About this article

I'm Helen Selmeczy, and it was such a pleasure to connect with many of you recently for a special Full Moon Women's Meditation Circle, aligning with the deeply meaningful celebration of Buddha Purnima. Tuning in from my home on the Gold Coast, Australia, it was beautiful to feel the energy of women joining from places like Lisbon and around the world.

The Significance of Buddha Purnima

Buddha Purnima, also known as Vesak or Buddha Jayanti, is a profoundly significant day globally, marking the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of Lord Buddha. It serves as a powerful reminder of his core teachings: compassion, mindfulness, and wisdom.

This date shifts each year as it follows the Hindu lunar calendar, specifically the full moon day in the month of Vesak, typically in April or May. This astrological alignment brings a potent energy, particularly resonant for us as women. In these times of great change and imbalance in the world, the need for Shakti, the feminine wisdom, to help restore harmony feels more crucial than ever.

The Inner Guru

At the heart of the Buddha's message, and indeed many spiritual paths, is the concept of the inner guru. In Buddhism, this is also understood as Buddha nature, the inherent potential residing within each of us. The Buddha famously taught, "Be your own light," emphasising that enlightenment is not something external to be acquired, but rather a realisation of this innate potential.

The path to awakening unfolds within. Practices like meditation, mindfulness, and ethical living help us quiet external distractions and connect with this inner wisdom.

This inner guru represents the awakened mind, free from ignorance and attachment. It guides us towards compassion and understanding. It's not the loud, demanding voice of the ego that says, "You deserve this," or "You shouldn't be doing that." Instead, it's the subtle feeling, the emotional connection, the intuition or gut feeling – that soft voice that's barely audible.

In Hinduism, this is often associated with the Atman, the true self beyond the ego. The Upanishads teach that the Atman is divine and eternal, and we recognise this divine presence within through self-realisation. This involves slowly peeling away the layers of our conditioning, programming, cultural influences, opinions, and the stories we've built about ourselves. Swami Vivekananda wisely said, "The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature." The truth, and the wisdom of the universe, lies within us.

Paths to the Inner Guru

Practices like Gyan Yoga (path of knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (path of devotion), and Karma Yoga (path of selfless action) are beautiful ways to turn inward and listen to this inner voice. Whether we call it Buddha nature or the Atman, the core idea remains: the divine and wisdom we seek are already inside us.

External teachers and scriptures can illuminate the path, but the true guide resides within. In our busy, often chaotic world, we constantly look for guidance outside ourselves – seeking advice, scrolling social media for inspiration, looking for external gurus. While there are amazing teachers, we also possess the greatest power within: our inner wisdom, inner compassion, and inner clarity. Cultivating this inner connection is the essence of spiritual growth.

Practical Steps to Connect with Your Inner Guru

• Meditation and Mindfulness: This is key. Regularly quietening external noise and listening to your inner dialogue, or going even deeper into silence to see what arises.

• Self-Reflection: Spending time in silent contemplation, simply being present with yourself, honestly and authentically, beyond the ego.

• Ethical Living: Following principles like non-violence, truthfulness, and respect, aligning with your inner wisdom.

• Inner Silence: Creating daily space for inner clarity where your inner guru can speak.

• Trusting Inner Guidance: This is often the most difficult but most crucial step. It requires nurturing with love and discipline.

Women and Inner Wisdom

For us as women, connecting to this inner wisdom is particularly vital. We are so often distracted by others' expectations, caught up in trying to please and be liked. In doing so, we can easily sacrifice our own truth and get caught up on others' paths, leading to us becoming unwell – physically, mentally, or spiritually.

It is absolutely essential to listen to what your soul is calling for, what your inner guru desires. Denying these callings can lead to loss of voice and feeling unable to speak out for fear of ridicule.

We need to reach a point where we don't care what anyone else thinks about our truth and calling. While maintaining respect for others is important, authenticity is empowering. Strong boundaries, spoken kindly but firmly, help protect our energy and path.

It's okay if not everyone likes your authentic self; the question is whether you truly want those who disrespect your truth close to you. Speaking authentically from the heart, while valuing others' input, is key.

Can Women Become Enlightened?

During our session, the question was raised about whether it's harder for women to become enlightened, acknowledging historical beliefs.

The inspiring story of the Goddess Tara was shared – a princess who vowed to be reborn as a woman until all women were enlightened, specifically to show that women can achieve enlightenment.

There have been and are many great women teachers and powerful feminine deities (Shakti energy) across spiritual traditions, confirming the capacity for women's awakening.

Practices for Buddha Purnima & Full Moon Energy

Beyond meditation, Buddha Purnima and the full moon energy offer many practices for reflection and growth:

• Visiting a temple or creating a sacred space/altar at home

• Making offerings in nature, like flowers, or feeding animals

• Listening to wisdom teachings and stories of the Buddha's life

• Giving charity or volunteering time

• Observing ethical precepts like non-violence, truthfulness, and honesty

• Fasting or abstaining from certain foods (like animal products) or activities to purify body and mind, cultivate discipline, and express devotion. Light or partial fasting (e.g., refraining from sweets or unnecessary speech) are options, always being mindful of health conditions and ideally undertaking more intense fasts under guidance. Fasting can also involve giving food to the needy (fasting for merit)

• Chanting mantras, such as the Heart Sutra mantra, perhaps using a mala

• Journaling to reflect on karmic patterns you wish to change and cultivate virtues

• Full moon water charging: Placing water with petals under moonlight for symbolic cleansing

• Gathering with other women in spiritual circles to share experiences and support each other. Allowing space for women to be heard without interruption is important in these circles

The Meditation Practice

The session included a beautiful guided meditation. After settling the body and connecting with the breath, I guided participants through a Metta (loving-kindness) practice.

We began by sending kind intentions to ourselves:

“May I be safe,

May I be peaceful,

May I be healthy in body and wise in heart,

May I live with ease.”

The practice encouraged cradling any resistance with kindness and repeating the phrases. We then expanded the circle of kindness: first to women who have loved or guided us (like a grandmother, friend, or deity), then to women who suffer globally, and finally to all beings everywhere – men, children, animals, nature, seen and unseen.

The meditation encouraged resting in the felt field of loving-kindness, recognising we are swimming in it, not just generating it.

Setting Intentions and Offering Blessings

We concluded the session with an invitation to set a personal intention, a sulpa. Visualising this intention in the heart, like a seed, and committing to nurturing it through continued meditation was key.

Participants were also encouraged to write a one-sentence blessing for a woman they know and place it under moonlight overnight, as a tangible continuation of the practice.

The Power of Connection

Connecting online brought a powerful shared energy. It was truly touching to hear from attendees, even those joining for the first time, who felt the energy and were deeply moved.

Final Words

Remember, the most profound teacher resides within you. Trusting your inner guidance, nurturing it with love and discipline, can lead you to peace, wisdom, and your own waking up.

As the Buddha said, "Look within, thou art the Buddha."

Joining these full moon meditation circles is a wonderful way to tap into this collective energy, deepen your personal practice, and connect with your inner wisdom and compassion alongside other women.

I truly encourage you to join future sessions to experience these powerful benefits firsthand.

Om shanti shanti shanti.

Helen