It is the purpose of every soul to reach a state of oneness with the Universe, and grow from that center. Enlightenment does not find you, it calls you, then leaves it up to you to search further. Like the sound of the waves lapping the shore beckons you to come forth and test the water, so too does the universe call to your soul. It starts as a whisper, quiet as the grass in the wind, then grow within you until you are consciously aware of what you soul is doing. Yes, you will know when it is time, time for you to rise above the drama and chaos of the greed of men. I know this to be true because one day, all at once, I could feel my soul trying to grow. For me it felt like a mighty dragon was inside my chest, begging me to unleash the shackles on her wings. I am glad I did. You see, when you are ready for the changes in your soul, they will find you. If you are getting flustered or angry or upset because they haven't yet, then you are not ready for them. Do not in turn get more upset! You are not immature or anything like that, you are simply not ready, and there's nothing wrong with that! You are trying to make the seeds you planted in October blossom and grow in February. You're getting warmer, but it's not Spring yet! Universe is all encompassing by design; it links everything together and has all the answers and everything in Universe that was made by Universe is exactly the way it is supposed to be, even you and I. Though we look in the mirror and see our faults, we must remember that we are perfect by design, and everything about us that we see as a negative trait is there to help us grow. Buckminster Fuller once said that "You are now the sum of all you are going to be." You can't get a full grown tree to grow from seed to Redwood in one day, it takes time. Every year the tree must shed the leaves it spent all Spring trying to grow, and must stand naked and quaking in the Winter while the world turns to ice. Why? Because the tree cannot grow and keep its old leaves. It must shed them in order to make room for new ones. Remember as well that the tree needed the leaves of one season in order to survive until and throughout the next. Your soul is the same. It cannot bloom while the old blossoms remain, and beautiful as the old blossoms were, the new will redefine that beauty but your soul needed those leaves in order to grow the new ones. We must grow as a species, that much is certain, but it will happen, and has been happening, on the individual level. You will know when it is time for your leaves to turn colors and shed, and if you are aware of this change, and embrace it instead of run from it, then you will grow and blossom more grand next Spring. What sets us apart from the trees in this transition is that we have a memory of our old leaves, and it is our choice to leave them behind and grow anew. Just by realizing and accepting that, you will be on the path to the center, to enlightenment. My only hope is that by gifting you with this information you will be less intimidated when it happens to you.Zhi Bde Dang Dga Po, Alyson à¥(pronounced zee-bah-dee dang day-gah-poe) Translated it means "Peace and Love"This is the Tibetan chant "Om Mani Padme Hum" written in traditional Sanskrit lettering. Translated it means "Om! Hail to the Jewel of the Lotus!" The jewel is enlightenment, and writing or chanting ॠ~Om is one of the paths to reach that elevated state of consciousness.
Layout by CoolChaserThe signifigance of ॠwith a lotus::Om is the primeval, audible and inaudible sound of Hindu creation, also thought to mysteriously embody the very essense of the universe. Chanted at the beginning and end of prayers and mantras and also used as a form of meditation, it is pronounced with three sounds, A-U-M. It is written in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and as early as the sixth century was used to mark the beginning of incantations and inscriptions. Today, it is seen everywhere in Buddhist writings. The symbol represents the four states of conciousness: sleeping without dreams, dreaming, being awake and satori (the transcendental state of enlightenment). Combined with the lotus, however, it takes on an even more complex symbolism. Like the rose in the West, the lotus of the East is probably the most important of the flower symbols and laden with meaning. It springs forth from muddy and murky waters, eventually rising to float on the surface, opening in the morning and closing in the evening. For example, according to the Egyptians, it was the first flower of the universe, and from it sprang the first gods. Many of the ancient pillars of monumental architecture in Egypt are actually designed as bunches of lotuses. In Hinduism, the lotus blossom is one of the most important symbols used in spirituality and art. Brahma, the Hindu creator of the world, was born from a lotus blossom that grew from the navel of Vishnu on the water. However, the lotus paired with Om has a particularly significant Buddhist association. In Buddhism, the lotus is thought to symbolize the Buddha's nature, pure and ascendant. Along with Om, it is part of the most famous of Buddhist mantras, Om Mani Padme Hum, or Praise to the Jewel in the Lotus
