Monday, August 29, 2011

What Are Your Sutras?

Since reading the book, " The Path To Love", by Deepak Chopra I have been collecting, and writing sutras. Actually, I have been collecting them and writing some of my own for many years before ever hearing the word sutras or knowing what they were. There are many kinds of sutras. In Sanskrit, it translates into the word "thread".

Deepak Chopra describes a sutra being, "an aphorism or formula that expresses some fundamental truth about consciousness." Rumi said, " Love is the sea where intellect drowns," this is a sutra. Sutras express your frame of mind in the present moment, or where you are, along the road in the journey of life. As a recovering person, 17 years in a 12 Step program, we have our own sutras that we call, " Slogans." They are powerful tools that help us live our daily lives in recovery, if we use them.

Over the past week, I have heard Jack Layton express sutras in his letter to Canadians, what Steven Lewis referred to as being a Manifesto.  I have been reflecting deeply on these and what Jack said and believed, and it is timely for me to be doing so, as I am soon returning to University to finish my last year of University upon graduating in the Spring 2012. I have many goals to achieve and look forward to the coming year with much anticipation and excitement.

Sutras are a insightful and tangible way to enable my focus in fulfilling my objectives and goals. I would call them very specific self-talk, meditation and prayer.

In one of my many journals I keep, every year I write out what is called a soul bargain, in a little booklet I have also for my sutras, based on the spiritual meaning of love, measured by what it can do, and what it is supposed to accomplish. Here is the list.

Love is meant to heal.
Love is meant to renew.
Love is meant to make us safe.
Love is meant to inspire us with it's power.
Love is meant to make us certain, without doubt.
Love is meant to oust all fear.
Love is meant to unveil immortality.
Love is meant to bring peace.
Love is meant to harmonize differences.
Love is meant to bring us closer to God.

After I write out what it is I want from Love, in a detailed and complete manner, as specific as I can make it, I put it away, in a safe place, and then I am attentive over the passing months, believing that Love will respond. There is nothing more for me to do but these four things. When I feel love, act on it. Speak my heart. Be truthful. Remain open.

Today, as I finished writing my new soul bargain for the coming year, I now have a very special collection of sutras from Jack Layton which I will never forget and want to always keep close to my heart.






2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Cathy, Thanks for that post I learned alot. Did some googling found this Metta sutra (reminds me of the Desiderata):
This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in saftey,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for your comment and posting the Metta Sutra. It's very beautiful, with much guiding wisdom about peace, humility and kindness. I will certainly add this to my collection! Thank you again very much. Catherine