The Sanskrit Triratna (Triple Gem/Three Gems) mantra is a universal refuge prayer for all Buddhists, sung in all schools of Buddhism from the Theravada to the Mahayana and Vajrayana. The mantra proclaims the following:
“I go for refuge to the Buddha,
I go for refuge to the Dharma,
I go for refuge to the Sangha.”
Refuge in the Buddha means to acknowledge the omniscient and unshakable nature that the Buddha represents, and to aspire to acquire that state. Refuge in the Dharma means to accept the authority of the teachings and to follow them diligently as a road map to enlightenment. Refuge in the Sangha means to find solace and inspiration in spiritual friends, teachers, and community.
This is a basic interpretation of the mantra as generally understood by most practicing Buddhists. However, as one gains deeper meditative insight, one’s guru will reveal further interpretation, depending on the school one involves themselves in.
Kali is a wrathful emanation of the great Mother Durga and the consort of Lord Shiva.
Kali is destruction and time. She is representative of the cycles of samsara, specifically birth, death, and rebirth. Despite this association, she is also a symbol of moksha (liberation), as she encourages effort (shakti) and action in one’s life to overcome obstacles and suffering.
Kali is nature and matter, everything that changes in existence. She is that which primordial, unchanging consciousness (Shiva) is thrust into. This duality is the core of what we see in the famous image of Kali dancing on Shiva, as she is the play (dance) of nature and he rests motionless beneath her as the foundation of reality (consciousness/space).
Although Kali seems fearsome, this aspect of the goddess has immense motherly love for her devotees. She gladly removes tribulations and gives boons to her followers as long as they remain strong and diligent. Negative thoughts and emotions are offered to Kali who purifies them instantly. The mantra “Om Krim Kalikaye Namah” is an invocation and homage of the glorious goddess Kali Ma, who chooses carefully her disciples according to their endurance and diligence.
“The powerful black Hindu goddess Kali effortlessly slays an eight-armed spotted green demon with an impossibly long trident. His chariot horses and two minions lie incapacitated below. Kali’s tongue lolls out, indicating her ability to catch blood before it touches the ground: one of her demonic enemies has blood that generates another demon every time one drop comes in contact with the earth. The demon is a metaphor for wicked thoughts that give rise to more evil thoughts; Kali aids her followers in eradicating them all.”
The cult of Thor generally revolves around the community, fertility, farming, and the daily routine that most humans experience. Because of this, Thor was the most widely worshiped of the ancient gods and was the chief deity observed by the common folk. Thor protects man and the world from chaos, endowing power into our material forms. This force keeps man strong, driven, and determined, acting in accordance with honor, loyalty, and vitality. Thor represents the physical and temporal qualities of human life, things we can build, destroy, and manipulate in accordance with our will. Thor establishes order out of chaos, rhythm out of randomness. He represents the “tempo” of the seasons, symbolized by the wheel (or fylfot), and like the wheel, carries us forward safely through time and space.
May all revere the Thunder god.
“Reid is reins, Reid is spokes, Thor’s wagon, Behind the goats.”
We’ve just released another mantra track on our channel, may it benefit all beings.
Tara is a prominent goddess in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, representing the feminine aspects of the Supreme, whether as an emanation (Mahavidya) of the great Durga or as a female embodiment of the Buddha. Tara has an exceptionally wide array of forms depending on which religious pantheon one is focusing on, varying from entirely wrathful forms to completely peaceful ones. These different emanations are necessary according to each individuals’ particular inclinations (due to karmic imprints) or specific school of practice.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Tara is believed to have 21 forms with varying attributes, colors, and characteristics. She is invoked for protection and liberation from obstacles, to dispel poisons and bad dreams, and to destroy demons or other harmful spirits. Tara is revered as a loving mother and is often referred to as the “Mother of All Buddhas.” She guards sentient beings against fear, anxiety, and disease. Tara is often Green in color, representing all the activities of the Buddha, but white is also common, used for achieving long life and longevity. Other forms and colors exist as well. The seed syllable of Tara is TAM.
The Sanskrit word tā́rā means “star”, stemming from the Proto-Indo-European word h₂stḗr, which refers to stars (or planets) and means “shiner or glower.” Her mantra is OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA which means “Praise to Tara the Swift Liberator, Hail!” Above her sits Amitabha, Buddha of Boundless Light.
“…Homage to her whose face is like one hundred full autumn moons
And who blazes with light like that of thousands of stars…
…Homage to her whom Indra, Agni, Brahma, Vayudeva,
Wunjo is the liberating power of bliss; the levity associated with fulfillment and satisfaction in one’s life and with one’s deeds. This blissful ecstasy can otherwise be associated with our concept of joy, happiness, and pleasure. We get a glimpse of this rune in the “Old English Rune Poem,” where it is said:
“Wynn is borne by him who knows little of woes,
Of soreness and sorrow, and himself has-
Bounty and bliss, and plenty of strongholds too!”
Throughout the poem, we see a clear picture of true contentedness; a metaphysical ease that embraces one whom has for themself created the circumstances for bliss; a momentary freeing of the soul from any bonds of anxiety, woe, or sorrow. One who has conquered their aspirations.
Wunjo also has a connection to wishes, in the sense that fulfilled wishes lead to these feelings of delight, enjoyment, ecstasy etc. Combined with the lessons of other runes, we know that our wishes must be paired with correct action in order for them to be fulfilled; runes like Raido (for control), Thurisaz (for willpower), and Ehwaz (for movement) come to mind here, among plenty of others.
Therefore, it is wise to not look at wishing as a mere fantasy or common prayer, but rather a goal or outcome we’d like to see accomplished; something we want to facilitate or create. Wunjo/Wunsch/Wish of the old Germanic peoples was a force (or deity/spirit) of inspiration; one knew their wishes would only be fulfilled by their actions in life, rather than in pure lip-service. This is how one honored the Wunsch/Wish deity, who bestowed blessings upon those who completed their goals. This god of the Wish has been equated to Odin, as Grimm states in Teutonic Mythology:
(Wuotan/Wunsch) is himself the bestower of all bliss.”
It is certain that this “face” of Odin was one of importance and great reverence, as we find reference to him in “Grímnismál” as Óski, meaning “God of Wishes, Wished For.” This wish granting, bliss bestowing deity is usually associated with a tool, weapon, or item that symbolizes and or directs the gifts towards those who have earned them. This is seen in the German wunschelris, meaning “wishing twig,” the predecessor to the English “magic wand.” We also have the “wishing hat” of Wuotan, the “Horn of Plenty” or “Wheel of Fortune” of Fortuna, which in Sanskrit translates to mano-ratha or “wheel of the mind.” This alludes to Wunjo as a needed force of momentum to keeping one’s “wheel” moving forward. Another Indo-European deity who functions in this way would be Kamaduh/Kamadhenu, the “wishing cow.”
Another concept that we can include here is that of the Old Norse fylgja, meaning “one who follows man, companionship” and is associated with a type of “guardian angel” spirit who attaches itself to those it chooses, bestowing them with luck, blessings, and bliss. Fairies, elves, and dwarves are also known to grant wishes, associating these beings with the Wunjo rune.
Wunjo is closely related to the feeling of love, whether intimate or familial. We see this is the Proto-Indo-European root word wenh₁-, which means “to love, win” and “to wish.” Many word offspring have come from this root and it seems this sound denotes a sort of happiness, kindness, and affection. We see another related word in the Latin venia meaning “kindness, mercy, grace” and in the modern English/Old French word venial meaning “able to be forgiven, worthy of forgiveness.” In both words we see connections associated with Wunjo, as during the process of forgiveness one shows great love. Some more words derived from these concepts are the Proto-Germanic word wanjaną which means “to make accustomed to,” indicating an act of extreme care and kindness to guests. Wunjo is this process, formula, and understanding; the living phenomenon of the Wish, of love, and kindness. Wunjo is the creation of bliss, joy, and satisfaction in life.
One more concept that could be drawn from this rune is that of indulgence or intoxication. Rather than embodying a stupefied version of these words, however, one is meant to reach states of ecstasy and spiritual dominance through these particular indulgences, using pleasure as a tool to create Wunjo, or bliss, associated with the divine; a piercing into the veil of reality. This can be seen in the Proto-Italic word wenjā meaning “indulgence.” The earlier visited Latin word venia also has a co-meaning of indulgence. In this respect, we can see a clear connection with pleasure and the realms of love and bliss.
It is acceptable to deduce that Wunjo is a symbolic representation of the sensation of love, satisfaction, and joy in life. This feeling has permeated man for thousands of years with a clear and definitive expression. We can see a direct development of sounds and words associated with Wunjo forming their own substratum of conceptual framework, all revolving around this original sound/word wenh₁-. To our linguistic forefathers, the Proto-Indo-Europeans, we can assert that the “W” sound carried a euphoric and ecstatic vibration for those who spoke it.
…it is clear that when speaking about ancient Germanic Pagan ethics and morals, Gebo was the law. Gebo drives our interpersonal relationships, applying to both the physical and divine. All relationships revolve around a giving and receiving mechanism of some form. This balance of nature was represented by the ancient Germans in the form of the equal armed, crossing X.
Wunjo is closely related to the feeling of love, whether intimate or familial. We see this in the proto-Indo-European root word wenh₁-, which means “to love, win” and “to wish.”Many words have come from this root and it seems this sound denotes a sort of happiness, kindness, and affection. We see another related word in the Latin venia meaning “kindness, mercy, grace” and in the modern English/Old French word venial meaning “able to be forgiven, worthy of forgiveness.”
We see connections associated with Wunjo in both words, as during the process of forgiveness one shows great love. Other words derived from these roots are the proto-Germanic word wanjaną which means “to make accustomed to,” indicating an act of extreme care and kindness to guests.
Wunjo is this process, formula, and understanding; the living phenomenon of the Wish, of love, and kindness. Wunjo is the creation of bliss, joy, and satisfaction in life.May all beings thrive and experience great love.
Ansuz Society 