A Guide to Prayer. Prepared for The Gaia Minute meditations
- Guruji

Great blessings! Thank you dear Meenakshi and KES for putting this wonder filled gift together.

It is so wonderful to hear Beloved Guruji's simple but powerful teaching

bows

Blessed with Beloved Guruji's Guide To Prayer Prepared For The Gaia Minute -

What we’re asking here is pray, just pray.
Pray… Pray… Pray…
Gaia needs your prayers.
Just pray with total surrender,
in complete faith…
and that prayer collectively done –
at least 1,000 or 1,500 people,
done at the same time,
will generate the positive healing energy for all of us.
Not asking for anyone special,
not even for the betterment of general life.
Nothing…
Just surrender and praying.
Om Namo Narayanam.


If you keep your palms upside down,
how can you hold the blessings in your palm.
So to receive the prayers also,
to receive the blessings also,
you are to turn your palm the right way up and receive it.
Praying is that.
Although we know that the blessings are around,
but to be aware of the blessings
we’re to put our palm the right way up
so that it comes into our palm.
That is the prayer which has the maximum power.
 

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Thank you Siona for this link!

I've decided to bring Jessica's fantastic tips over here so I can easily find them and direct new comers to them!

Following are some tips from Jessica for those of you new to Gaia. 



Gaia FAQ: Get your basics covered!

Support Page: Learn how to set up your profile, invite friends, blog, and more.

Gaia Lounge: This is an excellent place for meeting others new to the community.

Gaia Networking: This friendly Group will help you get the most of out Gaia. 


Gaia Community Groups: Connect with people & share your dreams. Search through hundreds of Groups to find others who share you interests. You can also start your own Group!

Team Blog:  Find updates from the Team and get the latest Gaia news.

Think Tank: A place for new ideas to help the site & community.

Questions and Reflections: Share your ideas and respond to our daily community question. It's designed to inspire and help us explore what it means to be alive :)

Community Picks: See what's hot and popular on Gaia. 

Quotes: We have an amazing database of quotes, perhaps the largest online ;) Find your favorites, add your own, learn and grow. 

Books: Find others who share your favorite books, add them to the shelf in your profile, add reviews and quotes and let people know why it inspired you!


Meet new people. Reach out. I think you'll find Gaia members are kind, interesting and unique.

Blog: What do you want to say to the community? 

Comment on the blogs of other members! Just browsing these can be inspiring.

Send a message on the Grapevine to your friends at Gaia. You'll find this shout out section on the left hand side on their profiles. If they send you a message back, you'll see it on the left hand side of your profile. 

Post videos and photos. 

And perhaps most importantly, spread the love. Send a spontaneous message to someone who's profile you've liked. Leave a supportive note on a blog entry. A kind word from you can make someone's day. :)

Note: Always remember that the sidebar to the left of your screen is your ticket to getting around. The 'Gaia' tab contains links to all the main areas of Gaia, and the 'Me' tab holds all your personal content. With this knowledge in hand, you'll never get lost.

 




Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, a poet, a scholar, and a peace activist. His life long efforts to generate peace and reconciliation moved Martin Luther King, Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.  Thich Nhat Hanh (Thây) teaches, writes, and gardens in Plum Village, France, a Buddhist monastery for monks and nuns and a mindfulness practice centre for lay people. More about Plum Village 

A long-term exile from Vietnam, he was allowed to return for a trip in 2005 and again in 2007. He has published more than 100 books, including more than 40 in English. He also publishes a quarterly Dharma talk in the journal of the Order of Interbeing, The Mindfulness Bell. Nhat Hanh continues to be active in the peace movement, promoting non-violent solutions to conflict. He conducted a peace walk in Los Angeles in 2005, and again in 2007. He was awarded the Courage of Conscience award June 16, 1991. More

Day 1

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 1 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkDWWwdNKeM
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 2 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5NMd1mmBgo
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 3 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aypOSxGPLI
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 4 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhHL30XWoW8
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 5 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIQqEQO9zzU
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 6 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCnDhBsFvhw
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 7 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOBEFioQnMU
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 8 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkIfW0AbRiM
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 9 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y0Lx0Hnpg8
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 10 of 11  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1UQCM6cnqM
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 1 of 5 - Part 11 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hz-BgUROU0

Day 2

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 1 of 12  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6a-3k7NZME
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 2 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKlPQjLAV0k
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 3 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXOYJoss2m4
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 4 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvlD2SCFYJA
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 5 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEd9GKos2zE
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 6 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca7MNx5ANng
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 7 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1WIIru-8aM
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 8 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UTInRdsIZI
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 9 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y9Eh1FlgS8
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 10 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivrEqBQtb-s
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 11 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx7IPoKZUUw
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 2 of 5 - Part 12 of 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EF-AYmUtYo

Day 3

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 1 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVu2KHItg88
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 2 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRyTNGWgvik
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 3 of 11  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76X0n1T8mlo
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 4 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_CbeTWIS6A
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 5 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWl-Maeb9UQ
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 6 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnaklEsytEs
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 7 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cQuo2Qi8ZA
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 8 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmb7r2lL3gA
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 9 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSFLGtTue5g
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 10 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FoSOkrim08
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 3 of 5 - Part 11 of 11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XODVDo_3h3g

Day 4

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 1 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFuvKkux2Es
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 2 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAgUBAtkHrQ
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 3 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSxy7zQG0bE
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 4 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lBl3xE3o6Q
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 5 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KaUdFxCpug  
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 6 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27yz1GblQYQ
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 7 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWg_HI0eSdg
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 8 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE57WjQ5q-g
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 9 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmhQWyAPLdw
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 10 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K-kuDYTiRg
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 11 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptqrdjTmG0Y
 Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 12 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yWCNVK8Rpc
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 4 of 5 - Part 13 of 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9uGwzu9DjQ

Day 5

Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 1 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PabJW7b1l-4
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 2 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBOja2meapI
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 3 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4aNxWP2y9Q
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 4 of 7  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h44IjoY5ko
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 5 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGve8csgv0
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 6 of 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBxoyetS27I
Israeli-Palestinian Retreat - Day 5 of 5 - Part 7 of 7  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcocfMucYHg

 

the heart holds nothing
yet is full

sitting in this fullness
nothing to hold

beloved Swamiji
thank you for the gift of your loving ways

the seeds you have sown
the myriad gifts you impart

- may they spread their branches
like wings

and soar

Om

_______________________________________________
Note   Some of the seeds planted and nurtured by Swamiji -

One Light many Windows
The Gaia Minute

  

Sharing my post in One Light Many Windows, and some Rumi ...

I woke from a dream this morning round forgiveness. My dream chose deep seated subliminal material. Gien and I talked and processed - I, muddling along between intellect and heart tears. I realised, we simply cannot always understand - the intellect cannot always 'work it out'. Otherwise I could spend the rest of my life trying to unravel the details, trying to understand why someone did the particular harmful deed they did, or why I did something in my past which I would not do today, and still get no closer to the answer.

It becomes so clear when I think of my children. They aren't 'perfect' in all their actions, yet no matter what they do or will do, I love them. I hold no grievances. And it is this same approach needed for all beings. Forgiveness comes with unconditional love.

It always comes back to the spiritual path. Developing awareness - intellect just is not the same thing. Mmm, so…

[as Gia said] The Buddha said

The Intellectual

The intellectual is always showing off;
the lover is always getting lost.

The intellectual runs away, afraid of drowning;
the whole business of love is to drown in the sea.

Intellectuals plan their repose;
lovers are ashamed to rest.

The lover is always alone, even surrounded with people;
like water and oil, he remains apart.

The man who goes to the trouble of giving advice to a lover gets nothing.
He's mocked by passion.

Love is like musk.
It attracts attention.

Love is a tree, and lovers are its shade.



THE NEW RULE

It's the old rule that drunks have to argue
and get into fights.
The lover is just as bad. he falls into a hole.
But down in that hole he finds something shining,
worth more than any amount of money or power.

Last night the moon came dropping its clothes in the street.
I took it as a sign to start singing,
falling up into the bowl of sky.
The bowl breaks. Everywhere is falling everywhere.
Nothing else to do.



Not Like This Before

I wasn't like this before. I wasn't out of my mind and senses.
Once I used to be wise like you, not crazy, insane and broken down like I am now.

I wasn't the admirer of life which has no trace, no being.
I used to ask : "Who is this?
What is that?"
and search all the time.

Since you have wisdom,
sit and think
that probably I was like this before.
I haven't changed much.

I used to try
to make myself better than everybody.
I hadn't been hunted
with the ever-growing Love before.

I tried to rise above the sky
with my ambition
yet I didn't know.
I was just wandering in the desert.
At the end,
I have raised a treasure from the ground.

~Rumi~

Thank you Swamiji Eli for this nurturing discussion topic

The Tibetan Book of the Dead remains an essential teaching in the Buddhist cultures of the Himalayas. Narrated by Leonard Cohen (one hour and a half)