My Memorial Day 2008 - Praying for Peace with Jesus and Tibet

On Memorial day 2008 I awoke early and watered my new grass seed and fed the birds.  I got dressed for Temple and went to the Maui Dharma Center for prayers with the Venerable Lama Gyaltsen.  Now that i have a car again, i am going to do these morning prayers as often as possible.  We did prayers of Confession & Purification, Refuge, Bodhicitta, 35 Buddhas, Dorje Sempa, 21 Taras, Guru Yoga & Dedication. http://www.mauidharmacenter.org/    After prayers ended at 7:45 I drove a short distance to work.  on this day I worked with my friend Sonam and her sister Gangtso - they are my Tibetan family - we cleaned together at Willie Nelsons house.  We always have fun working

Julie, Gangtso, Sonam in 2006

Mover of Mountains on Memorial Day, Lord Buddha I love you

Gangtso made us tea and we all had a nice chat.  We touched on American Politics and told them i thought that Obama talks out of both sides of his mouth and both sides are weak.  they laughed.  it's just my opinion....
after tea i headed up to visit my Friends Mouna and Radha who are my friends/family from India .  Radha and I are friends and we like playing together. 

Julie, Mouna, and Radha in 2007

. Radha and me had a playdate for swimming.  The other day when i was at her house hanging out with her we went and hung our feet in the pool.  She said hey let's play pretend.  I said 'ok!'  she said there's baby Ganesha and baby Buddha in the pool.  I said, "oh, Radha!  I love how you play pretend"  We decided then that the next time i came over we would go swimming with baby Ganesha and baby Buddha! :)  So, Memorial day was our swim date
                                                                          

Summer2008 061

We said a prayer that all children could get to go swimming and have fun and have lunch afterwards just like us.  I silently prayed for an end to war and at times had to hold back my tears.  She recently turned 4 and i made her a Peace Princess Photo Album and gave her the crown we pass around. ( i first gave it to Sonam on her 40th birthday last year.  She put it on Radha's head during the party and then a couple months later gave the crown back to me - I've been using it on my altars and in pictures, Now it sits with Radha to keep)

Radha's Princess Club Crown

Swimming with Radha on Memorial Day

After playing i came home and tuned into the Oprah Winfrey show like I do everyday!  I was thrilled to see that it was about  Teens from around the World becoming 'O Ambassadors' and building schools and helping transform our planet people to people.  I was having a perfect day until not 5 minutes into the show there was an Animal Sacrifice.   It was in Kenya where they were building a school and apparently the local tradition was to publically sacrifice and innocent lamb.  I get intense emotional pain when i see such rituals. ' I understand Oprah's job is to report what is real and what really happens, but the moment I realized what was happening - i turned off the TV.  I couldn't bear it.  The tradition passed down through so many human cultures of 'sacrificing the innocent' is appalling to me and it is the root of our problems.  Nothing needs to "die" to bring good luck.  I'm so very tired of the human tradition of killing.  the little goat was on a leash feeling that it was going to be sacrificed - it was led around - surrounded by human beings - all looking at it - it was scared and then humans killed it.  I screamed NOOOOOO as i realized what was going to happen, but of course it was too late.  none of the children screamed no, but many of them cried and did not like having to witness this custom.  i cried many tears after the imprint of the sacrifice was marked on my consciousness.  I felt great emotional pain.

My day has now turned from heavenly to painful reality.  In my Maui cocoon, I have heaven experiences, but turning on the tv i join the larger picture.  after Oprah came the news which brought stories of hostages, war, and more painful realities.  Next came a knock on my door.  My neighbor came over crying.  She is from the country Romania and is alone here on Maui.  She is 5months pregnant with her boyfriends baby. It was unplanned and she is feeling unwanted by her boyfriend and says he is cold to her and makes her feel like a thorn in his eye.  She is an artist but has no job right now and is scared and sad, but growing and learning about independence and strength as her heart deals with realities.

Art by my neighbor Iriana

 It was hard for me to sit with her because i kept thinking what on earth is she going to do with this baby?  she was sad because her relationship is going sour  and the reality that the prince charming and fairy tale just don't feel good.  the reality of and delusion of love with man and sex with man and pregnancy with man can be very painful and disappointing (to say the least).   i told her her job is become independent and make decisions for the well being of the soul growing in her.  I brought up adoption.  After talking a while i got frustrated b/c it is hard for me to see girls try to hang onto boys who make them feel unwanted and a burden - especially after planting their seeds.  I felt knots in my stomach as she was talking.  I am not a good person to talk to regarding relationships.  I learned that last night.
I don't know how to help her - yet.  i'd love to find someone who has a space to welcome her and doesn't maybe require money right away.  allow her to feel wanted somewhere - to relax and become the inner mother.  to cook and paint and allow her inner creativity to blossom forth as the soul grows.  then perhaps a celestial painting would spring forth and be of value to someone who would buy it.  then the person helping her with housing could get paid too - just not right away.  I wish for her a Father figure or a Big Brother.  Since so many daughters are alone in the world without fathers or reliable mothers - maybe extended family could step in.  I wish for her what I have in my Now reality.  I prayed a long time ago to have shelter provided so that i could write my prayers.  One man named Kins Loree allowed me to live and care for his house while it was on the market for sale in Maui, Hawaii.  I lived here for six months before the new owners bought the home - when they bought it - they kept me here with them and included me as part of the home.  I have lived here now for over 2 years with my shelter provided for Free.  My inner creativity has flourished as has my health and inner healing.  Shared resources without necessarily money changing hands is an act of spiritual family.  one day i know i will be able to sell words for money but it felt better to me to give them away for free - i know my landlords will be compensated one day for the tremendous gift they have given me with providing a loving shelter and a peaceful home where i felt wanted and needed and loved. 

My Landlord Angels: Lyman and Dan in 2006

 This is what i pray comes to Iriana.  A place where she can awaken and share her gifts and thrive - and then create revenue from her service.  I am going to ask her to be my model for a Speak for Universal Motherhood Campaign i am initiating.  Sisters of Nations helping sisters of nations.  I will compensate her - when I am generating revenue.  the only thing that pays me money is my Maid Service work.  Lucky for me, my Landlords do not await money and never make me feel like I am 'living off of them" they treat me as an equal and a valuable human being.  I feel at home and yet they were strangers 1.5 years ago.  I live in kindness and i live with man.  but not husband or boyfriend.  Just friend Man.  that is what i want for Iriana.  A man who wants to role play hero but not lover.  Just provider and angel for global woman with child.
that was my day and those are my prayers for this Memorial Day 2008.  Peace and Aloha, Julie Christine