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Tag: Spirituality

3 signs your intuition is trying to tell you something by Jeanette

05 January 2018

Today we are seeing an emergence of a great wave of spiritual seekers and awakened souls who have taken their first tumble into the rabbit hole. The discovery of new information gives rise to a new way of thinking; which gives rise to a new way of thinking; which gives rise to a new way of thinking…And what we often end up with is a confused state of being where nothing makes sense and everything is second guessed. As we navigate the bombardment of spiritual advice from the multitude of gurus and teachers via various platforms over the internet; seemingly simple decisions can become a mammoth task. What road should I take? Did I do the right thing? What we often hear in response to many of these concerns is the long-standing adage of “follow your intuition”. Which sounds great in theory, but for those of us who are just beginning our journey into the abyss and haven’t gotten into a pattern of accepting our intuition as the 6th sense- this undertaking sounds nigh impossible. But there are some simple ways that we can begin this life-long love affair with our higher self, a two-way communication which can be developed and deepened with practice. What starts out as the whisper of a breeze can eventuate into an unquestionable knowing. So here are 3 signs that your intuition is trying to tell you something. What you do with that ‘something’ is entirely up to you Indecision A seemingly redundant concept when it’s often what got you here in the first place. But indecision is often the first warning sign that what your intuition is trying to tell you is at war with your ego. Now the next step is deciding which option originates from your ego and which from your intuition. The theme we all seem to be playing out in the collective consciousness right now is the recognition and releasing of fear. So, a question we can ask ourselves is; if I didn’t have  to worry about money, self-judgement or someone else’s opinion, what would I do? Justifying your decision If you find yourself feeling the need to justify your actions to others and especially to yourself, this can often be a sign that you went against your intuition. Subconsciously you may know you went against your best interests and now you are trying to self-soothe by creating stories to appease […]

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Walking in the shadows by Jeanette

21 December 2017

“Soul work is not a high road. It is a deep fall into an unforgiving darkness that won’t let you go until you find the song that sings you home”  McCall Erickson   In what seems like an ever-increasing time of confusion and political turmoil we, as a society have come to a crossroads. Do we face with frankness the world we have created? Or do we continue to bury our heads in the sand and hope for a better world. For those that choose the red pill, the journey must begin with ourselves. It is the realisation that we and we alone have created this reality we now must live in. It is the choices that we’ve made that have lead us down this path, and it is the manifestation of our thoughts that this world is shaped upon. So we ask ourselves; how did we let it get this bad? What exists in the dark recesses of our minds that have allowed the creation of wars and famine? Thus, begins the journey into our minds and drawing into light all the shadows we’ve denied for so long. As those of you who have already been on this path will attest to- it is not a pleasant experience. The moment you start to truly see yourself in all its ugliness, is the moment you realise that your life has been built on a lie. We all strive to be perceived as a ‘good person’ and often refuse to admit that we played a hand in someone else’s pain. What excuses did we make up to justify our actions?     “A thousand times we die in one life. We crumble, break and tear apart until the layers of illusion are burned away and all that is left, is the truth of who and what we really are” Teal Scott             As we travel through the labyrinth of our minds, through all the twists and turns, to face the monsters in the dark, we arrive at the dark night of the soul. It is here where we learn the greatest lesson of all; forgiveness. To accept that the world, like ourselves, is full of flaws- is to begin the path to self-love. When we let go of self-judgement do we begin to free our energy for the greater things in life.       “When […]

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An Aussie in Dharamshala by Stéphanie

25 May 2017

So what’s an Aussie girl doing in Dharamshala? I come from a corporate environment. A dog-eat-dog world where, as an ABC (Australian born Chinese) woman I’ve not only had to battle against the corporate glass ceiling but a bamboo one as well. Long work weeks and back-to-back meetings dominated my time as I trained a team of staff to take over my role. Whether by fate or subconscious manifestation I found myself at a crossroads not long ago. Do I continue in a company that, out of desperation finally offered me the promotion I should have gotten long ago? Or do I give it all up and step into the unknown. I chose the latter. And so, began a series of events and synchronicities that led to me selling my apartment and packing my bags for India. I had decided to leave the bustling streets of Sydney where everyone is in a rush to get somewhere, and head to the small town of Mcleod Ganj where no one is in a rush to get anywhere. As the current home of H.H. the Dalai Lama, I had ‘eat-pray-love-esque’ expectations of finding a wise old guru who would impart pearls of universal wisdom. And that I would, in a sudden flash of realization, reach enlightenment and then disappear in a puff of smoke like the ancient Mayans did so very long ago. Well I’m still here. So we all know what happened with that little fantasy. My first few days were spent in a rented apartment with nothing more than a bed and a side table. Nothing. No chairs, no wardrobe, no internet. It was here that I learned the art of squat bathing and eating in the dark when the electricity cut out. Here in the mountains, the smog of Delhi is replaced by the dirt from the terrains. A fine dusting of earth coats practically every surface and one learns here to be perpetually ‘dirty’. The 1st world princess in me balked at having to sit on the dusty ground the first time around and no amount of hand sanitiser was going to keep my hands in salubrious condition. It’s here, in a place where people seemingly have ‘nothing’, that you realise they have everything. When your choice of soaps are ‘option A’ or ‘option A’, you come to appreciate that it’s not about the presence of ‘organic jojoba extracts […]

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Kalachakra initiation 2017 to be held in Bodh Gaya by Tashi

Bodhgaya

07 January 2016

Omalaya Travel is happy to offer its customized Kalachakra tours to India to the devotees wishing to attend the precious Kalachakra 2017 Empowerment teaching. Omalaya-designed spiritual journeys are rooted in individual’s quest for self discovery and we incorporate the same outlook in designing the Kalachakra 2017 tour package. Omalaya Travel operated a successful Kalachakra tour to Ladakh in 2014. Omalaya-led devotees can receive Kalachakra initiation, teaching & empowerment under the expert guidance of tour’s spiritual guides like Geshe Tsering with Dr Chok and Geshe Lobsang with Tulku Phuljung. His Holiness the Dalai Lama would preside  the Kalachakra 2017 initiation to be held in Bodh Gaya, India from  3rd to 14th January  2017. This will be the 34th such initiation given by the Dalai Lama and the fifth time in Bodh Gaya. He has previously given Kalachakra initiations in Bodh Gaya in 1974, 1985, 2003 and 2012. What is Kalachakra? Kalachakra is a concept that is strongly associated with the Vajrayana sect of Buddhism. The term is derived from two words Kāla which means time and Chakra which means wheel. According to this concept, the events of the universe occur in a cyclical pattern. According to this religion, time is perceived as a symbol of change. For instance, a year is a measurement of change involved in the Earth revolving around the Sun. These changes are cyclical in nature although they might not replicate in the exact same manner each time. What is Kalachakra initiation? Kalachakra initiation is a process that empowers Buddhist pupils to practice the Kalachakra Laghutantra (also known as Kalachakra Tantra) in order to attain Buddhahood. The Kalachakra Laghutantra is a treatise that contains Buddhist philosophies, commentaries and meditation practices. The empowerment ritual is performed over a period of three days after the completion of the preliminary preparatory steps. During these three days of the actual empowerment, the disciples take part in various Buddhist rituals in order to obtain Kalachakra empowerment. The experience is divine and unforgettable even for a casual observer and is one that would stay in our memories even long after its end. Omalaya brings you a unique opportunity to witness the 34th Kalachakra initiation. For more information, please click here. You can also watch the video below to know more about Kalachakra 2017.

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The Rock Roof Temple of Ladakh by Stéphanie

Rock Roof Temple in Ladakh

22 August 2015

Thakthok Monastery Thakthok Monastery is a Buddhist monastery located near Shakti village, 46km east of Leh. The name ‘Thakthok’ means ‘rock roof’ and both the monastery’s roof and walls are built from rock. Thakthok is the only Nyingma monastery in Ladakh and is home to around 55 lamas. It was founded around the mid-16th century during the reign of Tshewang Namgyal, on a mountainside around a cave in which Padmasambhava is said to have meditated in the eighth century. Every year, on the ninth and tenth day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar,celebrations including sacred dances are held at the monastery.   ‘To Earth’, a poem written by our Enlish-language editor Matthew Singh-Toor (Meditation whilst sitting on a wall opposite the Rinpoche’s residence At Thakthok Monastery)   Three boxes, Rectangular, Side by side, The middle box shorter, No divide. (The Rinpoche within Nods). * Three boxes, Uniform Against rock. Rock chaotic, Strata diagonal. Hewn and polished Spliced and eroded, Fissured and curved, Corners rounded.   (The Rinpoche within Muses on A line of scripture). * Four windows Cross-barred black, Grimy, Reflecting grey In heavy wooden frames. Maroon frames, Black borders, Thick paint On the whitewashed façade Of dripped plaster. Discoloured.   (The Rinpoche within Presses his fingertips together). * Five prayer flags, Yellow, green, red, white, blue, Against rock, lichen-rusted And the vast blue sky, Deep and flat and even, Ready to engulf.   (The Rinpoche within Listens). * Five creatures, Moo, chirp, buzz, bark, coo. Flutter of wings, flags, polythene against broken window. Shush and hush of breeze. Roar and honk, approaching, receding.   (The Rinpoche within Murmurs). My eyelids droop closed. * Fingertips graze rough plaster, Skimming chalky over sun-warmed distemper. Palms grow gargantuan to cup rounded corners. Eyelashes flutter over prayer flags, Flutter-tickled in return.   (The Rinpoche within Looks down from the window) * To earth, sand and scrub, Rock chipped, shattered, Shards scattered. I revive in the dust, Prostrate.   (The Rinpoche within Sees everything).

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Your guide to the holy city of Varanasi by Julianne

The holy city of Varanasi

17 July 2015

Varanasi – one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world with more than three thousand years of documented history. Also known as Kasi or Benares, this city is perhaps as old as civilization itself. Awestruck by the legend of this city, the great English author Mark Twain himself once remarked, ‘Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.’ Apart from being known for its long past, the city occupies a significant and in fact a central position in Hindu religion. It is one of the seven most sacred cities in Hindu mythology. Scores of pilgrims descend upon the hundred odd ghats that line up the river Ganges to take a holy dip which they believe would wash away a lifetime of sins. Hinduism believes in a repetitive cycle of life and death. It is believed that dying here would liberate a person from this cycle and provide him salvation. Every day, at dusk, a ritual known as the Ganga Arti is performed by a group of priests in honor of supreme Hindu God Lord Shiva, River Ganges, the Sun God (Surya), The Fire God (Agni) and the entire Universe. Moreover, the most rigorous rites and rituals pertaining to life and death are performed on banks of the river every day. It is no wonder Varanasi is called the spiritual capital of India. For a first-timer, the experience is likely to be overwhelming. It is easy to become perplexed by the huge maze of narrow alleys, the unrelenting flow of people, the ceaseless chaos and not to mention the annoying touts. However, despite all these hardships, a visit to this city would certainly be a deeply enriching experience. It is no exaggeration to state that Varanasi is a unique ecosystem and the memories of this ancient Indian habitat would linger in your minds even long after you have bid adieu Omalaya organizes two exceptional tours to Varanasi namely ‘Journey to the heart of Indian wisdom’ and ‘Buddha’s Path’. To know more about our Journey to the heart of Indian wisdom, please click here. To know more about our Buddha’s Path, please click here.

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