As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind,
so the wise are not shaken by blame and praise.
As a deep lake is clear and calm,
so the wise become tranquil after they listened to the truth.– Buddha
Dear Beloved Seeker of Truth,
Happy New Year to you and your family. Thank-you for your presence in my life and for all the gifts that your soul has brought to me.
When the wind blows faith becomes the unshakable hand of grace. Grace is ever present. We encounter her when our inner spiritual eyes are open. She arrives when we discover a truth about ourselves or about life. The hidden unconscious parts of the psyche once revealed brings a discovery. A formerly unrevealed truth becomes Grace in the unveiling. This is the moment where we say, “I understand,” the meaning giving precious awareness to comfort. The salve of salvation, available to us in wisdom.
‘Wisdom is Beauty. Beauty is Wisdom.’
Our good friends, Jack and Rose, owners of Sacred Space in Summerland, California called me a few years back and said, ” We have found it, we have your Buddha. It came in a special surprise shipment, it’s for you.”
It is here where I come to meditate while in retreat at our Colorado hermitage. Over the past week carved stone has shape shifted. The statue of Buddha seemingly to come alive. As I sit here looking out my window the snow piling up Buddha becomes the female Buddha covered in a refined white silk dress wearing a hat. Pistis Sophia, Wisdom has arrived. What an uplifting omen for 2023. When I remembered this stanza from The Wise, by Buddha the Divine’s message for 2023 came as simple as a snowflake on a windowpane.
2023 Is the Year to Attain Wisdom
It is the Divine Presence of Tranquility – Wisdom who opens the doors of our perception leading us to the Garden of Sapphires, the Illuminated Mind.
2023 will be our year to attain wisdom. The wisdom that lives in the heart of the heart, the buddha mind. The wisdom to stay committed to inner peace and serenity. The wisdom of happiness. So how does one acquire wisdom? Read below the ABC’s of Attaining Wisdom. It is easier than you may think.
The ABC’s of Attaining Wisdom
A. Speak the Divine Invocation.
‘Beloved Wisdom, light of lights, open my mind, dissolve my heart into your heart. Grace of humility and awe, beloved Truth of Understanding, Crown of the Tree of Life, I humbly request your anointing. I step into Your abode. A waterfall of cleansing brilliance pours over me washing away any, and all hindrances to receiving your healing light of Wisdom. I am ready now.’
B. Contemplate the Questions.
1. How do I understand what it means to be solid in spiritual practice?
2. What does being grounded look like for me as I seek transcendence?
What are its attributes and qualities? How do they serve me?
3. What are the inherent virtues contained in being a person of solid awareness to truth?
4. How do I remain like a rock while others whirl rocks at me?
( hint: the answer is contained in the virtues you discover )
5. What meaning does prayer have in my life?
6. What is one thing I can do every day for myself that is self-caring and self-loving?
7. How can I be more mindful and present in the moment with others?
8. What is the message that Silence reveals to me? How can I bring that truth with me throughout the day?
C. Repeat The Wisdom Affirmations.
1. I am the Silent Watcher observing without judgment.
2. I am the Heart of deep understanding and deep listening.
3. I am Patience, open to learning and evolving in every situation.
4. I am Courage, persevering Truth with discernment.
5. I am Love, transforming and repairing all my relationships, even those I must let go of.
6. I am Grateful for every experience. I know every encounter is a divine encounter.
7. I am *Solid as a Mountain, nothing can harm me.
8. I am Wisdom. Wisdom is Beauty.
The wisdom of large heartedness. The wisdom of knowing when to speak and when to not speak. The wisdom to know when to act and when not to act. The wisdom to seek silence when the ego mind seduces me into pettiness and ruminating lies. The wisdom to know how to love another and how to receive love from another. The wisdom to know when to listen and when not to listen. The wisdom of discernment. The wisdom of kindness.
And, for those of you who want an even deeper dive into wisdom. Here is the entire teaching from Buddha. Think beyond the walls of perception. Open yourself to the message of 2023, Wisdom, is your keys to self-fulfillment and happiness.
love and blessings for 2023!
– Deirdre
The Wise
by Buddha
If you see a wise person who shows you your faults,
who shows what is to be avoided,
follow that wise person
as you would one who reveals hidden treasures;
you will be better not worse for following that one.
Let one admonish; let one teach; let one forbid the wrong;
and one will be loved by the good and hated by the bad.
Do not have wrong-doers for friends;
do not have despicable people for friends;
have virtuous people for friends;
have for friends the best people.
Whoever drinks in the truth
lives happily with a serene mind.
The wise are joyful in the truth
revealed by the noble ones.
Engineers of canals guide the water;
fletchers make the arrow straight;
carpenters shape the wood;
the wise mould themselves.
As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind,
so the wise are not shaken by blame and praise.
As a deep lake is clear and calm,
so the wise become tranquil after they listened to the truth.
Good people walk on regardless of what happens to them.
Good people do not babble on about their desires.
Whether touched by happiness or by sorrow,
the wise never appear elated or depressed.
Whoever for one’s sake or for another’s,
does not wish for a son or wealth or power,
and if one does not wish for success by unfair means,
that one certainly is virtuous, wise, and holy.
Few are those people who reach the farther shore;
the other people here run along this shore.
But those who, when the truth has been taught to them,
follow the truth, will pass over the dominion of death,
however difficult to cross.
Leaving behind the path of darkness
and following the path of light,
let the wise person go from home to a homeless state,
in retirement looking for enjoyment
where enjoyment seemed difficult.
Letting go of all pleasures, calling nothing one’s own,
let the wise cleanse oneself
from all the troubles of the mind.Those whose minds are well grounded
in the elements of enlightenment,
who without clinging to anything
find joy in freedom from attachment,
whose appetites have been conquered,
and who are full of light,
they are free in this world.
Buddha’s poem, The Wise, from one of my favorite sites: poetseers.org
*Solid as a Mountain, from a meditation given by Vedanta teacher Swami Brahmananda https://online.sivanandabahamas.org/