“Chag sameach!” to those observing the High Holidays. “Many blessings,” to everyone and especially those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!
“When marching along the gray road towards the tannery in a column raising clouds of dust, one saw the beautiful red light of the dawn shining on the white flowers in the orchards and on the trees by the roadside, or on the return journey we would encounter young couples out walking, breathing in the beauty of springtime, or women peacefully pushing their children in prams — then the thought uncomfortably bouncing around one’s brain would arise . . . swirling around, stubbornly seeking some solution to the insoluble question: Were we all . . . people?”
— quoted from The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery by Captain Witold Pilecki (Auschwitz Prisoner No. 4859), translated from Pilecki’s original 1945 Auschwitz Report by Jarek Garliński (with an Introduction by Norman Davies & a Forward by Michael Schudrich (Foreword)
It is all to easy to focus on our differences, but what happens when we focus on our similarities? What happens when we focus — or just take a moment to notice — the things we have in common? I think good things happen. I think it makes us more fully human and, possibly, more appreciative of what it means to human. This is why it always feels particularly auspicious when two or more completely different groups of people (from vastly different communities, faiths, and cultures) are celebrating and/or observing sacred times at the same time. It feels particularly notable (to me) when these “holy” times are the same length of time. Take right now, for instance, when two very different 10-day celebrations/observations are overlapping around the world.
Today is the fourth day of the High Holidays (and of the new year) according to the Hebrew calendar and, according to the Hindu calendar, today is the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival celebrating the birthday of Ganesha. I referred to these as “very different” — and it is true that the rituals, traditions, and faiths are different. However, underlying both holidays is something very human: a desire for new beginnings and less obstacles. Additionally, both observations require people to do something in preparation for the better days. Whether it is making an offering and/or offering (or asking for) forgiveness, these auspicious times require people to act. So, there is prayer, there is reflection, there is prayer, and there is a dissolution (or dissolving) or something.
In both cases there is also something sweet.
“ॐ गजाननाय नमः। Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”
— This mantra honoring “the One who carries the elephant head” is a reminder that if Ganesha can carry the elephant’s head to survive and fulfill his duties, we can all put aside our egos and live dutifully.
Ganesha is depicted as having a human body (with extra arms) and an elephant head. In Hinduism, he is the Remover of Obstacles and the God of New Beginnings. He is also associated with wisdom and intelligence, as well as the arts and sciences. For his birthday celebrations, people chant Vedic hymns and shastras (including sacred texts and scriptures). There will also be kirtan (chanting with music), which is a form of bhakti yoga or union through devotion/love. In addition to offering Ganesha his favorite sweets, people host Ganesha for one day, three days, seven days, or all ten days. They host him by displaying a clay statue of him in their homes and/or in public.
On the tenth day, the idols are carried to a nearby body of water and dissolved so that Ganesha can return to his heavenly home, carrying people’s obstacles/burdens away in the process. In some places, hundreds of thousands of statues are dissolved at the end of the festival. Over the years, people moved away from traditional materials and started using plaster of Paris (Gypsum plaster), which created environmental concerns. Some cities have now banned using plaster of Paris and encouraged people to return to using local clay (and sometimes clay and cow dung). There are also people who will dissolve their Ganesha statue in a barrel of water and then spread the dissolved clay in their garden — which may not seem like much, but can be way for a person’s actions and faith-based beliefs to make a difference in the world.
We can all do something little that makes a difference. Some, however, do big things that make a difference.
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.”
— quoted from an 1853 sermon by abolitionist and Unitarian minister Theodore Parker
The following is a (slightly revised) excerpt from a 2020 post.
Calvary Captain Witold Pilecki (also known as Tomasz Serafiński) made such a big sacrifice and such a difference in the world that some believe he should be recognized by Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center) as “Righteous Among Nations.” Today in 1940, he allowed himself to be captured by the Nazis. He did this in order to report the truth about what was going on in concentration camps like Auschwitz.
Captain Pilecki, served as an officer in the Polish Army during the Polish-Soviet War (1919 – 1920) and during World War II. As part of the Resistance to Nazi Occupied Poland, he co-founded the Secret Polish Army (along with Lieutenant Colonel Jan Henryk “Darwicz” Włodarkiewicz and Lieutenant Colonel Władysław “Stefan” Surmacki ), which eventually became part of the Home Army. When Germany invaded Poland at the end of 1939, very little was known about the concentration camps, but Captain Pilecki had a plan. His idea, which was approved by his Polish Army superiors, was to come out of hiding during a Warsaw roundup in order to be arrested and shipped to Auschwitz, where he could organize the resistance and report on the situation from the inside.
“I’ve been trying to live my life so that in the hour of my death I would rather feel joy, than fear.”
— Witold Pilecki’s statement to the judge after his sentencing, May 15, 1948
He was given a false identity card and was arrested on September 19, 1940. Arrested along with him were 2,000 civilians, including journalist and historian Władysław Bartoszewski (who was designated “Righteous Among Nations” in 1965). After being detained for two days, “Tomasz Serafiński” was assigned number 4859, and shipped to Auschwitz, where he documented the difference between the way the Nazis treated Jewish people versus non-Jewish people. He also documented the escalating move towards genocide.
During his two and a half years at Auschwitz, Witold Pilecki formed Union of Military Organizations (ZOW), a resistance organization within the camp, which set up intelligence networks; distributed extra food, clothing, and medical supplies; boosted morale; and prepared for a possible Home Army coup. At one point, ZOW was even able to construct and use a secret radio receiver and help at least 4 Polish men escape (with one of Captain Witold’s reports).
“Witold’s Report” (also known as “Pilecki’s Report”) was information that was regularly smuggled through the Polish resistance to London and even to the British government. It provided the outside world with the first “official” documentation of the Nazi’s atrocities. For much of the war, however, the reports of genocide were considered too unbelievable. As the Nazi’s plans became more and more obvious, and as his calls for the Allies to bomb the camps were denied, Captain Pilecki realized he was running out of time. He was receiving news from the outside that the Allies supported the idea of a prisoner insurrection — which he too had suggested at one time. However, by 1943, the people inside the camp were too weakened to mount an attack. He thought could be more convincing in person, so he put a new plan into action.
After he escaped in April 1943, Captain Pilecki wrote “Report W,” outlining the conditions of the camps, as well as details about the gas chambers, the selection process, the crematoria, and the sterilization experiments. His report was signed by other escapees and included the names of ZOW members. He continued to work and organize the resistance, while also expanding “Report W.” He participated in the Warsaw Uprising and was reassigned to Italy, but eventually returned to Communist-controlled Poland. In May of 1947, he was arrested by the Communist government and tortured, but he would not reveal other members of the resistance. He was eventually “tried” and executed. His most comprehensive version of the “W Report” (from 1945) was published in 2012, as The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery, and his life has been the subject of a number of books, songs, and articles.
“Who will be calm and who will be tormented? Who will become poor and who will get rich? Who will be made humble and who will be raised up? But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [return and prayer and righteous acts] deflect the evil of the decree.”
— quoted from the poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”)
Please join me today (Tuesday, September 19th) 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 myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Bending the Arc”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlist contains extra videos of some of the songs featured during the practice.
“Even when a man takes revenge on others who hate him, in spite of him not hating them initially, the pain caused by his vengeance will bring him inevitable sorrow.” (313)
“When a man inflicts pain upon others in the forenoon, it will come upon him unsought in the afternoon.” (319)
— quoted from the English translation of the Tamil lyrics of the song “Ahimsa” by U2 and A. R. Rahman, featuring Khatija and Raheema Rahman (translation from IntegralYoga.org)
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.)
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE / MAY YOU HAVE FEW OBSTACLES AHEAD ###
“L’Shana Tovah U’Metukah!” to anyone who is observing Rosh Hashanah and many blessings to all!
This is a “missing” post for Saturday, September 16th. NOTE: Portions of the following were previously posted in a (slightly) different context. 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.
“Although both kriya and karma can be translated as ‘action,’ there is a vast difference between them. Both are derived from the verb root kri…, which means ‘to do.’ Kriya refers to an action in process as well as to the dynamic force propelling the action. Karma refers to completed action. Unless a fresh wave of action is exerted on karma, it remains unchanged. Karma is an unchanging field of completed action waiting to be harvested by the performer of the action, while kriya is ever-moving, ever-changing energy. Kriya yoga is yoga in action, not yoga of action, and should not be confused with karma yoga.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.1 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
According to the Hebrew calendar, Rosh Hashanah, “the Head of the Year” started at sunset on Friday night (making Saturday the first day of the new year and beginning of the High Holidays). The High Holidays, also known as the “Ten Days of Awe” or “Ten Days of Repentance” culminate with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and are one of the holiest times of the year. This period is so auspicious that it is celebrated by very devout people as well as by people who might not typical go to services. Unlike a secular new year, this is more than a celebration — it is an observation: a time for reflection, remembrance, and repentance.
For Jewish people around the world (and for people who observe the commanded holidays outlined in Deuteronomy), the High Holidays are time for a specific kind of action. This is a time to actively get ready for a new year of life — beginning anew, with a clean slate — and that requires some effort (to combat the effort). From a yoga (and yoga philosophy) perspective, we can think of this as kriyā to combat karma — in other words “doing” to combat “what has been done.”
In Yoga Sūtra 2.1, Patanjali defined kriyā yoga (“union in action”) as a combination of the final three niyamas (internal “observations”): discipline/austerity, self-study, and trustful surrender to a higher power (other than one’s self). In this context, kriyā yoga is a purification ritual. It is an opportunity to let go of what no longer serves us and move with more strength, focus, and determination. In the Kundalini Yoga tradition, “kriyā” is the term applied to sequences with specific energetic intentions. I think either understanding can be considered a prescription and, as I often mention, there are rituals and traditions outside of yoga that fall within this rubric.
“Who will be calm and who will be tormented? Who will become poor and who will get rich? Who will be made humble and who will be raised up? But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [repentance and prayer and righteous acts] deflect the evil of the decree.”
— quoted from the poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”)
Even if you are not Jewish, even if you’ve never attended services during the High Holidays, there’s a good chance you’ve heard some of the words from the liturgical poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”). It begins with the belief that on Rosh Hashanah G-d writes people’s names and fates in the “Book of Life” and that the book is sealed on Yom Kippur. Then there is a litany of fates. Some people will go to services specifically to hear the poem, some will avoid it (as parts are explicit and can be triggering). Many of the fates are included in a beautifully haunting song by a young Leonard Cohen — which has a tendency to stick with you! However, outside of the tradition, people don’t really focus on the end of the poem, which highlights the fact that (in theory) we each have 10 days to ensure our name and fate are sealed favorably. The end of the poem outlines three key elements to the observation of this holiest of times. These three key elements can also be described as key elements to living a good life: repentance/return, prayer (or reflection), and righteous acts.
Teshuvah (or Tchuvah), Hebrew for “return” and also “repentance,” is not about self flagellation; it’s not about beating yourself up. It’s about recognizing when you’ve made a mistake — even the same mistake again and again — and then taking the steps to stop making the mistake, express remorse for making the mistake, and planning how to not make the mistake (again and again) in the future. It’s about returning to G-d, to community, and/or to your true self.
“After the day is gone we shall go out, breathe deeply, and look up – and there the stars will be, unchanged, unchangeable.”
— quoted from The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey
At the end of the day, we each have some work that only we can do. Sometimes, we can do that work all on our own (even though it may be easier in community). Sometimes, however, we need to actually ask for and/or offer forgiveness. Sometimes, we need the grace of an outside perspective, the insight of a someone who can help us see the light.
It is up to the Saturday “irregulars” to determine if I am succeeding or not, but one of my goals in focusing on the four kinds of kripa (“grace”) has been to convey that kripa — and, in particular, guru kripa — is an energy. It is an energy that can manifest in different ways, which means that “the remover of darkness” (or “light”), i.e., the guru, can show up in different ways and places. In other words, we can learn valuable lessons from a curious teacher (or two).
The following is an abridged (and slightly revised) version of a 2020 post.
“Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.’ George promised to be good. But it is easy for little monkeys to forget.”
— quoted from Curious George by Margaret and H. A. Rey
Hans Augusto Reyersbach, better known as H. A. Rey, was the author of The Stars: A New Way to See Them and the co-author of children’s books featuring Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat. Born today in 1898, he and his wife Margaret (born Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein, on May 16, 1906) were German Jews who originally met in their hometown of Hamburg, but then both ended up in Brazil and reconnected in Rio de Janeiro. It was in Brazil that H. A. changed his last name to Rey and Margarete changed her first name to Margaret. They married in Brazil and took a honeymoon cruise to Europe before settling in Paris, France. During the cruise, their pet marmoset monkeys died. These pets may have been the beginning of the idea that became George; because, when they settled in France, they began creating the drawings and stories that would become “Curious George and Friends.”
George, however, did not start off as “George.” Like the Reys, he went through a series of name changes, starting with “Fifi” and “Zozo.” He also has different names in different translations, including (but not limited to) Jordi (in Catalan), Peter Pedal (in Danish), Coco (in German), Golgol in Galacian), and Nicke Nyfiken (in Swedish). I am particular fond of “Peter Pedal,” because it makes me think of how Curious George, and his creators, escaped the Nazis. A back story that is as much of an adventure as the stories themselves.
“It seems ridiculous to be thinking about children’s books. [But] life goes on, the editors edit, the artists draw, even during wartime.”
— H. A. Rey
Margaret, who H. A. originally remembered as the kid sister who slid down banisters, ended up in Brazil specifically because she was escaping the Nazi’s rise of power in Germany. In 1939, the now married Reys wrote and illustrated a book called Rafi and the 9 Monkeys. From the beginning it was an equal collaboration, but only H. A.’s name appeared on the original publications. (On a side note, Rafi would become “Raffi” when the book was published in the United Kingdom and “Cecily” when it was published in the United States.) Rafi was a giraffe whose friends and family had been captured and placed in a zoo. She made friends with a family of nine monkeys — the most prominent of whom would become “George.”
By the time the war broke out, the Reys had been contracted to publish a book featuring the gregarious monkey. They were working on other books as well; however, in June of 1940, the couple decided to put everything on hold and flee from the Nazi invasion. H. A. built two bicycles and, taking little more than the drawings and manuscript for “Fifi,” they headed south. Their four-month journey eventually landed them in New York City, where the first Curious George book was published (in 1941).
One of the things that aided their escape was the fact that they were officially Brazilian citizens. Another thing that helped them was “Fifi.” At one point in their escape, an official suspected them of being German spies (because they were Jewish people with German accents and Brazilian visas), but let them go when he searched their belongings and found nothing more than a children’s story.
“George can do what kids can’t do. He can paint a room from the inside. He can hang from a kite in the sky. He can let the animals out of their pens on the farm. He can do all these naughty things that kids would like to do.”
— Margaret Rey
“Curious George does exactly what he’s supposed to do for his age and development (and species)! By nature and by name, he is curious. He explores his world fully and completely. This is his job as a young, continually developing little person, er, monkey. This is why my kids love the show–they relate so well to George’s genuinely curious nature and all of the honest (and funny) mistakes that ensue. But what I find most refreshing about ‘Curious George’ is The Man in the Yellow Hat.
The Man in the Yellow Hat never punishes George for his mistakes. He is more concerned with solving the problem. The man helps George put things away, fix things that broke, apologize to people who were involved in any indiscretions, and generally restore order.”
— quoted from “Why I Like Curious George” posted on the blog Parenting From Scratch by Kelly Bartlett
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Rosh Hashanah 2021”]
Please join me today (Saturday, September 16th) at 12:00 PM, for a 90-minute yoga practice on Zoom.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 “Rosh Hashanah 2021”]
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.)
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###
May you be safe and protected. May you be healthy and strong. May you know you are loved.
“You do not have to be good
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.”
— quoted from the poem “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
The following excerpt is from a 2022 post:
“Consider how much lovelier and simpler the world would be if we all accepted each other as we are; supported the ones we love as they are; allowed others in the world to get what they wanted/needed from us without compromising our own wants/needs, and let go of all the rest.
Simply stated: Consider how much lovelier and simpler the world would be if we love/respected each other, helped each other out, and let go of all the rest.”
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, September 10th) 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 “05252022 Pratyahara II”]
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.)
May you be safe and protected. May you know you are loved.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2020. Class details and links (some of which direct you outside of this blog) have been updated.
“Love is the only way to rescue humanity from all ills, and in it you too have the only method of saving your people from enslavement. In very ancient times love was proclaimed with special strength and clearness among your people to be the religious basis of human life.”
– quoted from section V of “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
Consider that if you practice ahimsā (“non-harming” or “non-violence”) and satya (a dedication to “truth”), there are times when telling the brutal honest truth, creates harm. So, the questions become (1) how to mitigate the harm – while also being dedicated to the truth – and (2) how to be honest without telling the truth. Someone who would have strived to find the balance was Leo Tolstoy who, in my humble opinion, sometimes failed miserably to find the balance.
Going by the Gregorian calendar, Leo Tolstoy was born today in 1828. He was born into nobility near Tula, Russia and, in many ways, his story could mirror that of Prince Siddhartha’s story of enlightenment… if it weren’t for those pesky trips to the brothel. Yes, born into wealth and privilege, Tolstoy indulged himself. Then he fell in love and very quickly married the 18-year old Sophia Behrs, the daughter of a court physician. There was a difference in their social status and a 16-year age difference; however, those were not the problems. Their marital strife started before they even got married when, under the guise of full disclosure, Tolstoy forced Sophia to read his diaries – filled with his sexual exploits – the night before their wedding. In a similar vein, he would later tell his favorite daughter Maria, known as “Masha,” that although it was sad that she had experienced another failed birth, “it is clearly a benefit to your spiritual life.”
Yeah, Tolstoy kinda sucked like that.
He was also, by all accounts, incredibly moody.
If you only know of Tolstoy as the Nobel Prize nominated author of giant Russian novels that many consider the greatest literature ever written, then my earlier statement about his story mirroring the Buddha’s story may come as a surprise – especially given his interpersonal skills as described above.
I completely understand if, given the above information, you don’t want to read anything more. (Especially considering the fact that I don’t think the rest of the story redeems him.) Here’s the thing though: Tolstoy spent much of his adult life in the middle of a spiritual crisis and his efforts to resolve this crisis led him to “start” a spiritual movement that inspired people from all over the world – including Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., & Rev. James Bevel. Gandhi even named a spiritual settlement in South Africa after Tolstoy.
“I believe that such a time has now arrived—not in the sense that it has come in the year 1908, but that the inherent contradiction of human life has now reached an extreme degree of tension: on the one side there is the consciousness of the beneficence of the law of love, and on the other the existing order of life which has for centuries occasioned an empty, anxious, restless, and troubled mode of life, conflicting as it does with the law of love and built on the use of violence. This contradiction must be faced, and the solution will evidently not be favourable to the outlived law of violence, but to the truth which has dwelt in the hearts of men from remote antiquity: the truth that the law of love is in accord with the nature of man.
But men can only recognize this truth to its full extent when they have completely freed themselves from all religious and scientific superstitions and from all the consequent misrepresentations and sophistical distortions by which its recognition has been hindered for centuries.”
– quoted from section VI of “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
But, I’m jumping ahead. So, let’s back up a minute. Before we get to the part where Leo Tolstoy was rooted in pacifism and Christian anarchism, we have to go back…even before the brothels.
At an early age, Tolstoy’s teacher wrote him off as not being too smart. Yet, he taught himself twelve languages. His brother suggested that he enlist in the army and also encouraged him to write. The fighting that he saw at the front during the Crimean War, combined with an execution he witness in Paris (1857), and his brother’s death around 1859, caused Tolstoy to question his faith and his place in the world. In particular, he questioned “superstitious belief in progress,” which led to a moral crisis and spiritual awakening.
Part of his questioning led him to the desire to marry and have a family. His marriage with Sophia, while full of conflict, was instrumental in the completion and publication of the novel “1805,” which was renamed War and Peace. Sophia Tolstoya rewrote each revision of the novel by hand. She wrote out the entire novel eight times in seven years, although she had to rewrite some sections 30 times – all while giving birth to four of their 13 children and taking care of the day-to-day operations of their home and business affairs. Despite their personal conflicts (which included Tolstoy’s insistence that she continue having children even after a doctor said it was detrimental to her health), Tolstoya continued to support her husband’s literary efforts throughout their marriage.
The couple’s ultimate split occurred after their estate was essentially turned into a de-facto settlement for “Tolstoyans” (who wanted to be closer to their “spiritual leader”) and Sophia Tolstoya demanded Tolstoy sign over control of his publishing royalties (because she feared he would bankrupt the family). The ultimate split between the couple caused quite a public scandal, but that’s towards the end of the story. In between, there were the novels (including Anna Karenina, which Tolstoy considered his “first novel”). The Kingdom of God is Within You (the title of which references John 17:21), a series of short stories collected under the title What Men Live By (which includes more questions), and his 1908 “Letter to a Hindu” (addressed to Tarak Nath Das).
“All that exists is One. People only call this One by different names. ~The Vedas
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ~ 1 John 4:16
God is one whole; we are the parts. ~ Exposition of the teaching of the Vedas by Vivekananda”
– quoted from “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
All of Leo Tolstoy’s work can come under that heading of “what men live by.” The Kingdom of God is Within You highlights Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek. It also questions what Tolstoy viewed as hypocrisy, corruption, and moral contradictions within organized religion. Although it was banned in Russia, it was published in Germany several years after Tolstoy was placed under police surveillance by the czarist government and excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church. “A Letter to a Hindu” draws quotes from a plethora of sacred text and shows the parallels between religious traditions many people may not realize have shared teachings.
There’s more to the story, of course there is more, but just this little bit brings up the original questions above plus some particular to the author: Was Tolstoy the ultimate hypocrite? Is he the perfect cautionary tale? Did he spend his life becoming/being what he most despised and criticized?
Then, there are the questions that, perhaps, you have found yourself asking over the last few years: Do we disregard the message/teaching because of the messenger’s bad behavior? Should we excuse bad behavior because nobody is perfect, but some people have good intentions? How much should someone be condemned if they are doing their best to work towards a better world, but their bad (suffering-causing) behavior is rooted in years of privilege?
At each point, I think we have to come back to the beginning: ahimsā and satya. At each point, we have to turn inward and ask ourselves: What creates the least amount of harm while simultaneously allowing us to maintain our dedication to the truth?
“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating feelings of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked [ or non-virtuous].”
– quoted from How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (1.33), translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
“As soon as men live entirely in accord with the law of love natural to their hearts and now revealed to them, which excludes all resistance by violence, and therefore hold aloof from all participation in violence —as soon as this happens, not only will hundreds be unable to enslave millions, but not even millions will be able to enslave a single individual. Do not resist the evil-doer and take no part in doing so, either in the violent deeds of the administration, in the law courts, the collection of taxes, or above all in soldiering, and no one in the world will be able to enslave you.”
– quoted from section V of “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
Please join me today (Saturday, September 9th) at 12:00 PM, for a 90-minute yoga practice on Zoom (featuring “Three Questions,” one of Tolstoy’s short stories). 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09092020 Tolstoy’s Theory”]
NOTE: The penultimate track is different in the before/after music on each platform.
“O ye who sit in bondage and continually seek and pant for freedom, seek only for love. Love is peace in itself and peace which gives complete satisfaction. I am the key that opens the portal to the rarely discovered land where contentment alone is found.” ~KRISHNA.
– quoted from section VI of “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
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.)
May you be safe and protected — and may you enjoy your journey.
“In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
– quoted from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig
The following excerpt is from the 2022 version of a 2020 post:
“It’s like a road trip. The vehicle is moving but we are still inside the vehicle; the scenery is still, but appears to be moving. Everything merges and converges while we are still. Do you see where we’re going?
It’s OK if you don’t. This is kind of like that old joke where someone says, ‘I’m not lost. I know exactly where we are. We’re in the car.’ Now, consider what happens if we could get out of the box or cage we’re in and become part of the scenery. Not walking necessarily, but riding. So that the scenery is simultaneously still and moving… but so are we. And, just like with a moving meditation, there is some part of us that always stays still.”
Please join me for a “spirited” virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Wednesday, September 6th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 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.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09062020 The Art of Moving Meditation”]
“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”
– quoted from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig
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 (non-professional) support.
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.)
### Just a little more “purposeless play” as “a way of waking up to the very life we’re living.” ~ JC ###
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted as “The Cagey Truth About Nothing” on September 5, 2020, and reposted in 2021. Today’s class details (and some formatting) have been updated.
“Every moment is an echo of nothing.”
— John Cage
Listen. Do that 90-second thing. Just for a moment, be still and be quiet.
Notice what you hear.
Notice what you see.
Notice what you feel.
Because, as long as you are alive, these things are always happening.
“Everything we do is music.”
“The world is teeming; anything can happen.”
— John Cage
We refer to the absence of something as nothing; but, in actuality, there is always something. Our understanding of nothing or emptiness is based on our perception and awareness of the truth. Zen Buddhism, which John Cage practiced, focuses on self-restraint, meditation, insight into the nature of the mind and the nature of things, and the personal expression of this insight — especially as it benefits others. This, truly, parallels the focus of the yoga philosophy.
It’s tricky, cagey even. However, if we pay attention, we start to notice that the truth about nothing leads to the truth about everything — and Patanjali indicated that being dedicated to to the truth leads to everything.
— “When a yogi is established in truthfulness, actions begin to bear fruit. [Truth is the foundation for fruitful action.]”
Born today in 1912, John Cage was an artist and composer who’s most well-known work is often misinterpreted. Even as musicians — even heavy metal musicians — who understand the piece take it on, there is often a level of interpretation and improvisation that changes the tenure of the piece. Some say Mr. Cage would approve of such things. Others say otherwise, but the truth of the matter is that he was not only a student of art and music. He was also a student of Zen Buddhism, Indian philosophy, chance, and (yes) improvisation.
He turned more towards music than art, because more people commented on his music and, in some ways, music was harder for him. He combined his two art forms by composing music for “prepared piano”, a piano that had been altered with blocks, pins, and other objects — and essentially turned into a percussion instrument. He also collaborated with his partner Merce Cunningham, the choreographer, and spent years composing via the I Ching, a resource for divination.
Divination comes from the Latin word for “to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy” and, as it is related to the Latin word for “divine”, it can be translated as “to be inspired by God.” It is, like randomly opening a page in the Bible or your favorite book, a way to gain insight into a particular situation. The I Ching or Book of Changes (sometimes translated as Classic of Changes) is an ancient resource for Chinese divination and one of the oldest Chinese classics. It became one of the “Five Classics” in the 2nd Century B.C. and has influenced art, literature, philosophy, and religion around the world since the Western Zhou period (1000 – 750 B. C.).
The text is the primary reference for interpreting a sequence of hexagrams which can be formed with numbers or by throwing coins containing the symbols for “yin” (a broken line) or “yang” (an unbroken line). Just like other users of Chinese divination, John Cage would form a question, throw the coins, and then create a musical interpretation of the resulting hexagon sequence and its corresponding message. While he had previously composed “by chance”, using the I Ching became his standard method of composing music after one of his students gave him a copy of the sacred text in 1951. In a 1957 lecture, he described music as “purposeless play” and “a way of waking up to the very life we’re living.”
“If something is boring after 2 minutes, try it for 4. If still boring, then 8. Then 16. Then 38. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all.”
— John Cage
It was also in 1951 that Mr. Cage had two other highly influential experiences. His friend and colleague Robert Rauschenberg produced a series of white paintings which appeared to be “blank” canvases, but which actually changed based on lighting and the shadows of the people viewing them. Around this same time, Mr. Cage spent some time in an anechoic chamber at Harvard University. The chamber was designed so that every part of the room absorbed sound, rather than reflecting it. Since it was meant to be completely silent and externally sound-proof, he expected to hear silence. However, instead of silence, he heard a high pitched sound and a low pitched sound. The engineer in charge of the room told him the high pitch was his nervous system and the low pitch was his blood circulation. Instead of silence, he was treated to the music of his own existence.
“There is no such thing as an empty space or an empty time. There is always something to see, something to hear. In fact, try as we may to make a silence, we cannot.”
— John Cage
Please join me today (Tuesday, September 5th) 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 myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09052020 The Cagey Truth About Nothing”]
(FAIR WARNING: The volume on these tracks is quite dynamic, more so on the Spotify list. I love this music, however, I know some folks hate it; so, feel free to “randomly” pick another list or…practice in “silence.”)
“Get yourself out of whatever cage you find yourself.”
— John Cage
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.)
This post–practice post for Monday, September 4th, Labor Day in the United States and parts of Canada. 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.
“Strike: ‘A temporary stoppage of work by a group of workers in order to express a grievance or to enforce a demand. Such a grievance or demand may or may not be workplace-related.’
– -The first sentence of this definition is heavily influenced by Peterson (1937: 3),1 also used by Hyman (1989: 17).2 The only difference we make to the first part of this definition is by changing ‘employees’ to ‘workers.’
Labor Protest: ‘Collective action by a group of people as workers but without withdrawing their labor in order to express a grievance or enforce a demand. Such a grievance or demand may or may not be workplace-related. A labor protest may also consist of a group of people not acting in the protest as workers as long as the central demand is workplace related.’
We distinguish between strikes and labor protests as a core component of our labor action tracker. The major distinction between strikes and labor protests relates to whether a group of workers stopped work during the course of the event. We believe this definition of strikes is relatively inclusive, but we need to convincingly demonstrate that a stoppage of work led by a group of workers occurs to label an event a strike.”
— quoted “Section I: Definitions” on the “Methodology” page of the Cornell University Labor Action Tracker
The last few years have been the most active years, in my lifetime, with regard to labor action. According to the Labor Action Tracker maintained by Cornell University, 394 strikes occurred in 615 locations between September 4, 2022 and September 4, 2023. That is in addition to 458 labor protests (in 568 locations) during the same period. That’s a total of 852 labor actions found in 1183 locations.
Some of these labor disputes — like the strikes involving teachers and school staffs, nurses, and members of SAG-AFTRA* and the Writers Guild, as well as the Starbucks union initiatives and various Teamster union actions — have been front and center in the media and in the minds of the general populace. Some — like the nearly 2-year long Warrior Met Coal strike in Alabama — never got the kind of coverage that sways public opinion one way (or the other). The thing is, all of these labor actions occur because people want the same things workers have always wanted: better working conditions and better pay.
On one hand, better working conditions and better pay do not seem too much to ask when companies are pulling in billions (and sometimes) trillions of dollars — and/or when corporate leaders and superintendents are being paid even as stocks fall and children struggle. On the other hand….
Yep, nope; not going to both sides this. Because, at the end of the day, the companies — not to mention the country — run because of the workers who are asking for the same things people have always wanted: to be safe and to make enough money to take care of themselves and their families. Additionally, it inevitably costs more (on a lot of different levels) to not come to the bargaining table and work out an agreement than it does for everyone to come together and work together.
In many ways, the way labor works in the world is similar to the way the different parts of our mind-body-spirits work. We may think one part has nothing to do with another part because the two parts are not touching on the outside (and, therefore, we are not conscious of the connections); but, let the imbalance go unaddressed and suddenly the whole system falls apart. Similarly, we can argue that focusing on one part takes away from another part. However, if we don’t work to create balance, the imbalance will (again) cause our system to fail.
Bottom line: If the workers don’t work, the company (and the country) don’t work. Everything shuts down. Additionally, when people are forced to work in unsafe and unfair conditions, they break down — which ultimately results in the company (and the country) breaking down. Finally, when we come together and figure out equitable ways to work together, everyone benefits — even those people who are not in a specific union and/or industry.
“I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.”
— Eugene V. Debs, quoted from his statement to the Federal Court (Cleveland, Ohio), after being convicted of violating the Sedition Act, September 18, 1918
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
*NOTE: SAG-AFTRA is the Screen Actors and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
“1Peterson, F. (1937). Strikes in the United States: 1880-1936. Washington: United States Department of Labor.
2 Hyman, R. (1989). Strikes: Fourth Edition. London: Macmillan.”
— quoted “Section I: Definitions” on the “Methodology” page of the Cornell University Labor Action Tracker
“That is the final, and I think most beautiful lesson, of Howard Moskowitz: that in embracing the diversity of human beings, we will find a surer way to true happiness.”
— quoted from the 2004 Ted conference TedTalk entitled, “Choice, happiness and spaghetti sauce” by Malcolm Gladwell (b. 1963)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, September 3rd) 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 “09032022 What Comes With”]
“Economists often talk about the 80/20 Principle, which is the idea that in any situation roughly 80 percent of the “work” will be done by 20 percent of the participants. In most societies, 20 percent of criminals commit 80 percent of crimes. Twenty percent of motorists cause 80 percent of all accidents. Twenty percent of beer drinkers drink 80 percent of all beer. When it comes to epidemics, though, this disproportionality becomes even more extreme: a tiny percentage of people do the majority of the work.”
— quoted from the introduction of the Law of the Few in “One: The Three Laws of Epidemics” in The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
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.)
“‘You are in the wrong,’ replied the fiend; ‘and instead of threatening, I am content to reason with you. I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all…? Shall I respect man when he condemns me? Let him live with me in the interchange of kindness, and instead of injury I would bestow every benefit upon him with tears of gratitude at his acceptance. But that cannot be; the human senses are insurmountable barriers to our union. Yet mine shall not be the submission of abject slavery. I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my archenemy…’”
– quoted from Chapter 17 of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
The following excerpt is from a 2020 post:
“After all is said and done, there is a part of me, like Mary Shelley, that finds a kindred spirit in the heart of the ‘monster.’ There is that part of me that would like to know only peace and love; and would choose to practice those favorite mantras (‘Peace In, Peace Out; Inhale Love, Exhale Kindness’) as if we live in a vacuum. There is also a part of me that recognizes why so many in the world are turning towards the ‘monster’s’ other choice. And, in this moment, I seek (and seek to teach) the practice that helps us deliberately choose peace and love in light of the situations that cause others to rage.”
“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”
– quoted from the movie based on Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Please join me for a “spirited” virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Wednesday, August 30th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 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.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
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 (non-professional) support.
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.)
### THE LIGHT IS STILL ON & THE LINE IS STILL OPEN!! ###
A Joyful Practice 