Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Second Eastertide, Counting the Omer, and/or working as a force of peace, freedom, and fulfillment (inside and outside).
“Myself when young did eagerly frequent Doctor and Saint, and heard great argument About it and about: but evermore Came out by the same door where in I went.”
“With them the seed of Wisdom did I sow, And with mine own hand wrought to make it grow; And this was all the Harvest that I reap’d– “I came like Water, and like Wind I go.”
— XXVII and XXIX from The Rubáiyát by Omar Khayyám
The excerpt below is from a 2022 post about how Omar Khayyám (born today in 1048) and George Strait (born today in 1952) share more than a birthday. Click on the title or picture to read more.
“And there’s a road, a winding road that never ends
Full of curves, lessons learned at every bend
Goin’s rough unlike the straight and narrow
It’s for those, those who go against the grain
Have no fear, dare to dream of a change Live to march to the beat of a different drummer
And it all might come together
And it all might come unraveled
On the road less traveled”
— quoted from the song “The Road Less Traveled” by George Strait (written by Dean Dillon / William Brock)
Please join me today (Saturday, May 18th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05182021 Omar’s Strait Road”]
Thank you to everyone who Kiss[ed] My Asana!
We surpassed the overall fundraiser goals & one of my personal goals!!! Whether you showed up in a (Zoom) class, used a recording, shared a post or video, liked and/or commented on a post or video, and/or made a donation — you and your efforts are appreciated! Thank you!!!
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Second Eastertide, Counting the Omer, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima, the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich, and/or working for peace (inside and outside).
This post-practice post for Monday, May 13th. It includes an excerpt from a 2020 post. The prompt question was, “Would you describe yourself as an optimist or a pessimist?”You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“optimism n. hopefulness: the attitude that good things will happen and that people’s wishes or aims will ultimately be fulfilled. Optimists are people who anticipate positive outcomes, whether serendipitously or through perseverance and effort, and who are confident of attaining desired goals. Most individuals lie somewhere on the spectrum between the two polar opposites of pure optimism and pure pessimism but tend to demonstrate sometimes strong, relatively stable or situational tendencies in one direction or the other. See also expectancy-value model. —optimisticadj.”
— quoted from the American Psychological Association’s APA Dictionary of Psychology
Take a moment to consider how your outlook on life (and future events) factors into the way you move through your life and engage future events. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? I tend to describe myself as an optimist — who can be pessimistic about certain things; but there are people who would (credibly) argue that I am a pessimist. Maybe that makes me a realist.
Or maybe, as indicated by the American Psychological Association (APA), I’m just like most people: somewhere in the middle.
It all comes down to perspective and that perspective can change the way we interact with ourselves, with other people, with challenges, with new experiences, and even with our physical and mental health. In 2009, a group of researchers presented a paper (published in May 2010), about the effect of optimism. The abstract of the paper indicated that being (even a little bit) optimistic can be healthy and promote wellness.
“Through employment of specific coping strategies, optimism exerts an indirect influence also on the quality of life. There is evidence that optimistic people present a higher quality of life compared to those with low levels of optimism or even pessimists. Optimism may significantly influence mental and physical well-being by the promotion of a healthy lifestyle as well as by adaptive behaviours and cognitive responses, associated with greater flexibility, problem-solving capacity and a more efficient elaboration of negative information.”
— quoted from “Optimism and Its Impact on Mental and Physical Well-Being” by Ciro Conversano,1,† Alessandro Rotondo,2,† Elena Lensi,1 Olivia Della Vista,1 Francesca Arpone,1 and Mario Antonio Reda1
“1Istituto di Scienze del Comportamento Università degli Studi di Siena 2Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana †These authors contributed equally to the work.”
Obviously, there is a difference between being optimistic (or pessimistic) and being delusional — or, in the case of pessimism, being fatalistic and/or riddled with anxiety. In some cases, however, the difference is a matter of perspective and that perspective brings our awareness to why some people are optimistic and some people are pessimistic. Notice that the source of optimism is not addressed in the APA’s definition of optimism. Many people may point to faith as the source of their optimism — especially this time of year, when there are so many holy obligations and sacred observations (including today’s celebration of Julian of Norwich and the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima). But notice that the APA’s definition doesn’t even include the word “believe” — and, yet, these mental attitudes are all about what our beliefs.
Neuroscientists like Dr. Beau Lotto highlight the fact that our beliefs are at the heart of this discussion. He often directs our attention to our previous experiences and the idea that we not only interpret current events through the filter of past events, we anticipate future events based on our past experiences. To me, his explanation sounds a lot like the concept of samskara (a “mental impression”) and vasana (a literal “dwelling” place of our habits). It also highlights why someone like Julian of Norwich thought she was dying back in 1373 and why, once she recovered, she was able to “shew” her experiences in a positive and loving light.
“Your brain is, at its core, a statistical distribution. Thus, your history of experiences creates a database of useful past perceptions. New information is constantly flowing in, and your brain is constantly integrating it into this statistical distribution that creates your next perception (so in this sense ‘reality’ is just the product of your brain’s ever-evolving database of consequence). As such, your perception is subject to a statistical phenomenon known in probability theory as kurtosis. Kurtosis in essence means that things tend to become increasingly steep in their distribution… that is, skewed in one direction. This applies to ways of seeing everything from currents events to ourselves as we lean ‘skewedly’ toward one interpretation positive or negative.”
— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto
Dr. Lotto went on to write, “We’re really talking about math when we say, ‘The optimist sees the glass as half full and the pessimist as half empty,’ though in my view maybe true optimists are just glad to have a drink in the first place!” Julian of Norwich, a 14th century anchoress, fit that definition of a “true optimist.” Her Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) — which is the oldest surviving book written in English by a woman — refers to giving thanks (through prayer) as a way to truly understand oneself and ones situation. She even gave thanks for her illness! Additionally, one of the most well known quotes from her book can be considered a mantra for optimists (and for those wanting to be more optimistic):
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and (in) all manner of thing(s) shall be well.”
— quoted from Chapters 1 of Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) by Julian of Norwich
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
“Optimists are likely to see the causes of failure or negative experiences as temporary rather than permanent, specific rather than global, and external rather than internal. Such a perspective enables optimists to more easily see the possibility of change.”
— quoted from the Psychology Today webpage entitled, “Optimism” (Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff)
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
Thank you to everyone who Kiss[ed] My Asana!
We surpassed the overall fundraiser goals & one of my personal goals!!! Whether you showed up in a (Zoom) class, used a recording, shared a post or video, liked and/or commented on a post or video, and/or made a donation — you and your efforts are appreciated! Thank you!!!
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Bright Friday (as I post this), Counting the Omer, and/or working for peace (inside and outside).
This is the “missing” post for Tuesday, May 8th, which was World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day and White Lotus Day. There are several passing references to war and situations related to wars. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
“‘Arjuna, I will now enumerate the marks of the devotee I most dearly love. I love the one who harbors no ill will toward any living being, who returns love for hatred, who is friendly and compassionate toward all. I love the devotee who is beyond “I” and “mine,” unperturbed by pain and not elated by pleasure, who possesses firm faith, is forgiving, ever contented and ever meditating on Me.
“‘I love the peaceful devotee who is neither a source of agitation in the world nor agitated by the world. I love those who are free of fear, envy, and other annoyances that the world brings, who accept the knocks that come their way as blessings in disguise.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (12.13 – 14 and 12.15) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Just like other emotions, energies, and manifestations of the Divine, Love is something that can be felt, but not touched. It can manifest in a lot of different ways and we can express it in a lot of different ways, but we can’t actually hold it in our hands or in our arms. What we can do is hold each other and, in doing so, express a symbol of our love.
Symbols come up a lot in the physical practices of yoga for several reasons. First, many poses are named after things which hold meaning either through their stories and/or through our association with the idea behind the object. For example, when we think of a pose inspired by Virabhadra as a “Hero-Friend Pose” and/or a “Warrior Pose,” we can consider the qualities that make someone a hero-friend and/or a warrior. We could also think of the story of Daksha, Sati, Shiva, and Virabhadra as a cautionary tale about how our actions affect others and how we channel strong emotions (like anger and grief).
The practice can also be symbolic when we view the mind-body through an energetic lens, like the ones offered by the chakra system (as it comes to us from Āyurveda), the meridian system (as it comes to us from Traditional Chinese Medicine), Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), and other indigenous systems. In all three of the cited examples, each part of the mind-body can be energetically and symbolically related to a plethora of things, including: different colors, different elements, different minerals, (the energy of) different organs, and different emotions.
Love is often associated with one or both arms. In fact, in Kabbalah, chesed (“loving-kindness”) is associated with the right arm and is the primary focus of the first week when people start Counting the Omer on the second night of Passover. I mentioned last week that chesed is also the focus of the first day of each week and that the second week and second day of each week highlights gevurah (“strength” and “discipline”), which is associated with the left arm. Tuesday at sunset marked the beginning of the third week which brings awareness to tiferet (“balance,”“compassion,” “beauty,” “harmony,” and “justice”) and is associated with the torso. Coincidentally, this week’s Wednesday classes overlapped the end of Day 15 and the beginning of Day 16, as well as two celebrations that highlight the beauty that happens when we balance loving-kindness and strength, with compassion, discipline, and (to a certain extent) justice.
“‘I love devotees whose attitudes are the same toward friend or foe, who are indifferent to honor or ignominy, heat or cold, praise or criticism — who not only control their talking but are silent within.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (12.18) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Wednesday (May 8th) was World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, which falls on the anniversary of the birth of Jean-Henri Dunant, who was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1828. Also known as Henri (or Henry), Mr. Dunant grew up in a prestigious, religious family that emphasized the importance of balancing faith and good works. His father, Jean-Jacques Dunant, worked with orphans and parolees while his mother, Antoinette Dunant-Colladon, was devoted to people who were poor and people who were ill. By the age of 18, young Henri was involved in the Muscular Christianity movement. He founded a Bible-study and service group called the Thursday Association and the Swiss branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association [YMCA]. He also served as the Secretary of the YMCA Geneva; spearheaded the idea for a YMCA World Conference; and attended the first conference, in August 1855, when 99 delegates from nine countries adopted the Paris Basis, which included an international mission and motto. That motto came from John 17:21, “That they all may be one.”
Around the same time that he was working with the newly-formed YMCA, the philanthropist turned his energy towards international business. He worked for a company doing trade in French-occupied Algeria, Tunisia, and Sicily and wrote a book about his travels, Notice sur la Régence de Tunis (An Account of the Regency in Tunis), which was published in 1858. The fact that one of it’s chapters was also published as as it’s own work — L’Esclavage chez les musulmans et aux États-Unis d’Amérique (Slavery among the Mohammedans and in the United States of America) — indicates that even as he traveled and focused on business, he kept his eye on the needs of the world. This ability to be compassionate and devoted to the needs of others became even more evident in late June of 1859, when he traveled to northern Italy to petition Napoleon III for land and water rights needed by a company he had started.
At the time, the French emperor was engaged in the the Second Italian War of Independence, which was part of the Italian Risorgimento (the unification of Italy), and had achieved a victory in the Battle of Solferino and San Martino. The battle, which took place on June 24, 1859, pitted the Franco-Sardinian alliance (i.e., the allied French army and the Piedmont-Sardinian army) against the Austrian army, with all the combatants being led by their respective monarchs. Over 12,000 soldiers (including officers) were killed; almost 30,000 were injured’ and a little over 12,000 would eventually be designated as missing. Henry Dunant arrived in the northern town right after the battle and was horrified at what he witnessed: Almost no one was caring for the wounded, burying the dead, or searching for the missing.
“The moral sense of the importance of human life; the humane desire to lighten a little of the torments of all these poor wretches, or restore their shattered courage; the furious and relentless activity which a man summons up at such moments: all these combine to create a kind of energy which gives one a positive craving to relieve as many as one can. There is no more grieving at the multiple scenes of this fearful and solemn tragedy. There is indifference even…. There is something akin to cold calculation, in the face of horrors yet more ghastly than those here described, and which the pen absolutely declines to set down.
But then you feel sometimes that your heart is suddenly breaking—it is as if you were stricken all at once with a sense of bitter and irresistible sadness, because of some simple incident, some isolated happening, some small unexpected detail which strikes closer to the soul, seizing on our sympathies and shaking all the most sensitive fibres of our being.”
— quoted from A Memory of Solferino by Henry Dunant (English version, American Red Cross)
Even without the very detailed and descriptive passages in the book, we can do a little svādyāya (“self-study”) and put ourselves in the shoes of anyone who has witnessed the horrors of war. We can imagine the fear, the grief, and a host of other emotions. Maybe we can even the imagine the feeling of being overwhelmed that many in Solferino experienced that day. But, how many of us would have been able to channel all of that emotion — all of that energy — and do what Jean-Henri Dunant did? How many of us would have mobilized the civilians to do what needed to be done — and to do it regardless of nationality? How many of us would have purchased the supplies needed to not only care for the wounded, but to also shelter them in temporary hospitals? How many of us would have successfully negotiated the release of Austrian doctors being held as prisoners of war?
To be fair, a better way of phrasing those questions would be: “How many of us could…?”
In some ways, Jean-Henri Dunant was uniquely qualified to do what he did and to inspire one of the women (in Castiglione delle Stiviere) to use the phrase “Tutti fratelli” (“All are brothers”) in relation to their humanitarian efforts. All of his previous experiences prepared Mr. Dunant for what he did in Solferino. It also enabled him to write about his experiences in his book, A Memory of Solferino. Published in 1862, A Memory of Solferino recounted the battle (which he did not witness), the aftermath, the recovery process, and a plan. That plan kicked off the the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and led to the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), as well as to the Geneva Conventions.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world’s largest humanitarian network and is made up of the following three parts:
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which “provides assistance and protection to victims of war and armed violence, and promotes respect of and adherence to international humanitarian law.”
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which “carries out relief operations to assist victims of disasters, in combination with work to strengthen the capacities of its member National Societies,”
The 191 member Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which include over 16 million volunteers providing “first-line disaster response services, as auxiliaries to the national authorities in their countries.”
“Would it not be possible, in time of peace and quiet, to form relief societies for the purpose of having care given to the wounded in wartime by zealous, devoted and thoroughly qualified volunteers?”
— quoted from A Memory of Solferino by Henry Dunant (English version, American Red Cross)
Henry Dunant grew up under different variations of the Flag of Switzerland (a white cross on a red background). According to historians like Joseph McMillan, the Red Cross flag was meant to be a colour-reverse version of that flag (a red cross on a white background) and “was selected in recognition of the pioneering work of Swiss citizens in establishing internationally recognized standards for the protection of wounded combatants and military medical facilities.” It was approved in Geneva in 1863, and extended to naval ensigns during the 1899 Geneva Convention at the Hague.
However, there was some controversy about the Red Cross flag; because, the symbol which brought comfort to Christians did not feel neutral to others. The objection to the Red Cross as a universal and neutral symbol led to the establishment of the Red Crescent, which was first use during the Russo-Turkish War — also known as 93 Harbi, or “War of ’93,” (1876 – 1877 / 1293) — and officially approved in 1929. It is officially described as a colour-reverse version of the Ottoman Empire flag.
It is possible that a Red Lion and Sun flag was also used during the War of ’93 since the red lion and sun have historical significance in Iran (and ancient Persia) and was used as some part of Iran’s national flag up until the 1979 revolution. The Red Lion and Sun Society of Iran was established in 1922 and admitted to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in 1923. Although it is not as prevalent as the other three ICRC-sanctioned symbols, the Red Lion and Sun flag was introduced at Geneva (as early as 1864) and is an approved symbol of the ICRC.
Although they are not officially described as being religious in nature, there is no getting around the fact that the aforementioned symbols have religious significance to people around the world. As a result of those connotations, various countries and organizations around the world have advocated for a more neutral symbol or for a symbol with significance to their culture. For example, the State of Israel has advocated for a Red Star of David and China has advocated for a Red Swastika. The Nazis used a “hooked cross” and, in doing so, appropriated the shape of the swastika, which is an ancient symbol in India, and East and Southeast Asia, as well as in Africa and parts of the Americas, and is a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. While a Red Star of David is used in Israel and a Red Swastika Society1 was formed in China (in 1922), neither symbol is recognized by the ICRC. Instead, a Red Crystal was proposed in 1992, and officially adopted by the Geneva Conventions as Protocol III in 2005. In Israel the Red Crystal is often used in tandem with the Red Star of David.
“On certain special occasions, as, for example, when princes of the military art belonging to different nationalities meet at Cologne or Châlons, would it not be desirable that they should take advantage of this sort of congress to formulate some international principle, sanctioned by a Convention inviolate in character, which, once agreed upon and ratified, might constitute the basis for societies for the relief of the wounded in the different European countries? It is the more important to reach an agreement and concert measures in advance….”
— quoted from A Memory of Solferino by Henry Dunant (English version, American Red Cross)
In addition to the aforementioned observations (and to being Bright Wednesday in the Orthodox Christian tradition and the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich in Anglican and Lutheran traditions2), Wednesday, May 8th, was also White Lotus Day which is an annual celebration held on the anniversary of the death of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (née Hahn von Rottenstern). The Russian–born American mystic known as Madame Blavatsky or HPB was an author and co-founder of the Theosophical Society. While much of her background is sketchy (as in dubious) and while she and the Theosophical Society (before and after her death) engaged in some highly questionable behavior, she was an influential part of the Spirituality movement and in the popularity of eastern philosophies in the East and the West. Her books inspired people like Thomas Edison, Major General Abner Doubleday (of the Union Army), the poet William Butler Yeats, Leo Tolstoy, the social reformer and activist Annie Besant, a young Indian lawyer named Mohandas Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru (India’s first prime minister). A list of her critics — which can be just as long and impressive as one consisting of admirers — includes Arthur Lillie, John Nevil Maskelyne, Robert Todd Carroll, James Randi, and Dr. Carl Jung.
During the pandemic of 1889 – 1890, HPB contracted the flu and died on May 8, 1891. In her will, she asked that her friends and family spend the anniversary of her death reading The Light of Asia by Sir Edwin Arnold and The Bhagavad Gita. People also meditated on the symbol of the lotus, which some people said grew in abundance in 1892. The lotus is a beautiful and fragrant flower that is rooted in the mud, but blossoms above the water. Used by a variety of cultures and organizations around the world as a symbol for spiritual growth, it’s seeds can lay dormant for at least a millennium and are said to contain a miniature image of the ultimate flower.
In many ways, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is very much like a lotus flower: something beautiful that grew out of the muck, the mud, and the mire of war. Also, remember that it all started because Jean-Henri Dunant need water rights for his company.
“‘Also very dear to Me are those generally content with life and unattached to things of the world, even to home. I love those whose sole concern in life is to love Me. Indeed, these and all the others I mentioned are very, very dear to Me.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (12.19) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Henry Dunant never received the water rights he was originally seeking (and he and his company eventually went bankrupt); but, he created a legacy that continues to this day. He extended the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to include aide during natural disasters, advocated for worldwide access to literature (via an international library) and peaceful resolutions to international conflicts (including proposing a two-state plan for Israel and Palestine and plans for hostage negotiations and conflict arbitration). In 1901, he received the very first Nobel Peace Prize.
Despite the fact that he received monetary prizes like the the Nobel Peace Prize and several other awards, Mr. Dunant spent the last thirty-five years of his life impoverished and in a slightly isolated hospice room. Per his request, there was no fanfare after his death — “no funeral ceremony, no mourners, no cortege” — and he bequeathed the majority of the prize monies to “those who had cared for him in the village hospital, [to] endow a «free bed» that was to be available to the sick among the poorest people in the village, and… to philanthropic enterprises in Norway and Switzerland.”
Even in death, Jean-Henri Dunant was focused on life and healing.
“Healing, a simple act of kindness brings such meaning A smile can change a life lets start believing And feeling, let’s start healing
Hearts in the hand of another heart and in God’s hand are all hearts An eye takes care of another eye and from God’s eye nothing hides [Something about Him is hidden]. Seek only to give and you’ll receive [Strive to give… and you will receive and be given]. So, heal and you will be healed
OUTRO (x2, from Arabic translation):
A heart is in the hands of another heart and in the hand of God’s. Every heart is an eye that takes care of an eye, and the eyes of God take care of a kind word of charity. Your smile for your brother is charity. Every favor is charity. Oh God, heal with a cure that leaves no disease.”
— quoted from song “Healing” by Sami Yusuf
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and (in) all manner of thing(s) shall be well.”
— quoted from Chapter 27 Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) by Julian of Norwich
NOTES:
1 While the Red Swastika Society is not affiliated with the ICRC and has been partially suppressed by the communist government, it is still active as a charitable organization in parts of China and the diaspora.
2 Julian of Norwich was an anchoress and Christian mystic who lived in the 14th and 15th century. Although she recovered, she was given last rites on May 8, 1373, and experienced visions which she eventually related in her book, Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings). Her feast days are May 8th in Anglican and Lutheran traditions and May 13th in the Roman Catholic tradition.
In [“Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad] al-Bājūrī’s account the burda—the daytime garment of the Prophet Muḥammad turned, via the operation of dream, into the nighttime blanket that miraculously heals his stricken charge—comes to ‘be’ the poem that [Imam al-Busiri of Egypt] composes as a prayer for his cure by metonymic association with that cure. Yet it also gains that title—as al-Bājūrī goes on to note—by association with yet another burda: the mantle bestowed by the Prophet on the poet Ka’b ibn Zuhayr for eulogizing him at the end of his ode ‘Bānat Suʿād’ (Suʿād Appeared), which earned that work the epithet al-Burda. This last burda is less the sign of cure than the sign of recognition: recognition of a poet’s allegiance, through literature, to a new religiopolitical order.”
— quoted the “Reawakening to the Self in the Arms of the Other” section of “2. The Dismantling I: Al-ʿAṭṭār’s Antihistory of the French in Egypt, 1798–1799” in Disarming Words: Empire and Seductions of the Translation of Egypt by Shaden M. Tageldin
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Bright Wednesday, Counting the Omer, and/or working for peace (inside and outside) on World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day and White Lotus Day.
Please join me today (Wednesday, May 8th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom.You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent on Great Friday and/or Counting the Omer.
This is the “missing” post for the “First Friday Night Special” on May 3rd.You can request an audio recording of this Restorative Yoga practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
“The brain—like life—does not search to live, but to not die.”
— quoted from the “Acknowledgements” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain and the nervous system to change and grow. We can see this at work when we look at how neural pathways, samskara (a “mental impression”), and vasana (a literal “dwelling” place) create habits and a “space of possibility.” However, those same elements that create change can cause us to resist change and to hold on to things.
The paradoxical way the mind-body works makes sense when you consider that (a) known and controlled quantities have been the key to our survival since the beginning of recorded history; (b) the unknown (and uncontrolled) can be uncomfortable and scary, and (c) since everything around us is changing — i.e., potentially becoming unknown and uncontrolled — we have to change in order to survive.
But we don’t have to like it. And free will means that we can resist it.
“‘Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.’ — Ann Landers”
— quoted from “Day 11 / MARATHON MAN: ENDURANCE IN DISCIPLINE נצח שבע גבורה” in The Kabbalah Sutras: 49 Steps to Enlightenment by Marcus J. Freed
Since change happens / shift happens, our inability to shift and change can be a detriment. Consider that all the major philosophies point to some form of attachment as the cause of suffering. Additionally, all the major philosophies — and religions, for that matter — offer a solution to that suffering: Letting Go.
It’s always about letting go. Even when it is phrased as “letting go and letting God,” we are advised to do our best, recognize what is out of our control, and then engage some form of “trustful surrender.” Trustful surrender is a critical part of why people are observing Great Friday today (which would be the equivalent of Good Friday in Western Christianity) and it is so crucial to the Yoga Philosophy that Patanjali stated it in two different sūtras and it is reiterated in the Bhagavad Gita. (YS 1.23 & YS 2.45, BG 2.48 & BG 6.30)
In the aforementioned cases, there is some awareness of the Divine — something more than one’s self — and that requires a certain amount of faith. However, Eastern philosophies diverge from the religions when they also recommend letting go of the path that leads to freedom.
In the Tao Te Ching, in some of the Buddha’s sutras, and in the Yoga Sūtras, there are warnings about holding on too tightly to anything — even the practice. In the Tao, it says, “This is a path of letting go so there will be room to live.” (TTC 9) In the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha explained that the words were simply words or “‘a figure of speech’” meant to be used as a tool to “‘bring one to the other shore of Enlightenment.’” (DS 13) Even one of the lojong (“mind training”) statements in Tibetan Buddhism, advises us to “Self-liberate even the antidote.” (9)
Finally, in Yoga Sūtras 1.14 – 1.15, Patanjali specifically indicated that the longer one practices the Yoga Philosophy, the more one is inclined to practice and the less one is inclined to crave, desire, and form attachments that lead to suffering. That last part is hopeful, but does not change the fact that it is challenging to balance the practice of non-attachment with the discipline needed to practice over a long period of time, without interruption, and with passion, devotion, and reverence — which is the definition of abhyāsa. In the commentary for Yoga Sūtras 1.12 – 1.16, Swami J highlights this balancing act with an illustration of a scale, above which abhyāsa (a dedicated and devoted “practice”) and vairāgya (“non-attachment”) are described as “two of the most important foundation principles of Yoga.”
Again, it is helpful (and hopeful) to know that abhyāsa and vairāgya can balance each other out; however, some times we need to look at things in a different way. Sometimes, we need to do it differently.
“Do it differently So it won’t come out the same Step up, be strong, Get yourself out of pain.”
— quoted from the poem “DIFFERENTLY” by Donna Garrett
Doing things differently — when the thing you are doing seems to be working — can seem just as counterintuitive as letting go of the path that leads to freedom. On the other hand, it makes perfect sense: When you reach your destination, you get off the road on which you traveled. This does not mean that your journey in life is over; nor does it mean that you won’t use other tools. It is simply acknowledging that what you needed at one point in your journey may not serve you — or may not serve you in the same way — during the next part of your journey.
You can think of using a different paradigm as being similar to someone getting a new set of prescription eye glasses, using a different set of sunglasses to watch the eclipse, or using a phone or a microscope to enhance something you can no longer (or never could) see with the naked eye. The way we practice is simply a tool to bring things into focus. For this month’s First Friday Night Special, we used our bodies and “attributes of the Divine” to consider where we are holding on to discomfort, dis ease, and things that no longer serve us — or maybe never served us.
“This path accepts that developing an ego is an essential element in human growth. But it also suggests that this development might be a stage of human development rather than its end product.”
— quoted from the commentary for “Chapter 9” in A Path and a Practice: Using Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching as a Guide to an Awakened Spiritual Life by William Martin
The Bahá’í Faith and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) highlight different aspects of the Divine on a daily basis.
The following practice-related breakdown is based on content posted on a different date and time. Details and links have been updated accordingly.
As I previously mentioned, the Bahá’í calendar has 19 months with 19 days — each named for one of the 19 names/manifestations/attributes of God. There are 4 or 5 intercalary days that occur just before the final month and these days are considered “transcendent” in nature. (The days of the week also follow this nomenclature.) This calendar starts around the Vernal (Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere with the month of Bahá, which can be translated into English as “Splendor,” and we are currently in the third month, Jamál (“Beauty”). Since each day begins and ends at sunset, this First Friday Night Special overlapped the end of Istiqlál (“Independence”) and the beginning of Jalál (“Glory”), in Central Standard Time.
Splendor, beauty, independence, and glory also show up as manifestations of the Divine in Jewish mysticism. According to Kabbalah, the Tree of Life has ten sefirot (“eminations,” attributes, or manifestations) of the Divine. On the second night of Passover, some people within the Jewish community begin the ritual of Counting the Omer — which involves prayer and reflection around 7 of the 10 sefirot. People count every day for 7 weeks (for a total of 49 days, plus a 50th day as commanded). Each day and week is associated with a different aspect of the Divine — which means that, on any given day, people are focusing+concentrating+meditating on how two aspects of the Divine interact and manifest in their lives.
Since days on the Hebrew calendar also begin and end at sunset, this First Friday Night Special overlapped the end Day 10 and the beginning of the Day 11 — both of which occur in the week devoted to the second sefirah: Gevurah. This second attribute can be defined as “strength” and “discipline.” Before sunset on Friday (Day 10), the focus was Tiferet She’b’Gevurah — with Tiferet meaning “balance,”“compassion,” “beauty,” “harmony,” and “justice” (which is also an attribute on the Bahá’í calendar). After sunset (Day 11), the focus became Netzach She’b’Gevurah — with Netzach meaning “endurance,” “sustainability,” “victory,” and “persistence.”
Additionally, the seven highlighted sefirot can also be associated with with different parts of the body. Gevurah is associated with the left arm; Tiferet is associated with the upper abdominal cavity (solar plexus) and torso; and Netzach is associated with the right hip in thigh. As teachers like Marcus J. Freed and Sandra Razieli* point out, we can explore different aspects of Divine interaction (and interrelationship) by exploring the different ways parts of our bodies interact. For this practice we referenced all seven attributes and parts of the body; considered how they are connected, and addressed how those connections can serve us.
“Developing a cocoon is a natural and essential part of being a caterpillar. But the time comes when the cocoon softens, wears out, and opens up. What if this is the case for all our opinions, possessions, and even for our ego? What if, when the cocoon of ego opens, instead of the feared abyss we find a butterfly?”
— quoted from the commentary for “Chapter 9” in A Path and a Practice: Using Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching as a Guide to an Awakened Spiritual Life by William Martin
The May First Friday Night Special features a Restorative Yoga practice. It is accessible and open to all.
Prop wise, this is a kitchen sink practice. You can practice without props or you can use “studio” and/or “householder” props. Example of “Studio” props: 1 – 2 blankets, 2 – 3 blocks, a bolster, a strap, and an eye pillow. Example of “Householder” props: 1 – 2 blankets or bath towels, 2 – 3 books (similar in size), 2 standard pillows (or 1 body pillow), a belt/tie/sash, and a face towel.
You may want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this practice).
Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05032024 Balancing Holding On & Letting Go”]
The playlist tracks are slightly different in length and duration; however, the overall content is the same.
Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent on Great Tuesday! “Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer! “Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Happy National Poetry Month & International Jazz Day!
“‘And this is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste it is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord.’”
— Shemot / Exodus 12:11
The following excerpt is from the 2022 “renewed” version of a 2020 post:
“Every year, as we approach the end of Passover, I think about the first Passover Seder. What would that have been like? How would have felt to celebrate freedom? How would it have felt to give thanks to G-d for that freedom? Charlie Harary points out that while it is natural to think the first Passover Seder occurred a year after exodus, it actually happened the night before exodus. That’s right: G-d commanded the Jewish people to celebrate their freedom and give thanks for being delivered out of Egypt before they were even free — even before they knew their freedom was guaranteed.
Can you imagine doing that? Can you imagine how it would feel? Can you imagine the faith it would take to sit in the middle of your suffering, in the middle of your family and friends as they suffer, and give thanks for what’s to come?
There is a history of this kind of observation in the Hebrew Bible….”
“The study of scripture is another way of putting the principle of self-study into practice…. Elaborating on the concept of svādyāya, Vyasa emphasizes that only those texts that embody indisputable knowledge showing us the path to ultimate freedom are an essential component of self-study. In other words, svādyāya entails the study of spiritual texts that are authentic, contain experiential knowledge, and are infused with the energy to guide us on the path of inner freedom.”
— commentary on Yoga Sutra 2:1 in The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Please join me today (Tuesday, April 30th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.[Look for “04142020 Envisioning Freedom”]
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent (& Palm Sunday)! “Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer! “Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Happy National Poetry Month!
“Sometimes in my tears I drown But I never let it get me down So when negativity surrounds I know someday, it’ll all turn around because
All my life, I’ve been waitin’ for I’ve been prayin’ for, for the people to say That we don’t wanna fight no more There’ll be no more wars, and our children will play
One day (one day), one day (one day)”
— quoted from the song “One Day” by Matisyahu (written by Bruno Mars / Philip Lawrence / Ari Levine / Matthew Miller)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, April 28th) at 2:30 PM.Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04242024 PRGL Stories”]
MUSIC NOTE: I slightly changed this playlist, but the remix does not affect the overall timing of the class music. Again, the before/after music is slightly different since I could not find “Oneness” on Spotify.
“A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth—that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which a man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of human is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for the brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when a man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way—an honorable way—in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment.”
— quoted from “I. Experiences in a Concentration Camp” (pgs. 35-36) in Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer! Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent! Happy National Poetry Month!
“Everybody knows a hundred stories, you know, a thousand stories — the question is: Why does this story pick on you? Why this story and not that story? My guess is now this: the story or poem you find to write is the story or poem that has some meaning that you haven’t solved in it, that you haven’t quite laid hands on. So your writing—it is a way of understanding it, what its meaning, the potential meaning, is. And the story that you understand perfectly, you don’t write. You know what the meaning is; there’s nothing there to nag your mind about it. A story that’s one for you is the one you have to work to understand.”
— quoted from “A Conversation” (with John Baker, 1989) in Talking with Robert Penn Warren, edited by Floyd C. Watkins, John T. Hiers, and Mary Louise Weeks
A portion of the following is a revised and updated version of a 2023 post:
Today, April 24th, is a day when I always tell a story…or two (or three). Or, sometimes, I tell an old favorite in a slightly different way. For instance, in 2020, I focused on telling the story of the Library of Congress, which was established today 1800, and preserves by (and about) people like including Anthony Trollope (b. 1815), Carl Spitteler (b. 1845), Robert Penn Warren (b. 1905), Sue Grafton (b. 1940), Eric Bogosian (b. 1953), and Kelly Clarkson (b. 1982). In 2021, I focused on telling the story of Robert Penn Warren. I sometimes reference holy and auspicious stories (as I did in 2022 — and will today). I have been known to tell the story about telling stories (as I did in 2023).
In every case, however, the practice is an opportunity for svādyāya (“self-study”) and is all about how our minds and bodies tell stories.
Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly telling stories. We tell stories verbally, visually, and viscerally. We tell stories in the ways we move and, also, in the ways we don’t move. We tell stories about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going — and we do this on and off the mat. Whether we realize it or not. On the mat, the storytelling is done through the poses and sequences. Since our bodies are different, we can each tell (and understand) the same “story” in different ways. Since our bodies change over time, we can learn different things about ourselves each time we tell the “story.”
“Social tensions have a parallel in the personal world. The individual is an embodiment of external circumstances, so that a personal story is a social story.”
— Robert Penn Warren quoted from “A Conversation with Robert Penn Warren [with] Frank Gado / 1966 (From First Person: Conversations on Writers and Writing, by Frank Gado” as printed in Conversations with Robert Penn Warren, edited by Gloria L. Cronin and Ben Siegel
Today, I am sharing some auspicious and holy stories, stories that are sacred in one or more religious tradition. They are stories about suffering and the desire for one’s suffering to be alleviated. For some people they are simply that and nothing more: just some of the over 168 million items, in over 460 languages, that can be found in the Library of Congress. For some people, however, these stories are very personal stories. They are they stories that give people hope. They are the stories that give people strength and inspire them to work for a kinder, more peaceful, loving, and cohesive world.
“The asking and the answering which history provides may help us to understand, even to frame, the logic of experience to which we shall submit. History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.”
— quoted from The Legacy of the Civil War by Robert Penn Warren
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 24th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom.You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04242024 PRGL Stories”] Music Notes: One track in the before/after music is different on each platform, because I was unable to find the track below on Spotify.
“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer (tonight)! Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent! Happy National Poetry Month!
This is the “missing” post for Tuesday, April 23rd. It is a compilation post, which includes a little bit of new content mixed with previously posted content. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
“First and foremost, we believe creation of the world, G-d created a world in which he wanted the human being to actually be able to do something – that is to say, to exercise free will, to be like G-d, meaning to be a creator, not to be lab rats…. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. But to have a relationship with G-d requires that I have an exercise of my free will…. Free will means an environment in which not necessarily do I always have pleasure when I make the right decisions and not necessarily does someone always suffer when they make the wrong decision. Free will is having real power to create stuff. Free will is having real power to alleviate suffering.”
— Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in vlog explaining one of several reasons why suffering exists
Take a close look at every major religion and philosophy, as well as all medical sciences, and we find the same two ends of a common thread: people suffer and people want their suffering to end. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlined the 8-Limbed Yoga Philosophy as a way to alleviate current suffering and prevent future suffering. He also described several obstacles and ailments from which people may suffer (YS 1.30-1.31); dysfunctional/afflicted thought patterns that lead to suffering (YS 2.2-2.9); and specifically pointed to meditation as a way to overcome the (YS 1.32 and YS 2.10-2.11).
Unfortunately, the caste system in India prevented some people from practicing Yoga. I have heard that Siddhartha Gautama was aware of the Yoga Philosophy, and probably practiced it, but — in large part because of the caste system — found that it wasn’t practical. So, he sat under the Bodhi tree and was determined to wait there until he awakened to the nature of reality. In some suttas, it says that the Buddha (“the Awakened One”) sat there for an additional seven days. Eventually, he started teaching from this enlightened state. Some say that he only ever taught about two things: suffering and the end of suffering. His teachings were codified in the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism and the Noble Eightfold Path. According to the former:
Suffering exists
Suffering is caused by attachment, clinging, craving
There is an end to suffering
The Noble Eight-fold Path is the way to end suffering
Following these paths includes some sitting… and waiting. What is promised at the end of the sitting and waiting is freedom from suffering. What we find in the middle is hope.
If we take another look at the major religions and philosophies, we find sacred stories about people suffering and waiting for the end of suffering; hoping for the alleviation of suffering. Just as it is interesting to note what people did (in the stories) to maintain hope and keep the faith while they were “waiting,” it is interesting to note how people observing Passover, Riḍván, and Great Lent find hope in these stories.
“What makes this night different from all [other] nights?
1) On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice? 2) On all nights we eat chametz or matzah, and on this night only matzah? 3) On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror? 4) On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline?”
— The Four Questions (“Ma Nishtana”)
“How is this practice different from all the other practices?” is a question you can ask before any practice. It is also a question that sounds a lot like “The Four Questions” traditionally asked by the youngest person at a Passover Seder. The word seder is a Hebrew word that means “order” or “arrangement,” and it refers to the ritual feast that people in the Jewish community have on the first night of Passover (or first two nights for Orthodox and Conservative communities outside of Israel). The meal is a symbolic celebration of the Exodus story, which is the story of how the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt. Really, the meal is the story — beginning with the questions, which are also symbolic.
Passover, which is also called Pesach and The Feast of Unleavened Bread, is considered a spring festival. In ancient times, it was directly connected to the harvesting and offering of barley — which was the first grain to ripen and harvest in the Holy Land. For seven days (eight days for the Orthodox and Conservative communities, especially in the diaspora), people commemorate the story of Exodus, which is a story of faith, suffering, and hope.
The ritual observation actually begins before the Passover Seder, with the removal of chametz (“leavening”), as it is forbidden to consume, keep, or own chametz during Passover. Some forms or chametz will be burned; other forms can be given away or even sold. Keep in mind that the agents of “rising” or fermentation are not forbidden. In fact, wine is a required part of the celebration. However, the action of rising is symbolic and part of the story (NOTE Question 2: Where the Jews have to flee so fast their bread doesn’t have time to rise.)
Another part of the story and another ritual that occurs before the Passover Seder is the Fast of the Firstborn, which falls on the day before the evening of the Passover Seder (with adjustments made when Passover begins on a Saturday night — which is the end of the Sabbath). Again, this is a symbolic element of the story as first-born sons (and “newborn” sons) play critical roles in the Exodus story.
“The Lord saw that he had turned to see, and God called to him from within the thorn bush, and He said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am!’”
— Shemot – Exodus 3:4
The Passover story comes with a backstory — and is, itself, the backstory (and the backdrop) for the Passion/Easter story. According to Shemot / Exodus, an Egyptian pharaoh first oppressed and then enslaved the Jewish people. He also ordered all Hebrew newborn sons to be killed. For a while, the midwives and the Jewish mothers circumvented Pharaoh’s order. Then, he ordered all the newborn sons to be thrown in the river. Jochebed, Moses’ birth mother, hid her son for three months. Then, she very cleverly placed him in a basket in the river and sent her daughter, Miriam, to watch the baby in the basket. When Pharaoh’s daughter scooped up the baby — who she would eventually name “Moses… ‘For I drew him from the water’” — Miriam offered to secure a wet nurse (who was, of course, Jochebed, their mother). In this way, Moses grew up as the Pharaoh’s grandson and, also, grew up knowing he was Jewish.
At the age of 40, Moses stepped in to protect a Jewish man who was being beaten by an Egyptian and had to flee his home. When he was 80, he was confronted by G-d (in the form of the burning bush) and commanded to return to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh about freeing the Jewish people. Theoretically, Moses was also 80 when he received the Torah, G-d’s truth for his people, and he was 120 when he died – but that’s a story for a different day.
“And He said, ‘For I will be with you, and this is the sign for you that it was I Who sent you. When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’”
— quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:12)
“God said to Moses, ‘Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be),’ and He said, ‘So shall you say to the children of Israel, “Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.’””
— quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:14)
In some ways, Moses was the perfect person to be the (human) hero of the story. However, he was humble to the point of lacking confidence. He did not want to give the Jewish people false hope and so he repeatedly asked who/what was commanding him. Rabbi David Fohrman, quoting Shlomo Yitzchaki, the medieval French rabbi known as Rashi, points out that when G-d initial spoke to Moses and Moses asked for G-d’s identity, Moses was told three times that the One who spoke was the One who would always be with Moses and the Jewish people. Regardless of what they experience, Rashi explained, G-d will be with them. This is the very definition of compassion, which literally means “to suffer with.”
Moses’ humility and lack of confidence led him to seek the assistance of his brother Aaron. Of course, the Pharaoh did not believe in the G-d of Abraham and Moses. As a show of power, Aaron’s staff was turned into a snake. Pharaoh was not impressed and pointed out that he had magicians who could do the same “magic trick.” Even the fact that the brothers’ snake ate the other snakes was not enough for Pharaoh.
When the initial show of power didn’t convince Pharaoh of the authority of G-d, everyone was subject to nine plagues: blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts in the streets, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, and day(s) of darkness. Remember: It was not only Pharaoh and the Egyptians who suffered. The Jews, who were already suffering the hardship of slavery, also had to endure the additional hardships. In other words, they were asked to endure more suffering, but to have faith that this period of more suffering would end with the alleviation of their suffering. Perhaps they found hope in a critical — but not often highlighted — aspect of the Ten Plagues: they not only started on command, they also ended on command.
On the evening of the tenth plague, the death of the first born male child, the Jewish families were told to smear lambs blood on their doors — so their households will be passed over. They were also commanded to celebrate and give thanks for their freedom — even though they are still slaves.
Yes, it is a little mind boggling; but, what passes as the first Passover Seder happened in Egypt and during a time of slavery. Considering Pharaoh had changed his mind before, they had no way of knowing (with any certainty) that they would be freed immediately after the tenth plague. See where this is going? In that moment, the Jewish people who chose to believe and celebrate were like the quantum mechanics Cat: simultaneously free and not free.
“When you pass through water, I am with you, and in rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you go amidst fire, you shall not be burnt, neither shall a flame burn amongst you.”
— quoted from Yeshayahu (Isaiah) (43:2)
“So said the Lord, who made a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.”
— quoted from Yeshayahu (Isaiah) (43:16)
The people in the Passover story were told that the must have faith and follow the instructions of G-d in order to to be passed over and saved. They also had free will. So, it is important to note that not everyone celebrated the first Passover — neither did everyone flee when given the opportunity. It is also important to remember that celebrating freedom that had not yet been given/experienced was not the last time people in the Passover story had to keep the faith, hope, believe, and (with free will) act accordingly. There was a moment, after Pharaoh was compelled by the tenth plague to release the Jewish people (and after his heart hardened once again), when the Jewish people were between the tumultuous sea and Pharaoh’s army. According to the Midrash, talmudic commentary, Nahshon, believed that G-d would save the Jewish people and, therefore, waded into the water. It was his faith and his faith-based actions that caused G-d to turn the tide.
In modern times, this second night of Passover is when people begin Counting the Omer in Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah). Counting the Omer is a 49-day observation which reflects the days the newly freed Jews were in the desert and segues into the commemoration of the people receiving the Torah. When people Count the Omer there is an extra element of prayer, of offering, and also of contemplation on two connected elements of the Divine (from the Tree of Life). One the first night, the connected elements are Chesed She b’Chesed (“Lovingkindness in Lovingkindness”).
Divine love and the observation of Passover link the Jewish observations with the Christian observations of Lent and Great Lent, because, historically speaking, Jesus was a Jewish teacher or rabbi, who returned home to Jerusalem for Passover. The Gospel According to Saint John (12:1) is the only New Testament gospel that specifically refers to Passover as a reference point for the beginning of the last week of Jesus’ life. However, all four of the canonical gospels mention preparation for the festival, feast, or first day (depending on the translation) of “Unleavened Bread” and describe a jubilant and memorable moment where Jesus rode into town on a donkey (a symbol of peace) and was greeted by people who honored him by laying down palm fronds (and possibly coats) to cover his path. In Christian communities, Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent / Great Lent and marks Christians’ final preparation for Easter.
In addition to people around the world observing Passover, Counting the Omer, and Great Lent, there are people around the world celebrating the twelve-day festival of Riḍván, one of the holiest times within the Bahá’í community, is celebrated during the second month and begins exactly one Gregorian-month after the new year. This “Most Great Festival” in the Baháʼí Faith commemorates the time that the founder of the Bahá’i Faith, Bahá’u’lláh, waited in the original garden of Riḍván prior to being exiled to Constantinople. His declarations in the garden gave people hope and, during these modern day celebrations, the Universal House of Justice issues an annual Riḍván message and holds elections. These messages are reflections meant to inspire hopeful, faith-based actions.
“The urgency of the present hour must not obscure the special joy that comes from service. The call to service is an uplifting, all-embracing summons. It attracts every faithful soul, even those weighed down by cares and obligations. For in all the ways in which that faithful soul is occupied can be discovered deep-rooted devotion and a lifelong concern for the well-being of others. Such qualities give coherence to a life of manifold demands. And the sweetest moments of all for any enkindled heart are those spent with spiritual sisters and brothers, tending to a society in need of spiritual nourishment.”
— quoted from the Riḍván 2022 message from the Universal House of Justice “To the Bahá’is of the World”
“People ask me how I find hope. I answer that I don’t believe in hope, and I don’t believe in hopelessness. I believe in compassion and pragmatism, in doing what is right for its own sake. Hope can be lethal when you are fighting an autocracy because hope is inextricable from time. An enduring strategy of autocrats is to simply run out the clock.”
— quoted from Hiding in Plain Sight by Sarah Kendzior
Serendipitously, I received two texts from the same Austin suburb (on April 11, 2020). One was from a friend, sharing the Sarah Kendzior quote (above). The other was from my brother, asking why people were celebrating the same thing at different times. The short answer to my brother’s question is that it comes down to calendars and how people tell their stories (i.e., what is emphasized). A longer answer is all of these blog posts and classes, which come back to the fact that not everyone finds hope in the same place and/or in the same way.
At the end of the day (and often at the end of the practice), there are people whose faith and hope comes not from religion or spiritual philosophies, but from nature and even from other people. Just as some people are inspired by stories in sacred texts, scriptures, and history, there are many who are inspired by stories in songs — and/or the backstory of songs. While I typically offer a playlist with songs that, in and of themselves, tell the stories, this Tuesday’s playlist is a little different. Instead of songs that tell the story, it is a playlist mostly comprised of music by sigur rós.
On some albums, jónsi, who was born today in 1975, sings in Icelandic. On the third album, however, he sings in an imaginary language known as Vonlenska. Vonlenska, as identified by a journalist, first appeared in the ninth track of the band’s debut album. The song is called “Von,” the Icelandic word for “hope.” Hence the name: Volenska. Hopelandic.
Hopelandic. How can you not love that name, or the idea of a place where the native language is hope?
Just like the track “18 sekúndur fyrir sólarupprás” (“18 Seconds before Sunrise”), the music and the language remind me of Rabbi Mordechai Becher’s thoughts on free will, suffering, and being creators. They remind me that in between the suffering and the end of suffering, there is an empty space that we can fill with hope or with more suffering. That hope can be the silence of meditation or it can be the “gibberish” that serves as a placeholder for the beauty to come.
“it’s of course not an actual language by definition (no vocabulary, grammar, etc.), it’s rather a form of gibberish vocals that fits to the music and acts as another instrument. jónsi likens it with what singers sometimes do when they’ve decided on the melody but haven’t written the lyrics yet.”
“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer (tonight)! Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent! Happy National Poetry Month!
“First and foremost, we believe creation of the world, G-d created a world in which he wanted the human being to actually be able to do something – that is to say, to exercise free will, to be like G-d, meaning to be a creator, not to be lab rats…. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. But to have a relationship with G-d requires that I have an exercise of my free will…. Free will means an environment in which not necessarily do I always have pleasure when I make the right decisions and not necessarily does someone always suffer when they make the wrong decision. Free will is having real power to create stuff. Free will is having real power to alleviate suffering.”
— Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in vlog explaining one of several reasons why suffering exists
Please join me today (Tuesday, April 23rd) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTubeand Spotify. [Look for “04232023 The Language of Hope”]
NOTE: This is not the music we typically use for the aforementioned holidays. Please let me know if you are looking for a different playlist.
“People ask me how I find hope. I answer that I don’t believe in hope, and I don’t believe in hopelessness. I believe in compassion and pragmatism, in doing what is right for its own sake. Hope can be lethal when you are fighting an autocracy because hope is inextricable from time. An enduring strategy of autocrats is to simply run out the clock.”
— quoted from Hiding in Plain Sight by Sarah Kendzior
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A Joyful Practice 