Windhorse

Windhorse is a philosophy of personal empowerment and balance that’s rooted in Siberian and Tibetan cultures. Each has a slightly different viewpoint of it, based on their cultural beliefs, but it’s the same basic understanding of spiritual empowerment being generated with a certain lifestyle, service work and making meaningful relationships with others and with Spirits.

In Tibetan culture, Windhorse is explained as follows:

Riding the Energy of Basic Goodness - A Talk by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche: “In the Shambhala teachings of warriorship, this life force is called windhorse (Tibetan: lungta). Lungta is the unlimited energy of basic goodness, buddha-nature, inherent wakefulness. Basic goodness is the most fundamental secret in any situation-difficult or not-and it’s something that we already possess. We connect with it through meditation practice. Every day we need to contemplate our own inherent wakefulness. Then we’ll have the confidence to raise our windhorse and ride it through life with joy and delight. This is how we become the kings and queens of our own lives. “

In Siberian culture, Windhorse is explained very similarly:

Riding Windhorses and Mongolian Shamanism: “The windhorse or himori, for example, represents personal psychic power that resides in the chest. It is accumulated by actions designed to restore balance in the universe. It is increased by good deeds and decreased by bad deeds or thoughts. Windhorse is the force that allows shamans and other powerful people to accomplish what needs to be done simply and easily. “

Here’s how Sarangarel, a Siberian Buryat Shaman (who spent some years in America to avoid religious persecution), explains Windhorse in her book Chosen By The Spirits: Following Your Shamanic Calling:

Each of us is born with a certain amount of windhorse; this is natural, for each human being is a physical organism fused with three spiritual beings at the time of birth. The essence of Windhorse is the ability to percieve things beyond physical reality and the ability to use spiritual power to manifest what a person focuses intention on. People who are successful or charismatic often have high windhorse, even though they may not realize it….

Psychic abilities are a manifestation of windhorse as they are an expression of the powers that all spirits possess. There are ways to build up as well as deplete windhorse; a shaman tries to build up as much as possible in order to make his work more powerful and effective.

The terms gavia and buyan are related to windhorse. They build up or tear down windhorse, depending on how they are used. Both are based on the idea that each person has the responsibility to help keep the world in balance, to avoid causing harm to people or living things if possible and to act to bring greater happiness to all living things. Gavia is the doing of things to benefit the community as a whole, such as volunteer service, contributions to culture or taking a position of responsible and benevolent leadership….Buyan is related to personal behavior, the way one relates to other people and with the natural world. Buyan is created by acts of generosity, healing and respect for nature and other humans, living things and spirits. Buyan and gavia can be regarded as being like a bank account: They can be added to or depleted according to one’s actions. They are depleted by selfishness, hatred, personal filthiness, and disrespect for the natural world, living things and the spirits….

Even though no person is capable of positive actions at all times, as long as positive and negative actions are in balance, one can live in health, peace and safety….to live temperately and conscientiously, being able to accept one’s flaws while having an intention to live a balanced benevolent life [sic...Windhorse will build]

Sarangarel continues with descriptions of some Siberian rituals that help build Windhorse. Basically they are rituals that purify and which make and maintain relationships with the spirits.

This philosophy is an excellent one to adopt in your personal practice. I suggest you consider what you have to offer the world and begin to mindfully give of yourself to make the world a more balanced place for ourselves and our children to live. I suggest that you create rituals that put you in touch with and that maintain your relationship with the Great Mystery that is alive in all things and that you consider a lifestyle, exercises and rituals that purify consciousness, body, emotions and karma on a daily/regular basis.

Related posts:

The Needs of the Elemental Bodies
Invocation
The Elements Breaths
Prayer for Guidance
Healing Philosophies: Types of Healers