To Be Good or To Be Perfect (the “missing” Sunday post) September 28, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 7-Day Challenge, 9-Day Challenge, Art, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Fitness, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, New Year, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Yoga, Yom Kippur.Tags: 988, Aish, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, Beresh't, Bhagavad Gita, bible, faith, Genesis, High Holidays, Imposter Syndrome, International Week of Deaf People (IWDP), Kalaratri, Kali, Leonard Cohen, mitzvot, Navaratri, Rabbi Binyomin Weisz, Rosh Hashanah, Sharada Navaratri, Shofar, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Tikkun Olam, tov, World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), Yoga Sutra 1.37, Yom Kippur
add a comment
“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom during International Week of Deaf People.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This “missing” compilation post for Sunday, September 28th, features new and previously posted content. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous 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.
“Deaf communities are innovative communities! Our diverse intersectional global communities, found in every country on Earth, consisting of deaf people from different backgrounds and life experiences, are innovators! We have multiple opportunities to impact technological change. The future of our technology starts with our knowledge, drawn from our diverse communities, working together to shape the future we want. Together, we will innovate, inspire and create a world where deaf people everywhere can sign anywhere!”
— quoted from the “International Week of Deaf People 2025 — Daily Themes: A Week of Celebration, Awareness, and Action” (Sunday) section of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) website
Today (Sunday) was the seventh day of the International Week of Deaf People. As I mentioned earlier in the week, there is an overreaching theme for the year (2025: “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights”) and a daily focus. The Sunday focus was “Set the basis for the future: together we can innovate, inspire, and impact!”
These themes inspire people and are a way to get a group of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and languages working in a coordinated way to bring about change all over the world — change that serves everyone (even those of us who are not in the Deaf community).
At the beginning of our physical practice of yoga, we set a “group intention” — to get on the same page, so we can work together — and then we each have an opportunity to set our own “personal intention”. I refer to the latter as, “your goal, your desire, your reason for being on the mat.” Sometimes, I encourage people to go a little deeper and identify how their goal or desire serves them: “… how it brings you peace, balance, maybe even joy.” This is all followed by a dedication and, sometimes, the awareness that what serves us individually can serve us collectively.
The additional suggestions are reminders that sometimes things can work out in a different way then we envisioned. For example, if your goal or desire is to own a classic Shelby Cobra, it could serve you because you need a way to commute to work and/or because you love vintage Mustangs. If you need reliable transportation, but you get too fixated on the make and model, you might miss an opportunity to obtain a car that serves you (and those around you). If you love classic cars and already have reliable transportation, maybe you check out other makes and models (or years) to satisfy your desire.
On the mat, every pose — as well as how each pose fits into the sequence — affects the mind-body in different ways. Additionally, every part of the mind-body could be affected in a similar way by a multitude of other poses. Standing balance is good for your vestibular system and can strengthen the standing leg, hips, and core, while also creating flexibility (and strength) in the lifted leg. If you have issues standing on one foot, using a prop (like a wall) can be more beneficial than falling out of the pose every couple of seconds. By the same token, if you really want to focus on the flexibility or “opening” (more than the balance), you might practice a supine version of the same pose or a different pose altogether.
All that being said, it’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of doing something — on or off the mat — and forget WHY we’re spending our time doing what we’re doing. That tendency to forget is why I remind people, at least once during the practice, to “remember your intention / remember your dedication.”
“And God said, ‘There will be light,’ and there was light.
And God saw the light that it was good, and God separated between the light and between the darkness.”
— quoted from Beresh’t / Genesis 1:3-4
Last Monday (September 22nd) at sunset marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah (“the Head of the Year”), which is the beginning of the “Ten Days of Atonement” or “Ten Days of Awe” (which culminate with Yom Kippur, “The Day of Atonement”). There are several ways in which this period is different from a secular new year. First, there is the period of time, which is one of the holiest times of the year for some communities and may be celebrated by people who might not typically go to services. Second, observing these days are religious commandments and, therefore, observed by Jewish communities around the world and by communities where people observe the commanded holidays outlined in Deuteronomy. Finally, this is more than a celebration — it is an observation: a time for reflection, remembrance, and repentance.
It is also a time to consider how one could spend their time… doing something that is “good” .
“And God saw that it was good.”
— Words that appear 7 times in the Creation story found in Beresh’t / Genesis
Another way Rosh Hashanah is different from a secular new year (or the other new years found on the Hebrew calendar) is that people do not wish each other “Happy New Year”. Instead, people say1, “Shana Tovah” (“Good Year”) or “Shana Tovah U’Metukah!” (“Good and Sweet Year”). Tov is a Hebrew word that means “good”; and, as we find in the beginning of the Torah (also the Christian Old Testament), God defined things as “good” when they had meaning and served their purpose.
So, similar to the beginning of our physical practice of yoga, people who observe the “Ten Days of Atonement” and the “Ten Days of Awe” spend some time setting intentions and digging into how those goals and desires will serve them (and others) during the year ahead.
Some of the following was previously posted in a slightly different context.
“…every person is obligated to say, ‘For my sake alone the world was created.’ That doesn’t mean the world is mine to consume everything indiscriminately (although God does want us to enjoy the pleasures of this world).
What it does mean is that we must take responsibility for any problem in the world. If you recognize a problem – whether it be a piece of litter on the street or a major social issue that needs adjusting – you shouldn’t just say ‘someone else will deal with it.’ There is nobody else. In God’s eyes, the rule is: You saw it, you fix it.”
— Aish Rabbi on Tikkun Olam
Tikkun Olam is a phrase in Hebrew which literally means “repair the world” — although, many people think of it as “heal the world”. Classically, it refers to the rule of law: what is needed in order to restore social order. In the modern context, people think of it as how each person can do something, maybe even has an obligation to do something (when they can), and could even be compared to dharma (“law”) in Indian philosophies.
There are several things that happen when people (in general) start thinking about how they can make a difference. One of those things is that they look for inspiration in others. In fact, Yoga Sūtra 1.37 states that clarity of mind can come from “contemplating on the mind [or heart] of those who are free from desire” and, in the commentary, Swami Vivekananda said, “Take some holy person, some great person whom you revere, some saint whom you know to be perfectly nonattached, and think of his heart. That heart has become non-attached, and meditate on that heart; it will calm the mind. If you cannot do that, there is the next way…”.
Other commentary suggests focusing on your own heart and mind as if you were free from desire. This is a handy suggestion, because while looking to others for inspiration can be really motivating, it can also be problematic. For example, people have a tendency of putting their inspirations on pedestals. Such myth building belies the fact that people (take Gandhi, for instance) are (and were) human; that they make mistakes; and sometimes have really horrible opinions that co-exist with their more admirable ones.
On the flip side, comparisons to others can be problematic because they can lead to a really debilitating mindset: Imposter Syndrome, the belief that someone is somehow fraudulent. This type of self-doubt can manifest in a lot of different ways. It can show up as someone dreaming, planning, and/or re-working something so much that they never get to the point of doing the thing. It can also show up as someone never getting started because they are afraid of disappointing themselves (or others) and/or not doing something as well as others. Finally, it can just show up as a general feeling of malaise that saps your energy and makes it harder to focus… let alone do your best. It can be a vicious cycle that is perpetuated by a desire to be perfect and live up to expectations.
But, if we backup a little, we may remember that the important part is not that we do what someone else can do: The important thing is to do what we are able to do and to do the best that we can. This is explicitly spelled out in The Bhagavad Gita when Krishna spoke to Arjuna about “achieving perfection” and said, “‘Your very nature dictates that you perform the duties attuned to your disposition. Those duties are your dharma, your natural calling. It is far better to do your own dharma, even if you do it imperfectly, than to try to master the work of another. Those who perform the duties called for by their obligations, even if those duties seem of little merit, are able to do them with less effort — and this releases consciousness that can be directed Godward.’” (BG 18.47)
This same lesson on perfection and purpose can be found in the lesson of the shofar, as explained by Rabbi Binyomin Weisz.
For Those Who Missed It: Portions of the following excerpt were posted in 2020 and/or 2024.
“But the truth is: ‘All sounds are kosher’ – not only for the shofar, but for the heart as well.”
— quoted from an article entitled “Perfectly Imperfect: The Secret of the Shofar” (09/12/2020) by Rabbi Binyomin Weisz
A shofar is a ram’s horn that is blown (like a trumpet) during most Rosh Hashanah services and at the end of Yom Kippur. Historically, it has also been used at other times, including as a call-to-arms before a battle. During the High Holidays, there are four types of sounds (tekiah = a long, smooth blast; shevarim = three short bursts; terua = a series of short bursts; and tekiah gedolah = a long, drawn out, smooth blast), which are produced in very specific patterns in order to remind people to turn inward and reflect, remember, repent, and hope.
As with most spiritual rituals, the horn has to be produced in a certain way and blown by a specific person. However, the mitzvah (or “commandment”) related to the High Holidays is not related to the blowing — it’s a commandment related to hearing the sound. Obviously, since it is an organic instrument, each shofar sounds slightly different. What is super fascinating to me (and others), however, is that certain imperfections do not “ruin” the instrument.
As teachers and scholars like Rabbi Binyomin Weisz point out, a hole can change the sound of the shofar and it’s still kosher. Granted, there are some ways a shofar can be broken — and even fixed — that make it no longer kosher. In fact, the very act of “fixing” a broken shofar, so that it sounds like it originally sounded, can make it unusable for its intended purpose — and, therefore, not good — which just strengthens the lesson for me. Given that so many people struggle with “imposter syndrome” and high expectations, here are four steps you can do at any time:
- Let go of expectations and focus on what you can do / are doing;
- Remember Rule 303 (see the last embedded link above): Do what you can do, as much as you can, and for as long as you can;
- Appreciate what you’re doing, because it has value/meaning; AND
- Remember the value/meaning of you (being who you are and doing what you do).
“So I draw courage and stand face-to-face with my limitations, without shrinking or running. I allow for honest remorse. Here is my place of Now….
Of course, acceptance does not mean becoming complacent. I still need to honestly evaluate my life and reflect on how I want to act differently this coming year. It also doesn’t preclude trying my best.
But at this very moment my state of ‘now’ is my truth.”
— quoted from an article entitled “Perfectly Imperfect: The Secret of the Shofar” (09/12/2020) by Rabbi Binyomin Weisz
A version of the following (revised) note was posted earlier this year.
“I find a lot of similarity between Goddess Kalaratri, who symbolizes the spiritual power of transcendence, and Goddess Chandraghanta, who represents the power of transformation (in chapter 3). While transformation happens from taking strong, consistent action to overcome our fears, transcendence results from applying spiritual knowledge to see traumas we have experienced through the eyes of wisdom. This ensures we never see ourselves as helpless victims at the mercy of a cruel world but rather as powerful manifesters of our own destinies.”
— quoted from the “Cultivating Transcendence” section of “Chapter 7 — Transcending Trauma with Wisdom” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
Today (Sunday) was also the seventh day of Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations. This seventh day of Navaratri is dedicated to Kalaratri, the most ferocious form of Durga/Parvati. I will admit that I sometimes have a hard time with elements of the Divine that show up as ferocious. However, I appreciate that sometimes strong, fierce energy/medicine is needed to eliminate negative energy — and this is why Kalaratri is so strong: She eliminates negativity.
Some believe that Kalaratri destroys all demons, ghosts, evil spirits just be showing up. She is associated with nighttime (which is when plants grow) and the crown chakra (which is this present moment). Her name is sometimes used interchangeably with Kali, who is the dark-skinned Goddess associated with destruction, time, and change. Because people believes she can give her devotees siddhis (“abilities”) like knowledge, power, and wealth, she is also known as Shubankari (“Auspicious”). People also believe Kalaratri can make someone fearless.
Of course, being fearless comes in handy if you want to bring about some “good” changes in the world — especially when you are committed to non-violence.
“Despite Goddess Kalaratri’s frightening appearance, I find her to be the most loving form of Goddess Durga because she removes everything that is not us: the illusions, lies, and myths we have subscribed to (without even knowing we have done so!). Because only when we are free from illusions are we truly free. This goddess brings the Gospel of John to life: ‘And you shall know the Truth, and that Truth shall set you free.’
Vedanta spiritual philosophy describes Truth, to be true, must be so at all times: past, present, and future.”
— quoted from the “Cultivating Transcendence” section of “Chapter 7 — Transcending Trauma with Wisdom” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Good or Perfect”]
NOTE: One track is in a different place for continuity between platforms.
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
— quoted from the poem/song “Anthem” by Leonard Cohen
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).
1NOTE: There are several Hebrew (and Yiddish) blessings that may be used at specific times and/or to specific people just before and throughout the High Holidays. The ones described above are generic and used throughout the ten days. The one below may be used by some from “noon on Rosh Hashanah, when our fates are already written, until Yom Kippur, when our fates for the coming year are to be sealed”.
### “Gemar chatimah tovah.” (“A good final sealing.”) ###
Getting Ready to BE Imperfectly Perfect (the “missing” Wednesday post w/excerpts) October 2, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gandhi, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, A. R. Rahman, Ahimsa, Aish, Bhagavad Gita, Gandhi Jayanti, High Holidays, Imposter Syndrome, International Day of Non-violence, Jack Hawley, Khatija Rahman, Krishna Kripalani, Leo Tolstoy, Leonard Cohen, Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace, mitzvot, Mohandas Gandhi, Mona Miller, niyamas, perfection, Rabbi Binyomin Weisz, Raheema Rahman, Rosh Hashanah, satya, satyagraha, Shofar, Shriman Narayan, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Tikkun Olam, U2, Valji Govindji Desai, yama
add a comment
“L’Shana Tovah U’Metukah!” to everyone celebrating Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays and, also, “Happy Festival!” to anyone celebrating Gandhi Jayanti. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom on the International Day of Non-violence.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This is the “missing” post for Wednesday, October 2nd. It contains some previously posted content. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
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.
“A remark made in Bannu revealed the relationship in Gandhi’s mind between the spinning wheel and nonviolence. ‘God whispered into my heart’, said Gandhi, ‘If you want to work through nonviolence, you have to proceed with small things.’ A week later, addressing Khudai Khidmatgars in the town of Tank in Dera Ismail Khan district, Gandhi offered an observation that would be quoted often in the future:
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.”
— quoted from “FOUR: Journey to Freedom 1937-46” in Ghaffar Khan: Nonviolent Badshah of the Pakhtuns by Rajmohan Gandhi
“Trust without reservation requires that we say, ‘Yes. Yes it is possible, yes I can, yes I will.’ Today say, ‘I can’ even if you are not aware of how to accomplish your goal. Have faith and say, ‘I can’ until you find a way. Today I practice the art of having faith.
— quoted from the “Affirmation” section of the “Day 10 ~ February 9 ~ Faith” page for the “Season for Nonviolence,” provided by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace
‘How are you spending your time?’ and ‘How could you spend your time?’ are questions that can be asked and answered in a lot of different ways. The latter can be looked at in a purely philosophical way (as in what are all the possibilites) and/or in a pragmatic or practical way (as in, what are the most skillful and wise possibilities). Either way, there are times when those questions hit particularly hard: First, when you notice that you are not spending your time in a skillful and wise way (but you could). Second, when you are given an opportunity to begin something, like a new year.
Tonight (Wednesday) at sunset marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, “the Head of the Year,” in Jewish communities around the world (and in communities where people observe the commanded holidays outlined in Deuteronomy). The beginning of the New Year is also the beginning of the High Holidays — known as the “Ten Days of Atonement” and the “Ten Days of Awe” — which culminate with Yom Kippur, “The Day of Atonement.” It is one of the holiest times of the year for some and is celebrated by people who might not typically go to services. Unlike a secular new year, it is more than a celebration — it is an observation: a time for reflection, remembrance, and repentance.
It is also a time to consider how one could spend their time.
“…every person is obligated to say, ‘For my sake alone the world was created.’ That doesn’t mean the world is mine to consume everything indiscriminately (although God does want us to enjoy the pleasures of this world).
What it does mean is that we must take responsibility for any problem in the world. If you recognize a problem – whether it be a piece of litter on the street or a major social issue that needs adjusting – you shouldn’t just say ‘someone else will deal with it.’ There is nobody else. In God’s eyes, the rule is: You saw it, you fix it.”
— Aish Rabbi on Tikkun Olam
Tikkun Olam is a phrase in Hebrew which literally means “repair the world” — although, many people think of it as “heal the world.” Classically, it refers to the rule of law: what is needed in order to restore social order. In the modern context, people think of it as how each person can do something, maybe even has an obligation to do something (when they can), and could even be compared to dharma (“law”) in Indian philosophies.
There are several things that happen when people (in general) start thinking about how they can make a difference. One of those things is that they look for inspiration in others, sometimes in a “great soul” — maybe someone they know personally or maybe a statesman, like former President Jimmy Carter (whose 100th birthday was Tuesday). Today, we celebrate a different great soul and statesman: Mohandas K. Gandhi, who was born October 2, 1869. His birthday is commemorated as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday in India, and was designated as International Day of Non-violence by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007.
Known as Mahatma (which means “great soul”), Gandhi was a lawyer who became an activist, first in South Africa and then in his home in India. He was so inspired by the idea of community and nonviolent civil disobedience, as well as by the philosophy of Leo Tolstoy that, in 1910, he established Tolstoy Farm (which was technically his second ashram in South Africa). When he returned to (then British-ruled) India in 1914, he continued using passive resistance to fight for the rights of Indians. He and his followers were rooted in the ethical components of the 8-Limbed Yoga Philosophy, the yamas (external “restraints” or universal commandments) and niyamas (“internal observations”). Their non-violent movement was particularly predicated on the first two yamas: ahimsa (“non-violence” / “non-harming”) and satya (“Truth”).
“Truth (Satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian Movement ‘Satyagraha’ , that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence, and gave up the use of the phrase ‘passive resistance’ in connection with it, so much so that even in English writing we often avoided it and used instead the word ‘Satyagraha’ itself or some other equivalent English phrase.”
— quoted from “12. THE ADVENT OF SATYAGRAHA” in Satyagraha in South Africa by M. K. Gandhi (as published in THE SELECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI, VOLUME TWO, translated from the Gujarati by Valji Govindji Desai; General Editor Shriman Narayan)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT GANDHI & SATYAGRAHA.
“I believe in the message of truth delivered by all the religious teachers of the world. And it is my constant prayer that I may never have a feeling of anger against my traducers, that even if I fall a victim to an assassin’s bullet, I may deliver up my soul with the remembrance of God upon my lips. I shall be content to be written down an impostor if my lips utter a word of anger or abuse against my assailant at the last moment.”
— quoted from a prayer discourse, Summer 1947, as printed in All Men Are Brothers: Life and Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, as Told in His Own Words, by Mohandas K. Gandhi (Compiled and Edited by Krishna Kripalani)
Looking to others for inspiration can be really motivating. However, we have to be careful, because such comparisons can be problematic. For example, people have a tendency of putting their inspirations on pedestals. Such myth building belies the fact that people like Gandhi were (and are) human; that they make mistakes; and sometimes have really horrible opinions that co-exist with their more admirable ones. For instance, Gandhi publicly admitted that early on in his career he “disciplined myself sufficiently never to feel angry with the enemy, but I sometimes lose my temper with friends” and that he could be horrible towards his wife Kasturba, who he at one time viewed as being beneath him. Eventually, however, he saw her as his “teacher in nonviolence… [and a] loyal and faithful comrade in life.” His evolved attitude towards Kasturba, and women in general, was one of the reasons why women were an active part of the Salt Satyagraha in 1930.
On the flip side, comparisons to others can be problematic because they can lead to a really debilitating mindset: Imposter Syndrome, the belief that someone is somehow fraudulent. This type of self-doubt can manifest in a lot of different ways. It can show up as someone dreaming, planning, and/or re-working something so much that they never get to the point of doing the thing. It can also show up as someone never getting started because they are afraid of disappointing themselves (or others) and/or not doing something as well as others. Finally, it can just show up as a general feeling of malaise that saps your energy and makes it harder to focus… let alone do your best. It can be a vicious cycle that is perpetuated by a desire to be perfect and live up to expectations.
But, if we backup a little, we may remember that the important part is not that we do what someone else can do: The important thing is to do what we are able to do and to do the best that we can. This is explicitly spelled out in The Bhagavad Gita when Krishna spoke to Arjuna about “achieving perfection” and said, “‘Your very nature dictates that you perform the duties attuned to your disposition. Those duties are your dharma, your natural calling. It is far better to do your own dharma, even if you do it imperfectly, than to try to master the work of another. Those who perform the duties called for by their obligations, even if those duties seem of little merit, are able to do them with less effort — and this releases consciousness that can be directed Godward.’” (BG 18.47)
This same lesson on perfection and purpose can be found in the lesson of the shofar, as explained by Rabbi Binyomin Weisz.
For Those Who Missed It: A portion of the following is a slightly revised excerpt from a 2020 post.
“But the truth is: ‘All sounds are kosher’ – not only for the shofar, but for the heart as well.”
— quoted from an article entitled “Perfectly Imperfect: The Secret of the Shofar” (09/12/2020) by Rabbi Binyomin Weisz
A shofar is a ram’s horn that is blown (like a trumpet) during most Rosh Hashanah services and at the end of Yom Kippur. Historically, it has also been used at other times, including as a call-to-arms before a battle. During the High Holidays, there are four types of sounds (tekiah = a long, smooth blast, shevarim = three short bursts, terua, = a series of short bursts, and tekiah gedolah = a long, drawn out, smooth blast), which are produced in very specific patterns in order to remind people to turn inward and reflect, remember, repent, and hope. As with most spiritual rituals, the horn has to be produced in a certain way and blown by a specific person. However, the mitzvah (or “commandment”) related to the High Holidays is not related to the blowing — it’s a commandment related to hearing the sound. Obviously, since it is an organic instrument, each shofar sounds slightly different, but what is super fascinating to me (and others) is that certain imperfections do not “ruin” the instrument.
As teachers and scholars like Rabbi Binyomin Weisz point out, a hole can change the sound of the shofar and it’s still kosher. Granted, there are some ways a shofar can be broken — and even fixed — that make it no longer kosher. In fact, the very act of “fixing” a broken shofar so that it sounds like it originally sounded, can make it unusable for its intended purpose — and, therefore, not good — which just strengthens the lesson for me. Given that so many people struggle with “imposter syndrome” and high expectations, here are four steps you can do at any time:
- Let go of expectations and focus on what you can do / are doing;
- Remember Rule 303 (see first embedded link above): Do what you can do, as much as you can, and for as long as you can;
- Appreciate what you’re doing, because it has value/meaning; AND
- Remember the value/meaning of you (being who you are and doing what you do).
“So I draw courage and stand face-to-face with my limitations, without shrinking or running. I allow for honest remorse. Here is my place of Now….
Of course, acceptance does not mean becoming complacent. I still need to honestly evaluate my life and reflect on how I want to act differently this coming year. It also doesn’t preclude trying my best.
But at this very moment my state of ‘now’ is my truth.”
— quoted from an article entitled “Perfectly Imperfect: The Secret of the Shofar” (09/12/2020) by Rabbi Binyomin Weisz
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10022022 Gandhi Jayanti & High Holidays”]
2024 PRACTICE NOTE: This practice included what I call the Lesson of the Oyster. It also included a “Monaism”.
“No man can be a good bishop if he loves his title but not his task.”
— quoted from City of God by Saint Augustine (Bishop of Hippo)
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
— quoted from the poem/song “Anthem” by Leonard Cohen
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).
“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)
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###
Perfecting Your Pace (a Monday post) September 16, 2021
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Books, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Meditation, New Year, Philosophy, Rosh Hashanah, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga, Yom Kippur.Tags: Bamboo, Bhagavad Gita, Hayom Yom., Imposter Syndrome, Jack Hawley, Les Brown, Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman
add a comment
“Many blessings,” to everyone and especially those observing Yom Kippur or celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!
This is the “missing” post for Monday, September 13th. You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.]
“Stay To change the past, there is no need to travel in a time machine. Everything can be done by remote control.
Here’s how it works: From beyond the continuum of time, its Creator looks at where your spaceship is heading right now. From that point, He creates all its trajectory—through the future and through the past.
Switch the direction your past is sending you. Soon enough, it becomes a different past.”
– quoted from “Maamar Padah B’Shalom 5738” (From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
There was a time, years ago, when my class theme on September 13th revolved around a writer who often employed a “time slip,” which is a plot device whereby a character (or a group of characters) time travel without knowing how or why they suddenly end up in a different time. They could go back in time or they could go forward, but when it’s a true time slip, they don’t have the intention of time traveling. It’s just something that happens. And, since they are not intentionally and deliberately going to a particular time in history, a lot of what the characters do, at least initially, is observe what’s happening.
If they go back, they have a moment of remembering how they got where they were. If they go forward, it can be mind blowing to see what’s changed. This is always interesting to me in the context of a new year, because if we were to suddenly and inexplicably found ourselves at this time next year, we might find that our goals and desires have been achieved without us doing any work (or without us experiencing the work that was done).That might sound good sometimes; but, by the same token, we could find that the world has changed, but (because we weren’t around to do the work) it might have changed in a way that is not to our liking. We might even realize, vis-à-vis our knowledge of cause and effect, that we were going in the wrong direction all along.
Granted, we don’t always need hindsight to identify a “wrong” path. We can use foresight, and envision or preview the path and even the obstacles we might find along the way. Remember, previewing (or reviewing) the course before you get started is one of the keys to pacing yourself. Knowing how long the journey will take is another tip related to Sunday’s practice and the idea of pacing yourself. Granted, in life, we don’t always know how long something will take to achieve or experience, but we still have an internal clock and can remind ourselves that we may not do things at the same pace (or timetable) as those around us.
“Before you were formed in the womb, your days were numbered and set in place. They are the chapters of the lessons you came here to learn, the faces of the wisdom this world has to teach you, the gateways to the treasures this lifetime alone can bestow.
A day enters, opens its doors, tells its story, and then returns above, never to visit again. Never—for no two days of your life will share the same wisdom.”
– quoted from Hayom Yom, 17 Cheshvan; Naso 5837:6 (From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
I mention the internal clock because a big aspect of pacing yourself is what’s happening on the inside, beneath the surface. You all know I love to share stories and I especially love to tell stories during the High Holidays. One of my favorite stories I like to tell this time of year is an old story. It’s one you’ve probably heard before. In fact, knowing how popular this story is, I am actually surprised that I was well into my adulthood before I heard it. I’m not surprised, however, that the first time I heard the story it was in the context of Rosh Hashanah. I add a little flourish here and there (because “no two days of your life will share the same wisdom – even when they share the same story), but I basically tell the story like this:
Like so many of us, there’s this person sitting or standing on the edge of a mountain of uncertainty. This year, for obvious reasons, feels different from other years. What feels the same for this person, however, is the frustration and fear that comes from looking back and realizing that they have the same doubts and fears, hopes and dreams that they had this time last year. Rather than feeling like they’ve taken steps forward, closer to their dreams, this person feels like they have stayed in the exact same place – or even that they have taken a few steps back. Everything seems meaningless and pointless and, frankly, they feel they have nothing to show for all the times when they’ve reflected, remembered, repented, and planned.
So, as the head of the year approaches, this person goes to their rabbi and explains that they’re having a hard time. Yes, they understand that everyone is having and hard time – doesn’t make it easier. And, yes, they understand that some folks have it harder – doesn’t make them feel better. Bottom line, they aren’t motivated to make a plan for a new year when they feel they have nothing to show for the old.
The rabbi listens, as rabbis do, and then asks the person: How long does it take for a giant bamboo tree to grow as tall as a building?
Of course, this person doesn’t know (and is a little annoyed that their rabbi chooses this time to ask what appears to be a rhetorical – or liturgical – question). So, the rabbi tells the story of a farmer who decides they want to grow a giant bamboo tree. It’s a good investment, because if the farmer can get a good clump of culms, they can sell the edible shoots and also sell some of the sheath for construction and weaving. The farmer does some research, figures out the best place to plant, obtains some rhizome with their roots intact, and plants the cutting in a hole that is large enough to hold the rhizome and the roots (but not any deeper than the root-ball).
Satisfied with their work, the farmer goes about their business, watering and fertilizing the newly planted areas as needed. They do this for a year…. And then a second year…. By the third year, some of the farmer’s neighbors are starting to crack jokes about the farmer and their empty plot of land. Because no one sees anything happening – except the farmer diligently watering and fertilizing the area for yet another year. Finally, in the fifth year, a new growth appears. Then, within six weeks, that fertile green sprout shoots up as tall as a building.
“So,” the rabbi asks the person in their office, “how long does it take a giant bamboo to grow as tall as a building?”
The person who came seeking advice frustratingly says, “Six weeks.”
“No,” the rabbi patiently explains, “it takes five years….. Growth takes patience and perseverance. Every drop of water makes a difference; every step you take makes an impact. You may not see the change right away, but growth is happening.”
The pace at which the bamboo tree grows may seem painstakingly slow and the famer’s efforts may seem particularly arduous – especially when one’s focus is on the surface where nothing seems to be happening. The thing to remember, however, is that before the tree can shoot up, seemingly overnight, and reach the height of a building, it has to establish the root system that will support that growth. If the tree grows before the root system, there’s nothing to hold the tree up and nothing to nourish the tree. The same is true of each and every one of us. If we were to find ourselves in a time slip, we could wake up on the day after we had achieved our wildest dreams and loftiest desires, but we might not be prepared to enjoy and/or appreciate the experience. We also might not be qualified to handle the experience.
“Imposter syndrome,” the fear that people will discover someone is not qualified to do their job, is a common struggle these days. When you’re not the one with the fear it can seem demented that someone fears being seen as not capable of doing the very job they are doing – or are being promoted to do. But I think it’s very human. In fact, I think it’s similar to the feeling many people have about becoming a parent. The biggest difference, maybe, is that when it comes to parenthood, people are often told (a) that nobody’s really ready until it happens and (b) that, as Dr. Benjamin Spock said, we know more than we think we do. Consider how much less stressful life would be if we kept getting that parenting advice in all other areas of life.
“Krishna continues the dialogue: ‘The person who works in the world without needing or expecting a reward is both a sanyasi (true renunciate) and karma-yogi (action yogi). But the person who merely refrains from acting in the world is neither of these. You cannot just discard worldly duties, but must do them to the utmost extent of your human capacity for excellence.
‘I repeat, Arjuna, nobody can really become one with the Godhead without leaving their desires behind and abandoning their attachment to the fruits of their actions. The paths of desireless action (karma yoga) and renunciation (sanyasa) may seem to be different from one another but they are not. All spiritual growth is based on surrendering attachments and selfish motives.’”
– quoted from 6.1-2 of The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
“‘Through regular practice (abhyasa) you can draw the mind away from worldly attractions and back into the Atma. As it becomes more interior it becomes calmer. Relentless inquiry into the Self (vichara) leads to knowledge of Atma, the True Self Within. Non-attachment (vairagya) results from self-inquiry and discrimination (buddhi). When you actively turn your thoughts to all the bad consequences of the desires as they arise in you, the passion for them gradually dries up. As your passion diminishes, your mind comes under control. Firm, dedicated faith (sraddha) brings you the raw force of determination, will. All four methods are subsidiaries of the practice of meditation.’”
– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (6.35) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
There are some things we spend our whole lives preparing to do and there are some things we don’t realize we are prepared to do until we are called to do them. In either case, what we are experiencing in the present moment – and our understanding of the moment – is based on all the previous moments (and our understanding of those moments). Life is progressive.
In yoga, vinyāsa krama is “step by step progression towards a goal.” It is sometimes translated as “wise progression.” Each step, each breath, prepares us for the next step, the next breath, and the next experience. Another way to look at it is that everything we do is preparation and practice for the next thing we do. This is why texts like Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtras and the Bhagavad Gita recommend abhyāsa (a consistent, dedicated and devoted practice) and vairāgya (non-attachment).
Even when we don’t see obvious changes on the outside, consistent practice and dedication creates change. Sometimes the change is physical and sometimes the change is mental, emotional, or spiritual. But if there is change on the outside, there’s change on the inside. In fact, more often than not the first change happened on the inside and we were too busy look outward to notice it. Being (too) attached to what’s happening on the outside often prevents us from seeing the changes that make a difference – which can, in turn, become an obstacle in our path. That’s why I always suggest turning inward and going deeper. That’s why I always encourage paying attention to what’s happening underneath the surface.
That’s why I’m all about the little things and how they become the big things.
There is no playlist for the Common Ground practice.
A Joyful Practice 