Yup, this pretty much sums it up. 


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One experience gifted to me that I will never forget was a blessing from Nechung, the State Oracle of Tibet.  This private blessing took place in 2006, and was given to me from my dear Buddhist monk friend, Lama Tenzin.  A gift that still blows me away. 

Nechung, also known as "Kuten La." is considered to be the right hand man and spiritual adviser to the Dalai Lama.  Coupled with this, Kuten La holds a cabinet level position with the exiled government of Tibet.  He is also a mystic, shaman, healer and overall incredible presence to be with.

(Taken directly from http://nechung.org/oracle/about.php)
The Nechung Oracle, Dorje Drakden, is the Emissary of the Five Kings, primarily an emanation of the King of Speech. He is the actual presence that speaks through the Nechung Medium. His manifestation is similar to a wise elder and has a wrathful persona of an ancient lord. He speaks in poetic verse, and in symbolic actions. When in trance, the Medium is dressed in the ceremonial garb of ancient times. He is consulted only by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Ministers of State, and high Lamas with questions on important issues.

It is the spirit of the Oracle that is reincarnated over again into different physical bodies.  Just prior to the Chinese Invasion in 1959, it was the Oracle that devised the plan and escape route for the Dalai Lama out of Tibet and into safe passage through to India.

For this blessing I was with a small group of friends (there were 4 of us) and we arrived at a small, humble house in Albany that was providing lodging for Kuten La and the 25 Buddhist monks from India that he traveled with.  This was all part of a fund raising tour across the US. They hoped to raise funds to build a new monastery in India.

It was pretty wild. Tibetan royalty and an entourage of monks, all of them crashed in this nondescript house that a local Tibetan refugee has lived in for several years.  The owner naturally offered his home to them. We were led into a room and sat down on the floor, prayer style.  Kuten La then began the ceremony which consisted of chants, bells, incense and lots of good juju.  He went into trance and then he took each of us individually up to kneel before him at the small platform that he was sitting.  When my turn came he led me by the hand and I knelt before him.  He chanted a beautiful song and pulled my head directly into his chest.  He held prayer beads that he rubbed across my back, and his hypnotic chants lulled me into a deep state of peace.  At one point, he pushed me gently back from him and then proceeding to blow his breath over me, starting at my head.  As his breath cascaded down me like a waterfall, I could feel a nectar of pure love.

After my blessing was complete and some silence had passed he looked at me and asked if I had any questions of him.  I responded that I really didn't have anything specific but I was curious about re-occurring dreams in which I keep seeing African Lions. I then told him some of these dreams.  He thought deeply for a moment and then said to me, "this is very, very good."  "You see, when people suffer there is a voice, when animals suffer, there is no voice."  He then gave me a packet of holy seeds to take with me.  He then stopped and thought for a second and said "no, take two of them, you're going to Africa." 
 
I've been reflecting on this magical gift I was given as I get ready for my next trip.  I will have the absolute honor of connecting with two incredible people that have dedicated their lives to giving a voice to the voiceless; Lion Man, Gareth Patterson and Karin Saks, aka Baboon Woman.   

I'm in the process of trying to raise funds for Karin to continue her vital work.  Karin rescues and rehabilitates primates that have been shot, snared and poisoned due to conflicts with humans in South Africa. If you feel moved or want to learn more, click here

XO,
Maggie

I'm leaving March 5th, on a flight from JFK to South Africa.  This will be my 5th trip and it looks like I'll be starting out in the Western Cape, in the coastal town of Knysna. South Africa is a place I keep going back to (usually after some life changing event) and my travels back and forth now feel more like a migration than a vacation. It is a place I go to reconnect, recharge and heal as I move through this crazy thing called life.  For this trip I am both honored and thrilled to be doing some volunteer work for Nikela.  Nikela is a US based nonprofit that is dedicated to wildlife conservation in South Africa; their business model interesting and admirable.  It ensures that more of your donation dollars go directly to people on the ground in Africa doing incredible work.  Nikela acts as a "donation portal" or hub for a variety of wildlife projects that they have personally vetted and qualified through a vigorous certification process.  Nikela then works to increase awareness and raise funds here in the US for these projects. 

My job for Nikela when I get to South Africa is pure fun.  I get to deliver a donation check to primate expert, Karin Saks, the founder of Darwin Primate Group.  Karin is a remarkable woman that runs a primate rescue and rehab center.  She cares for the primates regarded as "pests" that are often shot or snared because of conflicts with humans.  Her rescue/rehab work is endless and she is committed to educating people about how to reduce wildlife conflicts. You can read more here

Originally I was content with just delivering a donation check.  Now, I want make things interesting. I want to do more and help increase this donation if I can. 

Can you help?  You can donate on the Nikela web site to help Karin continue her vital work.  You can also use Causes on Facebook.  I just set up Causes so it should be working.  Let me know if it isn't. 

One thing to add;  Nikela is a 501(c)(3), your donations are tax deductible and, your US dollar donation goes much further in South Africa.

Thanks for listening, and for caring. 

~ Maggie

 Surrogate mother Vervet Monkey and orphan.  Photo courtesy of Darwin Primate Group.

Sometimes, like with a child, you have to watch your altered ego every moment to keep it from generating emotions that are not in alignment with your soul's values.  ~ Solano

I just love this! 

 
Last night I was underwater and looking at the ocean floor.  I saw two major oil pipelines rising up.  They had been buried in the sediment and were now moving.  I saw shore birds running along the pipeline underwater.  I watched them run, and then fall and get trapped.  For some reason I felt this was in Alaska.  

I wake up to read the following news from Montana. 

When is the madness going to end?

Osho From the False to the Truth Chapter 7

The "control of nature" is a phrase conceived in arrogance, born of the Neanderthal age of biology and philosophy, when it was supposed that nature exists for the convenience of man.....It is our alarming misfortune that so primitive a science has armed itself with the most modern and terrible weapons, and that in turning them against the insects it has also turned them against the earth.  ~ Rachel Carson

"Funny thing is... no matter what we do, no matter how hard we try or strive, no matter how much we struggle to survive, in the end... it's all just impermanence.... life is all about impermanence..." Told to me in my dream by a young woman dying of cancer.  ~ Julia Butterfly Hill

It makes me wonder...since it's all about impermanence.....what is all the fuss about then? ~ Maggie

Who better to have discussion with about karma than a Tibetan refugee? 

I also can't help but notice one recurring trend in my life.  I seem to have discussions of the greatest depth when I'm out doing everyday, ordinary things like running errands.  Deep, philosophical topics with extraordinary people seem to seek me out, and our paths cross when I least expect it.  Or perhaps, am I the one seeking them out? 

Anyway, back to my Tibetan friend.  He is a local merchant that owns a Tibetan import business in downtown San Rafael.  While shopping in his store on 4th Street, he proceeds to tell me the story of his family escaping from Tibet soon after the Chinese invasion.  He mentions that both his parents were active in Tibetan protests and his father spent time in a Chinese prison for his activism.  Because of this, they have his name and if he were to enter into Tibet, he would be arrested. 

My friend then says with a big smile on his face, "what is the karma of the Tibetan people, that we have to suffer so much at the hands of the Chinese?"   What did we do collectively as a people, in our previous lives that warrant us losing our homeland and our rights to the Chinese?"  We are a peace loving people, and want no ill harm to any sentient beings, but something must have happened in our history to cause this much suffering to us now." 

...is the first step.   Check this story in the Marin Independent Journal out, and then this one in the San Francisco Chronicle.  They both hit this week, after WildCare alerted the media and started an online petition to protest a proposed crime against nature.

Since awareness is important, I do welcome the exposure.  WildCare took a leadership position on this critical issue as soon as I got wind of what was being proposed.  Reporters have been calling, and I have an interview tomorrow with NPR. 

In a nutshell, the US Fish & Wildlife Service is proposing to carpet bomb the South Farallon Islands with rat poison.  The Farallon National Wildlife Refuge has been designated by Congress as wilderness.  The proposal being considered would be the aerial dropping of TONS (exact amount not specified yet) of loose rat poison scattered across the islands. 

It still blows my mind that this is seriously being considered. 

You can find my letter to US Fish & Wildlife about this here on my latest Huffington Post entry.

To learn more and sign WildCare's petition click here