Radha to Krishna
You planted your pink lotus seeds
Inside my heart
And opened me up like a radiant flower.
~ Dawn Pisturino ~
2011; August 12, 2022
Copyright 2011-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
When Krishna Plays His Flute
When Krishna plays his flute, all of life stops, frozen into silence and immobility by the wondrous beauty of the music. Even the rivers and streams stop flowing, or flow backwards, as all of nature absorbs the astounding mystical quality of his presence. The whole universe responds with ecstasy and joy. The cow girls (Gopis) fall in love with Krishna all over again. Life itself renews, growing fuller and greener and more resplendent with vigor and energy. Flowers appear more fragrant and lush.
Krishna represents Divine Love. His flute represents the human heart. When the heart is empty, like the flute, it is receptive to Krishna’s Divine Love. And when Krishna plays his flute, the whole universe is filled with his Divine Love.
Dawn Pisturino
January 20, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
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World Prayers for Peace
Hindu Prayer for Peace
Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real.
Oh God, lead us from darkness to light.
Oh God, lead us from death to immortality.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all.
O Lord God Almighty, may there be peace in Celestial regions.
May there be peace on earth.
May the waters be appeasing.
May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all.
May all beneficent beings bring peace to us.
May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world.
May all things be a source of peace to us.
And may thy peace itself bestow peace on all.
And may that peace come to me also.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Om.
~
Buddhist Metta Prayer
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.
~
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
A Jewish Prayer for Peace
Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the Most High.
And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.
And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.
~
Muslim Prayer for Peace
O God! O our master!
You are eternal life and everlasting peace by Your essence and attributes.
The everlasting peace is from You and it returns to You.
O our Sustainer!
Grant us the life of true peace and usher us into the abode of peace.
O Glorious and Bounteous One!
You are blessed and sublime.
~
Peace be with you all!
Dawn Pisturino
January 18, 2022
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What are the Ten Niyamas (Observances) of Hinduism?
The Ten Niyamas (Observances) of Hinduism
Hri (remorse) – feeling shame and performing penance for misdeeds.
Santosha (contentment) – living a life that strives for joy, serenity, and peace of mind.
Dana (giving) – giving generously to others without expecting anything in return.
Astikya (faith) – maintaining a firm belief in God, the gods and goddesses, the spiritual teacher (guru), and living a life that follows the path to enlightenment.
Ishvarapujana (worship) – practicing daily puja (prayer) and meditation.
Siddhanta Shravana (scriptures) – studying the holy books and the teachings of wise teachers and holy men.
Mati (cognition) – under the guidance of a guru, gaining spiritual growth and wisdom.
Vrata (sacred vows) – live a life according to all religious vows, rules, and observances.
Japa (recitation) – chant holy mantras daily.
Tapas (austerity) – living a life without attachment to material things or the ego.
Hinduism strives to achieve a balance between avoiding unethical behavior and living a virtuous, spiritual life. The goal is to live in the world without being touched (or tainted) by the world. This takes a lifetime of practice, discipline, devotion, and commitment.
Dawn Pisturino
August 9, 2021
Copyright 2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Originally posted on my Cosmic Health Blog.
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The Butter Thief
Many years ago, a little boy named Krishna lived in a small village in India.
Every morning, the women of the village would milk the cows and churn the thick, sweet cream into golden butter. Then they would place the butter into cool clay pots.
Krishna loved butter. One day, he sneaked into a neighbor’s hut and stole the pot full of butter.
Sitting under a shady tree, Krishna shared the butter with some hungry monkeys. When they were all full, he threw the pot on the ground and broke it.
The next day, Krishna sneaked into another hut in the village. But the pot full of butter was sitting on a high shelf. Krishna could not reach it. He stacked some wooden boxes under the shelf. Then he climbed up the boxes and stole the pot full of butter.
Krishna shared the butter with his friend Balarama. They had fun smearing butter on each other’s faces. When they were both full, Krishna threw the pot into some bushes.
The next day, Krishna sneaked into another hut in the village. But the pot full of butter was hanging from the ceiling. Krishna could not reach it. He could not find any wooden boxes to stand on. But in the corner of the hut, Krishna found a long wooden stick. He broke the pot with the stick and ate all the butter.
As Krishna was licking butter from his fingers, a young woman entered the hut.
“Krishna, why have you stolen all the butter?” she said.
“Why do you accuse me of stealing?” Krishna asked. “There is plenty of butter in the village.”
The women of the village complained to Krishna’s mother. She saw the butter on Krishna’s face.
“Open your mouth and let me see,” she said to Krishna.
Krishna opened his mouth. But instead of teeth, tongue, and tonsils, Krishna’s mother saw the whole universe. She saw the sun, the moon, and all the planets. She saw all the stars in the Milky Way. She saw the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. She saw comets shooting across the sky.
Krishna’s mother was amazed at what she saw, but she thought it was all a dream. She scolded him for stealing the butter then held him on her lap.
The next morning, the women of the village found all their pots full of sweet golden butter. And they were never empty again.
Dawn Pisturino
2008
Copyright 2008-2020 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
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