I Am Buddha

I wasn't planning on blogging today. And then something so weird happened, that I just began to write.

Let me warn you ahead of time, many of you will laugh at this. If not a full-blown "HA", you will definitely be smirking. And if you don't smirk, you will close this page before you finish reading.

However, if you have just the least bit of curiosity, I applaud your faith.

I usually meditate outside. Nature is calming and nature is my inspiration.

Today, however, I did it in my bedroom. There I was, sitting cross-legged upon my blue carpeted floor. I was headphone-d into my laptop, as I listened to a guided meditation. I had my eyelids resting peacefully upon my bottom lashes, head balanced perfected above my spine, sitting tall upon my sitting bones. I was deeply focused on the mantra "I am open to love."

As I repeated this phrase silently in my mind, I time travelled back to a former guided meditation. During this prior experience, I was guided to look across at me at a person whom loved me, supported me and in whom I could trust. I found myself envisioning myself as a younger Jaime. For some reason, I saw a smiling high-school Jaime, about 16 years old. I was wearing a white t-shirt, my hair down and I was just smiling a carefree smile. I wasn't worried about the future. I wasn't immature. I wasn't taking life seriously. I was confident. I was smiling a smile that said "what is the matter? you have nothing to worry about. I am here, and you can trust in me, and it all works out."

I continued with today's meditation. "I am open to love." My mind began to wander, but I came back to this mantra. I listened to my breathing and I focussed my awareness on my heart. I envisioned it swelling with love. My heart became so large in my chest and I was fully aware of it beating.

My eyes had been closed gently for quite awhile now, when they gradually cracked open and I caught a glimpse of my computer screen.

Expecting to see the Guided Meditation Page, I was terrified in awe at what I saw instead.

It was me for a second, and then I quickly morphed into Buddha.

My computer screen had gone black, and in my dimly lit room, I could easily see my reflection, as if it were a mirror. I had my hair tied up in a bun (coincidentally) that was wrapped loosely and sitting on top of my head in an all too familiar hair-do. My eyes were only slightly parted and my mouth wore an almost non-existent, yet very apparent, smile.

I'm not sure if I was dizzy from the meditation or drunk with love, but it was impossible to deny that I resembled his truly, Buddha.

It's so very silly... yet so very simple.


Where is the light? Where is God? Where is Buddha? Where is love? Where is your soul? Where is whatever it is that you believe in?

It is in you.
          It is all around you.
                      It is everywhere.

It is You.

You just have to awaken it.

So very simple...

But I bet most of us forget to do it!

How to look at it a little more practical? Here are some ways I know the light is there in the Universe:

-the smell of the salty sea and the feeling of the crisp breeze on my face as I sit on the beach looking out at the ocean

-laughing at the top of my lungs, as I connect squinting eyes with my best friends, my stomach aching shortly after in welcomed pain

-dancing with Latin music running through my veins, with not a clue as to how to dance salsa, but not a care in the world as to how I look doing it

-running down the sidewalk, music blaring in my ears, feeling the power in my legs as I watch my feet move one in front of the other in perfect rhythm

-the feeling of bliss singing at the top of my lungs alone in my house in El Salvador when its pounding rain on my tin roof

-the peace of mind that comes during and after a beautiful meditation

Weed (s)

I over-meditate. 

I still have no official job (although, I now have an offer), but I do work a solid 10 hours a day, regardless.

Let me define work (in my terms): n. anything that contributes to the advancement of my commitments in life.   ex. At work today I sat on my ass and explored the different realms of the universe.

I’m joking, but don’t laugh. 

Depending on how you sit, it may be the best investment of your life. Practicing meditation routinely has been the greatest work I have done in a long time. 

As I continue the journey of a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, I have been blessed to have felt some amazing transformations. 

#1 being, I love who I am and where I am today. 

= a benefit of over-meditation.

What do I mean by this? Well, over the average 10 hours a day I work, 4 of them are dedicated to meditation or activities of spirituality. Some examples are, but not limited to, guided meditation in the mornings, unguided meditation by the river or in nature, reading Paulo Coelho, watching Deepak Chopra’s you-tube clips, yoga & stretch, running, and reflection.

One particular day last week, I was at Rockwood Park sitting by the river with my little sister, Amanda. We had just finished a game of catch and were ready to plop down next to our already exhausted dog under the shade of a weeping willow tree. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind me taking 30 minutes to do some meditation.

Before I got started, we sat down and Amanda pointed out a thick weed that was growing in front of us. “Look at all of it’s thorns” she said and I looked in agreement at the spiky plant the world had planted before us.

It was then that I meditated on weeds...(not weed, although I suppose that would also reveal similar outer-being experiences). However, I prefer to get high with a little help from my friends, Deepak & Rumi. 

Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that most people’s general reaction to weeds is:

Bad.

Ugly.

Remove.

But take a minute and step back. Reflect. 

Call me Buddha, but a weed has a soul.  Maybe, being born as human beings, we have a bigger purpose in life. But, weeds, too, have a soul; a reason for being; a little purpose in life- to survive, to grow, even to proliferate. Sure, they have spiky thorns, as Amanda pointed out...

But don’t we, as human beings, as well?

Who are we? We are us. We are, who we are. Well, wait a minute... who do you think you are? Are you conscious of that? Because what I have realized, is that sometimes we are not sure. Or sometimes we forget. Or sometimes, we forget to look. 

A lot of the time, society tells us who we are. We grow thorns and we forget about our soul. Overtime, we have been conditioned by society...by external factors...usually, subconsciously.

Our parents tell us, “we need an education”...go to the best University, right after high school, study business- so we invest $40,000 in the system.

Society tells us, “we need a job”...to have insurance, to save- so we lock ourselves in cubicle-cages.

Bars tell us “you’ll have a good time”...to drink, relax, & have fun- so we go out, we drunk text & then lose our cell phone. 

And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that.

*Those are our thorns coming out*

...our protection/our safety & security

...our coping mechanisms. 

But, what is important, is that we remember who we are at heart.

Behind all this, 

Who are we?

Why are we here?

What are our commitments in life?

It is important to remember to be conscious about that. Don’t become a thorny, prickly mess, without remembering your soul.

Meditate - on weeds.

...not on weed.

The Happiness Formula

The following is a traditional short story found in "One Hundred Wisdom Stories From Around the World" by Margaret Silf.

There was once a good and sincere man who was searching for the way to happiness, searching for the way to truth. One day, he went to seek out a wise old man who, so he had been assured, would be able to show him the way he was searching for. 

The wise old man received him warmly, as he sat at the door of his tent. After serving the seeker a glass of mint tea, the wise old man readily revealed the secret of the route to happiness and truth.

'It's a long way from here, to be sure,' he said. 'But you can't miss it. You will come to a village that I will describe to you, and right at the heart of that village, you will find three little shops. There, the secret of happiness and of truth will be revealed to you.'

It was indeed a very long way. The seeker passed along many valleys and across many rivers. Eventually, he arrived at the village, where his heart told him, 'This is the place. Yes, this is the place you are seeing.'

And sure enough, there in the heart of the village were three little shops. But when he went inside them the seeker was deeply disappointed. In the first shop, all he found were some reels of wire. In the second, there was nothing more exciting than a few pieces of wood. And in the third, there was just some roughly shaped metal.

Weary and discouraged, he left the village again, and found a resting place for the night in a little clearing not too far away. Night fell. The full moon filled the clearing with a gentle glow. And just as he was on the point of falling asleep, the searcher heard a sublime melody coming form the direction of the village. What magical instrument could be giving rise to such perfect harmony?

Quickly, he rose to his feet and walked towards where he thought the musician must be. And there, to his amazement, he discovered that the celestial music was coming from a man playing a zither. And the zither, he could plainly see, had been made from the wire, the wood and the metal pieces he had so despised earlier in the day when he had seen them for sale in the three little shops in the village.

At that moment, he understood that happiness is the union of everything that has already been given to us.

O sea (spanglish), 'if life gives you lemons, make lemonade'. 

....But I'm guessing most of us just let those lemons rot, huh? Try having a fresh glass :)

...no sugar.