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.”
…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.
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.
In Vedic astrology, eclipses are seen as a symbol of revenge or as a bad omen.
According to mythology, eclipses are caused by the Chaya Graha (shadow planets) Rahu and Ketu, who were once part of a divine serpent. The story is traced back to a time before creation in the tale of the churning of the ocean, known as the Samudra Manthan. The churning of the ocean represents our consciousness. After an awful and lengthy war, the devas (gods) and asuras (demons) cooperated to churn the galactic material called the Milk Ocean. The churning poured forth several gifts and treasures. They included the goddess of wealth Lakshmi, the wish-fulfilling tree Kalpavriksha, the wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu, and Dhanvantari, who carries a pot of amrita and a book of medicine called Ayurveda. Amrita is a Sanskrit word that means “immortality” and is a drink (or nectar) intended only for the gods.
A serpent demon (Svarabhānu) aspired to become invincible. Sitting between Surya (the Sun) and Chandra (the Moon), Svarabhānu disguised himself as a deva and managed to take a sip of Amrita during Samudra Manthan. Surya and Chandra recognized the imposter and informed Mohini (the female form of Lord Vishnu), preserver of life and order, who quickly decapitated him. As they were now immortal, Lord Vishnu needed to find a place for them, so he put them in two specific points in the sky.
The head of the serpent demon (without the body) became Ratu, who fell on one side of the sun. The tail without the head that fell on the opposite side of the sun became Ketu. The sun stopped all movement in order to keep Rahu and Ketu from meeting one another. Twice a year they can create confusion and exact revenge by consuming the Sun and Moon causing the world to suffer from darkness.Rahu swallows the Sun, and Ketu, the Moon. But only for a short while as the Sun and Moon have also taken in the amrita. Offerings of coal, mustard, sesame, saffron and lead are made to appease Rahu. For Ketu, offerings of lead, sugar, saffron and sesame are made along with offering food to a dog with black and white fur.
As seen above, eclipses can be seen as highly inauspicious. Light and power diminish which corrupts their positive qualities and creates disturbances in the natural order of things. It is believed that auspicious work should only be started in the light. Because of this, beginning any new ventures during this period of darkness is not recommended, as it can bring upheavals, obstacles, and turmoil.
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.
Mahakala, black in color and fearsome in appearance, represents spiritual activity beyond our comprehension; the true consciousness that is unseen. His name means “Beyond Time/Great Black One” because he is all pervasive and unmanifested in material form, free of the shackles of tangibility. As a presence beyond matter, he remains untouched by Samsara, residing in the very fabric of space (consciousness) that permeates the entirety of the cosmos. Mahakala, like all Yidam (Ishtadevata) deities, represents the Vajra mind, fixed and indestructible; the primordial state of sentient awareness. Surrounded by the flames of wisdom, he is beyond the reach of times’ destruction. Mahakala is the foundation of conscious reality; a force of gravity that pulls beings towards the practice and service of the Dharma.
“…Such undeluded energy, like a windblown fire, can burn away the dross. Mahakala has strong legs and Mahakala has sure feet; They are well able to trample down demonic thoughts and deeds!…”
Our newest song is a farewell to Freyr (Ingwaz) until his resurrection in May.
As the embodiment of fair weather and the inhabited, fertile, cultivated spaces of man, Freyr is returned to his mound on Nov 1st as Winter descends on our area of the country. Freyr remains covered until May 1st, when he will be returned to his rightful position on the land as guardian and provider of abundance.
During the Winter, when walking past the altar and mound of Freyr, one is encouraged to drop coins through cracks in the mound. This guarantees that one remains blessed by the god during Winter and also ensures that when he is returned in May, there will be extra resources for the celebration.
Freyr represents the male aspects of the Earth, being revered as a god of fertility, abundance, and prosperity. His rune is Ingwaz, the primordial seed, which symbolically represents the gestative powers of the Earth itself. Freyr is the great overseer of farming and agriculture, creating peace and harmony in the lives of humans and the animals they work with.
The song includes a short prayer and list of offerings given to the god during celebrations. May it aid in your connection to Freyr and further your attainment of success.
Lyrics:
From the land, of golden sun Bathed forever, in the light God of days, without night In Alfheim…
Milk and sugar Seeds and wine Herbs and fire Flowers and pine Coins and blood Runes and water Meat and eggs Bones on the altar
Ingwaz, Lord of the Earth Crops in the field, wood in the hearth Carry the fire, to the tables Of the gods…
Milk and sugar Seeds and wine Herbs and fire Flowers and pine Coins and blood Runes and water Meat and eggs Bones on the altar
We have recorded a rendition of the Mahamrityunjaya mantra with a new affiliate @kshatriyacowboy. This verse can be found in the Rigveda (RV 7.59.12) and is devoted to the great Rudra-Shiva in his form of Tryambakam or “The Three Eyed One.”
There are many translations of this mantra, but it is generally referred to as the “Great Conquest Over Death” or “Death Destroying” mantra.
The Mahamrityunjaya mantra is a request to be separated from the clutches of death; a longing to be free of attachments to samsara and one’s inherent ignorance regarding the perception of self. The mantra expresses a specific wish to not be removed from the possibility of immortality; requesting to have one’s attachment to samsara be broken (the suffering of bodily/individual bondage) but for one’s consciousness (Self/Atman) to remain intact for eternity; completely overwhelmed and overflowing with devotion for the primeval essence. This is requested as a means to continue worshiping the divine Shiva for all of infinity, who is none other than the progenitor of primordial consciousness; the true state of one’s being. The mantra describes this metaphorically as a cucumber (or melon) being separated from its vine but continuing to live on as an emanation of its source (Shiva). This request is for consciousness to become free from the shackles of the flesh (vine) associated with the experience of samsara (change), ego, and death. Through this process, one’s true Self may live on forever in constant reverence of the primordial source; the original state of awareness from which one’s perception comes and to what one’s consciousness is inseparable from, no matter how obscured or hidden by one’s mundane delusions.
Oh Three Eyed one, great Shiva,
Fragrant (blissful, aromatic) sustainer of prosperity,
As the cucumber is removed from its vine (bondage),
May I be relinquished from death (attachment to samsara) but not from immortality.
A short section from the new book “Wandering the Runic Path: Esoteric Analysis of the Germanic Runes” regarding the Kenaz (ᚲ) rune.
“Kenaz is a particular rune, changing dramatically in context from Elder to Younger runes. The continental Germans seemed to hold this rune in a more positive light than their Scandinavian neighbors in the North. Kenaz is a reconstructed word from Proto-Germanic meaning “torch”, associated with creative fire, skills, knowledge, and teaching. The torch is that which illuminates the darkness, showing us the way in places unknown. This has been equated with an internal creative “spark” as well, which I think is reflected in the hard “k” sound represented by this rune. If we look to the Gothic language, we find evidence for this theory in the kindred word kōnja which refers to pine sap. This must be directly related to the torch, as pine/spruce has long been a favored wood for this use.
The Gothic name for this rune is kosma/kusma, stemming from kunnan meaning “to be able, to know how,” referring to one’s inner abilities and skills. This word travels through time and tribe almost unchanged in sound and meaning, showing up in modern English in the words know and keen. In my opinion, the best example of this concept is crystallized in the Swedish word konst, meaning “art, knowledge, science, magic, secret,” and in the cognate German word kunst meaning “skill, craft, ability, magic.” This internal power of knowledge, associated with a craft or specific artistic focus, is the secret “light” side of the Kenaz rune, symbolizing our ability to make things known, to teach them, and to exhibit mastery in arts, crafts, intellectual or occult matters.”
May all sentient beings realize this rune within themselves.
“Think of the simplest thing you do, such as making a cup of tea. You know that in order to do something as easy and simple as making a cup of tea, you must acquire all the necessary conditions and ingredients. You need a source of heat and you need a source of water. You need a container in which to boil the water, you need tea leaves, and you need a cup to drink the tea in. If you do not have those things, you cannot make tea. When it comes to making tea, we take all of these things for granted. We think of it as a very simple process. Yet somehow when it comes to the practice of Dharma, we are unwilling to go through the process of accumulating what is necessary.
Furthermore, when you make tea you have to know what your are doing. You have to know how to use the stove. If you do not know what you are doing, you are going to burn your house down. When it comes to practicing Dharma, you think that you do not need to know what you are doing; you do not need to know anything, and you do not need to study. This is incorrect.”
-MD Vol. 3 (The Dispelling of Impediments or Obstructions)
It is important that we approach our practice in this simple and straight forward way, making sure to acquire and assemble all of the ingredients of a practice (physically and mentally) before attempting to accomplish it. If we expect fruition of a practice without doing any preliminaries to ensure our accomplishment, we will likely fail and discontinue, or worse, lose our faith altogether. Be diligent and disciplined with your routine, take things step by step. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice from those who embody the qualities you want to develop or achieve. This is crucial on our path towards awakening.
Ansuz Society 