Sunday, 12 August 2018
The Mind of Wisdom from the Udumbara
https://udumbarainflower.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-mind-of-wisdom.html
Tuesday, 31 July 2018
Monday, 2 July 2018
Dear Mr Trump and Dear Chinese Government from the Udumbara
Four years ago, I received a random email from the flowering Udumbara ... Today, I received another one.
Dear Mr Trump,
I read, with interest, an article talking about you bringing in a new bill to restrict access of Chinese Tour operators; promoting Tibet, into the US, if the Chinese continue to deny access to foreign journalists into Tibet.
I find this a very contradictory move since it only serves the purpose of denying tourists access to Tibet. If people don’t visit Tibet, how will they ever see what conditions are there? How will they ever know Tibetan people? How will they ever sympathise with Tibet?
Perhaps, Mr Trump, a better route might have been to deny access to Chinese tourists into the USA but that might be very damaging for he US economy and not a very good route either. Why did you not deny access to Chinese officials instead of tour operators? I have to question whether you wish to damage Tibet’s economy but then, I get confused because I thought you were trying to help Tibet and Tibetans.
I read that your “Experts on China” deemed this a “Tit for Tat”. Far be it from me to tell you how to run your cabinet, but I really think you should reassign whoever said this. If they knew anything about Chinese People and Chinese culture, they would know that this is considered a confrontation.I was only in China 6 months and even I know it.
Has history taught us nothing? Chinese Culture doesn’t like confrontation. They are not bad people. They only show force and power because, even though they are an ancient, and wise, culture, they are still learning - like all of us. Only, they don't like to expose their shortcomings in public. It makes them feel like they fall short in some way, when in fact, all they are doing is learning.
So, please don’t make me think that this bill is all about creating a standoff with China. What will be next - sanctions? - The breaking of Trade agreements? What will you do, put them in a corner to damage their economy just so you can bring manufacturing back to the US as you promised during your election campaign?
I would never want to think that a man of your calibre would use Tibet as a pawn in order to “Make America Great Again?” (I do recall that sentence, which again was frequently used in your election campaign)
If this were the case, though, I might end up thanking you because you could very well end the hostility between China and Tibet and let me tell you, it will not be because of your bill.
You see ... old enemies can become friends in their moment of need.
Dear Chinese Government,
I wrote to you 4 years ago ... and today, I am back, louder and stronger. Please don’t enter into this game of chess that is being presented by the US government. It will be damaging to your economy in the long run. I have been to Lhasa. I apologise for taking photographs but I did. I apologise for taking videos but I did and I am a nobody in this world ... So, I am sure that any journalists who wanted to enter Tibet - already have. Otherwise how would we know about the brave Tibetan nuns and monks who set themselves alight? How would we know about temples that have been invaded? How would we even know about all the Tibetan people you have arrested?
Dear Chinese government, this is your chance to see things as they are. This is your golden opportunity to make allies of old friends and move forward in the grace you once shared.
If you had genuine Tibetan people in your shops in Lhasa and at the airport, instead of Chinese girls dressed in Tibetan dresses, you would stand to make far more money. Just think about it. Tibetan people are kind, they are very loving, generous, patient and peaceful but they are, also, very clever business people. You only have to see what they have created everywhere around the world to see that.
Four years ago, I wrote that you would never be able to break their inner strength - so, why not learn from it? There is strength in union. There is power in union. There is growth in union. Four years ago, I couldn’t see clearly ... I was still growing ... but now I see it all clearly.
I understand His Holiness the Dalai Lama is about to visit your country, please take this Golden opportunity to let all wounds heal.
A faithful servant of Humanity,
The Udumbara flower
Dear Mr Trump,
I read, with interest, an article talking about you bringing in a new bill to restrict access of Chinese Tour operators; promoting Tibet, into the US, if the Chinese continue to deny access to foreign journalists into Tibet.
I find this a very contradictory move since it only serves the purpose of denying tourists access to Tibet. If people don’t visit Tibet, how will they ever see what conditions are there? How will they ever know Tibetan people? How will they ever sympathise with Tibet?
Perhaps, Mr Trump, a better route might have been to deny access to Chinese tourists into the USA but that might be very damaging for he US economy and not a very good route either. Why did you not deny access to Chinese officials instead of tour operators? I have to question whether you wish to damage Tibet’s economy but then, I get confused because I thought you were trying to help Tibet and Tibetans.
I read that your “Experts on China” deemed this a “Tit for Tat”. Far be it from me to tell you how to run your cabinet, but I really think you should reassign whoever said this. If they knew anything about Chinese People and Chinese culture, they would know that this is considered a confrontation.I was only in China 6 months and even I know it.
Has history taught us nothing? Chinese Culture doesn’t like confrontation. They are not bad people. They only show force and power because, even though they are an ancient, and wise, culture, they are still learning - like all of us. Only, they don't like to expose their shortcomings in public. It makes them feel like they fall short in some way, when in fact, all they are doing is learning.
So, please don’t make me think that this bill is all about creating a standoff with China. What will be next - sanctions? - The breaking of Trade agreements? What will you do, put them in a corner to damage their economy just so you can bring manufacturing back to the US as you promised during your election campaign?
I would never want to think that a man of your calibre would use Tibet as a pawn in order to “Make America Great Again?” (I do recall that sentence, which again was frequently used in your election campaign)
If this were the case, though, I might end up thanking you because you could very well end the hostility between China and Tibet and let me tell you, it will not be because of your bill.
You see ... old enemies can become friends in their moment of need.
Dear Chinese Government,
I wrote to you 4 years ago ... and today, I am back, louder and stronger. Please don’t enter into this game of chess that is being presented by the US government. It will be damaging to your economy in the long run. I have been to Lhasa. I apologise for taking photographs but I did. I apologise for taking videos but I did and I am a nobody in this world ... So, I am sure that any journalists who wanted to enter Tibet - already have. Otherwise how would we know about the brave Tibetan nuns and monks who set themselves alight? How would we know about temples that have been invaded? How would we even know about all the Tibetan people you have arrested?
Dear Chinese government, this is your chance to see things as they are. This is your golden opportunity to make allies of old friends and move forward in the grace you once shared.
If you had genuine Tibetan people in your shops in Lhasa and at the airport, instead of Chinese girls dressed in Tibetan dresses, you would stand to make far more money. Just think about it. Tibetan people are kind, they are very loving, generous, patient and peaceful but they are, also, very clever business people. You only have to see what they have created everywhere around the world to see that.
Four years ago, I wrote that you would never be able to break their inner strength - so, why not learn from it? There is strength in union. There is power in union. There is growth in union. Four years ago, I couldn’t see clearly ... I was still growing ... but now I see it all clearly.
I understand His Holiness the Dalai Lama is about to visit your country, please take this Golden opportunity to let all wounds heal.
A faithful servant of Humanity,
The Udumbara flower
Sunday, 24 June 2018
Nirvana and Samsara / Heaven and Hell
Good morning beautiful world. 
<3 span="">
People talk about Heaven and Hell, Nirvana and Samsara and I'm sure the
equivalent exists in all religions. I have always maintained that I
don't believe in either as "physical realities" - For me, personally,
Heaven (Nirvana) and Hell (Samsara) are what we create in our lives here
on earth.
Samsara/Hell, is the place of darkness (negative energy) where we get stuck when we find it difficult, or impossible, to live with ourselves and others, because our speech and actions go against the very nature of who we truly are. We can't live with the decisions we make because they don't align with the Highest good within every one of us. In this space, we get caught up in all the negative aspects of human life; fear, anxiety etc etc. The more negative we are, the more negativity we create and, eventually, we end up in a very difficult cycle and attract more negativity - because energy will always magnetise to, and attract, its own polarity. That's why like attracts like.
We forget, though, that the dark doesn't have to be a negative place. What makes the darkness dark is the charge of negative emotion behind it - our intention - our motivation for acting in a dark way. When we carry out dark actions with a pure intention, it is not dark. It is for a greater good. When something is for the greater good, it's a completely selfless act of unconditional love.
Think about it - the night is dark but it serves its purpose to let us rest and precede the day. It's intention isn't bad.
Heaven/Nirvana is the place of light (positive energy.) - a place of inner and outer peace. We reach this place when we just allow everything, and everyone, to "be." When we don't grasp, don't judge, don't fear, don't hate and certainly don't try to harm others or put them down (regardless of what they may appear to be doing to us) and don't take anything on board, in a personal way, this is when we can live in peace with ourselves and others ... because nothing will matter.
Saying that nothing matters doesn't, literally, mean nothing matters. It just means that we learn to let go of anything, and anyone, that doesn't serve our Higher purpose. When we do that, we attract people, places and events in our lives that can make everything change and once change happens, you'll find there's no going back.
However, since we live in a realistic world and not an idealistic Utopia, perhaps the solution is to find a happy balance between the light and the dark. After all, they need each other like the day needs the night.
It's my personal opinion that, a lot of the time, we do things so automatically, we don't stop for long enough to know why we did it or what our true intention was/is.
Have a beautiful Sunday one and all,
<3 span="">
People talk about Heaven and Hell, Nirvana and Samsara and I'm sure the
equivalent exists in all religions. I have always maintained that I
don't believe in either as "physical realities" - For me, personally,
Heaven (Nirvana) and Hell (Samsara) are what we create in our lives here
on earth. Samsara/Hell, is the place of darkness (negative energy) where we get stuck when we find it difficult, or impossible, to live with ourselves and others, because our speech and actions go against the very nature of who we truly are. We can't live with the decisions we make because they don't align with the Highest good within every one of us. In this space, we get caught up in all the negative aspects of human life; fear, anxiety etc etc. The more negative we are, the more negativity we create and, eventually, we end up in a very difficult cycle and attract more negativity - because energy will always magnetise to, and attract, its own polarity. That's why like attracts like.
We forget, though, that the dark doesn't have to be a negative place. What makes the darkness dark is the charge of negative emotion behind it - our intention - our motivation for acting in a dark way. When we carry out dark actions with a pure intention, it is not dark. It is for a greater good. When something is for the greater good, it's a completely selfless act of unconditional love.
Think about it - the night is dark but it serves its purpose to let us rest and precede the day. It's intention isn't bad.
Heaven/Nirvana is the place of light (positive energy.) - a place of inner and outer peace. We reach this place when we just allow everything, and everyone, to "be." When we don't grasp, don't judge, don't fear, don't hate and certainly don't try to harm others or put them down (regardless of what they may appear to be doing to us) and don't take anything on board, in a personal way, this is when we can live in peace with ourselves and others ... because nothing will matter.
Saying that nothing matters doesn't, literally, mean nothing matters. It just means that we learn to let go of anything, and anyone, that doesn't serve our Higher purpose. When we do that, we attract people, places and events in our lives that can make everything change and once change happens, you'll find there's no going back.
However, since we live in a realistic world and not an idealistic Utopia, perhaps the solution is to find a happy balance between the light and the dark. After all, they need each other like the day needs the night.
It's my personal opinion that, a lot of the time, we do things so automatically, we don't stop for long enough to know why we did it or what our true intention was/is.
Have a beautiful Sunday one and all,
Tuesday, 19 June 2018
Spritual Teachers
I would like to Honour my Spiritual Teachers Venerable Namgyel and Sri Devamitta Holland with this "reflective" article in appreciation of everything they do for Humanity and for me personally.
After a spiritual retreat, I become a little withdrawn and go very deep introspectively to search for, and process, all the possible things I’ve learned that can help me to become a better human being.
The end of this retreat has been no different and one of the many focal points of my learning has been to come to a deep appreciation for my spiritual teachers who have guided me along my journey’s path.
The question floating around in my mind, over the last day or so, has been: “Do we really, and truly, appreciate our spiritual teachers and everything they have been through in order to be in the position they are in to teach us?”
We are all teachers to one another and, every day, we are in this perpetual cycle of learning and teaching - but are we fully aware of it? Or does each lesson pass us by without us giving it the appropriate amount of attention?
Everything we say and do is the product of a lesson we have learned from someone at some particular moment in time - and, although we may not realise it, at the time, everything we say and do also serves as a lesson for someone else.
However, it is my humble opinion that Spiritual Teachers (especially travelling ones) are so very precious, and genuine ones may be a little rarer to find in this day and age when everyone can become a self proclaimed "spiritual guru".
Some Spiritual Teachers travel long distances; enduring the hardships of airports and sleeping in a different bed every week in a different country. And, whoever has travelled a lot knows how difficult airports can be with their policy of being there 2 hours before, the stress of security checks, queues, extortionate prices for food and let’s not mention the need to get up at absurd times of the morning, perhaps with little to no sleep, in order not to miss their flight.
They spend so much of their precious time, and their life, on a plane and suffering chaotic travel conditions for our sake.
I wonder if we fully appreciate how much constant flying, and crossing multiple time zones, in a pressurised cabin, affects the body and, ultimately, health itself.
I, also, wonder if we fully appreciate how tired a teacher must feel when he/she spends his/her day giving so much of himself/herself - sharing precious wisdom, answering all our questions and giving each and every one of us enough attention.
During each retreat/teachings, a teacher may have 30, different, people to respond to. It must be very taxing mentally and physically. That’s not to mention how many emails a teacher has to answer nowadays of other students far far away from the retreat in course.
I think we, sometimes, fail to remember that a Spiritual teacher is still a human being, like us - made of flesh and blood. The only difference between us is that they have optimised their full spiritual potential whereas we haven’t even started to scratch the surface.
We take so much from them, and, perhaps a little selfishly, expect them to just keep giving and giving and giving but I ask myself how much we, actually, give them back and when I say give back, I mean by looking after them, and their well-being, so that they may always have their batteries fully charged, be in good health, and be able to benefit even more people on their journey’s path that takes them around the world.
As a event organiser, and a devoted student, I reach out to all retreat organisers around the world to truly value the precious teacher you are hosting. It’s imperative to let our teachers rest appropriately. We all benefit from a refreshed mind in a relaxed body.
It costs nothing to let our teacher rest a day, before any retreat, after a long trip, and it costs nothing to let them rest a day or two after the teachings so they may fully recover.
My wish is that, as retreat organisers, we may show the same compassion, love, patience and kindness to our Spiritual Teachers as they show us. After all, are love, patience, kindness and compassion not the very things our Teachers are trying to teach us?
What use is learning if we can’t put what we learn into practice with the very people that show us the way?
Wherever you are, whoever you are, as a fellow student, I ask you ... please ... love, take care of, and appreciate all teachers in this world because, if they are no longer able to teach, through ill health, who will we all turn to?
All of our "Life" Teachers give us wings (some more than others and some literally) and they also give us the ability to consistently transform/improve ourselves. It's up to us to choose whether to fly or not and what greater Honour is there, for our Teacher, than to see us fly the way they taught us to!
Have a beautiful day one and all.
After a spiritual retreat, I become a little withdrawn and go very deep introspectively to search for, and process, all the possible things I’ve learned that can help me to become a better human being.
The end of this retreat has been no different and one of the many focal points of my learning has been to come to a deep appreciation for my spiritual teachers who have guided me along my journey’s path.
The question floating around in my mind, over the last day or so, has been: “Do we really, and truly, appreciate our spiritual teachers and everything they have been through in order to be in the position they are in to teach us?”
We are all teachers to one another and, every day, we are in this perpetual cycle of learning and teaching - but are we fully aware of it? Or does each lesson pass us by without us giving it the appropriate amount of attention?
Everything we say and do is the product of a lesson we have learned from someone at some particular moment in time - and, although we may not realise it, at the time, everything we say and do also serves as a lesson for someone else.
However, it is my humble opinion that Spiritual Teachers (especially travelling ones) are so very precious, and genuine ones may be a little rarer to find in this day and age when everyone can become a self proclaimed "spiritual guru".
Some Spiritual Teachers travel long distances; enduring the hardships of airports and sleeping in a different bed every week in a different country. And, whoever has travelled a lot knows how difficult airports can be with their policy of being there 2 hours before, the stress of security checks, queues, extortionate prices for food and let’s not mention the need to get up at absurd times of the morning, perhaps with little to no sleep, in order not to miss their flight.
They spend so much of their precious time, and their life, on a plane and suffering chaotic travel conditions for our sake.
I wonder if we fully appreciate how much constant flying, and crossing multiple time zones, in a pressurised cabin, affects the body and, ultimately, health itself.
I, also, wonder if we fully appreciate how tired a teacher must feel when he/she spends his/her day giving so much of himself/herself - sharing precious wisdom, answering all our questions and giving each and every one of us enough attention.
During each retreat/teachings, a teacher may have 30, different, people to respond to. It must be very taxing mentally and physically. That’s not to mention how many emails a teacher has to answer nowadays of other students far far away from the retreat in course.
I think we, sometimes, fail to remember that a Spiritual teacher is still a human being, like us - made of flesh and blood. The only difference between us is that they have optimised their full spiritual potential whereas we haven’t even started to scratch the surface.
We take so much from them, and, perhaps a little selfishly, expect them to just keep giving and giving and giving but I ask myself how much we, actually, give them back and when I say give back, I mean by looking after them, and their well-being, so that they may always have their batteries fully charged, be in good health, and be able to benefit even more people on their journey’s path that takes them around the world.
As a event organiser, and a devoted student, I reach out to all retreat organisers around the world to truly value the precious teacher you are hosting. It’s imperative to let our teachers rest appropriately. We all benefit from a refreshed mind in a relaxed body.
It costs nothing to let our teacher rest a day, before any retreat, after a long trip, and it costs nothing to let them rest a day or two after the teachings so they may fully recover.
My wish is that, as retreat organisers, we may show the same compassion, love, patience and kindness to our Spiritual Teachers as they show us. After all, are love, patience, kindness and compassion not the very things our Teachers are trying to teach us?
What use is learning if we can’t put what we learn into practice with the very people that show us the way?
Wherever you are, whoever you are, as a fellow student, I ask you ... please ... love, take care of, and appreciate all teachers in this world because, if they are no longer able to teach, through ill health, who will we all turn to?
All of our "Life" Teachers give us wings (some more than others and some literally) and they also give us the ability to consistently transform/improve ourselves. It's up to us to choose whether to fly or not and what greater Honour is there, for our Teacher, than to see us fly the way they taught us to!
Have a beautiful day one and all.
Wednesday, 7 March 2018
A simple act of kindness
Dear New World citizens,
Yesterday I spoke about how a simple smile can change the world, can you imagine what a random act of kindness could do?
You may not believe it but a simple act of kindness can travel across the world and last for decades and decades. It is something that, to you, could mean very little but, to someone else, mean the world. Perhaps the person in front of you has never received an act of kindness from anyone. How sad is that?
If you have ever been on the receiving end of kindness, you know how nice it feels. You know how special it is to have been the centre of someone’s attention; albeit for just a few moments. The simple fact that someone shifted their focus from their own world to direct their attention to you and give you their time is an act that should be honoured and treasured.
Before the days of commerce and having to pay for things, we all gave each other our time. We hunted together in community spirit, we shared our food, we protected each other and knew the name of everyone in our village. We had no money. So, all we had to give was our time. Our time spent together is what made our bonds grow stronger and kept us together.
Nowadays, in a society where we cannot, conventionally, survive without money, the last thing we have for each other is time. It is this lack of time that keeps us separate.
We have children but we don’t really watch them grow up because we are too busy providing for them. We mortgage ourselves to the hilts for a house that we end up spending no more than 10 hours a day in - and for 8 of those we are, most likely, sleeping. We get so stressed, with our jobs, that we end up leading unhappy & unfulfilling lives. This leads to frustration that, then, might get vented during the first opportunity you have to spend with your family.
We all only have a certain amount of time on this planet and most of it is consumed with surviving. So, giving someone your time, no matter how small, no matter how insignificant you think it is, is, in fact, the MOST PRECIOUS gift you can give anyone.
A simple act of kindness is giving someone your time and, within that time, taking the opportunity to make someone’s life a little easier, a little less stressful, a little lighter and definitely a little happier.
The beauty of kindness is that it is infectious. It’s like a virus. Once it’s been carried out, it will carry on producing good energy for days, weeks, months and, in some cases, for decades and decades to come. Maybe for a few people, your one simple act of kindness will be remembered with affection and create warmth for the rest of their lives.
Just think - How amazingly beautiful is it that You were able to give that gift to someone. If you are on the receiving end of someone’s effort to be kind to you then think about what a beautiful gift it is for you too and be grateful.
Our Universal consciousness loves gratitude. When we’re grateful, we attract more of what we’re grateful for.
Yesterday I spoke about how a simple smile can change the world, can you imagine what a random act of kindness could do?
You may not believe it but a simple act of kindness can travel across the world and last for decades and decades. It is something that, to you, could mean very little but, to someone else, mean the world. Perhaps the person in front of you has never received an act of kindness from anyone. How sad is that?
If you have ever been on the receiving end of kindness, you know how nice it feels. You know how special it is to have been the centre of someone’s attention; albeit for just a few moments. The simple fact that someone shifted their focus from their own world to direct their attention to you and give you their time is an act that should be honoured and treasured.
Before the days of commerce and having to pay for things, we all gave each other our time. We hunted together in community spirit, we shared our food, we protected each other and knew the name of everyone in our village. We had no money. So, all we had to give was our time. Our time spent together is what made our bonds grow stronger and kept us together.
Nowadays, in a society where we cannot, conventionally, survive without money, the last thing we have for each other is time. It is this lack of time that keeps us separate.
We have children but we don’t really watch them grow up because we are too busy providing for them. We mortgage ourselves to the hilts for a house that we end up spending no more than 10 hours a day in - and for 8 of those we are, most likely, sleeping. We get so stressed, with our jobs, that we end up leading unhappy & unfulfilling lives. This leads to frustration that, then, might get vented during the first opportunity you have to spend with your family.
We all only have a certain amount of time on this planet and most of it is consumed with surviving. So, giving someone your time, no matter how small, no matter how insignificant you think it is, is, in fact, the MOST PRECIOUS gift you can give anyone.
A simple act of kindness is giving someone your time and, within that time, taking the opportunity to make someone’s life a little easier, a little less stressful, a little lighter and definitely a little happier.
The beauty of kindness is that it is infectious. It’s like a virus. Once it’s been carried out, it will carry on producing good energy for days, weeks, months and, in some cases, for decades and decades to come. Maybe for a few people, your one simple act of kindness will be remembered with affection and create warmth for the rest of their lives.
Just think - How amazingly beautiful is it that You were able to give that gift to someone. If you are on the receiving end of someone’s effort to be kind to you then think about what a beautiful gift it is for you too and be grateful.
Our Universal consciousness loves gratitude. When we’re grateful, we attract more of what we’re grateful for.
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