BUDDHIST EVENTS & ESTABLISHMENTS: Tibet & Tibetan prayers & practices

<sup>My second CFT event made me think about the candle, and how Tibet and a candle are very similar...
For example, the flame of a candle is like the sunshine above Tibet.
Tibet's snow-clad mountains are like the candle wax underneath, surrounding the wick of life.
& the glass candleholder is akin to the diamond jewel of Tibetan Buddhism...

The next event is the 12 hour fasting and prayer event scheduled for August the 30th. I plan to participate, even if this will mean fasting for two days in a row. On Friday, I will have a liquid fast - or a liquid fast with a chunk of cheese or Indian snack pack. On Saturday, from 7am-7pm, I shall have NOTHING BUT WATER! (I expect I shall eat a snack-like meal at 7-30pm, but if I am feeling OK, I may just have a ginger tea or glass of wine and skip the food til Sunday.)</sup>

^{For the prayer part, I have four Tibetan Buddhist prayers from my printouts for ACI classes. I have memorized two, almost three. I aim to combine these with tonglen/lojong practice - which I have been practicing over the past few weeks. I am no expert, but if intention and sincerity count for anything, it will be of some use perhaps, despite my lack of experience. I am, after all, much better with spiritual matters than practical/etiquette.}

^{I aim to repeat the 4 prayers and 4 lojong/tonglen practices every 1.5 hours of the 12 - ie 8 times, seeing as 8 seems to be a recognized number within Buddhism. I shall have to fit my chores, laundry, gardening, etc in the spare patches between these practices, along with my Yoga session and Buddhist reading/study. Provided I manage to maintain a constant meditative mind during the chores, I should succeed in being of some spiritual use for the entire 12 hours.}

^{For anyone wishing to get involved, www.tibet.net has all the details. I have also posted a few misc bulletins with details/links, and there are numerous mentions of the event in the Care2 Buddhist/Tibet groups, as well as the Vajrayana Institute at Sydney if you want to find others to share these moments with.}