Mirror, mirror

[Guest]

We are all each other's mirrors~!
So how we view each other and the world really says a lot about how we view oursleves.  If we stalk this, we can learn a lot about ourselves, and thus can heal parts of ourselves that maybe we didn't fully realize needed healing. 





Psychological projection is a defense mechanism where a person unconsciously denies his or her own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, which are then
ascribed to the outside world, such as to other people. Thus, projection
involves imagining or projecting the belief that others have those feelings.

Projection reduces anxiety by allowing the expression of the unwanted unconscious impulses or desires without letting the conscious mind recognize them.

An example of this behavior might be blaming someone else
for self failure. The mind may avoid the discomfort of consciously
admitting personal faults by keeping those feelings unconscious, and by
redirecting  satisfaction by attaching, or "projecting," those
same faults onto another person or object.
Remember that we are all mirrors for each other.  And if we remember that, we can learn a great many lessons. 



In Mayan tradition there is a greeting that many people working with
Mayan wisdom know of. It is In Lak'ech. We understand In Lak'ech to mean
I am another yourself (A modern day interpretation) and also means I am
you, and You are me (A traditional Mayan interpretation) We have come
to understand that this Mayan greeting is an honoring for each other and
a statement of unity. In Lak'ech mirrors the same sediment of other
beautiful greetings such as Namaste for East India and Wiracocha for the
Inca.  In Lak'ech is
more than an honorable Maya greeting. It is a moral code. It is a way
to live, not only with human beings, but with ALL forms of life in our
cosmos!
Good to remember~!

[Nu Lang]

Beautiful thread En! Great insights.



I love Escher. Good transition thread too...in 8 days will begin the White Mirror wavespell, around these very themes.



The mirror...in a way the Eagle could instead be a giant mirror. And when you die you face it...and if you are not emotionally triggered by what it shows you...you can pass. Just another way of looking at it, not saying this is what happens but I often think it's good to perceive like this in that we need to be detached when facing our fate (recap thoroughly, be brutally honest upon self but in a compassionate easy way), but not so detached because what we will have is our path with heart to remember our purpose and what we do care about, but not earthy cares, but rather warrior's wonders.



When facing difficult parts of self, I sometimes use the visual of the fish...in Buddhism it represents the ever-open eyes of compassion so this helps me face difficult memories or realiztions and move on, shed them, knowing compassion is an eternal force that witnesses me/us. This leads us to release of guilt, shame, blame, all those conditioned reactions we were 'taught' to intend forth.



I think ultimately we need to make the declaration of innocence when standing before the "cosmic mirror". So your thread here compliments this one, so I'll link it http://sorcery.yuku.com/topic/3171/The- ... -Innocence

[Guest]

Nu Lang wrote:Beautiful thread En! Great insights.



I love Escher. Good transition thread too...in 8 days will begin the White Mirror wavespell, around these very themes.



Sweet!

[Guest]

Buddhism
Is the Mirror That Perfectly Reflects Our Lives

Another Gosho states: "A bronze mirror
may reflect the body but not the mind. The mirror of the Lotus Sutra reflects
not only our physical form but our inner being as well. Furthermore, the
sutra mirrors, with complete clarity, one’s past karma and its future effect"
(Gosho Zenshu, p. 1521). 

Mirrors reflect our outward form.
The mirror of Buddhism, however, reveals the intangible aspect of our lives.
Mirrors, which function by virtue of the laws of light and reflection,
are a product of human wisdom. On the other hand, the Gohonzon, based on
the Law of the universe and life itself, is the culmination of the Buddha’s
wisdom and makes it possible for us to attain Buddhahood by providing us
with a means of perceiving the true aspect of our life.

Just as a mirror is indispensable
for putting your face and hair in order, you need a mirror that reveals
the depths of your life if you are to lead a happier and more beautiful
existence. 

Incidentally, as indicated in the
Daishonin’s reference to a bronze mirror in the above Gosho passage, mirrors
in ancient times were made of polished metal alloys such as bronze, nickel,
and steel. 

The oldest metallic mirrors to be
unearthed were found in China and Egypt. Older still are mirrors made of
polished stone surfaces and those that used water. Suffice it to say that
the history of mirrors is as old as that of the human race. It is perhaps
an inborn human instinct to want to look at one’s own face. 

These ancient mirrors, unlike today’s
mirrors that are made of glass, could only produce somewhat blurred reflections
of images. Consequently, the first glance in a glass mirror caused a great
sensation. 

The first time the Japanese encountered
a glass mirror was in 1551. Francis Xavier is credited with having brought
one with him when he came to do missionary work in Japan. 

But it was not until the eighteenth
century — toward the latter half of the Edo period — that the average Japanese
became acquainted with this kind of mirror. Perhaps because it performed
its function all too well, causing people to do nothing but gaze in the
mirror all day long, the glass mirror came to be known as the "vanity mirror"
among the people of the day. Many ukiyo-e prints depict Japanese
beauties gazing into mirrors. Still, it was not until the latter half of
the nineteenth century — during the Meiji era — that glass mirrors came
into wide use among the general populace. 

Polish the
Mirror of Your Life

Bronze mirrors not only reflected
poorly but also tarnished very quickly. Threfore, unless they were polished
regularly, they became unusable. This kind of mirror was popular during
the Kamakura era during which the Daishonin lived. 

In the Gosho "On Attaining Buddhahood,"
Nichiren Daishonin writes: "Even a tarnished mirror will shine like a jewel
if it is polished. A mind which presently is closed by illusions originating
from the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but once it
is polished it will become clear, reflecting the enlightenment of immutable
truth" (MW-1, 5). In this well-known passage, the Daishonin draws
parallels between the tradition of mirror-polishing and the process of
attaining Buddhahood. 

Originally, every person’s life is
a brilliantly shining mirror. Differences arise depending on whether or
not one polishes this mirror. A polished mirror is the Buddha’s life, whereas
a tarnished mirror is that of a common mortal. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
is what polishes our life. Not only do we undertake this practice ourselves,
we also endeavor to teach others about the Mystic Law so that the mirror
of their lives shines brightly, too. Thus, it can be said that we are masters
of the art of polishing the mirror of life. 

Even though people may make up their
faces, they tend to neglect to polish their lives. While they quickly wash
off a stain from their faces, they remain unconcerned about stains in their
lives. 

The Tragedy
of a Handsome Youth

The British author Oscar Wilde (1856-1900)
wrote a novel titled The Picture of Dorian Gray. To offer a very
brief explanation, the novel’s protagonist is a youth named Dorian Gray
who is so handsome that he is called a "young Adonis." 

An artist who wished to preserve his
beauty for eternity painted Dorian’s portrait. It was a brilliant work,
an embodiment of his youthfulness and beauty. But something incredible
occurred as Dorian was gradually tempted by a friend into a life of hedonism
and immorality. His beauty did not fade. Although he advanced in years,
he remained as youthful and radiant as ever. Miraculously, however, the
portrait began to turn ugly and lusterless, reflecting the condition of
Dorian’s life.

At length, making sport of a young
woman’s affections, Dorian drove her to commit suicide. At that time there
appeared on the face of the portrait an expression — wicked, savage and
frightening. Dorian was filled with horror. This portrait of his soul would
remain for aeons in this ugly form. Even if he died, the portrait would
continue to eloquently tell the truth. 

He determined to obliterate the portrait,
believing that if only he could do away with it, he could part with his
past and be free. Dorian plunged a knife into the painting. At that moment,
hearing screams, his neighbors rushed over to find a portrait of the handsome
and young Dorian and, collapsed before it, an aged, repulsive-looking man,
Dorian, with a knife sticking in his chest. 

The portrait, in other words, had
expressed the semblance of his existence, the face of his soul, into which
the effects of his actions were etched, without the slightest omission. 

Though cosmetics can be applied to
the face, one cannot gloss over the face of his soul. The law of cause
and effect functioning in the depths of life is strict and impartial. 

Buddhism teaches that unseen virtue
brings about visible reward. In the world of Buddhism, one never fails
to receive an effect for his actions — whether for good or bad; therefore,
it is meaningless to be two-faced or to try to put on airs. 

The "face of the soul" that is carved
out by the good and evil causes one makes is to an extent reflected in
ones appearance. There is also a saying, "The face is the mirror of the
mind." It is, however, at the moment of death that one’s past causes show
most plainly in one’s appearance. 

Just as Dorian in the end revealed
his own inner ugliness, so the "face of one’s life" is fully expressed
at the time of one’s death. At that time there is no way

to conceal the
truth of your soul. We carry out our Buddhist practice now so that we will
not have to experience any regret or torment on our deathbed. 



Just as you look into a mirror when
you make up your face, to beautify "the face of the soul," you need a mirror
that reflects the depths of your life. This mirror is none other than the
Gohonzon of "observing one’s mind," or more precisely, observing one’s
life.

[Guest]

Wonderful thread, Enchantra!

[Guest]

[Guest]

Mirror scrying is an evolved form of water scrying. When it became
possible to build mirrors they were regarded as being like water that
was fixed into one place.


The early mirrors were made of polished copper, brass, marcasite, tin
foil or mercury behind glass, polished silver and obsidian. All types of
mirrors may be used for scrying and the size is not important.


Because mirrors are linked to the moon mirrors should be backed with
silver. Try and use a round or oval mirror instead of a square mirror.


For the frame try and use a mirror that has a silver frame. Old mirrors also seem to work better than new mirrors.


Most seers prefer to use a black mirror. Because this is difficult to buy you may have to make one.


Just simply take out the glass and paint it black. You may have to give
it a few coats of paint though. When you put it back in the frame make
sure the glass part is to the front.





Catoxtromancy is a form of divination by means of looking
glasses. In ancient Rome, special diviners known as "blindfolded boys"
were known to gaze into mirrors in order to experience visions of the
future or of the unknown, and according to the 4th century 'Scriptores
Historiae Augustae' the death of Julian the Apostate was accurately
predicted by diviners using this method.


When using the black mirror for scrying you do not want to see your
reflection. The best is to leave the mirror on a table and look at it
from an angle.


Look into the depths of the mirror as though you were looking into a
bowl of water. At first it may appear gray than colors will come and go.


With time and practice you will be able to see sacred images like still
photographs or moving film images. Spirits may sometimes look at the
scryer, talk to the scryer or even touch the scryer. The visions may
even exist outside the mirror and surround the scryer on all sides.

[Guest]

Mirror Practice
The following mirror practice is an effective way of perceiving the
dreamlike nature of  “reality”,
and especially of “self”. From time to time during the day, take a few
minutes to do it.
 






1 Stand in front of a mirror and look into your own eyes. 





2. Hold up a hand mirror behind your right or left ear and look at its
reflection in the larger mirror. Keep angling the hand mirror so as to
fragment and multiply your image as much as possible. Let your mind
fragment along with the image.



3. After a few minutes,
angle the hand mirror back until you return to the original, single image
in the mirror in front of you.




The analogy of a mirror image is, like dreams, traditionally used to
describe the insubstantial nature of our everyday experience. The mirror
practice helps bring that teaching to life. The fragmented image is the
kind we might see in a dream; yet we are seeing it while we're fully awake
— or are we?

[Guest]

Mirrors that are steamed up can leave messages or impressions from
the other side. Mirrors can serve as 'windows' to other realities.

Exercise: Go into the bathroom and shut the door and window so hot air
will be temporarily trapped in the room. Clean the mirror. Allow hot
water to run in the sink or shower until the mirror steams up. Watch for
images to emerge, either immediately or after a few minutes. An entire
picture, or part of something can manifest. Observe the mirror from
various angles. You may be surprised at what you see!

Here's another interesting mirror exercise. Stand in a dark room facing a
mirror. Place a flashlight under your face. Do not move. Stare into
the mirror and watch your features change. Some believe you are looking
at yourself in a parallel/past life. 


~~~~~~~~~~

Also, something I used to do a lot when I was a kid, bored and looking for something more.   Get  a handheld mirror and carry it around with you.  Instead of looking where you are going, look down  into the mirror so that the mirror is facing the ceiling.  Then you take steps as if you are stepping on or over the things which you see in the mirror.  So for example, the mirror is pointed toward the ceiling, you see the ceiling, light fixtures, doorframes etc.  Walk around the house like that for a while and you will begin to feel like you are in a dream.

[Guest]

Don Miguel Ruiz, says that what keeps us from seeing
the light of all creation is our own perceptions and projection of a dream that we call the world.


Ruiz says that the dream we live is like a smoky mirror that hides the truth and reflects back
to us all the lessons of fear and control that we have mastered in our lives.

We see what we have
been made to see as children and now as adults we embrace these visions as our beliefs.


Another mirror exercise:
  Place a mirror on the floor in front of you with the lights turned
out, a lit candle to your right.  Gaze into the mirror and see what comes up.

[Guest]