Tag Archives: Buddhism

Polishing The Mirror

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“As you live deeper in the heart, the mirror gets clearer and cleaner.”
– Rumi

With tonight’s Mid-Autumn Moon Festival celebration I am reminded of the tens of thousands who venture out of doors to dine on moon cakes, drink wine with loved ones and pay homage to their ancestors. I too have worshipped the moon as I held my sake cup up high to the sky at the Portland Japanese Garden. In ancient China women would bring out water-filled basins to absorb the perfectly round moon used to purify their homes when they cleaned. This gentle influence can pull an entire ocean from shore to shore. And because of its power, it has been collected for centuries to remove heat from an angry heart or clear a furrowed brow of confusion.

Like the water basin filled by the moon, mirrors can also be filled–sometimes it is the moon’s yin essence, sometimes the sun’s vitality, yet it is always filled with intention. A “programed” mirror can create soft words between partners, pull water across a bed to attract money or flip an oppressive building upside down. Understanding how this esoteric magic works has largely remained untapped. If you desire to understand the transcendental nature of your mirror cure or if you are a first time seeker of Feng Shui, the following wisdom may give you a greater appreciation for an ordinary mirror.

Mirrors Help Us Release Judgement “The Mirror is an ancient Buddhist symbol for clarity, completeness of perception and purity of consciousness. A mirror reflects a thing objectively but what we see in the mirror is not the thing itself. Because the object is not seen directly, it may be seen more accurately – more clearly, without judgement and with great perspective. This can lessen the tendency to see a thing as fixed or solid and encourage better understanding. The mirror or perception, more effectively propels the mind toward insight and compassion than mere argument or lecture.”
–Baronet 4 Tibet

Mirrors Fill With Whatever Is Before Them A mirror has no color, no image and can fill itself with whatever is before it. This “empty” nature is what makes it possible. Take an object like a vase of red flowers and it becomes the flowers and the vase. Take it away and place a bowl of oranges and it becomes the fruit. We, humans, are also capable of reflecting what is before us. However we may not be conscious of the effect of the content of what fills us. Often this leads to unhappiness and limitations.

Mirrors Give Us Insight Looking into the mirror’s reflective surface reminds us of the impermanence of nature and bends the limitations of our thinking. We may experience a sudden insight that the thing is not good nor bad, not beautiful nor ugly. And we begin to see ourselves in the same way and embrace our true nature.

Polish The Mirror In Your Heart Sprinkling your day with meditation, spiritual breathing, chanting a mantra, for example, Om Mani Padme Hum, and taking walks, help you shift from a busy mind into focused perception. These precious, out-of-time still moments create a direct path to living deeper in your heart. The stillness polishes your mind and with your intention refreshed, your wish projects into the mirror and beyond the wall on which it rests, expanding all possibilities and opportunities.

Mirrors

  • Bagua mirrors protect everything that are behind them. Most often they are hung outside to protect everything within. Their power rests in the power of the eight trigrams, the five elements and theory of yin and yang.
  • Convex Mirrors widen an area of view, they broaden the scope of an adjustment creating an array of possibilities.
  • Concave Mirrors widen an image and soften a potential threat such as a knife-edge or an oncoming road.
  • Sun Moon Mirrors create balance that is represented by yin and yang, night and day, the moon and the sun. This universal balance of light can create clarity, cultivate good judgement, keep you safe and strengthen your prosperity. When life gets a little frenetic, this mirror can be like the ocean–calm, steady, rhythmic and pure.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”…start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

How To Manifest Peace

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“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster’, I hear my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing there are so many helpers–so many caring people in the world.”
– Mr. Rogers

The tragedies that have pierced the heart of the world were such a force that I had to step back these past several weeks to think deeply how Feng Shui may empower us to create a world that is safe. The story we tell this time of year is about peace, goodwill towards all. I asked myself, “How do we maintain a peaceful coexistence throughout the year?” “Build it into the world!” whispered in my ear.

It is through H. H. ‘Professor’ Lin Yun rich legacy of Feng Shui and dharma teachings that I am able to share this wisdom with you. I have selected six Feng Shui precepts that I believe will help us to help each other live under an umbrella of peace. At the least may they be a foundation to harmonize our hearts and mend strained relations and not just the United States, but around the world too. Because when we show we care, we feel safe.

Solidarity In a sense right now we are all vulnerable. Professor Lin said planting bamboo will help vulnerable areas. Bamboo is an uprising force. It provides support. It can drive away negative forces and has the power to suppress evil Ch’i over time. Bamboo is hollow and soft inside, these characteristics symbolizes humility. When you plant bamboo, you add that quality to your own nature. You create solidarity and help your neighbors, near and far, when you place bamboo or the imagery of bamboo in your home and/or plant bamboo on your property. It will wrap its long limbs of peace and safety around you.

Safety New homes that consume an entire lot are on the rise in major and mid-sized cities. They create pressure among neighbors. Everyone feels the narrow space and tight fit. Like a pressure cooker that has to release steam an adjustment to your home can deflect a crisis before it happens. Plant greenery, especially plants with colorful flowers in your lot, both front and back yard. The colors release the pressure of being crowded. It is also vital we maintain our city parks and not let them be sold to developers. Stay up to date on city policy and stay closely connected to your neighborhood associations.

Stillness Take time to be still and shake off negativity by meditating. Start with chanting. The Sanskrit chant, Om mani padme hum, has been practiced all around the world for thousands of years. As you chant and meditate you may realize you have all the power, clarity and the omniscience of the Buddha. If you do not ascribe to the Buddha, then place your focus on God or your higher power. As you practice meditating you unify your inner being, your heart comes into coherence. You let go of divisiveness and inner conflict which is the pathway to peace.

Softness His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama has often expressed that feeling warm-hearted allows him to smile and be happy even in the company of strangers. Being kind and nice towards others creates an atmosphere  for them to be kind in return. A smile works wonders in a potentially unfamiliar situation. When you can help another person feel at ease neither you or they feel alone. Your lives become much easier. Practice kindness, sympathy and generosity daily.

Simple beauty A son and father interviewed after the Bataclan attack. The son is fearful the gunmen may return and he wants to leave. His father speaks calmly to him and says, “They may have guns but we have flowers.” The son feels reassured comforted and a look of peace washes over his face. 

In 2007, Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and her research team investigated the effects of flowers in the home. Flowers foster compassion. Participants noted that they felt influenced by flowers emotionally, causing them to feel kindness and more compassion for others. Looking at flowers first thing in the morning, particularly in the kitchen, dissipates anxiety and feelings of depression. Having flowers at home can have a positive carry-over impact on your mood at work too. They energize your time at work.

In the Chinese culture flowers served as a significant vehicle of communication. They convey epic messages that express powerful positive emotions. A peony, the national flower, stands tall and symbolizes prosperity, happiness and peace. Plum blossoms, the harbinger of spring, represent firmness and solidity. The lotus whispers, that which may not be sullied. Chrysanthemums brave the frost to bloom in a vast array of colors. The narcissus is known as ‘the fairy over ripples’. They speak of the correct way of living, indicating being clean and healthy. If you want a flower’s quality to support your endeavor, display a picture purchase flowers and usher in the force they represent. For those suffering from acid reflux Professor Lin shared The Flower Cure.

Self Care If you are suffering from stress or depression caused by the tragedies or you can’t quite put your finger on what the stress is but you feel pressure, make an adjustment in Helpful People. It could be the house, office, bedroom, or any Helpful People gua. If you need more strength, place three cures, one in each of three places. If you live in an apartment, one could be the home, bedroom, and desk. If you live in a home with property, you can adjust the bedroom, house and lot.

Have questions about your home? Minimize stress by designing it with vitality and beauty with Feng Shui A La Carte.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.