New Year's Eve Meditation

Hope to see you all at the New Year's Eve Meditation in the Temple of the Adawees at the Peace Village in Lincoln, VT!

We will begin at 10:00 PM Friday evening, Dec. 31 with dances and meditation, welcoming the New Year together!  While the temperatures in the Temple will be warm, the floor often chills the body or feet, so bring
your warmest socks, slippers, cushions and a shawl or lap cover.  We have chairs for people to sit if needed.

Hope to see you then!  Peace and Joy in this New Year!

Tori

Venerable will be offering two-day course on Crystal Teachings on February 5-6 at the Peace Village

We have just posted a notice about this two-day course in our events calendar here.  Venerable is not planning to travel in 2011, so you if you want to receive her teachings, please come to Vermont!

Reflections on the Year 2010 -- Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo

Osiyo!

The Year 2010 is coming to completion and I am grateful for all of the opportunities that occurred during this year, to impart the teachings of the Ywahoo lineage through Sunray Meditation Society, Sunray NGO "A gateway for Indigenous Voices", Vajra Dakini Nunnery and Beautway Productions.

Your support has made these activities possible. May your generosity return to you beyond measure.

Here are some of the highlights:

In January, I met with the Sunray Gadujis for our bi-annual gathering. I continue to work closely with Katherine Marielle on producing films of the precious Elders who have shared teachings with our community of the years.

In February, I traveled to Europe and taught a seminar in Germany on the "Wrathful Teachings of Guru Padmasambhava." This seminar created a foundation for additional Buddhist teachings in Germany in October of 2010.

In April, I was honored as a "luminary" at the first Sound and Music Alliance Symposium April 16-18, in Litchfield, CT. I accepted an award for my musical work in sacred sound. I was the guest speaker at the symposium and encouraged other musicians to continue to use their talents as methods to benefit others through sound healing.

On April 29, 2010, the Vermont Senate passed a Resolution "supporting continuation for the Inter-Rwandan Dialogue." This is an excerpt from that resolution: "That the General Assembly supports the implementation of the Inter-Rwandan Dialogue and the extraordinary leadership of Irma Rognoni and Jordi Palou-Loverdos in its development and continuing implementation the Inter-Rwandan Dialogue that is premised on the teachings of Ven Dhyani Ywahoo of Lincoln, Vermont." I continue to advise Irma and Jordi and others of the mind to share methods of reconciliation within communities impacted by war.

At the end of April, the Vajradakini Nunnery hosted Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen under my auspices and guidance. Khenchen was able to benefit the community with his wisdom and teachings at the Nunnery.

In May, I was in the Los Angeles, California area and taught a Beautyway Wisdom seminar during my stay and met with the Agape community healing practicioners.

 

At the end of May, I offered Buddhist teachings and insight during a month long retreat entitled "Vajra Yogini Retreat" at the Peace Village and Vajra Dakini Nunnery in Lincoln, Vermont.

In early July, I taught the annual week long seminar at the Sunray Peace Village. This year's theme was: Pacify the appearance of conflict perceiving the potential between ignorance and skill, as energy for growth. This annual teaching series utilizes the lens of scientific investigation as method for examining the impact of mind and view upon the arising appearances that we call life.

In July, I also taught the Sunray Gadujis and hosted the annual Sunray Meditation Society Elders Gathering at the Sunray Peace Village, Lincoln, VT.

September was very auspicious, as we welcomed His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche to the Vajra Dakini Nunnery for the White Tara Consecration. His Holiness gave teachings and there were many opportunities for gathering and making prayers, including the gathering of the Tibetan Community in Vermont at the nunnery and Peace Village. People from all around the world visited and participated in this wonderful time together. His Holiness made a commitment to return in two years and will give initiations for Household Practitioners at my request.

I taught a week long seminar in Germany from October 8-14, 2010. The European community welcomed extensive teachings on the Prajnaparamita. The seminar's theme was: From empty space myriad worlds grow: SPACE -the womb, the holy - gives birth to form. And reveals ongoing creation: a spiral waltz, interwoven thoughts, words and actions. The next generation of teachers have stepped forward, who not too long ago were babes in their parents arms, having grown up with the teachings they are ready to carry the flame.

Several other projects and ongoing activities are under my guidance and I continued to assist and give guidance to promote peace and right relationship world-wide. These include:

Ongoing promotion of the Sunray NGO at the United Nations and advising Sandra Sheridan, the Sunray representative. Sandra is currently involved in the annual recertification process. She is still the Secretary of the Indigenous Committee. It is noteworthy, that "The Bill of Rights for Indigenous People" appears to have been signed recently by President Obama.

I continue to be involved with the Deep Peace Project, which is a collaborative with Rev. Dr. Louise Diamond (President, Global Systems Initiatives) in matters of global peacemaking and right relationship.

Each month was dedicated to the following themes, which were shared with many communities as the basic point of reference in relationship to particular community requests for teachings.

1. The Family of Life: the fabric of consciousness and the ways in which we are connected with Universes, each other and the seed of Awakened mind within.

2. The Dynamic dance: lightning and thunder, mother and father and the appearance of individuation and the recognition of Unity. This will include emotions, direct perception, conditioned and non-conditioned views.

3. Intelligence to express vision as skilful action: observing the different types of intelligence. Emotions as colors of the rainbow.

4. Family and community: what are you planting in the garden? Recognizing the seed patterns of family dynamics, community dynamics and international dynamics. Energizing reconciliation with the awakened potential of mutual respect or energizing the patterns of mutual respect as awakened beings.

5. All appearances are vibrations of dancing potential: recognizing the pattern and contributing to worlds and cultures of harmony arising. The specifics, the notes of music, the views that energize or the relationship of sound to the physical forms in manifestation.

6. Human Kindness expressed through clear ideation and understanding of the elemental dance. Harmony, peace, cooperation are some of the words that describe the ideal of an awakened culture, and the mind that observes the fabric's potential directly energizes results.

7. Pacify appearance of conflict, perceiving the potential between ignorance and skill as energy for growth. Overtones reveal continuing echoes of thought, word, and deed. Concepts of them and us fall away, as the heart's direct perception reveals the dynamic and co-creative aspects of human, planetary and galactic Mind.

8. Energize the seed of Awakened mind which recognizes all beings as our relatives via Telepathy experiments: ley lines, grid works, the direct connection of our body-mind with the earth, the solar system and the galaxies, recognizing the nature of one's own heart; realization of unified fields.

9. Do what needs doing, clear intention as pathway to accomplishment. Conceptualize, Visualize, Energize and Do what needs doing.

10.From empty space myriad worlds grow: Space the womb the holy, gives birth to form and reveals ongoing creation a spiral waltz, interwoven thoughts, words and actions.

11.Expressed through water, fire, air and earth: defining the dance floor as an open door. Non dual awareness the child born of equipoise, hearing the sound of those who cry then overflows with love.

12.The past, present and future meet in the now. What was forgotten is realized. A bell rings in the empty sky awakening the wisdom eye, to seeing all beings as our relatives in the dance.

Peace,

Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo

A letter to Venerable

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Bristol, VT

Dear Venerable

I am writing to thank you for your courage and commitment and your example.  I am grateful to be able to witness how you continue to bring about the prophecies of your people in generously giving of your life to realize your and your ancestors' dream of the Peace Village as a generator on the planet.  I am grateful also to you and the generosity of the Elders in allowing the documentary to be made by Katherine Marielle.  I am doing whatever I can to help bring this about.  I see this as an important educational tool to broaden the reach of the Peace Village in the world. 

I am still filled with the loving pulse generated by this year's 26th Elders' gathering and the many synchronicities and small miracles that occurred.  Grandmother Patricia and Mike Bastine and others talked about "the lack of a frame of reference" and the flow that seamlessly emerged as Elders shared with all.  I also heard the word "singularity" -- all of which points to the fact that we are indeed generating a unified field at this time.  I felt Grandfather Warren's presence and remembered his teachings from past years as all unfolded too.

I think back on the first time I met you in Northampton in 1978 or 1979 with Rev. Amtul (Katherine) and others and first learned of your original vision where you saw our faces around the Arbor fire even back then, and you first told us of the Hopi and Cherokee Prophecies which foretold of how at this challenging time for our planet, your relatives would return from the East and come to the land of the red people to generously bring needed teachings.  I remember being struck back then by the idea that these two great peoples were originally one and now were coming back together and feeling very moved by that idea.  When I viewed the video of you and HH [Chetsang Rinpoche] in 1986(?) I was blown away at the fact that here before my very eyes was the fulfillment of this great prophecy!  It made me and still makes me feel very grateful for you and your courage in carrying out this intention. 

To name a few of the miracles/synchronicities that I saw during Elders;

First, the way that the community came together to prepare the Arbor in a very short time.  When I walked down there on Thursday around 1 p.m., after meeting with Rev. Chonyi Richard, there was 1 bough of green draped over the canvass and a small group was diligently working to prepare the Moon Lodge.  I remember as I was hurrying to get to another meeting wondering how possibly we would all be able to have everything ready by the next morning at dawn for the lighting of the sacred fire in the Arbor?  Yet, I knew from experience how powerful the group mind of the Sunray community has become over the years and what we can accomplish together.  Nevertheless, it was indeed gratifying to arrive at the dawn ceremony just after the lighting of the fire on Friday, while you were beginning to offer prayers, and see how beautiful the Arbor looked amply covered with green boughs, as well as the Moon Lodge. 

It was wonderful to see how the numbers of people continued to grow from Friday morning and reached a peak for the wonderful Healing Ceremony you led Saturday night.  You set the energy when you called to the white throated sparrow (I think that is the bird who answered you?) and she answered you as if to give her blessing at what was about to transpire -- again indicative of the unified field.  Also the mysterious lights that flickered in the sky as the night progressed after the powerful dancing and hymns.  This was a most powerful display of all these elements coming together in this ancient ritual while the temperature dropped from the earlier heat of the day, and the seven fires burned brightly around the sacred fire in the center.  As I sat with Richard and my friend, Maureen, who brought her friend who came from Granville at my invitation, I was blown away at the way the seeds you have planted continue to grow, and with the beauty of all even as I huddled in my warm blanket and rattled to the energy which warmed my blood and my soul.

Also, the humor and lively, healing movement that we were all led in just at the right time so that we did not get stiff and lethargic listening to the teaching.  Also the wonderful "coincidence" of the "Hokey Pokey" when Mike, with a twinkle in his eye made us all laugh when he said on Friday that "maybe the Hokey Pokey is really what this is all about!" and then Grandfather Alan on Saturday led the group in the Hokey Pokey not knowing that Mike had said this the day before!  I asked Mike if they had arranged to do this ahead of time, and he assured me that this just happened without planning.  Neither knew what the other was going to do.  This is another example of "the lack of a frame of reference" this year which allowed elements to emerge spontaneously -- indicative of the group field that you have co-created from following your original vision.  Finally, to raise my eyes to the sky Sunday afternoon and see the rainbow hued cloud right over the Western gate where you all had been sitting!  Truly auspicious!

Love,
Olivia Cheever

Practice tonight, and New Year's Eve

Happy Solstice everyone!


It was a beautiful sunny morning yesterday for our Solstice Fire with a light fluffy snow on the ground to dance with! It felt warmer than 34 degrees!

On Tuesday the 21, we will have practice at 5:00 PM in the Temple, followed by drumming for the Full Moon!

Thursday evening practice continues at 7:30 PM.  And New Year's eve Meditation will start at 10 PM.

Everyone is welcome!

Peace to you and your family,

Tori

Happy Solstice (upcoming) everyone!

Hello friends and family,


SOLSTICE CELEBRATION will be on Dec. 19 Sunday at 10 AM-1 PM.  Our thanks to the Firekeepers and this year, we will welcome the return of the Light with the 3 hour fire on Sunday and practices on the actual Solstice, Tuesday, Dec. 21 with a late afternoon 5-7 PM practice together.

Please invite family and friends!

Our regular Thursday evening practice will continue with sitting together Dec. 23 at 7:30. Thank you David Walker for leading this practice!

For other dates and times, please see the original post here.

With great gratitude to the Ywahoo lineage and these precious Teachings!

Peace to you and your family,

Rev. Tori
Happy Solstice everyone!

Vajra Dakini Nunnery season of contemplation and retreat

Dear Friends,


In the West we are introduced to retreats when a teacher offers an empowerment and instruction, often in the course of a weekend. This is a first taste of the profound retreat tradition held in Tibetan Buddhism.

The Drikung Kagyu is known as the "practice lineage". We emphasize retreat practice with three years considered a beginning, and twenty years accomplished, in retreat. It is so valued that when monks and nuns are leaving for remote cabins to enter into long retreat, people offer white prayer scarves called katas and joyously follow their cars out the driveway cheering. Teens even enjoy carrying up heavy bags of rice into the mountains to sustain the hermit meditators.

Although not everyone has the opportunity for lengthy retreats, nor wish to enter into this level of retreat, we all benefit from some retreat. One can create a daily meditation practice that suits both family and work life and this is beneficial. Meditation illuminates the profound nature of reality and this can be experienced most deeply in retreat. For this reason we have developed a gentle introduction to retreat practice at Vajra Dakini. One can begin with a day of silent retreat and build up to an ability to concentrate for longer periods of time. Within retreat, one can observe and familiarize oneself with one's own mind, thus seeing the transitory nature of thoughts. Emotion settles and thoughts subside while peace and compassion expand. Over time the wisdom to skillfully benefit others arises - fulfilling the purpose of retreat.

This month several students completed a one day retreat. They did two sessions of calm abiding practice and walking meditation for a total of five hours of meditation. Silence was kept with breaks for reading and walks. During the winter months Khenmo Drolma will be in deep solitary retreat along with Yeshe Khandro. This type of retreat is very focused, with up to ten hours of meditation per day. They will be joined by another member doing day long retreats in the shrine room. We invite you to create short retreats in your home as the snow helps us slow down.

In the coming year Vajra Dakini Nunnery will offer several different kinds of retreats to give all levels of students experience in deepening the intensity of their meditation practice. You will soon receive a survey so that we can plan retreats and study programs that will benefit your practice situation.
 
***********
Vajra Dakini will be closed for retreat until March 1st.  Sunday Meditation will continue 9:30 - 10:30 (no tea afterwards until March 1st). May all beings be liberated.


Khenmo Drolma
Abbess

Sunray Water Practice in Spanish

Estimada Comunidad,


Ahora que el aceite del volcan de asfalto del Golfo de Mexico flota en el Oceano Atlantico, vemos mas claramente que estamos profundamente conectados con nuestras relaciones y nuestro mundo. Consideren que el agua es medicina y los elementos son aspectos de conciencia fluyendo en todos los seres y que nuestros pensamientos y oraciones pueden girar los elementos hacia balance y harmonia. Los invito a paticipar en dar energia a la sanacion del Golfo de Mexico y a nuestro planeta con oracion y accion correcta.

Estas oraciones son basadas en ensenanzas de mis abuelos y Chief Thunder Cloud. (Jefe Trueno de Nuve).

Practica de agua (3 niveles)

Por nuestro Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo

Nivel 1) Realizar que el agua es medicina.

Oracion cuando se bebe el agua:

Mientras recibo esta agua y fluye en mi,

Que se convierta en medicina para alejar todas las tribulaciones.

Que se convierta en medicina revelando toda sabiduria por dentro y por fuera.

Ofresco una disculpa por cualquier dano echo por palabra y accion.

Mientras esta agua fluye en mi y se convierte en vapor,

Que purifique la atmosfera.

Que nutra el potencial de sabiduria en la gente.

Ofresco disculpa por cualquier dano echo por palabra y accion.

Mientras esta agua fluye en mi y regresa a la agua subterranean,

Que remueva las impuresas de los quimicos que hayan sido puestos en esta agua.

Que el agua se haga nueva de nuevo.

Que esta agua sea medicina para todos los seres de este y todos los mundos.

Nivel 2) Cuando la gente esta sin suficiente agua, salga afuera, de preferencia a un lugar donde habia un manantial. Si el manantial se ha secado, valla hacia ese manantial y parece cerca de el y mirando hacia el este y detenga ya sea una jicara, taza o un vaso lleno de agua hacia el cielo y diga la siguiente oracion:

Oracion para traer agua:

Gracias por este regalo de vida,

Gracias por el regalo de agua.

Apreciamos esta agua que nos has dado.

Ahora la tierra esta seca y los arboles estan llorando,

Por favor acepta nuestra ofrenda de esta agua.

Por favor acepta nuestras disculpas por cualquier dano echo por palabras mal dichas y accion.

Entonces:
· Eche agua al suelo.

· De cuatro pasos hacia delante y repita esta oracion.

· De cuatro pasos hacia atraz y de vuelta hacia la siguiente direccion en direccion del sol o reloj.

· Repita la oracion, orando hacia las cuatro direcciones (los puntos cardinales)

Nivel 3). Este nivel se lleva alcabo en la noche para poder ver y escuchar los sonidos de aquellos que lloran. Ponga agua fresca en un vaso especial que usted use solo para el proposito de esta practica. Antes de ir a dormir valla hacia cada esquina de su recamara y ofresca un poquito de humo de salvia, inciencio, o inciencio sin humo (liquido). Y en cada esquina del cuarto haga esta ofrenda de rezo.

Oracion para ver y escuchar los sonidos de los que lloran:

Que lo que ya termino de crecer se convierta en compuesto para que la semilla de sabiduria pueda florecer y crecer.

Que lo que ya termino de crecer se convierta en compuesto para que la semilla de sabiduria pueda florecer y crecer.

Que lo que ya termino de crecer se convierta en compuesto para que la semilla de sabiduria pueda florecer y crecer.

Entonces:

Tome este vaso especial de agua fresca hacia la ventana y elevando hacia arriba para que pueda mirar la luna (si la luna no es visible, simplemente eleve el vaso) diciendo la siguiente oracion:

Que esta agua, se convierta en medicina para el beneficio de todos los seres,

Que esta agua sea un espejo que lo revele todo.

Entonces:

· Tome un tragito de agua.

· Pongalo junto a su cama mientras esta acostado en la cama, reflexione sobre el dia.

· Mire, como he escuchado a otros el dia de hoy? Respecte a la gente que conoci hoy?

· Mire la luz de arriba de usted y llevela hacia su Corazon y hacia el canal central de su cuerpo.

Practica de Suenos:

Es significante que cuando este sonando, su cuerpo en sueno pueda elevar las manos hacia el cielo. Esto puede tomar un tiempo (practica). Cuando usted ha podido lograr esto, usted ha despertado al conciente del cuerpo ilusorio y el cuerpo de luz. Por medio de esto, ud. puede beneficiar a otros por medio de la dedicacion de sus acciones y la manifestacion de metodos muchos mas habiles.

En este despertar tambien se puede traer lluvia. Una vez que eleve sus manos hacia arriba en el aire en el sueno, entonces invite a la lluvia a que caiga en forma suave para que nutra las semillas de sabiduria en la gente. Ore para que las aguas dulces fluyan y den a la gente todo lo que necesiten.

Cuando se despierte, de gracias por otro dia que ha llegado, que el sol ha salido de Nuevo, y eleve su vaso de agua hacia el sol, de gracias por esta medicina y ore:

Que esta agua fluya dentro de mi como medicina.

Que regrese hacia la atmosfera como medicina.

Que regrese a la tierra como medicina.

Tome el agua.

Como recibimos el agua es muy precioso por que el agua es un regalo de la vida.

Cierre cada uno de estos tres niveles de practica con la siguiente oracion de dedicacion.

Que esta practica beneficie a todos los seres de este y todos los mundos.

Wadogh ~ Gracias

Derecho de copia Ywahoo Trust, 2003, Bristol Vermont 054443

News from the United Nations

Canada now support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples!


On November 12, 2010, Canada joined other countries in supporting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In doing so, Canada reaffirms its commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples at home and abroad. Of the 4 countries that voted against the Declaration initially (Canada, US, New Zealnd, Australia), three have now changed positions and are in support of it. The United States is the last of this group. Lobbying the US government is in process in hopes of their signing onto this very important Declaration.

Sandy Sheridan, Sunray NGO/UN Representative

No fire tomorrow -- but we will still meet and dance at the Arbor at 9 am

Dear friends,

We will meet at the Sacred Arbor tomorrow, Sunday, at 9:00 AM to dance together for the New Moon celebration.

Tori