that Christmas has to offer. Well, my word is my bond and I do have a Blackberry that keeps me connected to the world, but I am actually putting into action my new approach this holiday season. I have, of course entered in all my critical dates first. I am being more selective in the projects that I can accomplish and those that are more time consuming. 

 I only look at my calendar in the morning after meditation and before going to work. I only look at one day at a time and remind myself that I need to be totally present in this moment. I am finding that I am more alert, joyful and I have more energy to accomplish the little things ahead of schedule. If for any reason, I have forgotten something, then actually it wasn't that important in the larger scheme of things. This weekend was a beautiful and restful time for our family. We also accomplished more.

Eastwest Bookshop of Seattle. Independently owned bookstore. One of my favorite stores.

Another practice that I enjoy during the holiday season is to shop in small local gift stores. I want to honor their businesses. I plan my shopping around short trips and I am often driving the back roads to avoid major traffic. Seattle is known for it's traffic snarls. I also get to see more of the Christmas light displays and the decorating on the nearby homes. 

One woman said to me once: "Chandi you just drive the back-roads with such ease." Well, I am not sure about that, but I love the saying that my son said to me when he was about fifteen. "Mom, all roads lead to Ananda." Ananda Community is where I have lived for the past seventeen years. It is located on 5.5 acres in Lynnwood, Washington.

Anyway, I thought to share with you my new approach this holiday season and I will keep you informed on the sweet developments.

Please leave me a comment and let's share ideas together.

Many Blessings to all during this holiday season,
Chandi

The Light of Gratitude

We made this as a gratitude jar in class on Monday. It was for our children this week to drop pebbles into the jar  and express their own unique thankfulness for the many gifts in their lives. Four year olds have such keen sense of innocence. We had many sweet responses.

I am truly grateful for my life as a Living Wisdom Teacher and to be a part of my spiritual community at Ananda Seattle and the worldwide work of Ananda.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and thank you for tuning into my blog.

 What a blessing it is to share it with all of you.

May we be one in that light someday....