On Thurs 7 Aug 08 @9PM I had a deeply moving and spiritual experience when I lit candles and deeyas for Tibet. This was in unison with everyone in my time zone and done globally. I'd like to explore this and share my experiences with you and hear yours as we participate in universal collective prayer events together. I hope to work together with all the universe's beings as we move toward the ideal of Universal Collective Prayer.

Come join me in Universal Collective Prayer!

May God Bless Us All!

UCP-Universal Collective Prayer is produced by Meady's Musings Production . Copyright 2006-2011

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Universal Collective Prayer in Action Courtesy Tibetan Government in Exile


Photo republished from the Tibetan Government in Exile web page - http://www.tibet.net

Today the Tibetan Government in Exile carried out a day of fasting and prayer I say carried out since it was done in India and that is about 9 hours ahead of Trinidad time I believe so fasting there that started at 7 AM will be finishing off at 7 PM there which is about 10 AM Trinidad time. The web is buzzing today with details on the fast so I won't go into it here as a simple seach for 'The Tibetan Government in Exile' on google or other search engines will give you all the details of the fasting and prayer being carried out for healing of pain and sufferring caused by all the riots etc. and the health of the Dalai Lama. Well any search outside of China that is! That's the thing about Universal Collective Prayer it can happen in any space and time and it is just like the candle4tibet experience again. So the people in India and that region would have started off as they are in the East but the fast then continues on into different time zones as you move westward. In this case it is a 12 hours fast so you also have where in the period of 7 AM to 10 AM in Trinidad we would have been fasting and praying while the people in India would have still be in their 12 hour period.The Dalai Lama although hospitalised for 'abdominal pain and exhaustion' also took part in this fast in India it seems from a press release.

I'm off to a nature retreat and it is a very long drive for me so I don't plan to fast the whole 12 hours. I plan to pray along the way in my heart and mind in the best way I know how. If you read my other blog postings you might realise that these days I'm a Shiv Bhakt (devotee) so you I will be comtemplating on Shiv as I see him as the the supreme guru and a super yogi...I think looking at the murti image I'm attaching below says it all at least for me! So I contemplate on his image and try to emulate his strength and determination in yoga, meditation and self realization. Please reflect on the image if you like too. I say plan as the kind of nagging that has already started by some of my family members even before the trip and with road conditions unknown...I can only plan to do so...as I'm not perfect and on the personal level it won't be collective prayer since I can't guarantee the mindset of others in my car. But at least on the universal scale there is collective prayer.

However, I invite all to take part in Universal Collective Prayer today with me in the best way you know how. The image I'm attaching below is of a Shiv murti in Rishikesh India that I have the permission to use from a friend I made on Flickr called Jarmo Tuisk and through his kindness and generosity I can use it here. He gave me this right when I shared with him how much the image meant to me and how much it inspired me. Thanks again Jarmo and Shiv's blessings!


I also look forward to comments here or otherwise on this experience. May God Bless Us All!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

May God Fill Us All with Universal Love and Compassion!


Today I launch the blog Universal Collective Prayer. It is the morning of the celebration of Krishna Janamashtami. I'm republishing this beautiful image from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International Art Gallery of Yashoda Maa bathing the Baby Krishna as according to Vedic culture, Hinduism and especially Vaishnavism the Lord Vishnu appeared in his 8th incarnation on the earth in the form of the Baby Krishna on this night. This afternoon I will perform Satnarayan (Satyanarayan) Katha a ritual that worships the Narayan form of Vishnu and celebrates the power of Sat- Truth and the Lord Narayan is worshiped as the embodiment of Truth in this prayer. The Katha is a story that illustrates the power of Truth. Later on into the evening I plan to join with others across the globe in Lighting Candles for Tibet (in my case only deeyas this time) and then will join with the rest of the Hindu world in the commemoration of Baby Krishna's appearance on earth by celebrating Krishna Janamashtami at 12 PM tonight.

When I first envisioned this it was based on the fact that the two events coincided- the candle4tibet event which Ive been involved in http://meadysmusings.blogspot.com and Krishna Janamashtami. Even before I realized this I had planned to do the lighting for Tibet this time at my home after a puja and I had figured on the celebration of Truth hence the Satyanarayan Katha. I had enjoyed my first candle4tibet event so much but did not have the strength or felt the local interest would be there for another public lighting. I figured it did not matter if it was public as the power of collective prayer could be felt at my home and by linking up with others in spirit globally. So I was going to experiment with this instead. However realizing that the day coincided with Krishna Janamashtami celebrations here. I opted to start at home and then take it to the local temple. I'm yet to see how this entire universal collective prayer experience will turn out and of course I plan to share it here on this blog.

However after the beautiful experience that was the Candle4Tibet event on Thurs 7 Aug 08. Ive been having so many mixed feelings...with Buddhists (converts mostly) coming and going on about their religion. People letting me know that H.H. Dalai Lama is not a vegetarian. People mouthing off to me bout what my heritage and the truth bout what my lineage may or may not really be. I guess oh Lord help us all the questions of who is right and who is wrong plagued us all as usual! These things sully the prayers. And if you believe in reincarnation as many who follow eastern thoughts do we will all have experiences as different races, sex, religion, caste and class at some point in our existence so...really so what?! It made me realize too that the Truth as powerful as it maybe is always relative and can so easily be sullied. To be honest in all of this I don't know what is the Sat? What is the Truth? But simply this which I guess is my Sat, my Truth. Perhaps that is what it as Shakespeare so famously wrote 'To Thine Ownself Be True' and that's all we can do. Our life on this earth is meant to be an experience for us to be able in the long run, no matter how many lifetimes it takes, to learn love and compassion for all beings. And there it was I found for now what is the Truth to fill out in my religion slot on Facebook! I changed it real fast from Hindu/Buddhist/Spiritualist to this after my recent experiences.

So I go into this evening's proceedings (as it thunders and rains here very much as it did according to the Vedic tale on the day that Baby Krishna came to earth) with this in my heart... this in my prayers. No matter who we are where our ancestors came from or how we choose to worship... Let us all show each other love and compassion. I truly believe this and so this is my truth that if we all focus on this and practice this piece by piece and as we get better at it...the truth will prevail...and we will all of a sudden realise that LOVE IS ALL THERE IS! (and I think I may have just quoted a Beatles song there...no rights infringement intended) Please reflect on my loaner pic from the Bhaktivedanta people and look at the love and beauty in it. A mother lovingly bathing her baby. Don't bother too much bout who was right and who was wrong who came first or who came last. Who was better and who was best or who is right now or wrong now. May God Bless Us All and fill Us with Love and Compassion to All Beings of the Universe!

I also look fwd to the next event on Sat 30 Aug when the Tibetan Governtment in exile is hosting a global day of fasting and prayer. As quoted on the website www.tibet.net-

The committee has appealed to the Tibetan supporters, champions of truth and non-violence around the world to join in this non-violent effort to reduce one's defilements and to create wisdom and compassion in the minds of the oppressor.

It aims to bring solace to the departed souls of all those Tibetans and who are still enduring atrocities under the brutal Chinese oppression from their sufferings, and for the truth of Tibetan issue to prevail soon.

While observing the fast, people will recite prayers to enhance the collective merits of the Tibetan and Chinese people and long and healthy life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.


Copyright Meady's Musings Production 2006-2013