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Liminal, Lofty, & Rare Days – Redux (the “missing” Friday post) March 6, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Baha'i, Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Faith, First Nations, Healing Stories, Helen Keller, Hope, Lent, Life, Loss, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
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Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent, Great Lent, the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, and/or Purim during this “Season for Non-violence” and all other seasons! 

This is the “missing” post for the “First Friday Night Special” on March 3rd.  It includes an excerpt from 2021 that has been expanded and placed in a different context. You can request an audio recording of this Somatic Yoga Experience (SYE) practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

“We are all made of the ancestors who came before us, those who bore us and those who bore the ones who bore us, all the way back through the generations to Great-Grandmother and Great-Grandfather Amoeba. Some of our ancestors may not have been admirable people, but we came from them, too, whether we like them or not.”

– quoted from “We Will Be Ancestors Too” in Alive Until You’re Dead: Notes on the Home Stretch by Susan Moon

Don’t laugh; but, I was yesterday years old when I realized that each of the “Season for Non-violence” themes provided (online) by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace actually contains an embedded link that provides practice tips for each day and theme. In my defense, each daily theme is inspired by the work of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. – and, up until March 3rd, I could fairly easily recall speeches, talks, and sermons from each leader that connected to to the theme. Also, what I considered (in my practice) fit the declared objective: “…to create an awareness of nonviolent principles and practice as a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and communities.” Had I paid more attention to the last part of the statement (“It is, therefore, the purpose of the Season and the following 64 Daily Practices to educate and inspire individuals and organizations alike to actively seek out nonviolent means by which to empower themselves and others to co-exist in peace and prosper together in community.”) I would have gotten more curious about the “educate” aspect; but, alas, I was just cruising along until the March 3rd theme: Acknowledgement.

If you follow the “Acknowledgement” link (which I am including here), you will find quotes, discussion topics, and exercises related to the oneness of life, the sacredness of life, and how our interconnectedness enables us to achieve the things we achieve in life. Acknowledgement here is directly tied to gratitude. In particular, it is tied to gratitude for those whose efforts contribute to our existence and way of moving through the world. This is very much a theme that shows up in the work and words of both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. King, and it makes sense that contemplation along these lines “elevates our awareness of nonviolence.” Additionally, I think it is important to recognize and acknowledge when someone has the best intentions and yet causes harm. I think, too, that it is important to acknowledge how someone can make great contributions to the world – contributions that benefit most of our lives – and, yet, they can be not so great people (and/or have really horrendous ideas).

If you wonder how such contemplation can also meet the season’s objectives and elevate our awareness of nonviolence, consider that (a) we all make mistakes; (b) individually and collectively, we are all better off when we can learn from past mistakes (and other people’s mistakes); and (c) healing and empowerment can begin/continue with an acknowledgement that people (individually and collectively) were wronged.

Please keep all that in mind as you soak up the following; because, March 3rd is a day when I sometimes reference people who are venerated (socially and, in one case, religiously) even though their actions caused harm.

“‘The ideal, Arjuna, is to be intensely active and at the same time have no selfish motives, no thoughts of personal gain or loss. duty uncontaminated by desire leads to inner peacefulness and increased effectiveness. This is the secret art of living a life of real achievement!’”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.47 excerpt and 2.48) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

When we are going about our every day, busy, mundane/profane lives, we may find ourselves measuring success in very different ways than we do when we step into the sacred and mystical. Stepping into the sacred for a week or two, or several months, requires changing the business (and the busy-ness) of our days and, also, changing the focus of our days – which is exactly what people are currently doing as they observe the Lenten season and/or the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast. During these times, some may look at success as successfully giving something up or doing something positive for a predetermined period of time. That kind of success, however, is still rooted in the physical. Spiritual success, on the internal level, is not measured in the same way. Remember, people in different traditions are spending this time (i.e., these “liminal days”) focused on a higher, deeper, more resilient (i.e., “lofty”) and lasting connection with the Divine (whatever that means to you at this moment). So, if their success could be measured, it would be measured by that deeply personal and sacred relationship. I emphasized “if” and “could,” because what I am suggesting is similar to what happens when we look at the practice of Brahmacharya.

Brahmacharya is the fourth yama (external “restraint” or universal “commandment”) in the Yoga Philosophy. The first part of the word refers to one of the name’s of God and also to an individual’s highest Self. The second part of the word can be translated into English in several ways, including as “occupation with, engaging, proceeding, behavior, conduct, to follow, moving in, going after.” It was first explained to me as conducting oneself as if you are “chasing God” or “following in the footsteps of God.” In Yoga Sūtra 2.38, Patanjali explained that it is a practice through which one gains “vigor and vitality.”

So, what is the practice, you ask?

There is an actually practice, which is different in different traditions; however, most people (in the West) talk about the practice of the concept of brahmacharya, based on the way Yoga Sūtra 2.38 is translated. Some English translations use the words “continence” or “abstention from incontinence” – both of which are related to passions/desires and bodily functions (like elimination). Some English translations, however, just focus on celibacy (and refraining from sexual relations on a physical, mental, and verbal level). These are all things that can, mostly, be seen and measured on the outside. They are, on some level, identifiable and obvious. I would argue, however, that this most obvious part of the practice misses the fact that brahmacharya is an internal practice. Like the other yamas, it just shows up in external ways.

But, just because we can easily see how something like sex can be distracting and how it can pull our focus, does not mean that we don’t go deeper. Since we often measure profane success financially, one way to go deeper is to look at the life of someone who had a lot of money and yet successfully devoted their life to the sacred.

“‘To work without desire may seem impossible, but the way to do it is to substitute thoughts of Divinity for thoughts of desire. Do your work in this world with your heart fixed on the Divine instead of on outcomes. Do not worry about results. Be even tempered in success or failure. This mental evenness is what is mean by yoga…. Indeed, equanimity is yoga!’”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.47 excerpt and 2.48) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Full disclosure: I do not detail egregious behavior and/or opinions; however, the remainder of this post does include passing references to  eugenics, racism, and cultural genocide. 

In the past, I have compared the path of Saint David to the path of Saint Katharine (Drexel), whose feast day is March 3rd. Born Catherine Mary Drexel on November 26, 1858, Saint Katharine was a Philadelphia-born heiress who, along with her two sisters, inherited several millions when her father and step-mother died. That’s several million USD, even after the $1.5 million USD that was subtracted for charitable donations stipulated in their father’s will. The will also ensured that the sisters maintained control of their own finances.

In many ways, the Drexel sisters (Elizabeth, Catherine, and Louise) were American royalty. Their grandfather, Francis Martin Drexel, was an Austrian-born banker, whose American-born sons followed in his footsteps. Francis Anthony Drexel, the girls’ father, was a wealthy banker whose younger brothers were Anthony Joseph Drexel Sr. and and Joseph William Drexel. Anthony Joseph Drexel Sr. was one of the senior partners of Drexel, Morgan & Company (now J.P. Morgan & Co.); the founder of Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry (now Drexel University); and was deeply committed to integrating art and urban planning. Joseph William Drexel worked as a banker at Drexel, Morgan & Company until he decided to give up the business world in order to focus on collecting books and art and other philanthropic endeavors. Elizabeth and Catherine’s mother, Hannah Langstroth Drexel, died several weeks after Catherine was born and, in 1860, their father married Emma Bouvier – the great, great aunt of Jacqueline (née Bouvier) Kennedy Onassis.

The girls grew up with luxury, privilege, and a devout Roman Catholicism that emphasized good works. Their father, Francis Anthony Drexel, prayed 30-minutes a day. When their mother died, the eldest girls spent some time living with their uncle Joseph, who owned a farm where he provided room and board and agricultural training for people who were out of work. When Francis married Emma, the girls returned home and saw how their father supported and encouraged Emma to open their home in order to provide food, clothing, and medicine to the less fortunate. At some point they would have also been aware that Francis and Emma regularly paid the rents of approximately 150 other families – and they would have learned the importance of doing what one could and looking out for others in the world.

“At her canonization in 2000, Saint John Paul II said, ‘From her parents [Blessed Katharine Drexel] learned that her family’s possessions were not for them alone but were meant to be shared with the less fortunate. She began to devote her fortune to missionary and educational work among the poorest members of society. Later, she understood that more was needed. With great courage and confidence in God’s grace, she chose to give not just her fortune but her whole life totally to the Lord.’”

– quoted from “March 3” in 2016 edition of A Year of Daily Offerings by James Kubicki S. J.

In 1887, several years after their parents died and they became multi-millionaires, the sisters received a private audience with Pope Leo XIII. Katharine wanted to know why the pope wasn’t doing more to alleviate the suffering of Indigenous Americans. The pope suggested that Katharine become a missionary and undertake the task. Ultimately, she decided to take on the suggestion. She took holy vows in 1891. Then, joined by 13 other women, she founded Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People (now known as Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament [SBS]), a religious congregation for women that specifically served Indigenous and African American people. She dedicated her time, energy, and considerable resources to the Church, financing over 60 missions and schools around the United States, including founding Xavier University of Louisiana – the only historically Black and Catholic university in the United States.

Of course, the unfortunate and tragic part of this story is that the students at the Indian schools were (more often than not) stolen from their homes and families, in order to make them less-Indian – something Pope Francis has recently acknowledged and apologized for on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church (at least in Canada). Also documented, though less publicized, has been cases of racism experienced by African American students (who were often treated as an afterthought) and African American nuns who took vows through SBS.

Of course, none of this injury to marginalized communities was seriously considered when Katharine died on March 3, 1955. I’m not even sure how much it would be considered if she died today; because, her life’s work would be (and was) measured by the perceived good that she did for the Church and in God’s name. It was those metrics (and a series of miracles) that led the way for her to eventually become the second U S. citizen to be canonized, and the first Roman Catholic saint actually born a United States citizen.

“African American Catholics who supported Drexel’s sainthood were seemingly unaware of the order’s 1893 segregationist vote and SBS leaders seemingly did not inform them….. Finally, knowledge of SBS’s segregationist practices may not have disqualified Drexel for sainthood. White female congregational leaders Elizabeth Seton and Rose Philippine Duchesne, who exploited enslaved labor and practiced segregation, were canonized in 1975 and 1988 respectively. Cornelia Connelly, another enslaver and the US-born foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Child of Jesus (SHCJ), was declared venerable in 1992.”

– quoted from the note “72” of “Notes to Introduction” in Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle by Shannen Dee Williams

Katharine Drexel is considered the patron saint of philanthropy and (ironically) of racial justice; however, the miracles that led to her beatification and canonization are not related to the racial justice. They are related to the senses. She was beatified in 1988, after the Vatican concluded that her intercession resulted in a boy (Robert Gutherman of Bensalem, PA) being cured of deafness in 1974. She was canonized in 2000 after the Vatican announced that a young girl (Amy Wall of Bucks County, PA) had been cured of her deafness after her 7-year old brother (Jack, who believed in miracles) insisted that the family prayer to “Mother Drexel.” Her feast day (which is the anniversary of her death) is also the anniversary of the he birth of Alexander Graham Bell (b. 1847), whose interest in hearing and speech and all things acoustic stemmed from his mother’s deafness and his father’s work in linguistics.

Like Katharine Drexel, Alexander Bell (the “Graham” was added when he was ten years old) was a middle child whose early life was touched by death and loss. His mother, Eliza Grace Bell (née Symonds), started losing her hearing when he was around twelve years old and his brothers (Melville James Bell and Edward Charles Bell) died of tuberculosis when he was in his early twenties. His father, Alexander Melville Bell, followed in the footsteps of his father (Alexander Bell) and older brother (David Charles Bell) and became a phonetician and elocutionist. Young Aleck’s father, specialized in speech disorders and developed “Visible Speech” – a system of symbols specifically designed to teach deaf people how to position and move their throat, tongue, and lips in order to speak – and wrote books about how to teach deaf people to speak and to read lips. Alexander Melville Bell was also his sons’ first teacher and, so, the three Bell brothers learned all the tricks of the linguistics trade.

“The question arose, ‘“How are you going to describe a constriction?”’ It was observed that the principal organs concerned with speech group themselves into two classes, namely, active and passive. Generally, the lower organs fall in the active group and the upper ones fall in the passive group. For instance: ‘“In forming the sound (t), the point of the tongue is the active agent involved, and the upper gum is the passive.”’ It must also be understood that in this case the two organs under discussion approximate together so as to completely close the intervening passageway.”

– quoted from the Journal of Speech Disorders (1947, 12, 377-380) article entitled “The Method of Alexander Graham Bell and A. Melville Bell for Studying the Mechanism of Speech” by James H. Platt

Alexander Graham Bell had a special affinity for music and art, as well as a special talent when it came to language, elocution, mimicry, and even a form of ventriloquism. He learned different ways to communicate with his mother, including using a version of Sign Language, and was so adept at “Visible Speech” and his father’s principles of elocution that Alexander Melville Bell used Aleck during public demonstrations, to show how they techniques could be used with a variety of languages. All of this led Aleck to study elocution and acoustics at the university-level. It also led him to experiment with sound-producing mechanisms and, when he was a teenager, he and his brother Melville even created a machine that could “talk” – inspired him to experiment with ways to make his dog speak English.

Aleck was pursuing a career as an elocution teacher, specifically working with deaf students, when his brothers died and his parents thought it would be best if the remaining family relocated to North America. In Canada, he continued working with elocution, experimenting with electricity and mechanical devices, and eventually used “Visible Speech” to create a written version of Mohawk (Kanienʼkéha, “[language] of the Flint Place”). In 1871, he started working with deaf schools in New England (training teachers to use his father’s “Visible Speech System”) and continued working on a device that would be able to transmit and receive sound. A little over a year later, in October 1872, he opened the “School of Vocal Physiology and Mechanics of Speech” where he worked directly with deaf students. During this time, he was also working as a professor of Vocal Physiology and Elocution at the Boston University School of Oratory and continuing his experiments.

When his workload started to affect his health, he gave up all but two of his private students: six-year old George “Georgie” Sanders (who was born deaf) and 15-year old Mabel Hubbard (who lost her hearing after contracting scarlet fever). He was particular inspired by Mabel, who he would marry in 1877. Another student whose life he would greatly inspire was Helen Keller, who lost both her hearing and sight after experiencing a severe illness as a baby. He recommended that Arthur Henley Keller and Catherine Everett (née Adams) Keller contact the Perkins Institution to find a teacher for young Helen. The recommended teacher was Anne Sullivan (the “Miracle Worker”), who started working with the young girl, Helen Keller, in March of 1887.

“Doubtless the work of the past few months does seem like a triumphal march to him; but then people seldom see the halting and painful steps by which the most insignificant success is achieved.”

– quoted from a letter written by Anne Sullivan, dated October 30, 1887

Thomas Sanders and Gardiner Greene Hubbard (the fathers of “Georgie” and Mabel) became A. G. Bell’s benefactors, providing him with financial support and a place to conduct his experiments. That support enabled Alexander Graham Bell to apply for patents; hire Thomas A. Watson, an electrical designer and mechanic, as his assistant; and organize what would become the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (established in 1877). Mr. Bell and Mr. Watson successfully transmitted sound in June 1875 and, on March 10, 1876, successfully made a “telephone” call. Over the next few months, they extended the range for one-way calls and then were able to make two-way calls. Ten years later, over 150,000 people in the United States owned landlines and the inventors were continuously improving on their device and on the infrastructure needed to make them work.

Again, however, there was/is controversy – and some of it is quite unfortunate, tragic even. First, there is the controversy around the patents and the device that ended up working. Many people said (and say) that Elisha Gray should be credited as the inventor of the telephone (because of a discrepancy in the patent process and the fact that A. G. Bell’s success required the use of Mr. Gray’s liquid transmitter). Then there is the controversy surrounding Alexander Graham Bell’s opinions of people with disabilities – and this part is a controversy wrapped in a controversy.

Alexander Graham Bell believed in deaf people and people with impaired hearing (essentially) masking their deafness by learning to speak and read lips. This is an undisputed fact – meaning, his belief in this idea is undisputed. Neither is it disputed that he wrote about and participated in eugenics studies that advocated for people’s civil rights and liberties to be diminished. Nor is it disputed that some of his peers and students, like Helen Keller, supported eugenic philosophies. What is disputed is whether or not he actually believed the nonsense. He made a point of stating and writing, on more than one occasion, that he did not believe deaf people should be limited in who the could marry. When asked if the thought “‘environment and heredity count in success,’” he said, “‘Environment, certainly; heredity, not so distinctly.’” But, people saw the next part of his statement as open to interpretation. Similarly, he made a point of distancing himself from certain organizations; however, his actions did not stop said organizations from using his name and his words to support their very damaging theories and world views.

Both Saint Katharine Drexel and Alexander Graham Bell wanted to help people that, on a certain level, they saw as less fortunate than them – and that’s commendable. The fact that they were “successful,” according to certain parameters, makes their stories inspirational. However, their good intentions and good work also caused harm; possibly because they didn’t just think they were helping people that were less fortunate than them. It is possible that they believed they were successfully helping people who were “less than” them – and that is a mindset that is always problematic and always leads to suffering.

While I say all of this, I don’t want to discount the fact that people continue to be inspired by both Saint Katharine and Alexander Graham Bell. March 3rd was even designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as World Hearing Day.* (Although I can find no reference to A. G. Bell in WHO materials, it seems a little too coincidental to not be related.) People are inspired for a lot of different reasons; but, one of those reasons is that both were famously focused – and our ability to focus was the main point of Friday’s practice.

“Peacefully do at each moment what at that moment ought to be done. If we do what each moment requires, we will eventually complete God’s plan, whatever it is. We can trust God to take care of the master plan when we take care of the details.”

– St. Katharine Drexel (d. 03/03/1955)

Doing what ought to be done, requires focusing on the moment and the task at hand. To varying degrees and for varying lengths of time, we all have the ability to focus. Sometimes we do it intentionally; sometimes our mind is just drawn in a certain direction. Either way, focus leads to concentration; concentration leads to meditation – maybe, even, that perfect meditation, which can be considered “Union with Divine” (whatever that means to you at this moment). These are the last three limbs in the Yoga Philosophy: Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and  Samādhi. (which can also be translated as concentration, meditation, and absorption). They combine to form the powerful tool of Samyama, which leads to powerful insight, the highest wisdom, and more siddhis (“powers”) than one can imagine. However, before we can focus/concentrate on a single thing, we have to draw all of our senses towards that single point. In other words, we have to withdraw our senses from everything else – this is Pratyāhāra, the fifth limb of the 8-Limbed Yoga Philosophy.

“‘Next must come concentration of purpose and study. That is another thing I mean to emphasize. Concentrate all your thought upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.’”

– quoted in the section entitled “Concentration of Purpose” in “Chapter II – Bell Telephone Talk: Hints on Success by Alexander G. Bell” in How They succeeded: Life Stories of Successful Men Told by Themselves by Orison Swett Marden

Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
*NOTE: The 2023 World Hearing Day theme is “Ear and hearing care for all! Let’s make it a reality.”

“‘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.’” (6.2)

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

### PICK YOUR FOCUS WISELY ###

FTWMI: This Room, This Music, This Light, This Darkness: This Dance November 22, 2022

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Hope, Life, Loss, Peace, Philosophy, Texas, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
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For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted on November 22, 2020 (and reposted in 2021). Class details and links have been updated.

“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why. Not until the future eats the present, anyway. We know when it’s too late.”

– quoted from 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Life changes in a moment…in a heartbeat, in a breath. Sometimes we don’t even notice the change until it is coupled with a bunch of other changes. Every once in a while, however, something makes us pause, stop in our tracks, breathe, reflect. Sometimes we pause because of something breathtakingly beautiful. Other times, our breath is taken by something heartbreakingly tragic.

Today in 1963 was a Friday, and a little girl missed her first sleepover. Had she been any other 5-year old girl, nobody would have cared or even noticed, but the reason this little girl missed her first sleepover is the same reason high school, college, and professional football games were cancelled or postponed. It was the same reason people all over the world were glued to the radios and televisions. Today in 1963, a wife lost her husband; three children (that five-year old girl, her almost three-year old brother, and her yet to be born brother) lost their father; and the whole world paused, stopped, as a Nation lost – and then gained – a leader meant to usher in a new era of civil rights and environmental conservation.

Today in 1963, at 12:30 PM (Central Standard Time), President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade drove down Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Governor of Texas John Connally – who was riding in the motorcade with his wife Nellie, President Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and two members of the United States Secret Service – was seriously wounded. A bystander was also injured by a ricochet.

“We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance.”

– a poem by Stephen King and Bridget Carpenter, featured in the miniseries 11.22.63

President Kennedy was not a perfect man, but he remains a key figure in American history and, for many, a symbol of democracy and “American” ideals. He was the first Catholic president; the youngest person to be elected president; and the sixteenth U. S. Senator to serve as president – one of three people who moved directly from the Senate floor to the Oval Office. He was also the fourth sitting United States President to be assassinated (by gunshot, although one could argue that Presidents James Garfield and William McKinley could have survived with better medical attention). Many people saw President Kennedy’s assassination as a moment when Americans lost their (collective) innocence and many felt his death as a personal loss, as if they had lost a member of their family or a dear friend.

Whichever way you see it (or him), President Kennedy’s death was the middle and the beginning of a cascade of events that, arguably, changed history. It also started the domino effect on conspiracy theories that persist to this day. Many people have wondered what would have happened if he had not been assassinated.  As he was beginning to campaign for a second term, people have theorized what the country would have been like if he had run and won – or even had an opportunity to deliver either of the speeches he had written for events scheduled on November 22, 1963.

“For this country is moving and it must not stop. It cannot stop. For this is a time for courage and a time for challenge. Neither conformity nor complacency will do. Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a party is not to our party alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom.

So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause–united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future – and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.”

– quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver to the Texas Democratic State Committee in Austin, Texas, in the evening, on November 22, 1963

Historians and political scientists have likewise contemplated what would have happened to the country if his brother Bobby, who served as Attorney General and as a U. S. Senator, and/or Martin Luther King, Jr. had not been assassinated. After considerably research, Stephen King wrote a novel about a man who goes back in time with the intention of preventing JFK’s assassination. Of course, as is always the case when dealing with chaos theory, things are not as simple as changing one thing and moving forward.

There is always an inner ripple and an outer ripple; there is always a sticky domino; there is always a butterfly – and, in the case of 11/22/63 (which was turned into the television miniseries 11.22.63), history pushes back. We may not like how life unfolds, collapses, and converges, but we must sometimes consider the words of Namagiriamma Krishnamacharya, who said, “Maybe this situation has happened for a reason. A reason that will unfold later.”

“My friends and fellow citizens: I cite these facts and figures to make it clear that America today is stronger than ever before. Our adversaries have not abandoned their ambitions, our dangers have not diminished, our vigilance cannot be relaxed. But now we have the military, the scientific, and the economic strength to do whatever must be done for the preservation and promotion of freedom.

That strength will never be used in pursuit of aggressive ambitions – it will always be used in pursuit of peace. It will never be used to promote provocations – it will always be used to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes.

We in this country, in this generation, are – by destiny rather than choice – the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of ‘peace on earth, good will toward men.’ That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: ‘except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.’”

– quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver at the Trade Mart in Dallas, Texas, in the afternoon, on November 22, 1963

Please join me today (Tuesday, November 22nd) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “11/22/63”]

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.)

“Dear Mr. President

Thank you for walking yesterday – behind Jack. You did not have to do that – I am sure many people forbid you take such a risk – but you did it anyway.

Thank you for your letters to my children. What those letters will mean to them later – you can imagine. The touching thing is, they have always loved you so much, they were most moved to have a letter from you now….

But you were Jack’s right arm – I always thought the greatest act of a gentlemen that I had seen on this earth – was how you – the Majority Leader when he came to the Senate as just another little freshman who looked up to you and took orders from you, could then serve as Vice President to a man who had served under you and been taught by you….

But of course [Jack’s ship pictures] are there only waiting for you to ask for them if the walls look too bare. I thought you would want to put things from Texas in it – I pictured some gleaming longhorns – I hope you put them somewhere –

It mustn’t be very much help to you your first day in office – to hear children on the lawn at recess. It is just one more example of your kindness that you let them stay – I promise – they will soon be gone –

Thank you Mr. President

Respectfully

Jackie”

­

– excerpts from a short letter to President Lyndon B. Johnson, written by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, dated “November 26 Tuesday” (the day after JFK’s funeral)

“All I have I would have given gladly not to be standing here today.

The greatest leader of our time has been struck down by the foulest deed of our time. Today, John Fitzgerald Kennedy lives on in the immortal words and works that he left behind. He lives on in the mind and memories of mankind. He lives on in the hearts of his countrymen. No words are sad enough to express our sense of loss. No words are strong enough to express our determination to continue the forward thrust of America that he began….

We will carry on the fight against poverty, and misery, and disease, and ignorance, in other lands and in our own. We will serve all the nation, not one section or one sector, or one group, but all Americans.

These are the United States: A united people with a united purpose.”

– quoted from the “Let Us Continue” speech delivered to Congress and the public by President Lyndon B. Johnson, November 27, 1963  

NOTE: In anticipation of the holiday(s), I have cancelled classes on November 23rd – 27th. Don’t forget to be grateful.

### “Life turns on a dime” again and again (11/22/63, SK) ###

(For Those Who Missed It) This Room, This Music, This Light, This Darkness: This Dance November 22, 2021

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Hope, Life, Loss, Peace, Philosophy, Texas, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
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The following was originally posted on November 22, 2020. I do not typically use music for the Monday night practice associated with Common Ground Meditation Center, but I have left the playlist links for this post.

“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why. Not until the future eats the present, anyway. We know when it’s too late.”

– quoted from 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Life changes in a moment…in a heartbeat, in a breath. Sometimes we don’t even notice the change until it is coupled with a bunch of other changes. Every once in a while, however, something makes us pause, stop in our tracks, breathe, reflect. Sometimes we pause because of something breathtakingly beautiful. Other times, our breath is taken by something heartbreakingly tragic.

Today in 1963 was a Friday, and a little girl missed her first sleepover. Had she been any other 5-year old girl, nobody would have cared or even noticed, but the reason this little girl missed her first sleepover is the same reason high school, college, and professional football games were cancelled or postponed. It was the same reason people all over the world were glued to the radios and televisions. Today in 1963, a wife lost her husband; three children (that five-year old girl, her almost three-year old brother, and her yet to be born brother) lost their father; and the whole world paused, stopped, as a Nation lost – and then gained – a leader meant to usher in a new era of civil rights and environmental conservation.

Today in 1963, at 12:30 PM (Central Standard Time), President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade drove down Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Governor of Texas John Connally – who was riding in the motorcade with his wife Nellie, President Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and two members of the United States Secret Service – was seriously wounded. A bystander was also injured by a ricochet.

“We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance.”

– a poem by Stephen King and Bridget Carpenter, featured in the miniseries 11.22.63

President Kennedy was not a perfect man, but he remains a key figure in American history and, for many, a symbol of democracy and “American” ideals. He was the first Catholic president; the youngest person to be elected president; and the sixteenth U. S. Senator to serve as president – one of three people who moved directly from the Senate floor to the Oval Office. He was also the fourth sitting United States President to be assassinated (by gunshot, although one could argue that Presidents James Garfield and William McKinley could have survived with better medical attention). Many people saw President Kennedy’s assassination as a moment when Americans lost their (collective) innocence and many felt his death as a personal loss, as if they had lost a member of their family or a dear friend.

Whichever way you see it (or him), President Kennedy’s death was the middle and the beginning of a cascade of events that, arguably, changed history. It also started the domino effect on conspiracy theories that persist to this day. Many people have wondered what would have happened if he had not been assassinated.  As he was beginning to campaign for a second term, people have theorized what the country would have been like if he had run and won – or even had an opportunity to deliver either of the speeches he had written for events scheduled on November 22, 1963.

“For this country is moving and it must not stop. It cannot stop. For this is a time for courage and a time for challenge. Neither conformity nor complacency will do. Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a party is not to our party alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom.

So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause–united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future – and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.”

– quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver to the Texas Democratic State Committee in Austin, Texas, in the evening, on November 22, 1963

Historians and political scientists have likewise contemplated what would have happened to the country if his brother Bobby, who served as Attorney General and as a U. S. Senator, and/or Martin Luther King, Jr. had not been assassinated. After considerably research, Stephen King wrote a novel about a man who goes back in time with the intention of preventing JFK’s assassination. Of course, as is always the case when dealing with chaos theory, things are not as simple as changing one thing and moving forward.

There is always an inner ripple and an outer ripple; there is always a sticky domino; there is always a butterfly – and, in the case of 11/22/63 (which was turned into the television miniseries 11.22.63), history pushes back. We may not like how life unfolds, collapses, and converges, but we must sometimes consider the words of Namagiriamma Krishnamacharya, who said, “Maybe this situation has happened for a reason. A reason that will unfold later.”

“My friends and fellow citizens: I cite these facts and figures to make it clear that America today is stronger than ever before. Our adversaries have not abandoned their ambitions, our dangers have not diminished, our vigilance cannot be relaxed. But now we have the military, the scientific, and the economic strength to do whatever must be done for the preservation and promotion of freedom.

That strength will never be used in pursuit of aggressive ambitions – it will always be used in pursuit of peace. It will never be used to promote provocations – it will always be used to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes.

We in this country, in this generation, are – by destiny rather than choice – the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of ‘peace on earth, good will toward men.’ That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: ‘except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.’”

– quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver at the Trade Mart in Dallas, Texas, in the afternoon, on November 22, 1963

The 2020 playlist associated with this date is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “11/22/63”]

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.)

“Dear Mr. President

Thank you for walking yesterday – behind Jack. You did not have to do that – I am sure many people forbid you take such a risk – but you did it anyway.

Thank you for your letters to my children. What those letters will mean to them letter – you can imagine. The touching thing is, they have always loved you so much, they were most moved to have a letter from you now….

But you were Jack’s right arm – I always thought the greatest act of a gentlemen that I had seen on this earth – was how you – the Majority Leader when he came to the Senate as just another little freshman who looked up to you and took orders from you, could then serve as Vice President to a man who had served under you and been taught by you….

But of course [Jack’s ship pictures] are there only waiting for you to ask for them if the walls look too bare. I thought you would want to put things from Texas in it – I pictured some gleaming longhorns – I hope you put them somewhere –

It mustn’t be very much help to you your first day in office – to hear children on the lawn at recess. It is just one more example of your kindness that you let them stay – I promise – they will soon be gone –

Thank you Mr. President

Respectfully

Jackie”

­

– excerpts from a short letter to President Lyndon B. Johnson, written by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, dated “November 26 Tuesday” (the day after JFK’s funeral)

“All I have I would have given gladly not to be standing here today.

The greatest leader of our time has been struck down by the foulest deed of our time. Today, John Fitzgerald Kennedy lives on in the immortal words and works that he left behind. He lives on in the mind and memories of mankind. He lives on in the hearts of his countrymen. No words are sad enough to express our sense of loss. No words are strong enough to express our determination to continue the forward thrust of America that he began….

We will carry on the fight against poverty, and misery, and disease, and ignorance, in other lands and in our own. We will serve all the nation, not one section or one sector, or one group, but all Americans.

These are the United States: A united people with a united purpose.”

– quoted from the “Let Us Continue” speech delivered to Congress and the public by President Lyndon B. Johnson, November 27, 1963  


### “Life turns on a dime” again and again (11/22/63, SK) ###

This Room, This Music, This Light, This Darkness: This Dance November 22, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Hope, Life, Loss, Peace, Philosophy, Texas, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: , , , , ,
add a comment

“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why. Not until the future eats the present, anyway. We know when it’s too late.”

– quoted from 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Life changes in a moment…in a heartbeat, in a breath. Sometimes we don’t even notice the change until it is coupled with a bunch of other changes. Every once in a while, however, something makes us pause, stop in our tracks, breathe, reflect. Sometimes we pause because of something breathtakingly beautiful. Other times, our breath is taken by something heartbreakingly tragic.

Today in 1963 was a Friday, and a little girl missed her first sleepover. Had she been any other 5-year old girl, nobody would have cared or even noticed, but the reason this little girl missed her first sleepover is the same reason high school, college, and professional football games were cancelled or postponed. It was the same reason people all over the world were glued to the radios and televisions. Today in 1963, a wife lost her husband; three children (that five-year old girl, her almost three-year old brother, and her yet to be born brother) lost their father; and the whole world paused, stopped, as a Nation lost – and then gained – a leader meant to usher in a new era of civil rights and environmental conservation.

Today in 1963, at 12:30 PM (Central Standard Time), President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade drove down Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Governor of Texas John Connally – who was riding in the motorcade with his wife Nellie, President Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and two members of the United States Secret Service – was seriously wounded. A bystander was also injured by a ricochet.

“We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance.”

– a poem by Stephen King and Bridget Carpenter, featured in the miniseries 11.22.63

President Kennedy was not a perfect man, but he remains a key figure in American history and, for many, a symbol of democracy and “American” ideals. He was the first Catholic president; the youngest person to be elected president; and the sixteenth U. S. Senator to serve as president – one of three people who moved directly from the Senate floor to the Oval Office. He was also the fourth sitting United States President to be assassinated (by gunshot, although one could argue that Presidents James Garfield and William McKinley could have survived with better medical attention). Many people saw President Kennedy’s assassination as a moment when Americans lost their (collective) innocence and many felt his death as a personal loss, as if they had lost a member of their family or a dear friend.

Whichever way you see it (or him), President Kennedy’s death was the middle and the beginning of a cascade of events that, arguably, changed history. It also started the domino effect on conspiracy theories that persist to this day. Many people have wondered what would have happened if he had not been assassinated.  As he was beginning to campaign for a second term, people have theorized what the country would have been like if he had run and won – or even had an opportunity to deliver either of the speeches he had written for events scheduled on November 22, 1963.

“For this country is moving and it must not stop. It cannot stop. For this is a time for courage and a time for challenge. Neither conformity nor complacency will do. Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a party is not to our party alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom.

So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause–united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future – and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.”

– quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver to the Texas Democratic State Committee in Austin, Texas, in the evening, on November 22, 1963

Historians and political scientists have likewise contemplated what would have happened to the country if his brother Bobby, who served as Attorney General and as a U. S. Senator, and/or Martin Luther King, Jr. had not been assassinated. After considerably research, Stephen King wrote a novel about a man who goes back in time with the intention of preventing JFK’s assassination. Of course, as is always the case when dealing with chaos theory, things are not as simple as changing one thing and moving forward.

There is always an inner ripple and an outer ripple; there is always a sticky domino; there is always a butterfly – and, in the case of 11/22/63 (which was turned into the television miniseries 11.22.63), history pushes back. We may not like how life unfolds, collapses, and converges, but we must sometimes consider the words of Namagiriamma Krishnamacharya, who said, “Maybe this situation has happened for a reason. A reason that will unfold later.”

“My friends and fellow citizens: I cite these facts and figures to make it clear that America today is stronger than ever before. Our adversaries have not abandoned their ambitions, our dangers have not diminished, our vigilance cannot be relaxed. But now we have the military, the scientific, and the economic strength to do whatever must be done for the preservation and promotion of freedom.

That strength will never be used in pursuit of aggressive ambitions – it will always be used in pursuit of peace. It will never be used to promote provocations – it will always be used to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes.

We in this country, in this generation, are – by destiny rather than choice – the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of ‘peace on earth, good will toward men.’ That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: ‘except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.’”

– quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver at the Trade Mart in Dallas, Texas, in the afternoon, on November 22, 1963

Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, November 22nd) at 2:30 PM. I am in the process of updating the links from the “Class Schedules” calendar; however, the Meeting IDs in the calendar are the same and are correct. PLEASE NOTE: Zoom 5.0 is in effect. If you have not upgraded, you will need to give yourself extra time to log into Zoom. You can always request an audio recording of this practice (or any practice) via email or a comment below.

Today’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

“Dear Mr. President

Thank you for walking yesterday – behind Jack. You did not have to do that – I am sure many people forbid you take such a risk – but you did it anyway.

Thank you for your letters to my children. What those letters will mean to them letter – you can imagine. The touching thing is, they have always loved you so much, they were most moved to have a letter from you now….

But you were Jack’s right arm – I always thought the greatest act of a gentlemen that I had seen on this earth – was how you – the Majority Leader when he came to the Senate as just another little freshman who looked up to you and took orders from you, could then serve as Vice President to a man who had served under you and been taught by you….

But of course [Jack’s ship pictures] are there only waiting for you to ask for them if the walls look too bare. I thought you would want to put things from Texas in it – I pictured some gleaming longhorns – I hope you put them somewhere –

It mustn’t be very much help to you your first day in office – to hear children on the lawn at recess. It is just one more example of your kindness that you let them stay – I promise – they will soon be gone –

Thank you Mr. President

Respectfully

Jackie”

­

– excerpts from a short letter to President Lyndon B. Johnson, written by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, dated “November 26 Tuesday” (the day after JFK’s funeral)

“All I have I would have given gladly not to be standing here today.

The greatest leader of our time has been struck down by the foulest deed of our time. Today, John Fitzgerald Kennedy lives on in the immortal words and works that he left behind. He lives on in the mind and memories of mankind. He lives on in the hearts of his countrymen. No words are sad enough to express our sense of loss. No words are strong enough to express our determination to continue the forward thrust of America that he began….

We will carry on the fight against poverty, and misery, and disease, and ignorance, in other lands and in our own. We will serve all the nation, not one section or one sector, or one group, but all Americans.

These are the United States: A united people with a united purpose.”

– quoted from the “Let Us Continue” speech delivered to Congress and the public by President Lyndon B. Johnson, November 27, 1963  


### “Life turns on a dime” again and again (11/22/63, SK) ###