Retreat @ Lucky Valley

Never in any retreat did I cry and cried so much. This retreat I took was a cleansing process for me. I did not know what program was planned and what I need to do until I arrived at destination.

I heard Shangpa Rinpoche sang this song as gratitude and tribute to all mothers. He probably did this for his own Mum. However the CD did not bring out much feeling in me until I sang it, read the text and understand the meaning.

From the Pagoda, we started too sing this prayer. Many started to tear. We were so immersed into the singing until we probably moved the Devas. We felt sprinkle of water. Initially it was a little here and there but subsequently it was like sprinkling from an outlet. We felt heavy sprinkling and yet we were not wet. These were blessing water from the Devas. No, it was not rain drops. If it was we will be wet and have droplets on our face and hands but there was none.

Because we brought the rain therefore we did not go back to the Pagoda for prayers. We have to move into the Pyramid. This pyramid structure is very unique and the energy field is very strong. When I started to meditate and pray, I am able to focus and concentrate. The singing of the text here was perfect. All our voices unified as one. The feeling was awesome and wonderful. I believed we all felt it and so did Shangpa Rinpoche.

The energy fields and magnetic fields around the Pagoda and Pyramid was magnificent. This setting is with nature and therefore it is healing as well. We have been walking up and down and never felt tired. I took some shots of the place and one picture turned out that molecules were seen. Again these molecules are different from that of what we saw in spiritual places. Spiritual molecules has no colors in it and mostly we can fadely see Dharma Wheel. However these magnetic molecules do not have Dharma Wheel but are specks of colors if I magnified it. Again there is no superstition and neither am I talking about some high and mighty attainment. These are common and many people have pictures of such.

Back to the prayers. It took us back to giving gratitude to our mothers, remember our mothers and reflecting on our self. As I was a given away child, I do not have much caring for the mother that conceived me. She was distant and I knew her as 'Aunty'. However by reciting this prayer, all the more I appreciate my natural mother. I thank her for giving me life, thus giving me chance to practice the Dharma. I thank her for giving me away to parents who love me and I grew up with parents who did not stop me from practicing Dharma and instead following me to do so.

I have never been a mother and I do not know the pain, danger and joy in conceiving a 'life'. After that, the guiding, looking after, worrying, naturing, feeding and many things that a Mum worried about her child which I have not experienced. Now by reciting this prayer, I see clearly that the becoming of ME actually are the fruits of both Mums and what they have done for me. Even if I carry them on my shoulder and run around the Universe a million times, I am not able to pay back my gratitude to them.

Thus I thank Shangpa Rinpoche for guiding us and showing us this prayer. I thank him for teaching us how to sing this prayer. It was a tune created by Rinpoche so we have to sing it a few times before we got the rhythms.

Thank you to the third Karmapa for this wonderful, meaningful and well wishes text to our mothers. It reminds us to go back to think of our 'being' and the process of our coming and growth to what we will be. Many people choose their Path of Life, and I have chosen Buddhism as my guiding Light.

Ohm Mani Padme Hum ...