Back at headquarters after a very busy and powerful weekend at KTD.
Two empowerments were given (Stainless Ushnisha and Stainless Light Rays), both related to the construction of stupas, the consecration of the items therein, and the clearing away of obstacles. These were given by Khenpo Lodrö Dönyö Rinpoche, abbot of the Mirik Monastery. This is something we would like to sponsor here at some point in the future.
After that, the monks began a 7 day Chakrasamvara puja at the request of the Karmapa, whose father passed away.
It is always rejuvenating to visit this holy site, but, it is also hard to leave. If you find yourself in the area, you should certainly stop by.
May all beings thrive.
“There is an old saying that the path is the goal and goal is the path. You make your journey, you get to your destination, and arriving at your destination brings on another question: how to proceed from there? In that way each goal itself becomes the path. Particularly from the tantric point of view, you don’t achieve anything except path. Discovery of the path is achieving.”
We recorded another version of the popular mantra OM CHAM CHANDRAYA NAMAHA this Spring and are happy to share it with you.
This mantra is dedicated to the Moon god Chandra, also known as Soma, and can be translated many ways, such as “Homage! I Drink/Eat of the Moon!”.
The word cham comes from the Proto-Indo-European word kʷem which means “to swallow,” implying that one absorbs the energy of the Moon as one does when drinking water or eating food.
Chandra means “glittering/shining” and is a word used for the Moon personified. This light (or shine) is what we take in during meditation, transforming it into clarity of mind and peace in spirit.
Namaha comes from the Proto-Indo-Iranian word námas (respect, homage) which derives from the Proto-Indo-European word némos, meaning “to bend, sacrifice, worship.”
As this is chanted and visualized, one gives reverence with each repetition for the illuminating clarity that is given by the great Shining One, filling one’s consciousness with calm images of crystals, water, and moonlight.
The Spring Equinox marks the traditional Easter celebration, the moment when the Sun crosses the equator from south to north. This is when animals like rabbits, deer, chipmunks, and other creatures of the forest begin to have their offspring. Various flora also emerge around this time, dotting the landscape with hints of color. During the Spring Equinox we pay special attention to the great Goddess in her youthful form of Ostara, Goddess of the Dawn. Ostara is associated with the rising Sun in the East, fertility, and light; a beacon of joy and good fortune. To many ancient Germanic Pagans, Ostara was credited with Springs deliverance. From her name we derive the modern word Easter, nodding to the Pagan origins of this holiday. To Ostara we make offerings and pray for a good year, thanking her for the return of the light. In one particular myth, Ostara transforms a bird into a rabbit who would then lay colorful eggs for her, showing us where the core symbolism of our modern holiday came from.
The six-syllable mantra Om Mani Padme Hum (Tib. Om Mani Peme Hung) is the most popular mantra in Tibetan Buddhism and has been chanted for over 1500 years. The mantra can originally be found in the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra and is associated with the deity Avalokiteśvara (Tbt. Chenrezig) whose name means something like “Lord of the World.” The mantra itself has many different meanings associated with it, but most commonly it is translated as something like “Hail the Jewel in the Lotus.” This phrase is an homage to the great “jewel” of primordial awareness (Buddhanature) that exists within the hearts of all sentient beings. May all beings thrive under the watchful eyes of compassion.
We are wrapping up the final edits for the second rune book by Hrukjan titled “Wandering the Runic Path: Esoteric Analysis of the Germanic Runes.”
These will be published early next month and copies will be available from us around Samhain.
For those interested in the book, we’d like to share some information from the introduction:
“This book is meant to help guide the runic adept through various untrodden paths regarding the runes and their use in esoteric Pagan practice. Through many avenues such as language, myth, religious comparison, and thorough analysis, one can expand the dimensions of each rune into the endless fathoms of space and time. Each rune of the Elder Futhark has been dissected and tirelessly studied so that no stone is left unturned in their usability and ultimate meaning. Along with in-depth study, each “aett” of runes has also been given a set of common themes that one can ponder in association to their roles within the entirety of the Futhark. Not only this, but it is speculated throughout the book that the order of the runes is not only important, but carefully tells a unique story regarding life, death, rebirth, and the ultimate truth of existence as expressed by the people who created and used them.
While much of this book is speculative in nature, offering a deeply subjective analysis of these symbols, there is also much concrete and objective information regarding their history, etymology, and journey through time. From their many connections to Sanskrit and other Indo-European languages, the reader can form a thorough understanding of these symbols based on thousands of years of transformation. The reader will see how these runes transcend culture and relate to the natural surroundings of the different tribes that used them as they migrated across much of Europe, Asia, and beyond. Through this approach, one will see that the use of the runes is not only universally applicable, but also, not restrained to a certain “folk” or people. By realizing the scope of their use, one can see them as a divine tool for Self-development and transformation, as each rune is a key to ultimate realization.
If you are looking for a book that is not just informative, but also applicable to religious and spiritual practice, then this book should offer you many avenues towards your own purified understanding of these ancient symbols as used by the greatest of sages and magicians of the past. My hope is that this book will act as a compass for the devoted reader as they traverse the dark and endless paths laid before them by these ancient symbols. By doing so, one does not get lost or steered in detrimental directions by those who would rather see you confused and reliant on outside influences. Runic knowledge and the wisdom inherent within them are present in every sentient being, especially those who have the memories of these signs within their very soul. These secret symbols mirror that which exists within us and each rune is a key to unlocking the mysteries that lie dormant within our experience of reality. May this book help you transcend the limitations of individual existence and soar into the ether as Odin once did upon the great World Tree.”
ALU represents orally transmitted knowledge that is passed down or transferred between individuals. This is akin to one “vessel” pouring liquid (ALU) into another vessel, representing the passing of tradition and secret wisdom from teacher/guru to student/disciple. This can be visualized like a great fountain, where water cascades down from one source point, representing the head of the spiritual lineage, falling down into further basins which overflow into more and more, representing each member who retains the teachings.
One could also speculate that the magical phrase ALU, while being associated with an “intoxicating” beverage, could be a reference to the “madness” that Odin is said to bring forth in his devotees. Other Proto-Germanic words like aluh (amulet) and alh (protect) can bring us to see ALU as being “protected by the intoxication of Odin.” It is quite possible, as with the Vedic and Egyptian ancient temples, that this ALU was a mix of substances, kept within the temple for sacred use. Other ingredients were likely various herbs and psychedelic mushrooms.
ALU can also be associated with inspiration and the “Mead of Poetry.” This magical liquid is said to cause consumers to become skalds (poets) and scholars; created by the dwarves Fjalar and Galar by mixing honey with the blood of the wise god Kvasir. Odin steals this magical mead disguised as an eagle and brings it back to Asgard. He then (through his mouth) delivers it to the gods and those skilled in poetry, emphasizing the concept of orally transmitted wisdom. This story can be found in Skáldskaparmál.
May ALU flow within all sentient beings and may divine intoxication drive your spirit forward.
“…We tend to think of Mara as something ferocious that is going to come along and cut us up or drag us off; it is not necessarily that dramatic or that overtly unpleasant. Mara is anything that obstructs the practice of Dharma and seduces you into abandoning the practice of Dharma and favoring worldly activities…”
-K.K.R.
Mara is a Sanskrit word meaning “death” and has relation to the Vedic god of death Mrtyu. This word stems from a more archaic Indo-European root mer-, which means “to die.” With this in mind, and in the context of Buddhism, we can associate Mara with anything that makes our focus on the Dharma “die”, become distracted, or diminish.
It is important that we consider all distractions in our practice as potential incarnations and activities of Mara. If it is more applicable to your vocabulary, viewing these distractions as demons can be equally beneficial. However, this concept isn’t to be externalized in meaning, as the root of Mara lies within us and not on the outside. Even in the case of a wild animal devouring us, we cannot view the animal as Mara, but instead, our attachment to our own body as the essence of Mara’s activity.
Mara(s) can generally be classified into four different categories. The first applies to our “unskillful” emotions such as greed, hate, and ignorance. The second applies to death and the circumstances that cause death. The third applies to conditioned existence and its symptoms. The fourth applies to the being Mara and his daughters, who tried to prevent Gautama Buddha from attaining liberation on the night of his enlightenment.
Although some of these have “external” sounding features, it is important to remember that all phenomenon we experience as Mara can be associated with our own ignorance in perception, and therefor, exist within us as obscurities. For instance, during meditation, a barking dog only exists as a Mara/demon in the sense that our perception is being disturbed by it, due (most likely) to our attachments to silence, control, and comfort. If one shifts their perception to pure emptiness, one makes their mind like the space inside a cave, where sound may enter and echo, but ultimately, moves through like wind and attaches to nothing.
If our mind rests in this realization of emptiness, then all external phenomenon move through it like clouds in the sky or waves in the ocean.
May all sentient beings conquer the Maras that obstruct their Dharma practices.
Ansuz Society 