AVE MARIA! - Using the Power of Sky to Self-Heal

The Kingdom of Bhutan & Nepal – 6^th & 7th Chakra ISIS Initiations

The Ancient Wisdom of Tantric Buddhism

AVE MARIA! - Relax, Renew, and Recharge at a unique health spa located in an exotic location. Home to ancient healing centers of the ancient Chinese & spiritual cultures, spend time traveling to temples to discover hidden mysteries of Bhutan.

Journey into the mystical Buddhist kingdom, an unspoiled land lost in time resplendent with religious and cultural traditions, set in the stunning mountain ranges of the great Himalayas...

Nestled between China’s Tibet and India, Bhutan is an exotic kingdom steeped in Tantric Buddhism yet at the same time embracing, albeit ever so carefully, the trappings of modern technology.

Tantrism, both traditional and Buddhist, with its vast literature containing intricate ritualistic and philosophical details, occupies an important place in the religious and cultural life of India and other Asian countries. The subject however, still appears to be an enigma, notwithstanding numerous works in this field.

The word mandala itself is derived from the root manda, which means essence, to which the suffix la, meaning container, has been added. Thus, one obvious connotation of mandala is that it is a container of essence.

As an image, a mandala may symbolize both the mind and the body of the Buddha. In esoteric Buddhism the principle in the mandala is the presence of the Buddha in it, but images of deities are not necessary. They may be presented either as a wheel, a tree, or a jewel, or in any other symbolic manifestation.

Esoteric Buddhism is unique in presenting through visual images, the most abstract of concepts, which then acquire an intuitive simplicity, graspable by all. Thus there exists in Buddhism the concept of a rainbow body.

The ‘rainbow body’ is the penultimate transitional state of meditation in which matter begins to be transformed into pure light. It is said to be the highest state attainable in the realm of 'samsara' before the 'clear light' of Nirvana.

Indeed as much as the spectrum contains within itself all possible manifestations of light, and thus of color, the rainbow body signifies the awakening of the inner self to the complete reservoir of terrestrial knowledge that it is possible to access before stepping over the threshold to the state of Nirvana.

Understandably, when depicted in the visual arts, due to the profusion of colors, the result is spectacularly unique.

It is believed that merit is gained by attending their Religious festivals. The dances invoke the deities to wipe out misfortunes, increase luck and grant personal wishes.

Onlookers rarely fail to notice the Atsaras or clowns who move through the crowds mimicking the dancers and performing comic routines in their masks with long red noses. A group of ladies perform traditional Bhutanese dances during the intervals between mask dances.

Bhutan is a living ancient civilization, as if one has stepped back into the rich medieval age – with beautifully decorated chalet houses dotting the rolling green hills, colorful monasteries and prayer flags adorning the mountain sky line, friendly people in bright traditional costumes mixed with the crimson-robed monks – a culture that is reminiscent of Tibet yet so uniquely its own.

Bodhisattvas

A bodhisattva is defined as an individual who discovers the source of the Ultimate Truth better known as nirvana, but postpones his own enlightenment until he has guided all his fellow beings to this same source of fulfillment, a formidable task to say the least. The path of the bodhisattva is thus one of extreme self-denial and selflessness.

According to the Lankavatara sutra (4th century BC):

" A bodhisattva wishes to help all beings attain nirvana. He must therefore refuse to enter nirvana himself, as he cannot apparently render any services to the living beings of the worlds after his own nirvana.

He thus finds himself in the rather illogical position of pointing the way to nirvana for other beings, while he himself stays in this world of suffering in order to do good to all creatures. This is his great sacrifice for others. He has taken the great Vow: "I shall not enter into final nirvana before all beings have been liberated."

He does not realize the highest liberation for himself, as he cannot abandon other beings to their fate. He has said: "I must lead all beings to liberation. I will stay here till the end, even for the sake of one living soul."

The word 'bodhisattva' itself is prone to a rich etymological analysis.

It is composed of two words 'bodhi' and 'sattva' both of which connote deeply spiritually meanings. Bodhi means "awakening" or "enlightenment," and sattva means "sentient being." 

Today Bhutan is open to tourists with a budget strictly not of the shoestring variety, and provided the trips are kept within defined restrictions. This system of imposing high prices for the privilege of a glimpse into the protected land is the result of a deliberate policy to avoid the destructive effects of its illustrious neighbor, Nepal

Join us on a fantasy tour of the Himalayas, an ancient wisdom adventure sure to help you re-discover the bodhisattva essence  of your divine self.