A long and winding Dharma Journey - Part 2
diving into Tibetan meditation practices for beneficial healing, as well as dissolution of ego and anger
A lengthy reporting of memorable spiritual moments was posted earlier in Part 1. A warning has been added to the section on aerobic programming, which is repeated immediately below. That section in the previously published Part 1 had no warning. A short and digestible Part 2 is shared below. It includes a report of the Dharma wanderer’s current status with links to multiple Tibetan meditative practices. ib
Aerobic Programming as Skillful Means
1993 - 2013 (China): The two decades he spent living and working in Shanghai, China are described in an unpublished memoir for that period. He used aerobic reprogramming extensively in China for guidance and energy to help build and sell two consulting businesses with Yong-Ling’s crucial participation as a partner.
They had many intensely difficult challenges as pioneers in China’s management consulting industry. What he called Aerobic Reprogramming became his guiding crutch for creating solutions as they made it over, under and through unending business and relationship hurdles. There were often times it seemed he was immersed in chaos. The powerful concentration practice involved aerobic goal statements for developing what was strategically important at the time. There were times this seemed to insulate him from the surrounding disarray in a protective bubble of energy. He was cautiously respectful of the apparent power provided by carefully formulated affirmations expressed during repetitive aerobic movement. This seemed to enable manifestation of the necessary win/win solutions for business survival in such a fast moving, intensely competitive and rapidly changing chaotic environment.
WARNING: Be advised this method’s initial positive results can become ego-food, creating an enlarged ego and eventually lead to negative karmic consequences unless moderated by humility and equanimity. It should be helpful to include in the affirmation: “…for the benefit of all beings and the world” ib
They returned to the US in 2013. In 2016, he decided to share online the moving mantra method as a free legacy give-back. He worked with a website designer for six months to collaboratively design and implement the site. He called it the “Ready For Better Method”.
Diving Into Tibetan Meditation Practices
Lama John Hoag invited the Dharma wanderer to the Wednesday afternoon zoom meetings in Santa Barbara that included mental health professionals. This was soon extended to the Lama’s morning zoom meditation practice, which was focused at that time on Tibetan seed syllables and visualizations.
Dissolution of Anger
The Dharma wanderer found the sangha’s chanting style of meditation helpful in a variety of ways. He appreciated Lama John’s knowledge, interpersonal style, kind heart, and sensitive guidance. The practices seemed to have a beneficial tuning effect for clear awareness and virtuous action. His relationship with Yong-Ling improved. His unpredictable anger that had been a primary cause of relationship conflict disappeared. It seems the chanting and other meditative practices dissolved the anger and suffering he had absorbed from the tragic June 4 violence in Beijing.
One of the practices for dissolving anger involved chanting the mantra of compassion aloud, om mani padme hum, as well as repeating it silently. This was beneficial for the Dharma wanderer’s longstanding anger stored in his body/mind/memory. Additionally, consciously taking a deep breath and a long exhale was effective for short term momentary anger when it arose. Regular chanting, combined with momentary breath control when needed, proved to be a powerful combination for the dissolution of his anger.
Expansion of Healing
After his infant daughter’s hospitalization and his successful chanting for her survival in 2003, he had engaged in prayerful chants to support the healing of family members he dearly loved. The positive results left him with the hypothesis that healing was possible, independently from standard medical treatment.
Lama John’s guidance for Tibetan healing practices yielded demonstrable benefits. When the Dharma wanderer was in the local hospital emergency room for acute severe chest pain the morning after an especially strenuous workout at a fitness center, Lama John notified Kamala Rinpoche in Nepal. After they both sent healing intention, the pain quickly subsided. Subsequent stress testing on the treadmill revealed normal cardiac function. He reasoned that, once again, pushing his body too hard during exercise had caused severe pain. This became another clear message about the importance of dissolving his egoic desire for achievement, as well as the possibility healing intention having beneficial results.
He discovered multiple video chants by a Tibetan yogini/dakini/healer on youtube. Recognition chills coursed through his body the first time he heard Drukmo Gyal chant: “Five Element Healing”. He followed along with several of her chants and benefited from their healing effects. Additionally, a nurse practitioner member of the sangha, with decades of successful healing experience, provided helpful support for his emerging awareness of the potential to access healing energy for himself and others.
The sangha’s meditation training included a variety of healing practices. In 2021, he began using the Tara chant as a healing invocation. Drukmo Gyal has a beautiful rendition of it with musical accompaniment. Repeating that chant with healing intention brought beneficial results. The Dharma wanderer was introduced to another practice involving the Medicine Buddha chant. Drukmo Gyal’s version combines focused visualization with oral chanting. She explains and demonstrates this in a short video, again with musical accompaniment.
Tibetan Buddhist mantras and chants sometimes use seed syllables, which are shortened forms of mantras and chants that are said to contain the essence of the mantra. The Dharma wanderer explored repeating the seed syllable TAM as an abbreviation for the Tara chant. He first explored chanting TAM three times and orally submitting a prayerful request: “may (name) be healed, may (he/she/I) be well.” Months later he adjusted this approach with the repetitive phrase: “may (name) be healed and well, healed and well, healed and well.” His intention was consistent in both cases. Expressing the latter version in one breath seemed to generate somewhat more of a mystical vibe. Chanting has the potential to generate an altered state of consciousness. In such states, healing of self and others may be enhanced.
The varied repetitions of this TAM/prayer request sequence became the Dharma wanderer’s brief format for healing prayers over a period of several months. If family or close friends were ill, he would at night place his hands on a large Tara statue in his dining room and offer the healing prayer sequence. He followed it by sending blue light from his heart to the target person. The combination of such visualizations with chants and mantras is said to be even more powerful. Mantra repetition, direct experience and beneficial results reveal the truth of such practices.
Dissolution of Ego
In the latter half of 2021 a series of four different painful injuries occurred on his regular walk/runs (HIIT) on the Monterey Bay marine trail. The cause seemed to be his self-congratulatory ego about performance improvements. His ego had become a karmic distraction from paying attention to what he was physically doing. Lama John advised him to restrict his movement and focus of attention to the defined and well cared for marine trail.
The Dharma wanderer made progress by consciously placing his visual focus on the trail’s physical path directly in front of him. This practice became an experiential metaphor representative of his dharma explorations. When he had strayed off the spiritual path by succumbing to egoic desire for achievement, there had been painful punishing karmic consequences. Successful physical performance had fed his dimly veiled arrogance and hearty expansion of self congratulatory ego. This had brought forth what became predictable suffering.
The Monterey Peninsula marine trail became a setting for a powerful concentration practice. Staying aware of the present moment by synchronizing repetitive movement with breath while visually focusing on the trail. Mental chatter disappeared under this condition. It was replaced by the constantly moving visual image of the path in front of him. This repeatedly reminded him of the impermanence principle. Exercising on the trail became a meditative practice for direct experience of the present moment with no thought, only pure concept-free action. Simply noticing the results of his exercise without it becoming food for his ego was a particularly important aspect of the practice. Painful injuries completely disappeared. Tight muscle soreness was alleviated by carefully stretching all major muscle groups after each exercise session.
His morning routine became part of his body/mind/spirit practice regimen. After he had prepared his breakfast bowl of oatmeal, beans, protein powder and a myriad of other ingredients to continue bolstering his immune system, he did standing breath of fire, a practice he adapted from kundalini yoga. He expanded the number of intense vigorous breaths to 108, his birth time on October 31st.
Multiple mantra chants and subvocal morning prayers over his breakfast bowl grew like pearls on a string, each segment formulated for clarity and intent. He incorporated key phrases and chants from Lama John’s morning meditation sessions, including taking refuge, the dedication of merit and closing phrases for the benefit of all sentient beings, including: “May all be harmonious, delightful, auspicious and healthy.” Then he would encircle his breakfast bowl, as well as images of Yong-Ling, Miya and Amy (the furry four legged sentient member of their family) in blue light, expanding the light to include the earth and beyond.
On the marine trail, he greeted many hikers and showered some with blue light. He began occasionally suggesting they check out his move/breathe/aspire website. He made humorous dog lover comments to people walking their pets on the trail and they responded with warm smiles and laughter. This became a mutually enjoyable aspect of an open-hearted kindness practice.
After much struggle, suffering and pain for many decades, he began living more joyfully. Lama John and the sangha were providing a powerful path for deep learning, safe sharing and insightful tuning of his dharma journey.
🙏💕🌎
ib
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