13 Day schedule and Mindfulness Meditation a Buddhist/Mayan Hybrid

I don't think I have posted anything about how important the combination of the Mayan Calendar and Buddhism have been for my spiritual development (not to mention many of the other Shamanistic, Hindu and other religious beliefs and practices I draw from, but these two are my base). The combination of "true Western” and Eastern spirituality seems to have united both hemispheres of my brain. I am more connected to the biosphere and much more sensitive and spiritual than at any point in my life.

To try and go into great detail and pour everything that is in my head into this post would be really difficult so I am not going to attempt it here, although at times is may seem like I am! I am simply going to detail how I use both traditions in my practice. Based on my experience I am convinced that the Mayan people deeply understood the energies that come with each new day and thus created a calendar that works best with the energies that are created as the earth, solar system and galaxy journey through space and time.

The one aspect of the Mayan Calendar I will deal with on this post is how I work through the 13 day week the Mayans called the Trecena. For the Mayan people each week has a dominant energy that is sort of the thread that runs through those 13 days. In addition every day in that week (13 days) has its own unique energy. I have been able, like a lot of people, to make a comfortable Buddhist Mayan hybrid that has enhanced my spiritual potential and ability to be more in tune with creation. This Calendar is what I use as my foundation for "spiritual time." This East-West combination is what I call the East West Hybrid experience.

So, I'll kind of explain how I use the two. Essentially every morning I wake up and go to my shrine room. I take a look at my Mayan Calendar and see what the energy of that day is. I read over the recommendations on how to work with that energy and mindfully start the day. When the new 13 day week begins I review the notes from the previous week I have made in my journal and make goals for the next week based on the dominant energy for that week. I also lay out my meditation practice schedule and will read from a selection of Buddhist Sutras for those 13 days. So, for example the last 13 day cycle began Tuesday September 23. The dominant energy or thread of energy for the next 13 days of this cycle is the sun sign of Dog and this period is most conducive to enjoying family and friends. So, I simply try to flow with that energy, be mindful of it work with it instead of against it. (The new Trecena begins this Monday 10/6/08).

In addition, during the next thirteen days I will practice an aspect of Metta Meditation and work on developing the 1st Jhana stage of concentration meditation. I also look ahead in the week and try to make certain plans based on the energies that may be more conducive for my goals and purposes. One example is that I post to this blog on the sun sign of Wind ( which comes around every 20 days). This is the Mayan sun sign I was born under and is most conducive to spirituality, communication and new ideas. This is one example of how I try to cooperate and use these spiritual energies. So, once I have taken a look at the calendar and get an idea on the energy for the day I start practicing loving kindness meditation in which I quietly recite the following:

May I be well happy and peaceful,
May no harm come to me,
May I always meet with spiritual success,
May I also have patience, courage, understanding and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems and failures in life.
May I always rise above them with morality, integrity, forgiveness, compassion, mindfulness and wisdom.

May my parents...
May my teachers...
May my relatives...
May my friends...
May all indifferent persons...
May all unfriendly persons...
May all living beings...

From there I move into concentration practice by following the breath and once I have gained some level of concentration I transition into mindfulness or insight meditation.

As I go through the day I work to stay present and mindful of the moment to moment experience of existence and also tune in to the energies that the day has created. Each hour on the hour I stop what I'm doing and think:

May I be free of envy,
May I be free of hatred,
May I be free of worry,
May my mind be peaceful,
Just like me, may all beings, all living beings, all beings awaiting birth,
May they be free of envy,
May they be free of hatred,
May they be free of worry,
May their minds be peaceful,
May they be free of sorrow,
May they not be separated from happiness they have achieved.

I also practice this meditation in the evening when I get home as well. When the new 13 day period begins (10/6/08) I will start practicing what is called Odisa Pharana Metta which expands thoughts of loving kindness to more specific groups of people. As I mentioned earlier I also pick a particular teaching from the Buddha and that will be my lesson for the next 13 days.

The thing I like most about the Mayan Calendar is its potential to bind all of humanity together which is most certainly the case for loving kindness meditation as well.

Regarding the Mayan calendar, these energies are not specific to a particular time of birth, although that element is there, but for the most part every one, if they tune into the same station sort of speak, can pick up the same signal and work together in a harmonic way. This is not to say that everyone is going to experience the same energy in the same way. It’s not that cut and dry. Some people will experience the energies in positive or negative ways. The point is to learn how to flow with them and not to try and control them but to work with those energies. For me this is where the Buddhist teachings that all conditioned things are impermanent, involve suffering and are without a permanent self help to negotiate through the constant flux of existence.

If you are interested in exploring this spiritual "East-West hybrid" there are two web sites I rely heavily upon for information and learning. For the Mayan Calendar there is the Mayan Majix web site. Mayan Majix produces a wonderful daily planner and other articles about the Mayan Calendar. For instruction on Buddhist Meditation, I follow the Theravada branch of Buddhism, there is the Bhavana Society web site. Here you can down load guided meditations to practice along with talks.

This has worked really well for me as I have searched for the best practice that suits my temperament and goals. If you find it helpful as you move along your spiritual path that would be great.

May you be well, happy and peaceful! May only the best things in life be your experience.