A Quick Note & Excerpts RE: The Cornerstones of Friendship, Liberty, & Justice August 5, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Music, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Art, Books, Emma Lazarus, friendship, Gertrude Rush, Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, peace, Poetry, Statue of Liberty, Writing
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).
Stay hydrated, y’all!
“I submit it, then, to those best acquainted with the man personally, whether the following is not Nathaniel Hawthorne,–to to himself, whether something involved in it does not express the temper of this mind,–that lasting temper of all true, candid men–a seeker, not a finder yet:–
A man now entered, in neglected attire, with the aspect of a thinker, but somewhat too rough-hewn and brawny for a scholar. His face was full of sturdy vigor, with some finer and keener attribute beneath; though harsh at first, it was tempered with the glow of a large, warm heart, which had force enough to heat his powerful intellect through and through. He advanced to the Intelligencer, and looked at him with a glance of such stern sincerity, that perhaps few secrets were beyond its scope.”
— quoted from “Hawthorne and His Mosses” [a review of the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story collection, Mosses from an Old Manse] by Herman Melville, published pseudonymously by “a Virginian Spending July in Vermont” (as printed in The Literary World on August 17 and 24, 1850)
Every edifice (or physical structure) has a cornerstone. As I mentioned in one of the excerpted posts below, it is the reference point for everything that is built. In other words, it makes the building possible.
What is true about a physical structure is also true about everything else we build — including friendships, communities, and nations. The cornerstones and foundations of all of those make them possible.
A Possible Friendship
Herman Melville and Nathaniel Nathaniel Hawthorne met today in 1850.
Click on the excerpt title below for more.
A Note, Links, & Excerpt On The Cornerstones of Friendship & Liberty (a post-practice Monday post)
“Impossible” Ladies
While the foundations of some friendships are easily set, setting other cornerstone can seem impossible.
The cornerstone of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal was placed on a rainy Bedloe’s Island on August 5, 1884. Mrs. Gertrude E. Rush was born in Texas today in 1880.
Click on the excerpt title above to discover why Lady Liberty and a Lady of Justice are today’s “Impossible People.”
“Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.”
— quoted from the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
Please join me today (Tuesday, August 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 by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06172020 The Lady’s Power”]
NOTE: A practice video is coming soon! Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to be the first to practice with me!
“In 1919 Mrs. Gertrude Rush, a prominent black lawyer and [WC] delegate from a Baptist church in Des Moines, Iowa, posited that the vote would enable women to fight for better working conditions, higher wages, and greater opportunities in business. Through suffrage, Rush maintained, women could better regulate moral and sanitary conditions, end discrimination and lynch law, obtain better educational opportunities, and secure greater legal justice.”
— quoted from “Religion, Politics, and Gender: The Leadership of Nannie Helen Burroughs” by Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham (Chapter 8 of This Far By Faith: Readings in African-American Women’s Religious Biography, edited by Judith Weisenfeld & Richard Newman)
Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.
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 an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
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.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### MAKE PEACE YOUR CORNERSTONE ###
A Note, Links, & Excerpt On The Cornerstones of Friendship & Liberty (a post-practice Monday post) August 5, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Suffering, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, “a Virginian Spending July in Vermont”, Emma Lazarus, friendship, Gertrude Rush, Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Statue of Liberty
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside). Stay hydrated, y’all!
This is a post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, August 5th. The 2024 prompt question was, “How long is your longest, ongoing friendship with someone perceived as being very different from you?” You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“No man can read a fine author, and relish him to his very bones, while he reads, without subsequently fancying to himself some ideal image of the man and his mind. And if you rightly look for it, you will almost always find that the author himself has somewhere furnished you with his own picture. For poets (whether in prose or verse), being painters of Nature, are like their brethren of the pencil, the true portrait-painters, who, in the multitude of likenesses to be sketched, do not invariably omit their own; and in all high instances, they paint them without any vanity, though, at times, with a lurking something, that would take several pages to properly define.”
— quoted from “Hawthorne and His Mosses” [a review of the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story collection, Mosses from an Old Manse] by Herman Melville, published pseudonymously by “a Virginian Spending July in Vermont” (as printed in The Literary World on August 17 and 24, 1850)
As I mentioned a little over a month ago, friendship is highly regarded in the Eastern philosophies. The Buddha described sangha (“community”) as one of the three jewels; in other words, it is something of great value. In Yoga and Sāmkhya, two of the six Indian philosophies, the ability to “cultivate a good heart” (i.e., make friends) is so valued it is considered a great power that all humans possess. An underlying element to that discussion, and similar discussions about friendship, is how much easier it is to cultivate a friendship when the people involved are in close proximity and share similar backgrounds (as well as similar expectations).
All that is not to say that it’s impossible to make friends with someone who is different from you. However, consider how much easier it is to connect with someone when you can (literally) see yourself in their visage and when you share the same interests, the same passions, the same vocations and occupations — not to mention similar traumas — and have enough time to discover those similarities. This is exactly what happened when Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne met on August 5,1850, just a few days after Mr. Melville’s 31st birthday.
“I submit it, then, to those best acquainted with the man personally, whether the following is not Nathaniel Hawthorne,–to to himself, whether something involved in it does not express the temper of this mind,–that lasting temper of all true, candid men–a seeker, not a finder yet:–
A man now entered, in neglected attire, with the aspect of a thinker, but somewhat too rough-hewn and brawny for a scholar. His face was full of sturdy vigor, with some finer and keener attribute beneath; though harsh at first, it was tempered with the glow of a large, warm heart, which had force enough to heat his powerful intellect through and through. He advanced to the Intelligencer, and looked at him with a glance of such stern sincerity, that perhaps few secrets were beyond its scope.”
— quoted from “Hawthorne and His Mosses” [a review of the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story collection, Mosses from an Old Manse] by Herman Melville, published pseudonymously by “a Virginian Spending July in Vermont” (as printed in The Literary World on August 17 and 24, 1850)
The authors were part of a small group planning to picnic on the top of Monument Mountain in the Berkshires. When a thunderstorm sent the group rushing into a cave for shelter, the two writers had time to talk: time to talk about their love of literature, writing, and the sea. Perhaps they also had time to discuss the fact that they both lost their fathers when they were young. Mr. Hawthorne’s father died when the author was 4, and Mr. Melville’s when he was 13 (although the latter felt his father’s emotional absence long before his father’s death). Maybe they even discussed their decisions to change the spelling of their surnames. (Although that is highly unlikely.)
Mr. Hawthorne was a bit older (at forty-six) and had already worked for the U. S. Customs Service, for which Mr. Melville would also work a few years after their meeting. Additionally, they were in a community of writers and already familiar with each others work. In fact, they had reviewed each others work. So, their meeting was not impossible or improbable. Neither was it impossible that Nathaniel Hawthorne invited Herman Melville to spend more time in the Berkshires. In fact, given all the other factors, it was possible, even probable, that they would decide to live near each other and cultivate a very deep and close friendship for about two years. It is also not that surprising that, during those two years, they were both very prolific as writers and wrote (and/or published) some of their most popular works.
But, what if they lived on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean? You know, long before the internet. What if they spoke different languages and had different (cultural) experiences? Although the probability would have been smaller, it is still possible that they could have appreciated each other’s work. It’s even possible that one could have offered the other a symbolic token of friendship, as Herman Melville did when he dedicated Moby Dick, or The Whale: “In Token of My Admiration for his Genius, This Book is Inscribed to Nathanial [sic] Hawthorne.” While not as probable, it would have been possible — especially when we consider an even grander symbolic token of friendship traveled across the ocean about 35 years after the writers met. And, the people involved in that transatlantic friendship overcame what seemed like an impossible obstacle.
The cornerstone of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal was placed on a rainy Bedloe’s Island on August 5, 1884.
Click on the excerpt title below to discover why Lady Liberty and Mrs. Gertrude E. Rush (born today in 1880) are today’s “impossible people.”
“Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.”
— quoted from the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
The 2023 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06172020 The Lady’s Power”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
CORRECTION: During some of the practices, I misspoke when referencing the year the cornerstone was laid at Bedloe’s Island.
### WE ARE EACH OTHER’S MIRROR ###
Quick Reflections on Friendship (a 9-minute post-practice Monday post, with excerpt) June 17, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 5 Pillars of Islam, 988, Afterfeast of the Ascension, Akedah, Antoinette Sithole, Beresh't, Bob Schneider, Eid al-Adha, Emma Lazarus, faith, friendship, Genesis, Hectore Pieterson, Islam, Martin Buber, Mbuyisa Makhubo, Qur'an, samkhya, siddhis, Soweto uprising, Statue of Liberty, Sūrah as-Saffat, Webster's 1828, yoga, yoga philosophy
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“Eid Mubarak, Blessed Festival!” to anyone celebrating Eid al-Adha. Happy Pride! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating the Afterfeast of the Ascension cultivating a good heart, peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
This is a post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, June 17th. It includes an excerpt from a related 2020 post and a note about the observation of Eid al-Adha. The 2024 prompt question was, “How long is your longest, ongoing friendship?” You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.”
— quoted from the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
I have heard that the Buddha described sangha (“community”) as one of the three jewels; in other words, it is something of great value. In Yoga and Sāmkhya, two of the six Indian philosophies, the ability to “cultivate a good heart” (i.e., make friends) is so valued it is considered a great power that all humans possess. It is something within us and all around us, something we carry with us.
The excerpt below is from a 2020 post about friendship. If you click on the link (here or below), you will find that I shined some light on causes and conditions that can lead to friendship, as well as several examples of how people have expressed friendship. Notably, the highlighted expressions or tokens of friendship — the Statue of Liberty (which arrived in New York on June 17, 1885) and the moment when Mbuyisa Makhubo and an unknown woman helped Antoinette Sithole after her 12-year old brother Hector Pieterson was killed during the Soweto uprising (June 16 – 18, 1976) — involved strangers.
Even though most of the people involved never met or, in some cases, never met in a way that allowed their friendship to blossom, we can still feel the strength of their bonds. Because, as I mentioned in the blog post, “What initially connects people is on the outside…. What keeps people connected, however, is on the inside.”
“What is on the inside is something that can only be felt. It doesn’t always have an external reference point. Yes, we can see an expression of love, a token of friendship, and understand it from our own experiences. However, when we see a parent and a child hugging, or even two children hugging, we don’t exactly know what they are feeling. We can only know how we have felt in similar circumstances.”
CLICK HERE for the 2020 post entitled, “LIFT YOUR LIGHT, LET YOUR POWER SHINE!”
Some people would say that the feeling I’m referencing in that excerpt is something divine, something that requires faith. Some folks might even say that that same feeling — and a similar kind of faith — allows them to think of God as a the ultimate friend, someone who is always there and who offers tokens of friendship on a daily basis. If you count yourself in that number, the question then becomes, how do you express your friendship with God? How do others express their friendship with the Divine?
“Cause I can believe
In the in-between
What can’t be said
And only seen
When you close your eyes
And open your heart
And everything you know
Just falls apart”
— quoted from the song “God is My Friend” by Bob Schneider
There is a story in the Hebrew Bible / the Christian Old Testament and in the Qur’ān, that is also referenced in the Christian New Testament. It is the story of Abraham and the Akedah or “Binding of Isaac (or Ishmael).” Growing up, I learned the very basics of the story from a (mostly) Christian perspective. That is to say, in some Christian traditions, it is a prefigured prequel to story of Jesus and a story about temptation, Abraham’s faith and devotion to God, and how the faithful are reward. As a kid, however, something about the story always seemed off to me. So, as an adult, when I first heard about Eid al-Adha (which started at sunset on Sunday night), I kind of dismissed it. It still seemed off to me.
Going a little deeper, however, I discovered a couple of things I was not taught — and/or did not understand — as a child. First, some biblical scholars (in all traditions) indicate that everyone in the story (save for the son, in some version) knew there would not be a human sacrifice. Or, I should say, God and the angel knew and Abraham had faith. According to these same scholars, the story is more about Abraham’s willingness to follow a commandment than it is about the actual intention to sacrifice his son. Second, the story might have been a cautionary tale against human sacrifice. Finally, there are some significant differences in the way the story appears in Bereshit / Genesis versus the way it appears in the Qur’ān.
First, the Torah / Christian Old Testament does not indicate exactly how God spoke to Abraham and/or how Abraham knew the message came from God (versus the devil that tempted him to do the wrong thing). Second, the text (almost) makes it sound as if Abraham was lying to his son — which is one of the things that always felt really off to me. Another thing that felt off to me was that the son in the New Testament (Jesus) knew his role in the story, while the son in Genesis did not… at least in the Christian tradition.
“…[Ibrahim] said: O my son! surely I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you; consider then what you see. He said: O my father! do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones.”
— quoted from Sūrah as-Saffat (“Chapter of Those Who Set the Ranks” or “The Rangers” / Portion 37 of the Qur’ān”) 102
As quoted above, the Sūrah as-Saffat makes it very clear that the messages came to Abraham in his dreams. There is also a very clear conversation between the father and the son. That conversation established consent and, also, reinforces the idea that the story is as much about the faith of the father as it is about the faith of the son. In the Qur’ān, it is the faith of the father and the son that is emphasized and, also, celebrated. It is celebrated on Eid al-Adha, which started at sunset on Sunday (June 16th) and is observed in some countries through June 20, 2024.
In addition to a special prayer, there is (obviously) a feast, a ritual sacrifice (of a sheep or other livestock), and symbolic stoning of the devil. There is also extra alms giving, similar to the extra charity given during the holy month of Ramadān and Eid al-Fitr. The extra alms during this particular eid (“feast” or “festival”) have a particularly special significance since a third of the meat from the livestock is given to family and friends and a third is given to the poor. Eid al-Adha also marks the end of the Hajj (“pilgrimage”) in Mecca. The alms giving and the pilgrimage are two of the Five Pillars of Islām — which make up the framework of worship and signs of faith. In other words, they are tokens or expressions of ones devotion, respect, and affection.
FRIEND [Old English, with Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German words “to love,” also related to “free”] 1. One who is attached to another by affection; one who entertains for another sentiments of esteem, respect and affection, which lead him to desire his company, and to seek to promote his happiness and prosperity; opposed to foe or enemy.
“FRIEND’SHIP, noun frend’ship. 1. An attachment to a person, proceeding from intimate acquaintance, and a reciprocation of kind offices, or from a favorable opinion of the amiable and respectable qualities of his mind. friendship differs from benevolence, which is good will to mankind in general, and from that love which springs from animal appetite. True friendship is a noble and virtuous attachment, springing from a pure source, a respect for worth or amiable qualities. False friendship may subsist between bad men, as between thieves and pirates. This is a temporary attachment springing from interest, and may change in a moment to enmity and rancor.”
— quoted from Webster’s Dictionary 1828
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
“‘Take this story to heart,’ Rabbi Bunam used to add, ‘and make what it says your own: There is something you cannot find anywhere in the world, not even at the zaddik’s [home of a righteous person], and there is, nevertheless, a place where you can find it.’”
“There is something that can only be found in one place. It is a great treasure, which may be called the fulfilment of existence. The place where this treasure can be found is the place on which one stands.”
— quoted from “VI. Here Where One Stands” in The Way of Man: According to the Teaching of Hasidim by Martin Buber
ERRATA: I originally posted this with the wrong end date for the Soweto uprising.
### LOVE ONE ANOTHER ###
Preparing for Deeper Connections (the “missing” post for Saturday the 17th) February 24, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: Anthony of Sourozh, chakra, Datuk Teh Kim Teh, Ed Sheeran, friendship, Fuse ODG, Grace Chen, Gupta Navaratri, habits, Hod, Hokkien, Jade Emperor, Joseph Addison, Lunar New Year, Mahagauri, Manipura, marma, millet, Mugeez Abdul Rashi, Mūlādhāra, nadis, Nana Richard Abiona, Navaratri, Netzach, relationship, samskaras, samskāras, Season for Nonviolence, Season of Non-violence, Shiva Samhita, Spring Festival, Svādhiṣṭhāna, vasanas, vāsanā, Year of the Dragon, yesod
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“Happy Spring Festival!” Many blessings to everyone observing (or getting ready to observe) Lent. Peace, freedom, and ease to all throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
This is the “missing” post for Saturday, February 17th. It includes some previously posted information (updated for 2024) and links to related posts. You can request a recording of the related practice(s) 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. Donations are tax deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“‘From this story, we learn that unity, solidarity and the active participation of the community is necessary when it comes to facing challenges,’ said [Klang Hokkien Association president Datuk Teh Kim] Teh.”
— quoted from The Star article (about a version of the story where only some hide) entitled “Legend Behind Hokkien New Year emphasizes unity and solidarity” by Grace Chen (2/24/2018)
The eighth day of the Lunar New Year is not a big deal for a lot of people. Sure, it is the day before the Jade Emperor’s birthday, making it New Year’s Eve for the Hokkien people (also known as Hoklo, Banlam, and Minnan people) — and that is a big deal — and there are some people who celebrate the creation (or birth) of millet, an ancient grain and staple in many households. But, for the majority of people who celebrate the Lunar New Year, the eighth day is a bit of a break from all the feasting. There is still, however, a lot of preparation going on: people getting ready for the Jade Emperor’s birthday (which, again, is a really big deal for some communities) and people getting ready for the Lantern Festival which is the culmination of the Spring Festival.
This year, the eighth day of the Lunar New Year was also the eighth night/day of Navaratri, the Hindu celebration of God as a woman. This penultimate manifestation of Durga/Parvati is known as Mahagauri, the mother Goddess who slays the demon-king. Each of the nine manifestations of Durga represent Her at a different point in her life/journey. By the time we get to the eighth manifestation, Parvati is already married — but the demons can only be killed by a virgin. Obviously, she could not go back; she had to go forward in order to prepare herself for battle.
In some versions of her story, she practiced tapas, prayed, and made offerings. At one point, she bathed in the Ganges River, one of the sacred rivers in India, and emerged with the rosy glow of youth. In parts of India, people begin their eighth day by making pūjā or offerings of flowers to celebrate her wisdom, beauty, and ability to bring peace. Then they get ready for the final celebration. As I mentioned before, this particular Navaratri is one of the two lesser celebrated occasions. So, while there are not as many people celebrating at this time of year, there are still a lot of people preparing for the final celebrations.
This year, these eighth days also fell on Saturday, February 17th, which is Ed Sheeran’s birthday, and coincidentally, the first Saturday of Lent (in most Western Christian traditions). Here again, the first Saturday of Lent is not a huge deal — except for the fact that it is a day, just like the aforementioned days, when people are preparing for something more: for a deeper connection with God (whatever that means to them in the moment). That deeper connection to God also, in these cases, creates an opportunity for deeper commune with community and with oneself.
“You give me life (yay, yay)
You help me see when I’ve been blind (yay, yay)
Even when I’m feeling paralyzed yeah (yay, yay)
You help me seek so I can find
Happiness on a rainy day
Wo ama me ni agye oh
Wo ama me ni agye oh Awurade yeah”
— quoted from the English and Twi song “Boa Me” (“Help Me”) by Fuse ODG, featuring Ed Sheeran (written by Edward Christopher Sheeren, Joseph Addison, Mugeez Abdul Rashi, and Nana Richard Abiona)
The Twi/English lyrics can be translated as “You’ve given me a smile oh / You’ve made me so happy oh Lord yeah”
Although the rituals and traditions are different, although the stories are different, everyone is getting ready for something, something deeper. For some people it is a deeper relationship: a deeper relationship with themselves, a deeper relationship with their community, and/or a deeper relationship with God (whatever that means to you at this moment). Just as we can explore the ways people/communities make (and reinforce) spiritual connections, we can examine the ways we (individually) make connections — and the freedom that can come from going a little deeper into some of the causes and conditions that lead us to make (or not make) connections.
For better or for worse, we are creatures of habits. According to the Yoga Philosophy, every experience creates a saṃskāra (“mental impression”) through which we view future experiences. Over time, our layers of saṃskāra become vāsanā (the “dwelling” place for our habits). In other words, new experiences create new neural pathways, which get “hardwired” and become “muscle memory.” This cultivation of habit can be so unconscious that we believe certain things are innate or instinctive — when, in fact, they are conditioned behaviors.
Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, our past experiences — and the past experiences of our elders and ancestors — makes certain situations more probable than others. We can say that there are infinite possibilities in the Universe, but all of that narrows down into our unique experience, where some things are more probable than other things. For instance, if you are born into a family (and country) where education is highly valued, you are more likely to pursue higher education than if you are born into a family where a degree is not prioritized. This is true even if the generations before you were not able to pursue a degree. This does not mean, however, that you absolutely will — or that it is the best option for you. It simply means that the causes and conditions are in place to increase the likelihood of a particular outcome.
Now, if you go to a trade school, college, or university there is a good possibility that you will meet people you have never met before — maybe, even, people who are very different from the people around whom you grew up. In fact, relationships are one of the things people get out of going to school. The thing is, even when/if you continue your education and encounter people unlike the people with whom you previously attended school, your habits are still rooted in those past experiences. And those habits, rooted in past experiences, continually cultivate the opportunity for connections… or disconnections. As we move through the world, our saṃskāra and vāsanā travel with us — and, in some ways, limit us.
Freedom comes from bringing awareness to cause and effect; to how things (and people) are connected; and to the causes and conditions that result in the choices (we believe) we are given. One way we can heighten our awareness is delving into the hips (as the “energetic and symbolic centers of our relationships…”).
“Every relationship you develop, from casual to intimate, helps you become more conscious. No union is without spiritual value.”
— quoted from “Morning Visual Meditation” (Chakra 2) by Caroline Myss
Yoga and Āyurveda, as the come to us from India, are based on an energetic mapping system consisting of nadis (“rivers or channels” of vitality), marmani (“vulnerable/vital points” of intersection), and chakras (”discus or wheels”). Some ancient texts indicate that there are thousands or millions of nadis associated with the body. While the Shiva Samhita outlines a system of 350,000 total nadis — and highlights 14 as “most important,” three as “preeminent,” and one of the preeminent ones as “most important,” many people who practice āsana (i.e., the postures) are only vaguely aware of the chakras, which are the points where the aforementioned preeminent chakras overlap.
The first chakra, which was our January focus, is the Mūlādhāra or Root chakra. The second, the Svādhiṣṭhāna chakra, is energetically and symbolically associated with the hips (including the lower portion of the abdominal cavity) and with the relationships we make outside of our first family, tribe, and/or community of birth. (I think we can also include some relationships we make as adults with people from our first family, tribe, and/or community of birth.) Note that in Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism,* the divine attributes of yesod (“bonding”), hod (“humility”), and netzach (“endurance”) are also associated with this same area of the body.
Please keep in mind, that a ”relationship,” in this context, is not limited to a romantic interaction or even to someone with whom you feel a kind of kinship. It is anyone with whom you interact, which means that it can be related to people you have never met and will never meet. It can be related to people who have different ideas than you; different philosophies, different spiritual and/or religious practices than you; and even different politics than you. It can even be related to people you do not like and/or for whom you have very little respect. And, yet, part of the practice is about figuring out how we can have more respect, more reverence (if you will), more lovingkindness, more compassion, and more joy in every interaction.
“Contrary to what many think or feel, Lent is a time of joy. It is a time when we come back to life. It is a time when we shake off what is bad and dead in us in order to become able to live, to live with all the vastness, all the depth, and all the intensity to which we are called. Unless we understand this quality of joy in Lent, we will make of it a monstrous caricature, a time when in God’s own name we make our life a misery.”
— quoted from “An Introduction to Lent” (dated February 17, 1968) by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
Saturday playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Lunar New Year Day 8 2024”]
*NOTE: During the practices, I have been referencing some (but not all) of the different symbolic and energetic associations of each chakra and, therefore, each part of the body. As they relate to Christianity, first chakra is related to baptism and second chakra is related to communion. Notice, again, the connection between foundation in physical and religious life, as well as how people “share or exchange intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level” (which is one way to define communion).
Errata: This post originally misnamed the Svādhiṣṭhāna chakra, which is the second chakra.
### Be Kind ##
Making Connections, Part 2 [in the New Year] Part 2 (the “missing” Saturday post) February 10, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, First Nations, Food, Healing Stories, Life, Meditation, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Science, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: Boris Pasternak, Carnival, chakras, Contemplation, David Bowie, Durga, Edith Clarke, friendship, Gupta Navaratri, James West, Jerry Goldsmith, Jim Whittaker, Kevin Murnane, Lou Whittaker, Lunar New Year, Luther Standing Bear, Magha Navaratri, Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace, Navaratri, relationship, Robert Fulghum, Roberta Flack, Sam Hui, Season for Nonviolence, Season of Non-violence, Shailaputri, siddhis, Spring Festival, Year of the Dragon
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“Happy (Lunar) New Year!” and/or “Happy Carnival!” to those who are already celebrating! “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Gupta (Magha) Navaratri!” Peace, ease, and contemplation throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
This is the “missing” post for Saturday, February 10th. It includes some previously posted information (updated for 2024) and links to related posts. You can request a recording of the related practice(s) 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. Donations are tax deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“I am going to venture that the man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures and acknowledging unity with the universe of things was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization.”
— quoted from the “What the Indian Means to America” in Land of the Spotted Eagle by Luther Standing Bear
The “Season for Nonviolence” word (for February 10, 2024) is “contemplation,” which is what I always encourage — especially on Saturdays. This year, during the Saturday practices, we are using energetic and symbolic aspects of the body to focus on how our past, present, and future are connected and how different aspects of our lives prepare and inform us. We started with the lower body and our foundation in life and this month we have moved into the realm of relationships, particularly friendships we make with people we (or others) might perceive as being different.
Some of our earliest life lessons revolve around friendship, who is considered a stranger (and therefore a danger), and how we view (some described as) a foreigner. This is part of the reason Robert Fulghum’s “all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten” is true. Kindergarten, pre-school, daycare — and even Sunday school — are all laboratories, sandboxes, and playgrounds (if you will) for the things we learn in our first family, tribe, and community of birth. These are the places where we first put our early life lessons to the Litmus test, to see if they hold up (or prove true) beyond a theoretical idea. Sometimes we have experiences that cause us to carry those early life lessons throughout our lives. Other times we have experiences that cause us to re-examine what we were taught by out elders.
To be clear: We are all strangers and foreigners to someone. We could also all be friends to someone who is different from us. However, for many people (especially in the United States), our initial experiments in “cultivating a good heart” occur with people who have a shared culture: same history (i.e., similar tragedies and triumphs), same language, same food, same religions and philosophies, same rituals and traditions, same music, and same calendars. On a certain level, shared culture also translates into shared expectations. This does not mean that we will not have disagreements, misunderstandings, and disappointments (just because we share a culture with someone). It does, however, mean that we have to be mindful of how expectations can be a major source of conflict (and suffering).
First, we have to be mindful of the fact that we all come into relationships with expectations. Sometimes we are very aware of our own expectations and how they may be different from others. Sometimes we are even good at communicating our expectations and being open to others having different expectations. More often than not, however, our communication and listening skills are underdeveloped because we assume that people with a similar background (i.e., shared culture) have the same expectations and/or that our expectations are the only reasonable expectations. As I mentioned last week, technology has created opportunities for us to encounter — sometimes at an early age — people who are perceived as being different from us. So, in some ways, we all have to go back to those childhood lessons.
Our capacity to cultivate friendships with someone different from us can be aided or hindered by the lessons we first learn in our homes. For instance, I learned early on that other people had different cultures and that sensory information (like scent) can be a trigger “a remembrance of things past.” Someone else might have learned that other people had “strange,” “weird,” “odd,” “exotic,” and/or “primitive” cultures and food. The latter characterizations can manifest as an aversion to new experiences (at best) and the worst -isms, -phobias, intolerance, and fetishes. The former characterization can create an openness that allows one to discover common elements.
We can discover that an unfamiliar ritual or tradition has the same underlying meaning as something very important to us. (Similarly, we can discover that something that looks the same on the outside has different meaning on the inside.) We can find that we have the same favorite musician as someone in Münster, Germany and/or the same favorite foods as someone in Xinyuan, China and New Delhi, India — even if we have never visited those places. We can share a hobby or a profession with someone from a different background and, therefore, share an experience — like climbing a mountain that very few will climb — that cements our bond. We can develop deep lasting friendships with people who are currently celebrating a new year, celebrating the end of a season, observing a holy time, and/or preparing to celebrate a holy time — even when, to us, it is just a regular time.
“财神到 财神到
Caishen dao caishen dao [The god of wealth has come! The god of wealth has come!]
好心得好报
Hao xinde hao bao [Good news]
财神话 财神话
Caishenhua caishenhua [Myth of money, myth of money]
揾钱依正路
wen qian yi zhenglu [if you follow the right path]”
— quoted from the song “Cai Shen Dao” [“The God of Wealth Has Come!” by Sam Hui, lyrics in Hanzi [Chinese characters], pīnyīn [“spelled sounds”], and English
Today is the beginning of the Lunar New Year. The Chinese lunisolar calendar designates this year is the year of the (wood) Dragon. While many East and Southeast Asian cultures celebrate at the same time — and even though there are some similarities to celebrations held at other times of the year — each culture has different rituals and traditions that connect people with their extended families, ancestors, and heritage.
In parts of China and the diaspora, the beginning of the New Year is also the beginning of the Spring Festival, a fifteen day celebration that culminates with the Lantern Festival. Even though each day of the Lunar New Year has a special significance, each region has different stories and traditions related to that significance. For example, according to one Chinese creation story, different animals are celebrated depending on when they were created; thus, today is the birthday of all chickens. Others are celebrating the birthday of the water god and, therefore, will not wash their hair or their clothes on the first two days of the new year. Some Buddhist people celebrate the birth of Maitreya Buddha on the first day of the lunar new year and spend New Year’s Day, as well as several days leading up to the first day, chanting, praying, and/or meditating (depending on their beliefs). People will also light candles and make offerings at the temple before their feasting begins.
Even though there are some differences between regions and cultures in celebrations of the Lunar New Year, there are some common elements. The Lunar New Year celebrations generally include extended family coming together; the welcoming of ancestors and (in some households) the welcoming of household deities (like the water god); red clothes, red decorations, and red envelopes; fireworks, parades, and loud noises, a bit of feasting, and (of course), the wish, prayer, blessing, or shout for prosperity: “Cai Shen Dao! [The God of Wealth has come! in Mandarin]”
In 2024, the Spring Festival celebrations begin on the last weekend of Carnival, which is the lead up to Mardi Gras (which is the lead up to Lent for Western Christians), and coincides with a “hidden” or “secret” celebration of Navaratri.
“‘There is no demand for women engineers, as such, as there are for women doctors; but there’s always a demand for anyone who can do a good piece of work.’”
— Edith Clarke quoted in a March 14, 1948 Daily Texan article
Navaratri (which means “nine nights” in Sanskrit) occurs four times on the Hindu calendar and is a celebration of divine feminine energy — specifically of Durga, the divine mother, in various manifestations. Each Navaratri begins by celebrating Durga as Shailaputri (“Daughter of Mountain”). Shailputri is the daughter of Himavat, the Mountain King or Guardian God of Himalayan Mountains, and is recognized as a divine manifestation of Mahadevi and a reincarnation of Sati (the wife of Shiva), who then reincarnates as Parvati. In art, she holds a trishula or trident in her right hand and a lotus in her left hand, all while riding Shiva’s bull Nandi, whose name means “happy, joy, and satisfaction.” Although extra emphasis is put on the celebrations in the spring and fall, Magha Navaratri (which begins today) and Ashada Navaratri have special significance in certain regions and are referred to as Gupta Navaratri, meaning they are hidden or secret — not because no one knows about them; but, because the celebrations are not as big and obvious as the celebrations in the spring and fall.
Since the (secular) Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, the Lunar New Year falls at different times according to the Western schedule. This year’s celebrations begin on the birthday of several musicians, a mathematician, a couple of mountain-climbing twins, and someone whose work allows us to hear more clearly. Their backgrounds are different, but their stories (and work) are all ultimately about making connections.
Click here for the 2021 post about the electrical engineer Edith Clarke (born today in 1883), the award-winning poet Boris Pasternak (born today in 1890, according to the Gregorian calendar), the award-winning composer Jerrald “Jerry” King Goldsmith, the mountain climbing twins Jim and Lou Whittaker (all three born today in 1929), the award-winning musician Roberta Flack (today in 1937), and the 1972 “earthly debut” of “Ziggy Stardust.”
NOTE: The second half of the 2021 post is related to a different date.
Click here for 2023 post about the inventor and acoustic engineer James Edward Maceo West (born 1931).
Saturday playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
“Describing the experience later, he said that when things happen that he doesn’t understand ‘… I have to figure them out. I have to learn. And that’s essentially what led to some of the discoveries that I made, you know, the curiosity. Well, why does nature behave in that way? You know, what are the compelling parameters around the way nature behaves? And how can I better understand the physical principles that I’m dealing with? You know, it’s still a big part of my life.’”
— quoted from the Biz & IT section of Ars Technica, in an article entitled “Listen up: James West forever changed the way we hear the world — Now in his 80s, the legendary inventor still pursues research and fights for education.” by Kevin Murnane (dated 5/8/2016)
### Contemplate & Celebrate! ###
Making Connections, Part 1 February 3, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Baseball, Changing Perspectives, Football, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: Branch Rickey, Buddy Holly, Charles Follis, Charles Follis Foundation, Dr. Mike Miller, friendship, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Michael Franti, music, Ritchie Valens, Roger Peterson, Season for Nonviolence, Season of Non-violence, Spearhead, Val Willingham
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Peace and ease to all during this “Season for Non-violence” and all other seasons! You have to take care of yourself (before you can take care of others)!!
“Everyone deserves music, sweet music”
— quoted from the song “Everyone Deserves Music” by Michael Franti & Spearhead
Yes, everyone deserves music… and friendship. Friendship is one of the six siddhis described as “the powers and privileges unique to humans” in the Yoga and Sankhya (or Sāṁkhya). It is the power to “[cultivate] a good heart; finding friends;” i.e., the power of making connections with others. This is an ability we start learning about as soon as we are aware that there are “other” people and things. Initially, however, geography and general location plays a big part in who becomes our friends. Our proximity to someone, combined with things we have in common — like shared experiences and hobbies — strengths that bond.
For better or for worse, modern modes of travel, media, and the internet have created opportunities for people who are geographically far apart to make really intense connections. However, technology doesn’t change the ties that bind: ties like music, sports, art, and shared history.
Click here to learn about a tragic part of music history that binds us and why today (in 1959) is known as The Day the Music.
Click here to learn how an athlete known as “The Black Cyclone” (born today in 1879) is connected to the breaking of the color line in baseball.
“On October 17, 1903, [Branch] Rickey felt the ‘Black Cyclone’s’ full power when he ran their ends dizzy for 20, 25, 35 and 70 yard gains, the last being a touchdown. After that game Rickey praised Follis, calling him ‘a wonder.’ It was the power of his example, his character, and his grace that convinced Rickey, that color could not belie his greatness. The rest is history….”
— quoted from the “Background” section of the Charles Follis Foundation website
Please join me today (Saturday, February 3rd) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02032021 The Day the Music Died”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlist has the Tommy Dee version of “Three Stars” during the practice and the Eddie Cochran version in the before/after music. The Spotify playlist has Cochran’s version during the practice and Charlie Gracie’s song “I’m Alright,” a tribute to Eddie Cochran, in the before/after music.
“For years, [Dr. Mike Miller], a research cardiologist, has been studying the effects of happiness — or things that make people happy — on our hearts. He began his research with laughter, and found watching funny movies and laughing at them could actually open up blood vessels, allowing blood to circulate more freely.
Miller thought, if laughter can do that, why not music? So, he tested the effects of music on the cardiovascular system. ‘Turns out music may be one of the best de-stressors — either by playing or even listening to music,’ said Miller.”
— quoted from a 2009 CNN Health segment entitled, “The power of music: It’s a real heart opener” by Val Willingham, CNN Medical Producer
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.)
A Joyful Practice 