Om explained

   

“Set the date for your perfection.”, said my Teacher during a 
meditation class.  

I wanted to retort, “That’s impossible!” but I was in a 2-day silent retreat (the other weekend) so I opted to keep quiet.

During the retreat, we had 5-6 hours of meditation each day.  We would go around specific meditation areas in groups and sit down in silence.  No words were exchanged as we move around or even as we sit together for meals.  

Then it just happened.  While I was immersed in silence I felt that I was a sparkling zero.  I saw myself as a sparkling star with no past    or future.  I had no ties with this old world of matter- no possessions, no relations or positions. 

I had nothing...
but in that nothingness I felt my fullness.      

I felt that I have everything I ever need- love, peace,               power, happiness.  In this state of om (I am), I felt complete.           I felt perfect. 

So, it’s possible. 

meditation by Release Your Wings

The wind huffed and puffed but it did not blow the house away

“Ang galing naman magdasal ni Ate Karen. Di man lang tumikwas kahit isang pawid ng bahay kubo niya nung bagyo.”, commented the Mangyans in the farm.

(“Ate Karen must have prayed really hard.  Not a single straw of her nipa hut was misplaced during the storm.”)

You see, 80 out of the100 roofs of the Mangyans’ concrete houses (donated by Gawad Kalinga) were blown off by the wind. Two rooms in Lolo’s house of stone were destroyed by fallen trees while Papa’s wooden packaging area was crushed to the ground.

Contrary to the story of the “Three Little Pigs”, it was the straw house which weathered the storm.

I don’t have any explanation for this except that nature probably protected the area.


Serving nature

One picnic with my classmates in meditation, I was ready to jump in the water when I was stopped. “You have to serve nature first”, I was told.

Though I was very eager to swim and couldn’t quite understand this serving-the- nature concept yet, I followed.  I sat down and meditated with the group for 30 minutes before jumping in the water.

When I took in farming as a hobby, my mentor in yogic agriculture said that it is important to empower the seed and the land with good vibration before the actual planting.  

So for more than a year, every time I meditate, I put in extra time to send good thoughts to my assigned area in the farm and to the 5 elements in general: earth, water, fire, air and ether.

Again without question, I followed.


The gist

Now, I understand.  If I take care of nature,  it will also take care of me.

meditation by Release Your Wings

I am grateful

The young dragon fruit plants have weathered the storm. 

Because in the midst of the catastrophe, a sprout still grows

This is Papa's newly built packaging area which Typhoon Nona crushed to the ground.

Because no one was hurt despite the chaos (from where I come from- that is)

We've been fighting the quarrying in our barangay for a while.  The townsfolk were divided though because some of them profit from it.  The storm showed everyone its devastating effect.

Because what we’ve been fighting against, has unveiled it’s horns

What used to be a bed of rock now looks like a beach.  Without the rocks, the water from the river flooded into the houses and the streets.

Because a smile can still be found in the middle of the waste land

The Naglaon river is now twice its size because the big boulders which protect its banks have been removed.

Because life goes on even without pants

The donation we've received have been packed and are now on its way to the Mangyans.

And I am grateful for well-meaning people who are willing to lend a hand

For everyone who sent good wishes and who helped us help the Mangyans, maraming maraming maraming salamat po (thank you very much)! 

video from Release Your Wings

He came to work with no pants

  

“Wala na akong mga pantalon, kaya nakabahag ako ngayon”, (“I don’t have pants anymore that’s why I’m wearing a loin cloth”) Rigor said when he reported for work post-typhoon Nona.  

He quickly glanced at his buttoned-down Hawaiian shirt and bahag (loin cloth) and let out a hearty chuckle.

I was expecting him to ask me for pants or money to buy one but he didn’t.  He simply happily worked the whole day in his bahag (loin cloth).

On the other hand, Lino reported that the roof of their house was blown off by the wind.  

“How are you and your family?”, I asked.

“Naglagay po muna ako ng trapal habang wala pang pampagawa ng bubong.”, (“I just put a plastic cover in place of a roof since I don’t have money to have it fixed right now.”, he answered).  Then, he immediately went back to his task as though it’s perfectly ok to have a house with no roof.  Like Rigor, he did not ask me for anything nor did I hear a single complaint from him.

Then, I went to where my father was working.

How many trees were down?, I asked him.

“More than a thousand”, he replied.   

“Looks like, we won’t harvest any rambutan this year”, I commented.

“We’ll plant again.”, he reassured me.

“How long will it take to bear fruit?, I asked.

“In 2 1/2 to 3 years.”, he answered.

“That’s a looong time.”, I gasped.  

“Well, if you think that way then you’ll never farm.  Just plant, dear.  Before you know it, they’re all big trees."

Rigor, Lino & Papa- they’ve just gone through the worst storm to ever hit the farm (and El Nino before that) and they simply stood up, brushed off the dust and moved on.

While I was busy asking questions, they were planting again- pants or no pants. 

meditation by Release Your Wings

P.S.  PAOT  Disaster Risk Reduction and Response is collecting donations for those affected by Typhoon Nona and Onyok in Samar, Mindoro and Sorsogon.

May you be a calamansi tree

This is my New Year’s wish for you! 

You see, I just came from the family’s farm in Oriental Mindoro, which was gravely devastated by Typhoon Nona.

The tall and mighty Durian trees whose top can only be reached by a giant or 10 people stacked on top of each other had fallen ( in this case- on Lolo’s house ). Breathe, no one was harmed.

The flamboyant rambutan trees with numerous branches and thick leaves were uprooted.  In fact, all of our mature rambutan trees had met their bitter end (85% of the lot).  Only the young ones survived (15%).

The ever-abundant lansones trees had been cropped of its foliage.  My father said given time to heal and the right amount of care ( and organic fertilizer ), they might  still bear fruit.

On the other hand, the short and thin calamansi trees stood tall as though nothing happened- with branches and leaves intact.  I was told that the calamansi trees were able to weather the storm because of its roots.

You see, each calamansi tree has a major root which runs straight and deep into the soil making it firmly anchored to the ground. Thus, no amount of rain or wind can shake it.

I wish for your roots to run deep and for your spirit to be firmly anchored to the truth just like the calamansi tree.  So even when the fiercest storms come, you remain steadfast and strong.     

meditation from Release Your Wings

P.S.  For those who want to help, you may get in touch with Fr. Caloy through his facebook page or mobile number 0919-8406493.  His parish Nabuslot in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro is one of the rural areas severely affected by the storm.  In fact, they still don't have electricity though it's nearly a month since typhoon Nona.