This is an amazing post, so detailed and clear. The visualization is incredible. I'm late to the party, only just now reading this, but I'm eager to try this. Thanks, Sandra. And I wish send you support for your health challenges.
Charlotte, I’m so pleased to hear your enthusiasm for this visualization. I find it extraordinary myself and felt compelled to share it. Wishing you the best with it. And thanks for the good wishes for my health.
What an incredible visualization. Thank you for sharing, Sandra! I find it difficult to visualize for whatever reason but this is such a clear method that sounds very approachable! The four powers section was especially interesting. It’s fascinating to learn these deeper, more esoteric techniques/ philosophies within Buddhism. I’ve read so much about Buddhism over the years, but you’re helping me see I didn’t even scratch the surface! Always love learning more about your journey too. Thank you for sharing this powerful practice!
Suzanne, It's amazing, isn't it! I'm glad the visualization resonated for you. It's hard for me to visualize the details too, but the general idea of washing away our past negativities and habitual patterns with the nectar of wisdom and compassion feels doable and exciting to me. Buddhism can be practiced simply, but you can also go deep and wide with it. Thank you again for your wonderful support!
Great article. Personal awareness always precedes personal transformation. I believe many try to skip over this step because of the pain it can create. Anything that has ever been of value to us always requires a little pain. When we recognize this fact we see not obstacles, but opportunities. Thanks for sharing!
Kelly, I'm so glad you mentioned that pain can be part of the process and can be the main reason we avoid personal growth. Difficult emotions can come up when we do this practice, but it's in the service of healing. Thanks so much for your support and reply.
Thanks Sandra, They say without pain we dont change. Unfortunately I find this to be true. Typically the pain that we are experiencing has to be greater than the pain of altering our current patterns. Its difficult….but its worth it! Thank you!
I was grateful reading your post and thankful for the vulnerability you shared, Sandra. I was sad to hear about your Buddhist teacher being abusive. I really appreciate the detailed step by step meditation, it is really useful. I have a bit of difficulty in the part of the visualisation about feeding the mouths of my Karmic creditors with a mix of wisdom nectar and sins, but not with the paying my debts idea or, indeed, forgiving people I might hold in karmic debt - this is really elemental. I transformed the essence into sorrow, sending instead sorrow and compassion, and wonder what this would be like.
Nick, Thank you. I'm glad you found value in the visualization. I can relate to your hesitation and appreciate your caring concern. The way I understand it and should have explained more clearly is that the negativities are dissolved into the nectar of wisdom of compassion, so your karmic creditors only receive goodness. All the best to you.
Interesting because you and I have some parallel paths. I, too, was raised in a Catholic environment and I have memories of going to confession and dreading it, and also making up sins because I just didn't have that exciting a life. Thank goodness that's behind me!
And also finding a pathway through Buddhism to work with old resentments. In the Soto Zen tradition in which I practice, we have a chant:
All my ancient twister karma
from beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion
born of body, speech, and mind
I now fully avow
Similar to the practice you share, it also invites us to take the first step in untangling old karma that hurts others as well as ourselves. If we can first acknowledge it, we can move on to releasing and healing.
I'm not usually a fan of voiceover Substack posts, but in the case of guided meditations and practices like this, I'd really love to hear you record it in your voice! It would be great to be guided through the practice in audio form -- just a suggestion.
Maia, I wonder how many kids made up sins in the confessional. It must be more than just the two of us! Thanks for sharing your similar experience as a young child in a Catholic environment. I love the chant that you shared from the Soto Zen tradition! Thank you for that. Acknowledgment is the first step, isn't it? That might sound nicer than "confession" for some of us. :-) As you say, it's the start of healing and releasing, and I wish that would be possible for everyone. That's a great idea about the voiceover for the guided meditation. I've wanted to do voiceovers on my posts but haven't had time so far. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. I appreciate it so much.
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and healing way to reframe what we typically think of as confession!
This is an amazing post, so detailed and clear. The visualization is incredible. I'm late to the party, only just now reading this, but I'm eager to try this. Thanks, Sandra. And I wish send you support for your health challenges.
Charlotte, I’m so pleased to hear your enthusiasm for this visualization. I find it extraordinary myself and felt compelled to share it. Wishing you the best with it. And thanks for the good wishes for my health.
What an incredible visualization. Thank you for sharing, Sandra! I find it difficult to visualize for whatever reason but this is such a clear method that sounds very approachable! The four powers section was especially interesting. It’s fascinating to learn these deeper, more esoteric techniques/ philosophies within Buddhism. I’ve read so much about Buddhism over the years, but you’re helping me see I didn’t even scratch the surface! Always love learning more about your journey too. Thank you for sharing this powerful practice!
Suzanne, It's amazing, isn't it! I'm glad the visualization resonated for you. It's hard for me to visualize the details too, but the general idea of washing away our past negativities and habitual patterns with the nectar of wisdom and compassion feels doable and exciting to me. Buddhism can be practiced simply, but you can also go deep and wide with it. Thank you again for your wonderful support!
Great article. Personal awareness always precedes personal transformation. I believe many try to skip over this step because of the pain it can create. Anything that has ever been of value to us always requires a little pain. When we recognize this fact we see not obstacles, but opportunities. Thanks for sharing!
Kelly, I'm so glad you mentioned that pain can be part of the process and can be the main reason we avoid personal growth. Difficult emotions can come up when we do this practice, but it's in the service of healing. Thanks so much for your support and reply.
Thanks Sandra, They say without pain we dont change. Unfortunately I find this to be true. Typically the pain that we are experiencing has to be greater than the pain of altering our current patterns. Its difficult….but its worth it! Thank you!
I was grateful reading your post and thankful for the vulnerability you shared, Sandra. I was sad to hear about your Buddhist teacher being abusive. I really appreciate the detailed step by step meditation, it is really useful. I have a bit of difficulty in the part of the visualisation about feeding the mouths of my Karmic creditors with a mix of wisdom nectar and sins, but not with the paying my debts idea or, indeed, forgiving people I might hold in karmic debt - this is really elemental. I transformed the essence into sorrow, sending instead sorrow and compassion, and wonder what this would be like.
Nick, Thank you. I'm glad you found value in the visualization. I can relate to your hesitation and appreciate your caring concern. The way I understand it and should have explained more clearly is that the negativities are dissolved into the nectar of wisdom of compassion, so your karmic creditors only receive goodness. All the best to you.
This is so interesting and helpful, Sandra.
Interesting because you and I have some parallel paths. I, too, was raised in a Catholic environment and I have memories of going to confession and dreading it, and also making up sins because I just didn't have that exciting a life. Thank goodness that's behind me!
And also finding a pathway through Buddhism to work with old resentments. In the Soto Zen tradition in which I practice, we have a chant:
All my ancient twister karma
from beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion
born of body, speech, and mind
I now fully avow
Similar to the practice you share, it also invites us to take the first step in untangling old karma that hurts others as well as ourselves. If we can first acknowledge it, we can move on to releasing and healing.
I'm not usually a fan of voiceover Substack posts, but in the case of guided meditations and practices like this, I'd really love to hear you record it in your voice! It would be great to be guided through the practice in audio form -- just a suggestion.
Maia, I wonder how many kids made up sins in the confessional. It must be more than just the two of us! Thanks for sharing your similar experience as a young child in a Catholic environment. I love the chant that you shared from the Soto Zen tradition! Thank you for that. Acknowledgment is the first step, isn't it? That might sound nicer than "confession" for some of us. :-) As you say, it's the start of healing and releasing, and I wish that would be possible for everyone. That's a great idea about the voiceover for the guided meditation. I've wanted to do voiceovers on my posts but haven't had time so far. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. I appreciate it so much.