Sitting in the May morning sun, on the balcony of the Sophea Art Gallery and Tibetan Tea House in Simonstown, listening to the Venerable Thupstan Chhostak speak of peace and compassion, the concept seems strikingly simple: For peace in this world we need first to create harmony within our selves…

This, as Chhostak explains, can be achieved through bringing to ones conscious mind the attachments which lead to unloving thoughts, then making the choice to release them.

He assures me that meditating on Great Compassion and the Wisdom of Emptiness is the best way to achieve a light heart. I’m intoxicated with the gentle joy emanating from the sincere being in front of me, something tells me his words hold a great deal of truth, I listen.

He speaks of vain glory and greed, of generosity and compassion, the importance of meditation for being present in the moment and the loving wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Over the next five days I spend many hours at the tea house watching the six monks from the Rizong monastery in India as they chant, meditate and work together to create an exquisite work of art, the sand Mandala of Avalokiteshvara.

The monks journeyed to South Africa as part of the World Peace and Compassion Tour which was organised and funded by the Tibet Society of South Africa (TSSA), who spent more than a year coordinating and collaborating with Buddhist organisations such as the Lam Rim Tibetan Buddhist Centre to bring this blessing into fruition.

At the heart of the tour is the creation of three sand mandalas, an ancient art form that takes years of training to master. There are many types of mandalas each with their own blessings to confer and lessons to teach. The Mandala of Avalokiteshvara is constructed as a vehicle to generate compassion, heal the environment and assist in understanding the impermanence of reality.

The presence of the monks brings an unmistakable sense of serenity. Their focus and patience is inspiring. The room fills with the gentle purr of the metal funnels through which the sand is poured. The chak-purs (metal tools used to make thew Tibetan Sand Mandalas) vibrate continuously as millions of grains fall perfectly into place. There is no part of the mandala that is superfluous. Meaning is buried in each and every little mound of sand which is not actually sand at all but rather crystal from a river bed in Ladakh that has been meticulously ground into an incredibly fine powder and died with natural pigments.

The colours are spectacular.

Although the mandala is depicted on a flat surface, it is a representation of a three-dimensional palace in which the deity Avalokiteshvara and his spiritual entourage reside. A symbolic world of harmony where every object represents an aspect of wisdom and each deity, an archetype of a mindful state.

For Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama is the current emanation of the enlightened being Chenrezig (known in Sanskrit as Avalokiteshvara), a Bodhisattva whom decided to delay becoming a fully enlightened Buddha and rather live in compassionate spirit for the sake of all sentient beings.

As the week progresses, so does the influx of visitors. We watch as the spirit house takes shape, there is an air of anticipation and jubilation, I find myself smiling for no reason. Everyone seems to share the sentiment. When the day comes to a close, it is difficult to leave. At the venue for the evening chant I see many of the same faces, it’s clear I’m not the only one who is enthused by the presence of these enchanting monks.

Once the mandala is complete the traditional closing ceremony begins.

We spend hours gazing at the finished work while the monks chant and play instruments, calling forth the forces of goodness, as with the opening ceremony, to bless the environment.

The frantic snap of cameras comes as no surprise as everyone tries to capture the moment, before the ritual dissolution.

Our Western world knows little of non-attachment.

Once the mandala has been swept up I join the colourful procession down to the beach and watch as it is poured into the sea, carried away with each wave to bless the rest of the world.

The purpose of the tour was not only to raise awareness of the uniqueness of the Tibetan culture but also to honour His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 75^th birthday on July 6^th, as he works tirelessly in an attempt to deliver all beings from suffering, with his continuous message of compassion for all life forms and the potential for peace on earth.

The week has come to an end and I, as many others, have been deeply touched by this experience. The gratitude for those who made it possible is overwhelming and I vow, to support the TSSA by becoming a member, to take the wisdom shared by these modest monks to heart, and to live more compassionately.

Of the three mandalas created on South African soil, one remains fixed in the shrine room at the Lam Rim Tibetan Buddhist Centre in Johannesburg, a true blessing and most certainly worth a visit.

By Kama Murray

Photographs By Bruce Horak (brucehorak@hotmail.com; 074 124 6435)

For more information on the Tibet Society visit www.tibet.org.za

We laughed, we cried, we listened and shared. We moved and meditated, chatted and sang songs together, but mostly – we learned. We learned how as women we could really be there for one another as soul sisters in every way…

Over the Mother’s Day weekend, 10 yoga teachers from all walks of life gathered to learn about pregnancy and birth, firstly to empower themselves, and secondly to be able to empower pregnant yogis and their unborn children in their journeys into this world.

Led by Aryo Jacobson, a doula (birthing companion) by profession as well as pregnancy yoga and active birth trainer for over 20 years, the group was guided through the stages of pregnancy where we experienced each trimester as though we ourselves were pregnant (with the help of balloons), so that we could fully perceive what may feel either relieving or uncomfortable and what would and wouldn’t be possible to do as a pregnant woman in any type of yoga class.

At the end of the first day there was a lot of information to process and many of the reports from women the following morning were similar, in that the workshop had brought up past experiences of their own births that were not properly dealt with. Together we supported one another in healing and bringing about closure. We were also later joined by another gorgeous doula by the name of Hailey Fudu who besides bringing with her own pregnant client to use as a model, came with a terrific wave of positive energy that lifted all our spirits. We learned about the importance of breathing during the different stages of labour and went over many of the techniques from the previous day’s work.

Since the Sunday was Mother’s Day after all, some of us took a lunch break to join our families in celebrating while others stayed and watched a Pregnancy Yoga DVD. The final afternoon session was focussed on answering questions and clarifying certain principals. Aryo read us a story about one of the births she attended and we had a chance to practice a few labouring positions ourselves. By the end of the day it felt as though we had actually given birth! To mark this celebration, we sang together and each participant was awarded a certificate. Although somewhat tired, there is no doubt that we all left feeling happy and at peace, with a great sense of accomplishment. Congratulations to all who attended and a special thank you to Lisa Zimmerman for hosting us all in her beautiful space and sharing in this experience with us.

By Hayley Alexander

It is believed that Sri Krishna himself appeared in this Navadvip dham and performed the pastime of delivering all souls indiscriminately and bestowing upon them the topmost blessing of pure spiritual love through the medium of the chanting of Hare-Krishna Mahamantra. The annual pilgramage to each of Navadvipas nine beautiful islands for the Gaura Purnima Celebration was glimpsed through the lense of Bhakti devotee, Andrew Freedman (Ananda Vardhan).

Meat the Truth

Generating more greenhouse gas emissions worldwide than all cars, lorries, trains, boats and planes added together, livestock farming is a topic that really should be at the core of any ‘green’ discussion … yet no one really talks about it. Similar to An Inconvenient Truth (only way better), Meat the Truth uses scientific information on climate change and livestock farming to help us understand the impact our meat-eating habits have on the world.

For more info check out www.meatthetruth.nl

A Stress Busting Yoga Day was held at the ISHTA Centre in Atholl on Saturday 17^th October, presented by Kundalini yoga teacher Pritam Khalsa, who gave a two hour class on Yoga Kriyas for connecting to the third and fifth chakras, which is where we hold on to most of our tension. Kriya (the Sanskrit root of the word is ‘doing’) can be explained as the spontaneous fulfilment of action through the engagement of asana that links one’s infinite self to this finite moment.

Combining pranayama (breathing techniques) with asana (physical postures) and mantra (singing), the group worked together to create a harmony that resonated both externally and within, gradually allowing any stress to be released while consciously detoxifying and purifying the body-mind along with the subtle energies. The exercises work in an elegant, round-about manner to deliver a precise effect on body, mind and spirit.
A favourite amongst the Kriya techniques was the “Baboon Breath”, practised by first bouncing an imaginary ball, bringing the hands into Buddhi Mudra:(the pinky touches the thumb and the other three fingers are straight, eyes are closed); followed by making the hands into a fist and bringing the arms out to the sides, moving vigorously while breathing loudly to create a sound similar to that of a baboon.
Yogi Bhajan’s comments to this exercise: “Get this Monkey out of your mind and system. Don’t be shy . . . This will stimulate the parathyroid . . . and you will burn up your sick dreams and your memories. By playing that ball, you will be able to control the psycho-magnetic energy.”
With burning arms held straight out in front at shoulder height for seven minutes (which felt like seven hours!), the lesson concluded with the singing of Bountiful, Blissful, Beautiful allowing all those present to experience this perfect and wonderful state of being.

Thereafter everyone enjoyed cooling off outside while tucking in to a delicious buffet lunch catered by Free Food. With all the heat created in the first-half of the day, the opening of the heavens was symbolic of all the stress being washed away.

Having satisfied the appetite, the second-half marked the time to celebrate! Led by Natalie Vlismas, the band SATYA performed a selection of their most popular Kundalini based tracks, encouraging group participation and socialisation games that made it impossible not to smile. The vibe was that of ecstasy blended with serenity to bring about a state of transcendence. Although it was only a one day workshop, there is no doubt that the effects will be long withstanding towards a greater sense of vitality, strength, love, acceptance, happiness and peace in our daily lives.

Sat Nam

Hayley Alexander

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha.

On Friday, 5th June a Full Moon Gathering was held at the ISHTA studio in Illovo in preparation for the actual June Full Moon in Sagittarius, which occurred on June 7, 2009 at 8:12 PM Central time in South Africa.

This Sagittarius Full Moon is all about leaping over the void from our collapsing ‘reality’ to a spiritual vision that demands truth, justice, personal responsibility and breadth of vision.  Jupiter and Neptune in Aquarius inspire us to see with the eyes of spirit and rise above our limitations.

Such an effect was created at the Full Moon meditation evening, led by Pritam Khalsa and the band SATYA, where in true Kundalini Yoga style those present were encouraged to meet one other and connect through song, movement and by simply looking into their partners’ eyes, changing freely, yet staying united. Whether one was familiar with, or new to the mantra did not matter – as everyone was smiling, trying and experiencing the beauty of the group energy within the magnificent, enchanting surroundings of ISHTA itself.

Following the introductory exercises and drawing in these energies, a 31 minute meditation, accompanied by tablas, djembe, guitar and piano was performed while repeating a series of arm movements, singing the WAH YANTEE chant:

Wah Yantee Kar Yantee
Jug Dut Puttee
Aadak Itte Wahaa
Brahmade Traysha Guru
Itte Wahe Guru

Translated, this means: “Great Self Creative Self; All that is creative through time; Generating, Organising, Dissolving; All this is the Infinite Indescribable.” Even though this same verse was repeated for half-an-hour, the gentle instrumentals together with the lead singer, Natalie’s sweet and smooth vocals, made the exercise seem almost effortless – so much so that when it finished, some even pleaded for one more!

The evening concluded with a shared vegetarian dinner, where old and newly made friends alike found their special spot within the cosy studio to sit down, chat quietly and reflect on their experiences. For most the feeling gained was that of being uplifted while quietened and energised with lightness and love. There was a wonderful turn-out and no doubt that many of those who came will be back again, next time.

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator.” – Mahatma Gandhi.

• For copies of the CD recorded on the evening please contact Natalie Vlismas on 082659 9866 or email natalie@thecoachnetwork.co.za.

By Hayley Alexander

Photos Courtesy of Norman Anstey

The Complete Yoga stand was ideally located in close proximity to the Yoga Demonstration stage – where the country’s most experienced instructors in disciplines such as Bikram Yoga, Living Yoga and Kundalini Yoga gave demonstration classes. The stand had a serene, zen feel to it, complete with wooden furniture, orchid and a Buddha. Complete Yoga generated a great deal of interest amongst yoga enthusiasts ranging from novices interested in adopting a holistic ‘yogic’ lifestyle, to more experienced practitioners who were delighted to find out more about the magazine.

Other highlights at the expo included talks by world-renowned relationship expert and bestselling author of Men are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, Dr John Gray; Ha Ha Ha’s Feel Good Joy Gym, demonstrating the latest global trend laughter therapy – and The Star’s Angela Day Kitchen where you could learn how to make mouth-watering and nutrious meals in a matter of minutes. We look forward to seeing you there in 2010!

Text Shereen Suckerman Photos Dan Lurie

It’s easy to get carried away with the hectic pace of our everyday lives, resulting in us eating ‘fast foods’ to save time, but these often provide short-lived energy releases and contain minimal nutrients. As a result, our immune systems weaken and we become prone to illness and disease. The Foods for Women cookery demonstration took place at Fruits and Roots in Bryanston on the 23^rd of September and introduced participants to the healthy alternative of a ‘slow food’ diet. By eating raw, vegetarian foods our bodies obtain the nutrients they crave and we are better equipped to cope with the stresses of modern-day life.

Pritam Khalsa who for many years has brought her yogic knowledge to the store and the foods served was joined by nutritionist Janine Louw .Their intention is to ‘help people become healthy and happy by having chemical free bodies.’ The demonstration proved that organic and healthy foods needn’t be bland or requiring laborious preparation, but can be easy to make and tasty too. Janine stated that a raw food diet will help ensure the chances of developing diabetes, obesity or a terminal illness are absolutely minimal  and that these healing foods and drinks will help us to obtain radiance, energy and glowing skin amongst many other benefits.

The entire evening was informative, exciting and hands-on, and imparted a myriad of tips and knowledge gained from years of experience preparing vegetarian, gluten-free and health foods.  A fun part of the evening was the participants splitting up into task groups to make their own delicious salad dressings using simple ingredients. The evening’s experience culminated in a wonderful meal where everyone was able to sample wonderfully prepared organic food topped with the variety of dressings created during the evening. A highly informative and enjoyable experience for anyone who is interested in acquiring the skills to make simple and healthy meals using nutritious and natural ingredients. Visit www.fruitsandroots.co.za

By Shereen Suckerman and Hayley Alexander

Photpgraphs: Courtesy of Manoj Master and The Indian Comsulate of South Africa and Hayley Alexander