Make Me One with Everything
Friday’s Buddha is Loving and Giving Photo by Sandra Butel
I am Sandra Butel and this is my beautywalk.
beautywalk is my step by step discovery of the inherent beauty of both the external and internal spaces that make up my experience of life. As I move throughout time and space I am able to learn more and more both about my own internal beauty and about the beauty of the world (and the humans) around me. My intention is to use my writing and photography to share the insights and aha moments that have come to me on my travels so that they might bring hope and encouragement to you as you make your way through your own beautywalk of life.
Togetherness and Gratitude
My partner Francis and I have spent the last month in the spectacular country of Thailand. I feel incredibly grateful for the sheer volume of moments of wonder and colour and tastes and smells and sensations I have been lucky enough to have the time and attention to fully appreciate as I take in the beauty of the people and places around me. Having my best friend and soul mate at my side has made the experience that much more special. We have found our ways towards a peaceful coexistence and have gained skills in asking for the time and space and support that we need as we weave along the organically drawn maps of our travels together.
My guy … Photo by Sandra Butel
Buddha Nature
I felt the influence of Buddhism everywhere we went in Thailand. With the ubiquity of the Buddhist images and the reverence and dedication of both the monks and the Thai people in the numerous temples that we found on nearly every street corner, there was such a special feeling of calm and peacefulness everywhere we went. We heard no raised voices and saw no conflict between people nor did we hear any horns honking or see much suffering on the street. My own spiritual practice was heightened and I felt quite at home sitting on the ground, or under a tree focusing on my breath and on the gratitude in my heart as I took in the beautiful surroundings of one of the many temples that we visited.
Spiritual ‘Aha’
I had a few profound experiences during my temple visits, one of which sticks out in my mind and heart as most spiritually significant to me on my personal journey. My spiritual ‘aha’ moment occurred in a temple in Chiang Mai that Francis and I stumbled upon on our first day there. There was some action going on inside with tents set up and people gathered and our curiosity drew us inside to see what was going on.
I could feel myself hanging back, trying to get a feel for the place as I wanted to make sure to be respectful of the Thai people and their religious practices. This has been a common habit of mine on my travels, as I make every effort to be a quiet observer of the people whose daily life and practices I have been granted permission as a ‘fà-ràng’ (foreigner) to experience. I watched the locals who took their turns lighting red candles and placing them in the fountain to join the floating parade of other believers and their deepest hopes and dreams. I observed and took some pictures of the flowers and golden leaves that were being hung from the trees and settled into the general peaceful feeling of the temple and gardens around me.
Reflections on Spirituality photo by Sandra Butel
Face to Face with Humanity
In my efforts to stay out of the main action and the lineup of people who were readying themselves for their rituals in the middle of the ancient temple I found myself under a tree face to face with a carved wooden statue whose hands were held in the Thai greeting referred to as the “wai”, with her head slightly bowed and her palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. I was moved, as I had been so many other times over the last three weeks, to mirror her yogic posture of the palms as a sign of our mutual recognition of one another as equally valuable human beings. As I held my hands tightly against one another and pressed them up against my heart I felt a sense of peace and openness that brought tears to my eyes. Here I was, a human being face to face with the image of another human being who had lived so many centuries before. Our meeting was taking place in the midst of a crowd of human beings who were going about their daily spiritual practices.
Face to Face by Sandra Butel
One with Everything
On closer inspection I noticed a fly crawling along the wooden face of my new friend. Here I was, with flies visiting me every few minutes or so and tickling my legs to bring me back to being in the moment. Our mutual “bugging” by the attentions of the common fly brought my heart into an even deeper connection that went beyond human kind and into the world of nature and her creatures. It is hard to explain but at that moment I felt completely at one with everything in the whole wide world. I was reminded of the old joke about the Buddhist monk who went up to a hot dog vendor who asked him “Hey buddy, what can I make you?” “Make me one with everything” replies the Buddhist.
In addition to the warmth emanating from my heart, the tears that were streaming down my cheeks, and the flies tickling my legs, I felt a sense of playfulness as the old joke filtered up from the recesses of my brain. I felt a profound connection to all that is and to all that has come before. The boundaries of ego and culture and language and gender dissolved for me and I was just spirit connecting to spirit in all that was around me.
This is Sandra Butel and this is my beautywalk. What is yours?
What moments of deep connection are awaiting you in your everyday?
What is the nature of your own spiritual beautywalk and what is one step you could take to dedicate more energy to it?
Open Heart Open Arms by Sandra Butel
A Note from Coach Sandra
A word here with my coach hat on. This blog is not meant to push you into doing something you are not ready to do. As I know very well from my personal work and my work with clients, the work and readiness has to come from a place deep inside of you and you have to be fully willing to look at your habits and thoughts and patterns. No one else can decide for you when, and indeed if, coaching is right for you.
If you feel ready to venture (a few steps at a time) on your own beautywalk, establishing a relationship with a coach is a great way to get started. All of the coaches I know offer the first session for free - to give you an idea of what coaching is and what it can do for you. Most importantly this initial session lets both you and the coach see if you are a good fit for one another.
If you want to get yourself into my calendar for a free beautywalk session I would be delighted to meet with you to give you more information. If either of us decides we are not the right fit for one another, I will be happy to suggest other coaches that may be a better fit for you and your areas of interest.
Resources for Further Study and Personal Growth
For more on Buddhist thought with a North American twist, I love the work of Pema Chodron, an American Tibetan-Buddhist nun. She has written several books and the latest one that Francis and I enjoyed listening to in audio book format while travelling in Thailand is called “True Happiness”. This was a collection of talks that Pema gave at a retreat and it was such a treat to not only hear her teachings but also to hear her lighthearted and comfortable way of speaking.
My new program From Worry to Worthy offers you an opportunity to investigate your own spiritual path and find ways to live truly into the beauty of your own heart. Check out the full program details and book your first free session with me to get started. Friends and Family discount applied to all newsletter subscribers and your friends and family too!
If you are interested in signing up for TrustedHouseSitters you can get a 25% discount (as well as pass on 2 free months of membership to me in the process).
I am Sandra Butel and this is my beautywalk. What’s yours?
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