Day 13 - Kindness Archery meditation part 1- With my own two hands (2006)

Dear one,

Today I felt I threw an arrow. Filled with arrows of gentleness and compassion in my heart, encompassed by a giant bow of love, I also send you kindness arrows towards your heart with my own two hands.
Here's a material that helps one to meditate on arrow mediation for dharma from this very good site on called  Archery and the Art of
Reducing Karma through Yoga
by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
http://www.swamij.com/archery-karma-yoga.htm
We will have four days doing this mediation, as it will help me to refine my goals. Hope we all can enjoy this beautiful meditation:

Part 1. Arrows in flight and Arrows in Hand

"Arrows in flight

Arrow already shot: The arrows in flight are the Karmas that have already started to play themselves out, either in our inner world or in the external world. These are the arrows that have already been shot. The arrows and our actions still in flight are called "Prarabhda Karma." 

They have to run their course: An arrow in flight cannot be called back. It must complete its journey.  Thoughts, speech, and actions that have been set in motion cannot be called back. They too will run their course, bringing consequences or fruits. (Some say that this Karma can be altered by grace.)

New decisions can help: New decisions can be made that balance out the effects of previously shot arrows. This is a good thing to do, as it improves the overall mixture of arrows in flight. However, the original arrows still move towards their fruition. 

Learning to accept our consequences: The lesson for the seeker of Self-Realization is to accept that there are physical, mental, emotional, social, cultural, familial, financial, or material consequences of all of our previous actions (shot arrows). These simply need to be accepted as realities from which we now move forward in our spiritual quest. 

The here and now: The arrows in flight need to be dealt with from the stance of the here-and-now, in the context of how we shoot today's arrows.

Arrows in hand
The arrows in hand are the most important: The arrows that are in our hands today are the ones that we currently have a choice about where to aim and how to shoot. The arrows and choices in our hands today are called "Kriyamana Karma" (also called "Agami Karma" or "Vartamana Karma").
Becoming more aware: To be aware of the nature of wants, wishes, desires, attractions or aversions is very important. By being aware of our motivations, we can consciously shoot the arrows by choice, rather than unconscious habit. 
Making good decisions: Through cultivating awareness and practicing conscious arrow shooting, we become better at aiming our arrows as well. We make good decisions about our thoughts, emotions, actions, and speech, rather than having these happen solely out of conditioned response. 
Formula for archery: So, the formula, starting with Awareness, is: 

• Awareness of motivations: Awareness of motivations allows us to learn to shoot arrows out of choice, rather than habit.
• Conscious arrow shooting: Through conscious arrow shooting, the aim gets better with practice.
• Outcomes improve: As the aim gets better, the outcomes are more favorable. 
• Net karma goes down: If the outcomes are more favorable, net Karma goes down. 

Primitive urges are the background motivation: Behind our actions are many thoughts, emotions, desires, samskaras, and primitive urges. By being aware of the process leading to actions, we can make wise choices about those actions.
(See "Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech, and Thoughts") 

Arrows in daily life: One may have either a few arrows, or many arrows in the quiver (little Karma or a lot of Karma), but what is important is how we deal with the Karma presenting to us in our lives today. This is the art of Archery and reducing Karma. The law of Karma is universal; as you sow, so shall you reap. The words and cultural contexts may differ, but the principle remains the same. Learning to be a Master Archer is the key to mastery over the bondage of Karma. 

Deciding what is the target: Where to aim our arrows is a critically important question. If we don't know what the target is, then it is rather difficult to aim well. Our arrows are shot almost at random, at every want, wish, desire, attraction, or aversion that pops up into the mind. 
Understanding the purpose of life: Deciding what is the target means to understand the purpose of life. If the Archer has a sense of the purpose of life, using whatever words best describe that personally, then there is a target that all of the arrows can be directed towards. It means that one's decisions are increasingly made in accordance with what brings one closer to the chosen target.

What actions will serve Self-realization?: For one who chooses Self-Realization as the target, then decisions are made on the basis of what brings one closer, or leads one further away from that Goal."

More on archery meditation soon.


A short visualização of how I feel inside today is in this beautiful song of Jack Jonshon and Ben Harper. Love arrows to you, lovely dance and good meditation!

May my own two hands throw this arrow of kindness aiming at your soul...for good karma.

Namaste!

"With My Own Two hands (Feat. Ben Harper)"

I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make a better place
With my own two hands
Make a kinder place
With my own
With my own two hands
I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I’m going to make it a brighter place
I’m going to make it a safer place
I’m going to help the human race
With my own
With my own two hands
I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you’ve got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
With our own
With our own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands