It's been a while since I've told you about the Gratefulness.org website. It's a wonderful place to go for consolation and inspiration and one of the things you can do there is light a virtual candle. We light a candle for someone's intention. That's a way of saying that we dedicate the action of actually lighting the candle as well as the symbolism of the light for a particular purpose. It's a way of helping us focus. Try it - both on line and in real life! (But be sure with real candles never to leave them unattended.)
UPDATE: I was wandering among the candles lit on the Gratefulness.org website and found this message by a candle:
Dearest Godchild Hannah, May my suffering be a substitute for your suffering now and forever. Blessings on your week!
— Aunt Shelly from NY, United States
This is an intuitive form of Tonglen - the "taking and sending" Tibetan meditation. How wonderful! A very fine instruction on this form of prayer or meditation is the little essay by Pema Chödrön called THE PRACTICE OF TONGLEN. Do click through and read it.
What a wonderful web-site. I was surprised at how calming it was to do the labyrinth. Lighting a candle felt as if I was giving a special gift to someone.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ellie.
Carolyn L.