From phys.org
Today, I send into your meditation The Griffins. A few nights ago I dreamt of two golden griffins. The dream had a number of twists and turns, but at the end I found myself on a dirt road, traveling through a valley toward a mountain ridge, on the back of a gentle and warm yak. Not a bull, a yak. It seemed to be late summer, early fall as it is now in the Northern Hemisphere. The vale was golden, the sky a twilight blue. The road wove into a wood as it began to ascend into the mountains. I remember thinking of the old saying, “The oxen is slow, but the Earth is patient”. I felt no sense of hurry and a feeling of contentment pervaded my attitude.
From Deviantart.com
As I rose up the side of the mountain I came upon two golden griffins (body of a lion, head of an eagle, often with talons for hands and paws for feet). They were sitting at a small cafe table, in the middle of this wood, enjoying cups of tea from fine bone china, outside a small cave opening. I couldn’t imagine my good fortune, stumbling onto this Wonderland-esque scene and turned the yak off the road toward their table.
The dream changed quickly and I found myself entering their small cave instead. The inside of the cave was much larger than the outside betrayed. Inside were many children, seemingly impoverished by their clothing, but all beside themselves with joy. At first they asked me to help them with their financial circumstances and I eagerly sat down to help. In no time, however, I found myself on the floor with them, laughing and playing peek a boo, while they climbed all over me and the room in which we sat. The feeling was of being immersed in a sea of puppies. I remember all of these happy faces with brown and blue eyes, smiles – some of them missing front teeth, and all of them full of energy. We played for I don’t know how long, but sometime later, I awoke.
From woari.deviantart.com
First let us visit the Griffins. This from Wikipedia, “…because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds by the Middle Ages the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Since classical antiquity, Griffins were known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions”
Logically then, we would assume my golden griffins were guarding a particularly special treasure, yet no precious metals or diamonds did I find in this cave-dwelling. In fact, little tangible material at all. The children were in rags and some of their faces were smudged from having been playing in dirt or mud. The few furnishings were made of plain wood and of simple design. The space lacked any adornment or embellishment, yet the room was aglow with a golden light, as if filled with gold itself. All of what we consider prosperous or providing security was absent.
From chickenzaur.deviantart.com
Thus, it would seem the treasure here was joy, playfulness, spontaneity, freedom to be oneself, foolish silliness, community, friendship, and laughter. The bounty was a warm lap to climb into, a hug, kisses on cheeks, races and hide and seek, followed by more let’s pretend. Every child looked well-nourished and even their hair shined in the luminous light even as their clothes were not. The concern for finances seemed almost a ruse to get me to sit on the floor with them to play in the real richness of the moment.
I have thought of the dream often since I had it. At first, the exotic nature of the griffins was my main focus, as you don’t dream of golden griffins sipping tea very often. Yet, over time, I found the children the clearer gift. The source of most of the magic. The message seemed clear. The treasure in life isn’t stuff. Its the joy, warmth and love we are capable of sharing and spreading like contagious giggles with one another. Playfulness is a wealth every man or woman possesses. Delight the food of gods, that nourishes beyond measure. This gift, not piles of precious jewels, were what the golden griffins were attracting me too, so sublimely as they sat daintily sipping tea. They weren’t guarding me out, but enticing me in. Once I’d turned toward them, my destination into the cave was immediate.
Pinterest image
So I say in this very moment, do not let meditation be the only source of profound spiritual connection you give yourself this day. Find someone, anyone, to laugh with, to hug, to love deeply, to surprise and be yourself with, to step out of your routine and be completely spontaneous with. Laugh more than you complain today. Smile often at all whom you meet, there’s bounty in that simple gesture. If you are lonely, and find a short list of friends to turn to, then commit now to change. Even if to do so will force you out of your comfort zone, be inconvenient and make you risk seeming foolish. Do not impoverish yourself of the great richness this life has the potential to offer all of us, if we’ll stop worrying about what anyone else thinks and begin, even with small steps to follow our bliss. Lay down your financial woes, breaking their dominance on your mind. Invest in the present for the gifts that lay here for you, if you’ll just turn off those old roads you’ve traveled for so long.
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Meditation Travelogue 
Very interesting dream, first a Zen like Ox herding, although it was a Yak, is a series of short poems and accompanying drawings used in the Zen tradition to describe the stages of a practitioner’s progress toward enlightenment, and his or her return to society to enact wisdom and compassion.
The Griffins seeping tea as the guardians of the cave…First the constellation of Leo represents the child, the constellation of Scorpio represents a Wisdom gained by deep insight, and silence.
The children and their playful nature a reminder of becoming like a child.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
(Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-50)
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Of course the dream may have other angles, related personally to your life, and Station, so draw your own conclusions. 🙂
Loved your reply. You know what’s funny is when I wrote it, I wrote Yak, but when I did research I could only find it with oxen and thought I must’ve had it wrong. So delighted you pointed that out. I knew it was yak!
Loved your interpretations, as well. Particularly the constellation of Leo, which for some reason has come up twice completely unrelated to this. When I saw your note it really struck me.
I think dreams are meant to have many interpretations because we are such multidimensional beings. There are many subtleties to our nature and our paths, many we aren’t even aware of, but suddenly present themselves in dream time. Dream work is some of my most favorite spiritual journaling. So delighted you stopped by and shared such beautiful thoughts. May your week ahead be filled with the playfulness of children. Peace.
Well, there’s many angles to a dream, and sometimes take years to squeeze the juice of it, years ago I used to write my dreams, but gave it up, because realized important dreams you never forget, another thing worth to mention it’s Scorpio’s sign transformation into the Eagle as by Alchemy.
But not only dreams, life speak also in symbols, today I met some friends at a Sunday’s lunch, and there was a funny conversation about the daughter of a woman wanting to rent a camel to ride, as for a use on one of her video projects, and the problems related with it, previous to meeting them some thoughts regarding come by reading a passage on a sacred book, just a couple of hours before, then after laughing for a while about her difficulties with the after mentioned camel’s renting idea, it downed on me, the connection between the passage, and the conversation, things are not as we imagine to be, but symbols provide a more subtle, and direct way to convey real meaning.
Thank you for your wishes, and likewise we wish you peace, and blessings. 🙂
I loved your story about the camel and the previous reading. I have been thinking a great deal about time, or rather the collapsing of it. When you take time out of an equation enormous numbers of connections or relatedness suddenly appear. I often have the experience at work of meeting a vendor how has some new service. I chat with them about it, take the leaflet or whatever and go about my business. Then an hour or a day later a situation presents itself that would be perfect for that new service. A service that I never knew existed and a problem I wasn’t aware I’d be presented, all arriving nearly on top of each other. More often than not, the solution presents itself before the problem. Seemingly, backwards.
When you take time away, then it becomes only natural that if there is a problem it’s solution must also exist and that they should even arrive together. This is synchronicity at it’s best, I think.
Yes, the important dreams linger, though I still write dreams down as the details can get fuzzy over time. But like you, it’s not daily anymore. I have become so proficient in remembering dreams, that I begin working with them the moment I wake up. Harvesting what I can. There is a sensation when I have gotten what I was meant to get and the rest is not necessary to retain, I think.
Sorry for such a long delay in replying. My day job often gets in the way of my other creative interests, but I am deeply grateful all the same for your visit, my friend. Namaste…
A great Spiritual teacher of mine used to say that the solution to a problem existed before the problem itself.
But it was our Human condition to believe it was the other way around.
We often forget Providence.
No need to apologize, myself sometimes get so busy I can’t always answer immediately after reading an answer, even if I try to do it as fast as I can, we all have a life outside blogging, a job, a family, and chores to be done, sometimes in the middle of writing, you get a phone call, or an urgent business comes up, and you got to drop everything, and take care of things, so do not worry.
But thank you for your reply, blessings. 🙂
Yes, I agree, collapse time and you will see that all things, problems and solutions are really all just one thing seen from two sides.