The Spectacular Shwedagon Pagoda

  • By onthemat
  • 09 Apr, 2016
Today I went to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda, one of Buddhism’s most sacred sites. What I loved about this morning, very early at 5 am, was the peace and serenity in the air. It was before the heat and before the crowds, so I got a glimpse of the magnificent stupa as well as many […]
Today I went to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda , one of Buddhism’s most sacred sites. What I loved about this morning, very early at 5 am, was the peace and serenity in the air. It was before the heat and before the crowds, so I got a glimpse of the magnificent stupa as well as many other shrines, “tazaung” (small pavilions) and other religious statuary.
 
The crows were flying, swooping and cawing. The night time sky was fading away as the sun rose to shed some light, and here it was, the golden central stupa. The 325 foot “zedi” is adorned with 27 metric tons of gold leaf and thousands of diamonds and other gems.
The people are pouring water on the Buddha that corresponds to the day one was born. This occurred around the entire Pagoda whether it was Thursday (my day) or another. I did it too, but alas, I did not get a picture of that.
 
I believe sweeping the floor around the Pagoda was another type of prayer. The precepts of Buddhism reflect many aspects of yogic tradition, most especially the notion of accepting the moment as it is, without attachment or resistance. The “realness” of the daily prayers, the Burmese Buddhists, monks and nuns who frequent this sacred site frequently, felt calming to me. I spent two hours there, often meditating myself, as well as sitting down and being an observer of this spectacular place.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On The Mat Yoga Blog

By Linda Malcomb 03 May, 2020

“There is a light in the core of our being that calls us home—one that can only be seen with closed eyes; We can feel it as a radiance in the center of our chest. This light of loving awareness is always here, regardless of our conditioning. It does not matter how many dark paths we have traveled or how many wounds we have inflicted or sustained as we have unknowingly stumbled toward this inner radiance. It does not matter how long we have sleepwalked, seduced by our desires and fears. This call persists until it is answered, until we surrender to who we really are. When we do, we feel ourselves at home wherever we are. A hidden beauty reveals itself in our ordinary life. As the true nature of our Deep Hear is unveiled, we feel increasingly grateful for no reason—grateful to simply be.”

—John J. Prendergast, PHD, The Deep Heart  

By Linda Malcomb 02 May, 2020

Seems like it’s been rainy, windy, dreary for eons. Which may have helped us shelter inside a bit more. I remember reading years and years ago in a Seth book that weather can be influenced, and even created by mass human emotion. Why not? We are far more powerful than we currently acknowledge, and science is beginning to validate many phenomena that had seemed inconceivable before. Those seemingly endless days of “bad” weather seemed congruent with the emotional tone of covid her in New England. And now SUN! Glorious, warming, invigorating, hope-filled Sun! Today I will be outside basking and gardening and thanking. And I’m sure the whole neighborhood, and most of New England will go outside, stand with our faces to the sun and breathe a huge healing breath of joy. And maybe the collective energy of that will resonate out across the word as a promise of brighter days to come.     


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