Category: Zen
The lotus flower
The lotus flower represents a Buddhist metaphor. This beautiful flower blossoms in the middle of swamps, which represents the possibility for any individual to reach enlightenment, whatever his or her starting environment. The lotus draws its beauty from the darkness of the mud, which makes a reference to the Buddha who decided to give up his life of prince after seeing the old age and the death of his eyes. The lotus flower can symbolize the path of enlightenment:
• roots, purely material and below the surface of the water.
• leaves that open with the day above the surface of the water.
• Finally, the majestic flower that emerges from the heart and could be assimilated to enlightenment.
The lotus flower is related to the rebirth and development of the spirit. It symbolizes spiritual growth and the ability to rise beyond the obstacles of life.
Botany & history
As one of the oldest flowers on Earth and not much changed since its appearance, the lotus flower is paradoxically at the center of the most recent technological research ... It is its leaves that interest the researchers the most, and in particular their hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties, which allow them to remove all soils, even the most stubborn. This is the "lotus effect" due to a combination of electrical and physical properties at the nanometer scale, which makes the drops of water unable to adhere to the sheet, roll on it carrying away soiling. Researchers are now able to make self-cleaning windows inspired by these properties.
The sacred lotus also surprised scientists a few years ago because of the exceptional longevity of its seeds. In China, they found lotus seeds older than 1 000 in the dry bed of an ancient lake. They put them in cultivation ... and they managed to germinate them! This property is undoubtedly due to the hardness and the tightness of the envelope which protects the seeds.
They finally found that the sacred lotus flowers are "thermoregulatory": during the pollination period, they generate heat and can increase the ambient temperature up to 30 ° C! This would be a mechanism selected during evolution to attract pollinating animals.
Lotus Flower Jewelry
Omyoki offers Lotus Flower jewelry, designed in France and then handmade by talented artisans in India, Nepal and in Tibetan communities. Original creations, in limited editions, and sometimes as a unique piece. This video puts in image, this history of know-how and craftsmen.
Each workshop was visited, to check the working conditions, the quality of life and the fair remuneration of the craftsmen. A personal relationship has been established with each artisan, around countless teas and spending hours chatting, as it should be in Asian countries.
Mandala, a path to oneself
The mandala is a very elaborate design, formed of circles and concentric figures. Since the dawn of time, the circle has been the symbol of the cycle of life (birth, maturity, death, resurrection). But the elaborate mandala comes from Hinduism and Buddhism. The painting of these graphics is used as a means to channel the mind and bring about calm and inner peace. Mandala in Sanskrit means circle, and symbolizes the sphere, the environment, the community.
Why are we talking about it ?
Our logo is a mandala, did you notice that?
Definition of the Buddhist Mandala
In Buddhism, the mandala is used to meditate and reflect on the impermanence of life. The mandala is at the same time a summary of the spatial manifestation, an image of the world, and a representation of divine powers. Mandalas are full of symbols, all of which have meaning, and sometimes mystical characters. Some, very elaborate and codified, become semi-figurative, semi-abstract.
The sand mandala
To emphasize the impermanence of things, Buddhist monks make sand mandalas on rare occasions. Most of the time, it is made by 4 monks, who will spend days drawing the mandala, while the other monks of the monastery will meditate and pray. Each monk takes care of ¼ of the drawing and deposits colored sand with natural pigments. They use a small funnel-shaped tool, the chak-pure, to deposit the sand almost grain by grain. Gradually the drawings take shape to become true works of art. Once finished, the mandala will be scanned, in a snap.
Paintings
In Nepal, India and Tibet, artisans paint mandalas. Most are destined for Buddhist temples but also for Buddhist houses.
Mandala and nature
The mandala is the reflection of nature. It is found there, from the infinitely large to the infinitely small: from the spiral of galaxies to the planetary orbits of our solar system, celestial spheres with concentric shapes of crystals, snowflakes, flowers or atoms.
A bit of psychology
In 1928 the psychoanalyst Carl Jung introduces the mandala in the West. His studies show that when people go through difficult phases, they spontaneously draw rosette shapes. After conducting extensive research, Jung comes to the conclusion that in psychological terms, the mandala represents the totality of the person. He uses the drawing of mandalas for the therapeutic treatment of some of his patients. For Jung the mandalas inspire serenity and drawing them source of structure, balance, and harmony.
And nowadays ...
Today is a drawing that we find everywhere, in tattoos, jewelry, coloring for children ... If you want to learn how to make a mandala, here is a tuto Very well done. Here are some of Omyoki's mandala jewelry.
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Mala necklace, how to choose?
Composed of semi-precious stones, seeds or wood, the mala necklace can be very precious or extremely simple. The mala is a medium of meditation for Buddhists and Hindus. It is used to count the number of mantras recited in a loop. Buddhists use sound, the vibration of the voice, to channel the mind and detach it from the physical world. The recitation of mantras, these "prayers", is intended to bring calm and to direct the mind towards meditation.
Buddhists all over the world graze this rosary at various times of the day; and when not in use, wear it around the neck. A mala always stands with the left hand. It is degraded by pulling the grains toward you, symbolizing that one draws the beings out of the suffering and that one accumulates positive Karma during the practice.
Origins of the mala necklace
The term "Mala" is a word in Sanskrit (language of Hindu and Buddhist religious texts) which means “meditation garland”. Originally, malas were mostly used for a special style of meditation called “Japa” which means “to recite”. This is why malas are sometimes called japa mala.
How to choose the right size ?
When buying a mala on the internet it is difficult to realize the differences in size. The length of a mala necklace will be very different if the beads are 8mm or 6mm.
The length of a classic mala, with 108 beads of 8 mm will be about 50 cm, or 1 meter rolled. The length of a pearl mala 6 mm is about 35 cm, or 70 cm unwrapped.
The big differences between a mala multi-tower or mala necklace
The multi-tower malas that are worn on the wrist are elastic malas. This requires the mala to be very light. Multi-turn malas are usually composed of 6 mm beads or light seeds. Mala necklaces are made of 8 mm, 9 mm, or larger, threaded on thick and strong thread. It is often impossible to wear a traditional mala necklace in multi-turn wrist because the length rarely matches.
Why 108 pearls?
There are several reasons or concepts for the number of 108 pearls:
- 108 feelings: according to Buddhists, there are 108 feelings. 36 in connection with the past, 36 in connection with the present and 36 in connection with the future.
- Buddha has 108 names. In Hinduism, some gods also have 108 names.
- Buddha had to undergo 108 trials to attain enlightenment.
- According to Buddhism, there are 108 spiritual sufferings (kleshas).
- In yoga or tai chi, there would be 108 positions or movements.
- The Upanishads, this set of sacred and philosophical texts forming the theoretical basis of the Hindu religion, are 108.
- Numbers 1, 0 and 8: In Hinduism, 1 represents god, 0 means emptiness and humility found in spiritual practice and 8 symbolizes the infinite.
- In Buddhism, there are 108 sins to avoid, and 108 virtues to cultivate.
Cultural wink
For Christians, the rosary is an instrument of prayer. It is composed of 53 grains, 5 series of 10 prayers and 5 various prayer grains.
Among Muslims, the rosary or tasbih is used to recite the repetition including the names of Allah's names and the glorification of God after prayers. He stands with his right hand.
Small introduction to meditation
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