“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent and/or the 19-Day Fast. May we cultivate peaceful possibilities throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“‘I think it can be done. It can be done by having public examples of that. Gandhi, when he was on the salt march, had everyone singing the song of Rabindranath Tagore, which goes, “Walk alone, walk alone …” Now there’s some paradox in that, with a million people on the march! But he was cultivating the thought that each individual has dignity, and the dignity consists partly in the willingness to stand up to authority.’
Gandhi’s leadership of a march protesting about the salt tax imposed by India’s British colonial administrators is a vivid example of the kind of civic formation [Martha] Nussbaum is talking about. But she has homelier examples, too.”
— quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald article “Interview: Martha Nussbaum – As attitudes harden towards religion, the American philosopher turns her attention to the nurturing of faith, freedom and respect for difference.” by Ray Cassin (pub. September 1, 2012)
Please join me today (Tuesday, March 12th) 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 “04062021 Salt Satyagraha”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlist includes extra videos of featured songs.
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.)
“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent and/or the 19-Day Fast. May we be open to peaceful possibilities throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
This is a post–practice note for Monday, March 11th.The post references racism, war, and famine (although these are not explicitly mentioned during the practice). You can request an audio recording of either 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.
“[JOSEPH] ASAGAI: Then isn’t there something wrong in a house – in a world – where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death of a man?”
— quoted from Act III, Scene One of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
When there is conflict, particularly conflict related to religion and/or ethnicity and race (not to mention any number of other immutable traits), we sometimes forget that we do not live in a binary universe. There are not just people of color and white people in the United States. There are not just Jewish people and Muslim people in the Middle East. There are not just Christians and non-Christians in the world. Neither are there just two groups in any conflict. But, there is one thing we all are: People.
We are all people who deserve a little sugar in our bowl, metaphorically as well as physically. We will get to the physical; but, let’s start with the metaphorical.
“I want a little sugar in my bowl I want a little sweetness down in my soul I could stand some lovin’, oh so bad Feel so funny, I feel so sad
I want a little steam on my clothes”
— quoted from the song “I Want A Little Sugar in My Bowl” by Nina Simone
Metaphorically speaking, what is the little bit of sweetness you want in the bowl that is your life?
Above and beyond having the basic necessities in life — food, water, shelter, and the ability to rest — your experiences and the experiences of those around you determines how you visualize and conceive of that sweetness. For example, Lorraine Hansberry’s childhood experiences became A Raisin in the Sun, which premiered on Broadway, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, today in 1959. Named after a line from the Langston Hughes poem “Harlem,” the award-winning play is about a family whose American dream is to live in a nice, safe neighborhood without facing racism and hostilities.
We live in a different time than the Hansberrys lived and each of us may have experiences that lead us to desire something that appears very different — on the outside. Ultimately, however, all of our sweet dreams boil down to the same things: We all want peace, safety, contentment, freedom, and love (e.g., that sense of belonging/being part of something more than ourselves).
Many people seek that sweetness through their spiritual and/or religious practice. As I have mentioned over the last few weeks, this is the time of year when many religious communities around the world are observing and/or are about to observe their holiest times. People within some Western Christian communities are entering the fourth week of Lent; people in the Baháʼí Faith community are in the second week of the 19–Day Fast; and the holy month of Ramadān has just begun. Furthermore, Great Lent (in the Orthodox Christian communities) begins next week, more communities will soon celebrate a new year and a new season, Passover is next month, and there are even more celebrations in between.
“‘Yet others abstain from food and practice sacrifice by spiritualizing their vital energy – that is, by figuratively pouring their own vital life force into the Cosmic Life Force. The whole point of all these various methods of sacrifice (worship) is to develop a certain mental attitude. Those who live with a truly worshipful attitude, whose whole lives are offered up for improvement of the world, incur no sin (no karmic debt).
‘This world is not for the person who performs no sacrifice, no worship. But those who actually live their lives as an offering partake of the nectar of God. Through selflessness they reach the Divine.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.30 – 31) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
For some people, fasting during a sacred time is one of the pillars or foundations of faith and an important element of worship. The same is true for giving something up and donating to charity. From the outside, it may just look like a luxury to be able to do these things. To someone on the inside of a tradition, these activities can be necessities of faith. Yet, as I have mentioned repeatedly over the last few weeks, since fasting is not meant to be abusive and/or a form of punishment, each major religion has exclusions based on age and physical–mental conditions. Just as there were people who were not able to fast because of COVID, there are people who have not been able to fully observe Lent, the 19–Day Fast, Great Lent, Passover, the holy month of Ramadān, and a host of other religious traditions and rituals because of war and famine.
I am specifically mentioning famine, because it sometimes gets overlooked and because it is something that is so unnecessary. I do not mean to imply that war and disease are necessary or that they are easily avoidable. But, famine is a different story.
Famine is a different story because there is enough food in the world. In fact, there is enough food to feed 1.5x the current world population.
Just think about that for a moment.
We could break that down as food for everyone on the plant plus 2.5 – 3 billion people who don’t exist. Or, we could break that down as having enough food for 2.5 – 3 billion people to go back for a second helping. Just to put all that into perspective: The largest countries in the world are still under 2 billion people. And yet, people are experiencing famine.
Take a moment to give thanks for what you have. Then, consider how you can help someone else have that metaphorical sweetness in the bowl that is their life.
Spoiler Alert: While what you can do is not necessarily about money, it is always about power. You have the power.
“[JOSEPH] ASAGAI: You wanted to be God – ?
BENEATHA [YOUNGER]: No – I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. I used to care. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt –
[JOSEPH] ASAGAI: And you’ve stopped caring – ?”
— quoted from Act III, Scene One of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
The playlist used for the 2023 practice is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05192021 Being in The Middle”]
NOTE: The before/after music includes different artists performing Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” (with an intro I don’t think I had ever heard): on YouTube it’s Jennifer Hudson; on Spotify it’s Aretha Franklin.
“To Mama: in gratitude for the dream”
— quoted from the dedication of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
“MAMA [YOUNGER]: Crazy ’bout his children! God knows there was plenty wrong with Walter Younger hard-headed, mean, kind of wild with women – plenty wrong with him. But he sure loved his children. Always wanted them to have something be something. That’s where Brother gets all these notions, I reckon. Big Walter used to say, he’d get right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water standing in his eyes and say, ‘Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams – but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worth while.’”
— quoted from Act I, Scene One of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
### Respect your dreams and the dreams of the children around you. ###
“Eid Mubarak, Blessed Festival!” to anyone who is (or was) celebrating. Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter! “Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.”
This is a “missing” post for Wednesday, April 19th. Scroll to the bottom to find links related to Eid-al Fitr. You can request an audio recording of this practice (or any of the related practices) via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at 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.
“Kuraib reported that Ibn ‘Abbas spent a night in the house of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he said: The Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him) stood near the water-skin and poured water out of that and performed ablution in which he neither used excess of water nor too little of it, and the rest of the hadith is the same, and in this mention is also made (of the fact) that on that night the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) made supplication before Allah in nineteen words. Kuraib reported: I remember twelve words out of these, but have forgotten the rest. The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light above me, light below me, light on my right, light on my left, light in front of me, light behind me, place light in my soul, and make light abundant for me.’”
– Sahih Muslim 7673 (Book 4, Hadith Muslim 1680)
In some ways, Wednesday’s practice picked up in the middle of the Tuesday practices – with a look at what we do (or what we can do) when we are waiting for something powerful. This time, the focus was on connecting with the power of the elements. Just like so many other teachers (and poets, not to mention health care practitioners), I often recommend connecting with the elements. In fact, I recommend connecting with the elements all around you – as well as the elements (and the way they show up) inside you and in the practice. Light and water (as well as wind), are elements that are often associated with certain physical practices of yoga. For example, in our vinyasa practice, we move (or “flow”) like water to the pace of our breath as we “salute” the sun (or the moon). Light and water (as well as wind) also show up in different religious practices. They show up, um, in their element and they also show up as symbols. They show up in various sacred texts and they also show up in various rituals.
One of the things I find interesting is that just as science uses similar language to explore and investigate all three (e. g. waves), different religions use similar language and context with regard to light and water (as well as wind). I have mentioned before how water is associated with wisdom in Hasidic Jewish traditions and, also, how “the spirit that lives on the water” is a concept that shows up in the Abrahamic religions as well as in indigenous religions, medicine, and philosophy from around the world. In other practices, I have focused on how water takes the shape of its container (or boundaries) and how, when it moves, it is also powerful enough to change the shape of that which contains it. Similarly, I have focused on how water is associated with so many different creation stories – including stories from India, China, Hawaii, and the First Nations – and how rituals and traditions that celebrate those stories rely heavily on water. Sometimes, however, we are missing the context.
Recently, a friend told me about an incredible water-related ritual they experienced in Thailand. After sharing the story, they lamented that we didn’t have such practices here in the United States. To which I responded that of course we do! It’s all about context. Consider the ritual washing of hands and feet in Judaism, as well as practices around the Mikveh (or mikvah). Consider the practice of baptism, winter swimming, and the significance of holy water in Christianity. Consider ritual washing in Islām and how (like in Judaism) there are certain prayers that are said before washing hands and certain that are said after ablutions.
Part of what makes an experience powerful is the connection to the elements. Part of the power, however, comes from the knowledge (and one’s belief in the knowledge).
The highlighted quote above and the following post appeared on the blog as a “renewed” post in April 2022. Some syntax and links have been updated. (NOTE: Some embedded links will take you outside of the blog.)
“‘Remember, dear friend, that I am subtly inherent in everything, everything in the universe! I am the all-illuminating light of the sun, the light in the moon, the brilliance in the fire – all light is Mine. I am even the consciousness of light, and indeed, I am the consciousness of the entire cosmos.’”
– The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners (15:12) by Jack Hawley
Yoga Sutra 1.36: viśokā vā jyotişmatī
– “Or [fixing the mind] on the inner state free of sorrow and infused with light, anchors the mind in stability and tranquility.”
In Huffington Post “Ramadān Reflection” in 2012, Imam Khalid Latif mentioned the importance of searching for the Night of Power when it comes to the last days of Ramadān. My understanding is that, regardless of our faith or overall beliefs, we have to actively participate in our fate and in our practices. We have to actively seek in order to find. So, while, I could point out all the different ways in which “light” comes up in different religious and spiritual practices, while I could outline a little comparative analysis between the sacred texts of the Abrahamic religions and songs by Yusuf Islam, Santana and Everlast, Matisyahu, and the Maccabeats, I’m not going to do it. Instead, I’m going to encourage you to seek and see what you find.
True, you can follow the links (above) and maybe find something new (or remember something you had forgotten). However, more than anything, I encourage you to sit with your own history and tradition for a moment and consider what comes up. How does light come up? When and where does light come up? How do your internalized references to light compare to those I’ve mentioned (above and below)? How do you describe those moments when you put your light on and let it shine?
2023: Now ask yourself the same questions about water.
“I used to trust nobody, trusting even less their words, Until I found somebody, there was no one I preferred, My heart was made of stone, my eyes saw only misty grey, Until you came into my life girl, I saw everyone that way. Until I found the one I needed at my side, I think I would have been a sad man all my life.
I think I see the light coming to me, Coming through me giving me a second sight. So shine, shine, shine, Shine, shine, shine, Shine, shine, shine.”
– from “I Think I See the Light” by Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam
As I recently (and virtually) discussed with two dear friends (as well as in classes), the similarities between the three Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – is no coincidence. These traditions share historical, spiritual, and liturgical roots. How do we explain, however, these same similarities when they come up in non-Abrahamic religions? Yes, yes, the cynical parts of us can say that language and customs were co-opted in order for missionaries to more easily conquer and convert. But, how do we explain that the elemental foundations – the opportunity to co-opt – already existed? How do we explain, for instance, the focus on light other than it is a fundamental and universal experience? We can be cynical for days, but at some point we have to “step into the light, baby.”
“‘O Allah ! place light in my heart, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light on my right, light on my left, light in front of me, light behind me, light above me, light below me, make light for me,’ or he said: ‘Make me light.’”
– Sahih Muslim 7673 (Book 4 Hadith Muslim 1677)
Wednesday playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.[Look for “Ramadan 2023”]
Two quick notes about the music: First, while the most of the musicians featured on the playlists during these final days of Ramadān are Muslim there are some exceptions. One of the notable exceptions – notable, because she is the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the list – is Reba McEntire. Her song “Pray for Peace” is on the playlist because she re-released it during the month of Ramadān in 2014 – but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month! Second, there are some songs on the playlist that are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of each song are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music.
“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter!
“Kuraib reported that Ibn ‘Abbas spent a night in the house of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he said: The Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him) stood near the water-skin and poured water out of that and performed ablution in which he neither used excess of water nor too little of it, and the rest of the hadith is the same, and in this mention is also made (of the fact) that on that night the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) made supplication before Allah in nineteen words. Kuraib reported: I remember twelve words out of these, but have forgotten the rest. The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light above me, light below me, light on my right, light on my left, light in front of me, light behind me, place light in my soul, and make light abundant for me.’”
– Sahih Muslim 7673 (Book 4, Hadith Muslim 1680)
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 19th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at)ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.[Look for “Ramadan 2023”]
Two quick notes about the music: First, while the most of the musicians featured on the playlists during these final days of Ramadān are Muslim there are some exceptions. One of the notable exceptions – notable, because she is the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the list – is Reba McEntire. Her song “Pray for Peace” is on the playlist because she re-released it during the month of Ramadān in 2014 – but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month! Second, there are some songs on the playlist that are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of each song are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music.
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.)
“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter!
“I know I’m waiting Waiting for something Something to happen to me But this waiting comes with Trials and challenges Nothing in life is free”
“My Lord, show me right from wrong Give me light, make me strong I know the road is long Make me strong”
– quoted from the song “Make Me Strong” by Sami Yusuf
There’s a lot in my head and heart today, a lot I want to share. But, it’s a lot. So, I’m going to ask you to wait a moment and, while you’re waiting, I’m going to ask you to send me some strength… as I send you some strength.
All over the world, people come together. Sometimes physically; sometimes virtually; sometimes spiritual; and sometimes religiously. It happens a lot when Nature cooperates – and/or when people work together to overcome natural (and man-made) disasters. It also happens this time of year, because so many communities are engaged in holy obligations, observations, and celebrations. I’ve talked about such things quite a bit recently and, this week, I again focus on a holy time – this time on the holy month of Ramadān.*
However, in addition to using this time (wisely) to share information that can bring us all closer together; I also want to use today to bring awareness to how powerful we all are (and can be) when we come together. Because, there is so much power in what we do when we come together – even virtually. There is power in coming together and waiting together. What is especially powerful is what we do, in community, when we come together and wait together. People have known about this power for eons upon eons. We see it in rituals and traditions around the world: in people coming together, as a community, during different sacred times throughout the year.
What is funny (ironic) to me is how, despite years of proof, Western science is only recently figuring out and acknowledging this power.
“But if we remove the theology—views about the nature of God, the creation of the universe, and the like—from the day-to-day practice of religious faith, the animosity in the debate evaporates. What we’re left with is a series of rituals, customs, and sentiments that are themselves the results of experiments of sorts. Over thousands of years, these experiments, carried out in the messy thick of life as opposed to sterile labs, have led to the design of what we might call spiritual technologies—tools and processes meant to sooth, move, convince, or otherwise tweak the mind. And studying these technologies has revealed that certain parts of religious practices, even when removed from a spiritual context, are able to influence people’s minds in the measurable ways psychologists often seek.”
– quoted from the (09/14/2021) Wired article entitled, “Psychologists Are Learning What Religion Has Known for Years: Social scientists are researching what humans can do to improve their quality of life. Their findings echo what religious practices perfected centuries ago.” by David DeSteno
In Yoga Sūtra 2.1, Patanjali described a spiritual technology that he called it kriyā yoga: a cleansing ritual consisting of tapas (“heat”, “discipline”, and “austerity”, as well as the practices that build heat, discipline, and austerity); svādyāya (“self-study” – which is reflection); and īshvarapraņidhāna (“trustful surrender to the Divine”). I often note that rituals made up of these exact three elements exist outside of yoga – and include observing a silent retreat (Buddhism), giving up leavened bread during Passover (Judaism), fasting for Yom Kippur (Judaism), fasting during Lent (Christianity), observing the 19-Day Fast (Bahá’í), and fasting during the holy month of Ramadān, which is ending this week.
More often than not, I contemplate and talk about the power of these rituals, of community, and of waiting in a positive way. For example, this month I have talked about the kindness in the waiting; I have referenced strength cultivated while waiting; and I have focused on the positive “destinations” we are looking forward to arriving/experiencing. I have not focused (much) on the fact that there is so much trauma that many of us are waiting for the next negative.
Yes, we can be (and are) excited about visiting new places; reconnecting with friends and family; starting new jobs and new relationships; having babies and seeing those babies hit new milestones (like taking first steps and graduating, which can be their first steps into adulthood); and hitting our own milestones. However, if we’re being honest, we are simultaneously waiting for those positives and, also, waiting for the next mass shooting, the next random shooting, the next assault, the next insult, the next ban, and the next law that keeps people from accessing “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Let’s be honest: We’re all waiting for the next trauma.
But, what are doing while we’re waiting?
“Take a moment to break your mind free of any distraction that causes your heart to be shackled in anxiety or pain. Remove from yourself any feeling of emptiness or remorse that comes from having to put on a face that is not your own to gain acceptance from a society that won’t take you as you are. Let your thoughts move away from those who can’t look beyond the color of your skin, the texture of your hair, the accent that you speak with, or anything else that makes you beautiful. Don’t chase after words that are unfamiliar to you but seek and speak with words that are sincerely your own. Be with those who give you hope and courage, who help you to be bold in your prayer. Forget the judgments and harshness of any who have lead you to believe that you cannot ask of your Creator for whatever your heart wishes. Don’t inhibit yourself in anyway. God is Most Generous and Most Merciful, and we all are entitled to benefit from that generosity and mercy. You are going to stand in front of the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, One who looks for a reason to accept from you, not push you away.”
– quoted from a 2012 “Ramadān Reflection” (Day 26) for Huffington Post by Imam Khalid Latif
Given that the Western science community has only recently started to catch up with the religious and spiritual communities, I should not be surprised that so many of us have taken spiritual, energetic, and psychological power for granted. Some of us scoff at people who talk about “thoughts and prayers” every time there is a shooting in the United States. But what are we doing? That is an important question: What are we doing?
I am asking that question in the context of each individual person’s civic duty, moral duty, and physical/material duty – and I am also asking in the context of energy, emotion, and spirit. Because, here’s the thing, the bottom line: Thoughts and prayers can create resistance; thoughts and prayers can create obstacles. Thoughts and prayers can create despair.
I know, I know, that’s not the way it’s “supposed” to work. Except it is.
It is supposed to work exactly like that. It is the way it has always worked. That’s one of the reasons the stoic Emperor Marcus Aurelius** wrote, “Our actions may be impeded… but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting…. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
So, maybe those of us who want change need to take another look at thoughts and prayers. Maybe we all need to look at what it is for which we are praying/hoping/wishing/thinking and how that praying/hoping/wishing/thinking creates the energy, emotion, and spirit needed for people to engage their minds and bodies. Maybe we need to look at how all of that can create more energy towards the positive, instead of continually experiencing how it contributes to the negative.
We need to start believing in change for the better. And, while we’re waiting, we need to start doing the things that enable us to create that better – and we need to come do it in community.
“The Creation Equation states that when the intensity of desire, or shakti (Is), plus the intensity of the energy you direct toward achieving it, or vayu (Iv), is greater than the intensity of resistance, or karma (Ik), it equals attainment of your desire, or prapti (P). Thus, the formula looks something like this:
Is + Iv > Ik = P.”
– quoted from “Chapter 11. The Formula For Fulfilling Your Desires” in The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom by Rod Stryker
UMMAH [Arabic] – Community, refers to a group of people who share common religious beliefs, often used as a synonym for “ummat al-Islām” (“the Islāmic Community”). Also appears in the Qur’ān as “Ummah Wāhida” (“One Nation”).
SHA’B [Arabic] – A Nation or Community which share common ancestry and geography (but not necessarily culture, language, or beliefs).
DHIMMĪ [Arabic] – Protected Person, historically used in reference to non-Muslims living within an Islamic state and conveys certain legal rights related to life, property, and religious freedom.
Please join me today (Tuesday, April 18th) 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 (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.[Look for “Ramadan 2023”]
Two quick notes about the music: First, while the most of the musicians featured on the playlists during these final days of Ramadān are Muslim there are some exceptions. One of the notable exceptions – notable, because she is the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the list – is Reba McEntire. Her song “Pray for Peace” is on the playlist because she re-released it during the month of Ramadān in 2014 – but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month! Second, there are some songs on the playlist that are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of each song are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music.
I remixed the playlist because I wanted to include some new songs. One of these songs is on the playlist three (3) times and was inspired by “the stories in In Baghdad Dreaming Of Cairo: In Cairo, Dreaming Of Baghdad by Rumi and by The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.” The song is moving in English (and as an instrumental, which is how it shows up during the practice), but it is next level in Arabic. Let’s go. Better yet, let’s make the whole world feel like home.
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.)
**NOTE: The Marcus Aurelius statement is from Book 5 of Meditations. The translation above appears in the preface of The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumphs by Ryan Holiday.
“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter!
“I know I’m waiting Waiting for something Something to happen to me But this waiting comes with Trials and challenges Nothing in life is free”
“My Lord, show me right from wrong Give me light, make me strong I know the road is long Make me strong”
– quoted from the song “Make Me Strong” by Sami Yusuf
Please join me today (Tuesday, April 18th) 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 (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.[Look for “Ramadan 2023”]
Two quick notes about the music: First, while the most of the musicians featured on the playlists during these final days of Ramadān are Muslim there are some exceptions. One of the notable exceptions – notable, because she is the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the list – is Reba McEntire. Her song “Pray for Peace” is on the playlist because she re-released it during the month of Ramadān in 2014 – but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month! Second, there are some songs on the playlist that are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of each song are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music.
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.)
“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was previously posted in 2020 and revised (and reposted in 2022). Holiday related dates and statistics, as well as class details have been updated. I have also revised some syntax and typos.
SUNNAH [Arabic; also “sunna” and “sunnat”] – Habit or Practice, refers to a collection of traditional social and legal practices and customs within Islām.
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HADITH [Arabic] – Speech, Narrative, Talk, or Discourse, refers to one of the primary sources of Islamic belief, theology, and law. It contains the words and recorded actions of “the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)” which make up the SUNNAH.
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QUR’ĀN [Arabic; also “Quran” and “Koran”] – The Recitation, refers to the primary sacred text of Islam as it was reveled by Allah (God). It consists of 114 “sūrahs” (or portions).
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RAMADĀN [Arabic] – derived from root word meaning “scorching heat” or “dryness” and refers to the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It is also one of the 99 “Beautiful Names of Allāh” (also known as “99 Attributes of Allāh”).
In the Yoga Sutras, when Patanjali codified the 8-Limb philosophy of Yoga, he combined certain elements in order to emphasize their power. For instance, the philosophy begins with 5 Yamas (“External Restraints” or “Universal Commandments”) and 5 Niyamas (“Internal Observations”) and Patanjali combined the last five niyamas (tapas, svādyāya, īshvarapraņidhāna) to form Kriyā Yoga, which is a prescription for union. This prescription, or path, to the ultimate union – Union with Divine – is a cleansing ritual consisting of tapas (“heat”, “discipline”, and “austerity”, as well as the practices that build heat, discipline, and austerity); svādyāya (“self-study” – which is reflection); and īshvarapraņidhāna (“trustful surrender to the Divine”). Examples of kriyā yoga – that is to say, rituals made up of these exact three elements – exist outside of yoga and include observing a silent retreat (Buddhism), giving up leavened bread during Passover (Judaism), fasting for Yom Kippur (Judaism), fasting during Lent (Christianity), observing the 19 Day fast (Bahá’í), and fasting during the month of Ramadān.
“Use your time wisely. Spend it only in pursuit of things that are good. Hold the world in your hand if you so desire, but never let the world use your heart as its abode. Your understanding of the world around you will be based off of how you take care of the world within you. Treat your heart as something precious and let only what is good for [it] have the privilege of receiving its love.”
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– Imam Khalid Latif in a 2013 “Ramadān Reflection” for Huffington Post
People who are not familiar with the tenets of Islām are often surprised to learn they believe things that Muslims believe. For instance, in Islām there are Six Articles of Faith: a belief in the Oneness of God, a belief in Revealed Books, a belief in the Prophets of Islām (which include Abraham, Jesus, and Mohammed), a belief in the Days of Resurrections, a belief in Angels, and a belief in al’aqdar (“predestination”). The Five Pillars of Islām (in Sunni order), which make up the framework of worship and signs of faith, include: the Islamic Creed (a declaration of faith, proclaiming one God); daily prayers; alms giving; fasting during the month of Ramadān; and a Pilgrimage to Mecca (the holy city). To comply with that 4th pillar, those who are able must refrain from eating, drinking, cursing, violence, any of the vices (including sarcasm and gossip), and engaging in sexual activity from dawn to sunset during the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is a lunar-based calendar. The month lasts 29 – 30 days and the fast begins with the sighting of the crescent moon. Like some of the instances mentioned above, this is a moveable feast… I mean, fast – although, at the end of each day and at the end of the month there is an eid or “feast” to break the fast.
“We sent it [the Qur’ān] down on the Night of Power. And what can make you know what is the Night of Power? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
The Angels and the Spirit [the inspiration] descend therein by their Lord’s leave for every affair.
Peace! It is till the rising of the dawn.”
– Sūrah Qadr (“Portion 97 of the Qur’ān”) 1 – 5
Even though Islām is one of the three Abrahamic religions with very definite historical (and theological) ties to Christianity and Judaism – and even though I have known Muslims throughout my life – I did not spend a lot of time studying Islām in the earlier part of my life. I did a lot of soul searching before I decided to teach a series of yoga classes focused on the theme of Islām and the observation of the month of Ramadān. Even though I sometimes have Muslim students in my classes, I knew that it was unlikely that any would attend during the month – which meant these practices would mostly be for people whose only intersection with Islām might be the news, passing someone in the locker room or some other publicly accessible space, and/or random encounters at school or work. Contrary to popular belief, there are conservatives (even conservative Christians) who attend yoga classes (even my yoga classes) and so I knew that there might be some people in the practice who were Islamophobic or regularly associated with people who were Islamophobic. So, in many ways, the practice served as an “explanatory comma,” as well as an opportunity for svādyāya (“self-study”). As I was not expecting many Muslim students, but wanted to really touch on some key elements, I decided to lead these classes at the end of the month, which is the most powerful time of the month.
Laylat al-Qadr, translated as “Night of Power,” “Night of Destiny,” “Night of Value,” Night of Measure,” Night of Decree” or “Night of Honour” is commemorated as the anniversary of the Qur’ān being reveled to the angel Gabriel in a verse-by-verse recitation, which Gabriel then recited to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) over the last 23 years of his (the Prophet’s) life. It is also considered the night when a certain evil spirit can do no harm/evil, when past transgressions are forgiven, when alms-giving is magnified (and multiplied), and when Allāh decides everyone’s destiny. (Notice the similarity to the High Holidays in Judaism?) It is a night so powerful that people will stay up all night praying because it is believed their prayers are more powerful on this most holy night.
There’s just one problem….
No one knows which night is the holiest night.
“Many Muslims will give emphasis to the 27th of Ramadān… but, the opinions on what day it is varies. The Qur’ān doesn’t mention a specific date for Laylat al-Qadr and the Prophet Muhammad’s recommendation: to ‘Seek it in the last 10 days, on the odd nights,’ indicates the importance of searching for it.”
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– Imam Khalid Latif in a 2012 Ramadān Reflection” for Huffington Post
Some people set their eyes on this past Saturday, while others will be praying tonight (Monday, April 17th) as it is the 27th night of the holy month of Ramadān. There are at least 1.8 2 billion Muslims in the world (almost over a quarter of the world) and about 3.5 million Muslims (or a little over 1%) in the United States. Even when you consider that the pandemic (and the fact that illness is an exception to fasting) meant not everyone has been fasting or praying over the last few years; that’s still a lot of people fasting and praying. It’s an even larger number of people when you consider that some non-Muslims are also observing.
“Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven.”
– Sahih al-Bukhari 35 (Vol. 1 Book 2 Hadith Bukhari 35)
Please join me on the virtual mat today (Monday, April 17th) at 5:30 PM for a 75-minute virtual yoga practice. 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.
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
A 2020 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Ramadan 2020”]
Two quick notes about the music: First, while the most of the musicians featured on the playlists during these final days of Ramadān are Muslim there are some exceptions. One of the notable exceptions – notable, because she is the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the list – is Reba McEntire. Her song “Pray for Peace” is on the playlist because she re-released it during the month of Ramadān in 2014 – but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month! Second, there are some songs on the playlist that are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of each song are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music.
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. Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating Easter and Eastertide / the Octave of Easter! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!)
This is the “missing” and slightly revised post for Saturday, April 8th, which was the 2023 Saturday before Easter in Western Christian traditions and Lazarus Saturday in the Orthodox Christian traditions, as well as Passover and the holy month of Ramadān. This is also an Easter post. NOTE: There are references to death and dying.You can request an audio recording of this Saturday practice and/or the Easter practice from 2020 via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at 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.
“Still; all that close throng Of spirits waiting, as I, For the message. Prompt me, God; But not yet. When I speak, Though it be you who speak Through me, something is lost. The meaning is in the waiting.”
– quoted from the poem “Kneeling” by R. S. Thomas, with accompanying music composed by Hilary Tann, featuring Guy Johnston
April marks the beginning of our Saturday exploration of the second of the four graces found in Indian philosophy, particularly in the Himalayan tradition of the Yoga Philosophy. We started with “Grace of God” (or Divine Grace) and we plan to end the year with Grace of Self. The second and third graces (Grace of Scripture and Grace of Guru) are often flipped and, in some ways, this practice connects the two. Mostly, however, this is about shastra kripa. In another practice (and post), I will get into why some traditions do not translate shastra as “scripture” and also why those tradition do not consider the scriptures I reference below as shastras. However, some do and, ultimately, the practice is about what we find inside the stories.
Pay close attention and you will find there is a lot of waiting – so much waiting – in the stories that people commemorate during Passover; the Saturday of Holy Week (which is the Saturday before Easter); Lazarus Saturday (which is the Saturday before Palm Sunday); and during the holy month of Ramadān. In 2023, all of those observations overlapped each other and overlapped some celebrations of the Buddha’s birthday – and there is significant waiting in the story of the Buddha. It is almost like there is something important about waiting. It is almost like there is something holy, something Divine, about waiting.
Waiting is something we all do at some point in our day-to-day lives – and it can be challenging. Whether we are waiting our turn or waiting for something for which we desire, we can get fidgety and impatient on the best days. We can be especially fidgety and impatient if we feel like nothing is happening or that something is not happening fast enough. But something is always happening; we just need to bring awareness to the moment.
This is where the waiting in yoga and meditation comes in handy: We can bring awareness to how we wait.
For instance, we may notice that we are so keen to do something that we start doing things that don’t actually serve us. We may even do things that are detrimental, because we don’t have the strength to wait. (And don’t doubt for a minute, that waiting, patiently, requires a certain kind of strength.) Additionally, we may notice that we are in the habit of saying, “I can’t wait,” when what we really mean is “I can hardly wait.” At first, the difference can seem like a matter of semantics, but then we notice that the mind-body is taking cues from our conscious awareness and that changing our inner dialogue (as well as what we verbalize to others) changes the way we show up in the moment. Over time, we may find that there can be kindness in waiting. We may notice that waiting sometimes gives us an opportunity to get ready for what’s ahead.
In fact, if you pay close attention, you will find that there is something important about what people do while they wait – especially in the sacred stories commemorated (this year) on April 8th.
“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
While some people celebrate the birthday of the Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Gautama Buddha, on different days in May, some celebrate on April 8th. I have heard that Siddhartha Gautama 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 the path includes some sitting… and waiting. What is promised at the end of the sitting and waiting is freedom from suffering.
Towards the end of the holy month of Ramadān, people in the Muslim community seek the holiest of nights, Laylat al-Qadr (translated as “Night of Power,” “Night of Destiny,” “Night of Value,” Night of Measure,” Night of Decree” or “Night of Honour”), which is commemorated as the anniversary of the revelations of the Qur’ān. As they seek (and wait) they pray. This pattern of people waiting for revelations (and freedom) shows up again and again in the other Abrahamic traditions.
For example, the story of Passover (which is summarized below), is the story of the Jewish people waiting to be free. Part of the story is also about waiting to be passed over during the 10th and final plague. Remember, that during most of the waiting, the Jewish people had to continue living their lives as enslaved people in Egypt. They had to suffer the indignities and hardships of slaver – and, also, the first nine plagues. They had to wait, with faith. Then, on that final night they had to wait and believe. They had to believe enough to celebrate freedom that had not been given. One the second night of Passover, some people begin Counting the Omer.
The sacred ritual of Counting the Omer is a period of 49 days, a total of 7 weeks, leading up to Shavuot or Shavuos (also known as the “Festival of Weeks”) – which itself is a commemoration of the Jewish people receiving the Torah. Commonly associated with Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), the practice of Counting the Omer involves 7 of the 10 attributes of the Divine that are found on the Tree of Life. Each day is associated with a different attribute, as is each week – which means that for 49 days people are focusing-concentrating-meditating on the interrelation of two attributes. Since each attribute is associated with a different part of the body, and some people combine a physical component, it’s a ritual exercise wrapped in a mystical meditation disguised as a 49-day perspective changing challenge.
In some ways, Counting the Omer is a period of waiting. However, it is not the only time, in Jewish tradition, when people are praying and reflecting while they wait. Nor is it the only time when 7 is a factor. In fact, one of the notably periods of waiting occurs after someone dies and their loved ones are “sitting shiva.” The Hebrew word shiva ( שִׁבְעָה ) comes from shiv’ah ( שבעה ), which means “seven,” and it is a seven-day period of mourning. The rituals, traditions, and prayers associated with Shiva formalize the grieving process and also provide a container for people to express compassion. It can also be a way to express hope.
“As spring is nature’s season of hope, so Easter is the Church’s season of hope. Hope is an active virtue. It’s more than wishful thinking….. My hope in the Resurrection is not an idle hope like wishing for good weather but an active hope. It requires something on my part – work. Salvation is a gift from God for which I hope, but Saint Paul told the Philippians to ‘work out your salvation with fear and trembling’ (2:12). My hope in the resurrection and eternal life in heaven requires work on my part.”
– quoted from A Year of Daily Offerings by Rev. James Kubicki
In the Gospel According to John (11:1 – 45), Jesus received the news that Lazarus was sick, but then waited (until he died) before traveling to Bethany. The text is very clear that Lazarus had been dead (or dead and buried) for four days. Historically speaking, and given that there are seven-day periods of mourning depicted in the Torah, Mary and Martha (and all of their friends) would have been “sitting shiva” when Jesus and the disciples arrived in Bethany. To be clear, they were waiting for Jesus and then they were waiting for the end of the mourning period.
While Lazarus Saturday is not always highlighted in Western Christian traditions the way it is in Orthodox Christian traditions, there are several parts of the story that are critical. First, Jesus waited (and knew when Lazarus died). Second, the description of how Lazarus was buried – in a cave with a stone in front – matches the descriptions of how Jesus was buried. Third, Jesus asks the sisters if they believe in him (and ask for verbal confirmation) – which was the whole reason he waited. Finally, it is notable that news of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead reached Jerusalem before Jesus arrived home for Passover.
Why did the news travel faster than Jesus? According to the Gospel, it is because he waited… in the desert – and that period of waiting in the desert is commemorated by people who observe Lent and Great Lent. However, those are not the only periods of waiting in the Christian liturgy. Remember, after his crucifixion and death, Jesus was buried, much like Lazarus – and his mother, Mary, and his followers waited.
“This year however, we are experiencing, more than ever, the great silence of Holy Saturday. We can imagine ourselves in the position of the women on that day. They, like us, had before their eyes the drama of suffering, of an unexpected tragedy that happened all too suddenly. They had seen death and it weighed on their hearts. Pain was mixed with fear: would they suffer the same fate as the Master? Then too there was fear about the future and all that would need to be rebuilt. A painful memory, a hope cut short. For them, as for us, it was the darkest hour.
Yet in this situation the women did not allow themselves to be paralyzed. They did not give in to the gloom of sorrow and regret, they did not morosely close in on themselves, or flee from reality. They were doing something simple yet extraordinary: preparing at home the spices to anoint the body of Jesus. They did not stop loving; in the darkness of their hearts, they lit a flame of mercy. Our Lady spent that Saturday, the day that would be dedicated to her, in prayer and hope. She responded to sorrow with trust in the Lord. Unbeknownst to these women, they were making preparations, in the darkness of that Sabbath, for “the dawn of the first day of the week”, the day that would change history. Jesus, like a seed buried in the ground, was about to make new life blossom in the world; and these women, by prayer and love, were helping to make that hope flower. How many people, in these sad days, have done and are still doing what those women did, sowing seeds of hope! With small gestures of care, affection and prayer.”
– Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis, Easter Vigil, Holy Saturday, 11 April 2020
The following was originally posted in April 2020 and revised in April 2022 (in the “Down the Rabbit Hole” section). Some information was posted during Passover and holy week this year, but I am posting it here, For Those Who Missed It. This version has been slightly revised.
Whenever I think about Easter, the waiting that happened on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, and the moment when the rock was rolled away to reveal the empty tomb, I think of one thing: Wigner’s friend taking care of that quantum mechanics Cat.
For those of you not familiar with physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment (or paradox), it goes like this: The (imaginary) cat is closed up in a box with an unstable radioactive element that has a 50-50 chance of killing the cat before the box is opened. According to quantum mechanics, there is a moment when the cat is simultaneously alive and dead. This is called superposition and it could be considered the scientific equivalent of non-duality. When the box is opened, revealing the state of the cat, the superposition collapses into a single reality. (There is also the possibility that opening the box changes the percentage, but that’s a whole different tunnel.)
Physicist Eugene Wigner took things a bit farther by adding a friend. According to the Wigner’s thought experiment, instead of doing the experiment, the scientist leaves it all in the hands of a friend and waits for a report. Now, there is the superposition inside of the box and there is a separate superposition inside the lab, which means the wave (or superposition) collapses into a single reality when the box is opened (creating reality as the friend knows it) and collapses again when the (imaginary) friend reports to the scientist (establishing the original scientist’s reality). Let’s not even get into what happens if the friend opens the box and leaves the lab without reporting back to the original scientist, but has a certain expectation – i.e., understanding of reality – about what the scientist will find in the lab. Through it all, the cat exists (and ceases to exist) within its own reality. It never experiences the superposition others experience. It just is.
That state of being, existing, takes us back to Passover, and eventually to the Resurrection of Jesus.
“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 the Exodus story, while the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt, G-d commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand the Jews be released. Moses had an interesting backstory and was, in some ways, the perfect person to be the (human) hero of the story. However, he was humble to the point of lacking confidence and ended up asking his brother Aaron to come along on the mission. When their 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. 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 are simultaneously free and not free.
Furthermore, 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.”
“‘Whenever goodness and “dharma” (right action) weaken and evil grows stronger, I make Myself a body. I do this to uplift and transform society, reestablish the balance of goodness over wickedness, explain the sublime plan and purpose of life, and serve as the model for others to follow. I come age after age in times of spiritual and moral crisis for this purpose.’”
– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.7 – 8) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Jesus was (during his time), and future Christians are, kind of in the same boat. In the last week of his life, he was betrayed, crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected – and he simultaneously was not. However, most of that is semantics. What is critical is the dead/buried, and resurrected part. In those moments, even right after the tomb was opened and there was some confusion about what had happened, Jesus was essentially the quantum physics Cat – and Christians, as well as non-believers, were either the original scientist or the friend.
Yet, when everything is said and done (stay with me here), this is all head stuff. What people observe, commemorate, and/or celebrate in modern times, isn’t really about the head. Faith never is. It’s all about the heart. It’s all about love. Specifically, in these examples, it all comes back to G-d’s love expressed as compassion.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
– quoted from The Gospel According to John (3:16, NIV)
The playlist for Saturday (4/8/2023) is available on YouTube and Spotify.
Blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating Easter and Eastertide / the Octave of Easter! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!)
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted today in 2020. Dates and related information (including links) have been updated. *UPDATE: I revised some language and added a quote in this post after the practice.
“Find the cost of freedom Buried in the ground Mother Earth will swallow you Lay your body down.”
– “Find the Cost of Freedom” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Most people, I think, would agree that freedom is priceless. I mean, at least, I think we can all agree about that when we are talking about our own freedom. Things get a little twisted when we are talking about someone else’s freedom. How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone we perceive as different from us? How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone with whom we disagree about even the meaning of freedom?
What happens if you have to put a price freedom? What happens if you actually have to quantify the value of life, liberty, freedom (which is, ultimately, the pursuit of happiness)?
Did that last question take you back to the Constitution and the founders of the United States? Let’s really go back, get the full context, shall we?
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
– excerpt from the Declaration of Independence as presented by the Committee of Five and approved and signed by the Second Continental Congress, 1776
Yes, yes; it’s inspiring and lovely – and I do love the sentiment: those are words to live and lead by. And yet…. And yet…. Here’s one of the interesting and twisted things about all that: The founders of the United States, who created a country based on those highly virtuous concepts outlined in the Declaration of Independence, did so while simultaneously creating a country (that same country) that systematically declared women and certain people of color to not only not be equal, but to also not be entitled to the very rights which they said were “endowed by their Creator.” These men, for the Committee of Five and the signers of the Constitution were all men (so far as I know), were willing to fight in order to secure their freedom from Great Britain. Furthermore, they believed, as Caesar Rodney (the Gentleman from Delaware) famously put it when he cast his vote for independence, “As I believe the voice of my constituents and of all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, my judgment concurs with them; I vote for independence.” In other words, they believed they represented the voice of the People (i.e., other men) who were willing to lay down their lives for freedom: that was the cost of freedom.
“The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. And his offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. One spoon [weighing] ten [shekels] of gold filled with incense. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. One young he goat for a sin offering. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.”
– Bamidbar / Numbers 7:12 – 7:17
In the Hebrew Bible / the Christian Old Testament, G-d not only gave Moses instructions for how to deal with Pharaoh, but also instructions on how the Jewish people were to deal with the last days of the plague (in particular during the final plague); how to travel and camp; how to take a census (or accounting of the men); how to establish leadership; and how to build and dedicate a temple. G-d also instructed Moses that each Tribe of Israel was required to make a sacrifice, or offering, as a way to give thanks and offer devotion. In other words, according to what they were able and how many were in their tribe, each leader paid the cost of freedom.
Today in 1862, nearly nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. The act essentially ended slavery in the capital city (although it did not apply to fugitive slaves who had escaped from Maryland) and set aside over $100,100,000 as compensation for the 3,185 people who were freed.
That was the cost of freedom: over $1 million, plus an additional $100,000, for approximately 3,185 people.
But, let’s not get the facts twisted. The compensation was primarily for the slave owners who were “losing their property.” President Lincoln appointed a 3-person Emancipation Commission, which met 5 days a week, for months on end, in order to review 966 petitions and dole out compensation accordingly. Petitions included the name, age, sex, and “particular description” of the enslaved person in question and were made on behalf of black, as well as white, “slave owners.” Yes, that is correct. At the time, certain places within the Union – like the District of Columbia – were home to freedmen who had purchased their family members so that they too could be free. (I started to put purchased in quotes, but the reality is people paid to be free.) This act did not apply to any Confederate slaver owners or anyone who had aided the Confederacy’s (lost) cause. Furthermore, it made it a felony to “kidnap” or in any way re-enslave a freed person or formerly enslaved person.
The Compensated Emancipation Act paid Union slave-owners $300 per freed person and paid formerly enslaved people a resettlement or “emigrant” fee – not to exceed $100 each – if they chose to relocate to places like Haiti and Liberia. It established payment for the commissioners ($200,000 each); a clerk ($200 per month plus an occasional 25 cent processing fee); and paid a marshal “such fees as are allowed by law for similar services performed by him in the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia.” It also stated, “that the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause all other reasonable expenses of said commission to be audited and allowed, and that said compensation, fees, and expenses shall be paid from the Treasury of the United States.” In July of 1862, an amendment was added which allowed formerly enslaved people to petition for compensation (on their own behalf) if their former masters had not already done so. The amendment did something even the Declaration of Independence and the original Act didn’t do: it gave equal weight and consideration to petitioners – regardless of their color or the color of the person who might challenge their petition.
Similar compensation was proposed, but never implanted in the rest of the United States. Today (April 16th), is Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia. It is a public holiday in the country’s capital city and yet, outside of D. C., most people don’t think twice about Emancipation Day – unless it falls on a Saturday or Sunday (like it does this year) and thereby delays the official federal tax day for a few days (so that people can have Monday off).
So, there are three examples of the cost of freedom. What’s the cost of your freedom? What, for that matter, does it mean to you to be free? And, what are you doing with your freedom – even when your movement/freedom has been restricted by the quarantine and social distancing?
“If one thinks of oneself as free, one is free, and if one thinks of oneself as bound, one is bound. Here this saying is true, ‘Thinking makes it so.’”
– Ashtavakra Gita 1:11
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, April 16nd) 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.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. Ifyou 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.)
Blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating Great Week or Eastertide / the Octave of Easter! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!)
“The Lord’s arms of protection enabled him to go through dangers seen and unseen, and he had the capacity to wear glory with grace.”
– quoted from Reverend Jesse Jackson’s eulogy of Jackie Robinson (October 1972)
Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, April 15th) at 12:00 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04152020 Ah, Freedom! (#42)”]
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.)
### GRACE + GUTS = GRACE, & MORE GRACE, UNDER PRESSURE ###
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A Joyful Practice 