May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace
Today I'm praying for the people in war torn countries around the world.
May peace rise in every heart.
May wisdom guide every leader.
May love and compassion replace anger and hatred.
May those who are suffering be free from suffering.
May those who are grieving be comforted and free from sorrow.
May those who are wounded be healed.
May all people be protected from danger.
May all beings live in safety, harmony and peace.
DA
Ning came rushing into the temple yesterday morning and excitedly told me that there would be a lunar eclipse later in the evening. It would be a spectacular one and I should watch it.
I've never seen an eclipse before, so I said I would go with him. He suggested the roof of the temple as an ideal place to watch the eclipse as it faced the moon directly. We asked Head Nun's permission to use the roof and she had no objection, though she said that to the humans, an eclipse is an inauspicious event and one should avoid looking at it. So she and the nuns would go to bed early and chant some mantras and avoid looking at the sky.
Well, we're cats and not superstitious, so at about 7.20 p.m. ten minutes or so before the eclipse was to take place, we jumped onto the roof of the temple and waited. Ning had also invited his young friend, Milo to join us and as we waited, I told them of the story behind an eclipse as told to me by Head Nun.
There is an age old legend which says that eclipses are caused by a heavenly dragon or dog devouring the moon. To scare away this celestial beast and prevent disaster, people made loud noises by banging drums, gongs and pots, lighting firecrackers, or shooting arrows. But I guess in this modern world, nobody believes that!
By a strange coincidence, this total lunar eclipse known as the "Blood Moon" takes place this year on Chap Goh Meh, the 15th and final night of the Chinese New Year. I don't know whether this signals good fortune or trouble but from what I heard, many people will be watching this phenomenon from various parts of the country regardless.
Milo had also done some research and he told us that the movement of the earth between the sun and moon causes a shadow to be cast on the moon, turning it into a copper red, hence the name "Blood Moon", and the next one will only take place in 2029, about 2.5 years from now.
This astronomical event soon began unfolding before our eyes. The rare appearance of a coppery coloured moon filled us with awe and wonder and we felt a sense of being connected to the cosmos and the powerful forces of the universe. For some time we were "lost" in a different world where all was still and only peace reigned.
Then suddenly, Milo screamed and pointed to the sky. "It's the dragon .... look... it's circling the moon..."
Both Ning and I looked but we couldn't see any dragon.
"Come on, Milo," said Ning impatiently. "Stop fooling around. There's no dragon and you know it."
"I saw it, I swear," he insisted. "But ... but it's gone now ... it appeared only for a few seconds...."
"Ya, just for you to see," laughed Ning.
Milo became very upset that we didn't believe him and he jumped off the roof in anger.
"Milo, come back," I called.
"Oh, let him be," said Ning. "Let's watch the eclipse till the end."
It took up to about an hour before it was over and we climbed down the roof feeling quite blessed that we had witnessed something wonderful and miraculous.
The next morning, I told Head Nun and the nuns what we had seen. Head Nun smiled and said that from a spiritual view, we should not think of the lunar eclipse as a bad omen but a time for "spiritual cleansing"- a time to confront our hidden fears and suppressed emotions and to start again with renewed energy and positivity.
I mentioned to her that Milo claimed he saw the mythical dragon. Head Nun smiled, then whispered to me, "I also saw it when I was a young girl in China during a similar eclipse."
"You did?" I gasped in awe.
She smiled again but wouldn't say more.
I can't wait for the next Blood Moon in 2029. Maybe this time I'll see the dragon.....
Gong Xi Fa Cai! May we wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Horse!
New Year's Day is not just the start of a year - it's the start of how we choose to live. It is also about letting go of our attachments, our mundane desires.
Wishing you and your loved ones a year of peace and light.
With Metta,
DA
We had a wonderful surprise when two or three families from the river came to the temple and presented us with Mandarin oranges. They were very appreciative of the sermons that APK had delivered during their "peace walk" and were showing their gratitude.
Dinner was a simple but delicious meal of rice and various vegetarian dishes cooked by Head Nun. As we ate, we could hear firecrackers exploding with loud bangs together with the noise of heavy traffic outside. We were so glad we were safely inside the temple away from all the din!
Of course the "Walk for Peace" monks were still very much in the minds of the nuns and APK asked Head Nun whether she had any news of them. Head Nun is the only person in the temple who has a mobile phone but then it's only for emergency use. Head Nun very kindly agreed to share some "footage" of the monks' journey from her phone and after that, she read to us one of the messages from their FB page. It was about mindfulness - a gentle reminder to us all to practise this teaching. I am very happy to share this message below:
✍️" Words Born from Peace - The words we speak to others—to our loved ones, our spouses, our children, our parents, our friends, to people we meet—are shaped by what lives inside us in the moment we speak them.
When we are mindful with our actions in daily life, when we bring peace to our inner minds by being present with our breath, something shifts. We gain clarity. We can see more clearly what words will help, what words will heal, what words will bring comfort instead of pain.
But without that mindfulness, without that inner peace, we lose our way. We get swept up in anger before we realize what's happening. We misunderstand people's intentions. We speak from hurt or frustration, and our words—without meaning to—create suffering for the very people we care about most.
How many times have we said something harsh to someone we love, only to regret it moments later? How many times have our words caused pain we never intended, simply because we spoke from inner chaos instead of inner calm?
When we are at peace, when we are present with our own breath and aware of our state of mind, we naturally speak differently. We pause before we react. We listen more deeply. We respond with care instead of impulse. We find words that build up instead of tear down, that soothe instead of wound, that bring understanding instead of creating distance.
It is such a beautiful thing to bring happiness to people with our words. To make them feel cared, valued, loved. To ease their suffering instead of adding to it. To speak in ways that heal rather than harm.
And it all starts with this: being mindful. Choosing peace for our inner minds. Noticing our breath. Paying attention to what we're feeling before we let those feelings determine what we say.
When we walk peacefully within ourselves, our words become gifts we can offer others with care and intention.
May we all learn to speak from that peaceful place. May our words bring more happiness and less suffering to everyone they touch.
May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace."
We went to bed with this piece of wisdom to reflect on.
May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace.
Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.
Speak softly. Speak kindly.
Before you speak, think:
Is it the truth?
Will it hurt anyone?
With Metta,
DA
