Full Flower Moon and Wesak

Today is the full moon called atantal, the "camas blooming time", by the Kalapuya of our area, and the Flower Moon by others, because - well - May flowers!

The flowers in my garden are a delicate reminder to me to project a gentle, honest spirit (less cactus, more columbine).

We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the shift to the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon.

Today is also Wesak (pronounced way-sak). The full moon in May is the day that Buddhists honor the birth of Gautama Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal, in 623 BCE, and also honor his enlightenment and death. Buddhists all over the world celebrate this day by pausing to remember the Buddha's virtues, expressing their gratitude and appreciation for his teachings, and by finding ways to be more Buddha-like.

Agenda Today: 

1. Take a vision walk

2. Celebrate synergy

3. Read "How to Keep House While Drowning"

4. Find ways to be more Buddha-like

5. Make a lantern
6. Cook Hath Maaluwa (Seven Vegetables Curry)

1. Take a vision walk:
The full moon shines a bright light on everything, and I might experience intuitive and creative breakthroughs. I might be shocked by the clarity of my insights. I might see some ugliness - the full moon illuminates all the things I've left in the shadows, some heavy truths and some embarrassing mistakes.

Today I call on the Spirit of Light to guide me, bring me clarity and open my eyes. What is the Truth that is coming into focus for me now? 

What is the creation that is growing and blooming in my life? How are things changing or transitioning?

Can I see it clearly or is it foggy? Is it a gentle, flowing change or a bumpy ride? 

What is the right action I'm taking to move in the direction of paradise?

How do I remain flexible and open to changes?

2. Celebrate synergy:

My theme this month is synergy - the ability to seek unity, embrace teamwork, live holistically, and work tirelessly towards a better end. Synergy is the eternally active primal force of creation: No matter what the conditions are, they will change. You create synergy in your life when you make the effort to see clearly, stay open-minded, and take persistent right action. Synergy will allow you to experience the people in your life as angels, and the places you live, work, and play as paradise.

Today I remind myself of my intentions for the month, and then celebrate how far I've come, give thanks for the lessons learned and the blessings received, and reaffirm this theme for the next two weeks. Each month I choose a different way to celebrate the full moon, and I am ready to celebrate synergy today in these ways:

1. Go to a Qigong class!
2. Cut an Earth stencil
3. Play Trivia with my family.

3. Read "How to Keep House While Drowning":

I just got this little book by KC Davis (2020) from the library, and it looks great! It covers care tasks - cooking, cleaning, laundry, dishes, and hygiene - and explains how complex these really are, and how overwhelm and energy fatigue can so easily stop you from carrying them out successfully, and why that failure brings such a baggage of shame and self-loathing.

Her philosophy is "You don't exist to serve your space; your space exists to serve you. ... There is a big difference between being on a journey of worthiness and being on a journey of care."

Chapter One is Care Tasks are Morally Neutral. In a nutshell, she says that being good or bad at these tasks has nothing to do with being a good person, or in deserving praise or love. This is a good reminder for me, because I DO correlate completing tasks with being worthy, and I do feel like a lazy person if I'm not keeping up.

4. Find ways to be more Buddha-like:

Little Buddha, May 2022

Buddhists celebrate Wesak by finding ways to be more Buddha-like: By practicing meditation, visiting monasteries, listening to sermons from venerable monks and nuns, serving free vegetarian meals to poor people, making donations to charities, and distributing gifts.

Today I will enjoy a good work out in a very zen qigong way, and I will do my chores (garbages, duck care, and laundry) with self-kindness and peace.

5. Make a lantern:

Many Buddhists in Asia decorate their homes for Wesak with flags and elaborate lanterns. One year I made a tissue paper lantern called an atapattama. They are usually made out of thin pieces of bamboo, but I found a good video demonstration on YouTube showing a simple wire technique. (look here for how to make my Wesak lantern shown here, and from another year, look here.)

6. Cook Hath Maaluwa (Seven Vegetables Curry):
Buddhists all over the world refrain from eating meat on this day, and serve vegetarian meals to poor people. 

This tasty vegetarian curry is from Sri Lanka; you can use any seven vegetables that are in season in your area. The recipe is here.