The Buddhas in and Around My House

I was sitting on my patio this morning gazing at the beautiful spinach green Ho Tai Buddha hiding in the over growth of my garden. Then I decided to take a photograph of him to share here along with the other Buddha's and alters I have in my home/studio.

This Hi Tai sits by my pond with his happy smile greeting anyone that comes to visit.

Kwan Yin occupies the far side of the garden, she stands among the herbs, peppers and egg plants.

On the far side of the pond is the Naga Buddha, the Naga is the seven headed cobra that is the guardian of the Buddha and water ways, that is why he sits where he does.

This alter with a Ho Tai and 2 seated Buddhas is on a shelf over the door to my kitchen. Complete with crystals a pagoda and origami flowers. Yes I did the origami.

The three immortals (the small gold statues) sit in front of a Burmese Buddha seated on a lotus blossom. This alter is over the door to my living room, you pass under it to enter and exit my house. 

Crystals, Ho Tai, Thai Buddha charms and Kwan Yin head, a detail of an alter in my living/studio space.

An Indonesian Buddha carved from wood, this Buddha my partner and I purchased together shortly before his passing. It now sits atop the alter I have set up in his memory.

A standing Thai Buddha and an alabaster Burmese Buddha placed on another alter in my living/studio space.

The small gold statue is the Chama, she is from the Bon tradition, behind her is my all time favorite deity from the pantheon of Hindu deities Ganesha. This alter had Zuni animal fetishes, a carved quartz skull and other items.

Chakra Mantrah piece in progress

I am working on a new piece on architectural vellum that measures 24" x 36". This piece will incorporate the Sanskrit symbol for the 7 major chakras in the body each 'ringed' 9 times with the seed sound associated with that chakra. This drawing is being done the sacred geometric grid of the first level of consciousness. I do all the writing on this by hand.

Through sacred geometry all consciousness exists. I will be creating pieces like this and others in sacred geometric form for a show this August at Sapna Cafe on Grand Ave in Phoenix and for Yoga Breeze in Cave Creek, AZ. See older posts with other sacred geometric drawings.

First level of consciousness grid in pencil on paper with vellum laid over.

Root chakra ~ 3 rings of 'Lam' the seed sound of the root chakra

The first 2 chakras with the seed sound written around the symbol.

The first 4 chakras completed

More Malas for healing the Planet

The response to the first malas for healing the planet has been great and I have been asked if I would make some other designs. Well here are some new malas and bracelets all strung on silk cord with the sliding bead for tightening to the wrist and made with a variety of different stones including: turquoise, prehnite, jasper, grossular garnet, jade, green kyanite, aventurine and seraphinite.  I'll be listing these in www.QuietMind.Etsy.com and I will be placing some in Conspire at the corner of 5th Street and Garfield, Phoenix, AZ.

Mala for the Healing of the Planet

I have created several malas this week using a beautiful jade green serpentine with turquoise on silk cord. I have charged these malas with the intention of healing for our planet.

Serpentine was chosen for these malas due to its gentle energies and ability to aid one in their meditation efforts. Serpentine also helps in finding inner peace and balance encouraging the resolution of problems via peaceful means. Turquoise was chosen for the guru bead because it is found on every continent and is one of the oldest protection stones known. Turquoise has been used to protect from negative energies and harm. Being one of the oldest stones known turquoise carries great wisdom and truth. Turquoise has a history of use going back 6 thousand years.

My hope is the wearer of this mala uses it to remind ones self that we are all one, each a light on a giant web of perfection, we are all a part of the Net of Life. From here we can affect the healing and mind shift that is so necessary these days.

One of these mala can be purchased from my web shop Quiet Mind.

Mantras are taking over my life – Part II

You can read part one here http://bharrisonarts.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-can-i-say-mantras-are-taking-over.html

I have been asked by several friends to teach them mantra practice since posting my original blog on this subject. This has turned into me hosting a weekly chanting meditation session Thursday evening at my home here in central Phoenix.

We have been meeting for several weeks now and participants have been reporting to me that they find themselves remaining clam in normally upsetting situations since taking up chanting meditation practice. Another reports she has had the money for several ‘extra’ items in her life as well as able to cover some unexpected expenses, she has chosen to focus her practice on abundance.

In each session I go over how to use your mala (prayer beads). What the mantras (prayers) we will be chanting mean and how to do a mantra practice.

Our Thursday evening sessions have been as small as three participants and as many as nine. From these sessions I have come to lead a monthly chanting meditation session as part of Angel’s Serenity’s stress less Tuesday series. June was our first meeting, there were six participants, no one had chanted before. The session was amazing as always the participants were amazed at the sense of calm and relaxation they achieved with only 30 minutes of chanting and I have been contacted by two participants since telling me they have taken up a daily practice and are feeling relaxed and calmer with just a few days practice under their belts.

Now the ball keeps rolling. I am being asked to begin sessions on other days of the week and to lead chanting for some workshops and other events and take the practice into other venues here in the Phoenix area.

Where will this lead in the end, I don’t know. I am very pleased with the number of people I have been able to chant with and how many of them have taken up this practice as a daily part of their lives. If someone told me a year ago I would be leading chanting meditation sessions I would have thought they were crazy.

If you are in Phoenix come to a chanting meditation session. You just may be amazed too.