Looking Around At All the Believers (the “missing” Saturday post) April 12, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, California, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Ellen Lesser, faith, Gary Soto, Great Week, Holy Week, James Kubicki, kriya yoga, Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus Saturday, Lent / Great Lent, Maty Ezraty, Passion Week, Passover, Pesach, Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Shiva, shiv’ah, Stuart Chase, The Gospel According to John, Yoga Sutra 2.20, שִׁבְעָה, שבעה
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“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to celebrating and/or observing Lent & Great Lent on Lazarus Saturday!

This is “missing” post for Saturday, April 12^th, which was Lazarus Saturday in the Orthodox & Western Christian traditions, as well as erev Pesach (the eve before Passover). This post contains new and “renewed” content. NOTE: There are passing references to death and dying. 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.

“As far as I can tell, daughter, it works like this:
You buy bread from a grocery, a bag of apples
From a fruit stand, and what coins
Are passed on helps others buy pencils, glue,
Tickets to a movie in which laughter
Is thrown into their faces.
If we buy a goldfish, someone tries on a hat.
If we buy crayons, someone walks home with a broom.
A tip, a small purchase here and there,
And things just keep going. I guess.”

— quoted from the poem “How Things Work” by Gary Soto

Born today April 12, 1952, in Fresno, California, Gary Soto is a poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, memoirist, and film director/producer, who also writes literature for children and young adults. He was the first Mexican-American to earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA, 1976), at the University of California, Irvine, and taught at both the University of California, Berkeley, and at the University of California, Riverside. In addition to being a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, he won Before Columbus Foundation’s American Book Award for his memoir Living Up the Street (1985); the 2014 Phoenix Award for his children’s book Jesse (1994); and a Nation/Discovery Award and the Levinson Award from Poetry. Eight of his books have been translated into French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

Mr. Soto is a two time recipient of both the California Library Association’s John and Patricia Award and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional accolades have come from his work on movies like The No-Guitar Blues, based on the story of the same name in his collection Baseball in April and other stories (1990) and the movie based on his book The Pool Party (1993, illustrated by Robert Casilla). He wrote the libretto to the Los Angeles Opera’s Nerdlandia and has also collaborated with the illustrator Susan Guevara on the bilingual Chato series (about “the coolest low-riding cat in East L.A… and his best friend, Novio Boy”).

Gary Soto’s work mirrors the Mexican-American communities of his youth (and his adulthood) as well as his early fascination with English (Western canon) literature, which did not reflect his lived experience. His parents were immigrants and day labors. When his father died, when Mr. Soto was five years old, the future award-winning author worked in the fields in San Joaquin and had little time for school. Later, he worked in factories of Fresno to help support his family. By high school, however, he had discovered his love of fiction and poetry and wanted to create literary worlds that felt like home. He mixed dirt with philosophy; English with Spanish; reality with fantasy. His fiction and poetry have the feel and texture of real life being lived in the moment or, they are, as he puts it, “portraits of people in the rush of life.”

Like so many others, I love what Ellen Lesser, in Voice Literary Supplement, called, “the immediate, human presence that breathes through the lines [by Gary Soto].” Another thing I love about Gary Soto’s portraits is that they illustrate how we are all connected, how our stories are all interconnected, and how it all comes back to what we believe.

“How strange that we can begin at any time.
With two feet we get down the street.
With a hand we undo the rose.
With an eye we lift up the peach tree
And hold it up to the wind – white blossoms
At our feet. Like today. I started”

— quoted from the poem “Looking Around, Believing” by Gary Soto

As someone who loves stories and loves yoga, I often quote Maty Ezraty who said, “A good sequence is like a good story. There is a beginning (an introduction), the middle (the heart of the story), and the end (the conclusion).” However, as I have pointed out before, life is a little different in that we meet each other in the middle of our stories and simultaneously progress forward and back (as we learn about each other’s back stories). We are also, simultaneously, living the middle, beginning, and end of some part of our stories — while also telling the beginning, middle, and end of some part of our stories — every time we inhale and every time we exhale. As Gary Soto put it, “We’re here in the day. One step, / A simple hello, and we’re involved.”

When we are sharing our stories with each other, we pick where we begin. Where we begin, when we tell a story, is based on what we know/understand about the story and may change the way the story is understood (by ourselves and others).

Elements of the following have previously been posted.

“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who do not believe, no proof is possible.”

— quote attributed to Stuart Chase, economist, social theorist, author

Like life, the various religious rituals and traditions currently being observed around the world are stories of cause and effect. In fact, the order and arrangement of things like Great Lent, Lent, and the Passover Seder intentionally heighten our awareness of cause and effect. Our physical practice of yoga, regardless of the style or tradition, can do the same thing. In fact, just like with the associated religious stories, where we start matters, because where start determines how things unfold and how the story is told. How the story is told reinforces the message and plays a part in what we remember — and in what we believe.

I generally associate the aforementioned Stuart Chase quote with the idea expressed in Yoga Sūtra 2.20, which indicates that we “[understand] only what the mind-intellect shows us.” All of which makes me wonder: What happens when we start in a different place?

For instance, what happens when three different people/communities, get together and tell the same story from their different points of view? In some ways, that is happening right now as today (Saturday, April 12^th) is Lazarus Saturday in Orthodox Christian traditions (and, technically, in Western Christian traditions) as well as the day before Passover in Jewish traditions. It simultaneously marks a beginning, middle, and end of these observations with overlapping stories. While they don’t always coincide the way they would have historically, this year’s observations of Great/Passion Week in the Orthodox Christian traditions, Holy/Passion Week in the Western Christian traditions, and Passover in the Jewish traditions all overlap this upcoming week — and today is the “eve/erev” or moment of anticipation for all that is to come.

“As spring is nature’s season of hope, so Easter is the Church’s season of hope. Hope is an active virtue. It’s more than wishful thinking….. My hope in the Resurrection is not an idle hope like wishing for good weather but an active hope. It requires something on my part – work. Salvation is a gift from God for which I hope, but Saint Paul told the Philippians to ‘work out your salvation with fear and trembling’ (2:12). My hope in the resurrection and eternal life in heaven requires work on my part.”

— quoted from A Year of Daily Offerings by Rev. James Kubicki

Passover (in the Jewish traditions) and the story of Jesus (in the Christian traditions) are stories of hope, suffering, and the end of suffering. These stories overlap, historically, because Jesus was a rabbi whose last week of life — according to the Gospels — was spent travelling home for Passover and preparing for the betrayal, crucifixion, temptation, death, and resurrection. These stories, like so many of the holy and auspicious stories told this time of year, feature periods of waiting.

For instance, in the Jewish tradition, a notably period of waiting occurs after someone dies and their loved ones are “sitting shiva.” The Hebrew word shiva ( שִׁבְעָה ) comes from shiv’ah ( שבעה ), which means “seven”, and it is a seven-day period of mourning. The rituals, traditions, and prayers associated with shiva formalize the grieving process and also provide a container for people to express compassion. It can also be a way to express hope.

In the Gospel According to John (11:1 – 45), Jesus received the news that Lazarus was sick, but then waited (until Lazarus died) before traveling to Bethany. The text is very clear that Lazarus had been dead (or dead and buried) for four days. Historically speaking, and given that there are seven-day periods of mourning depicted in the Torah, Mary and Martha (and all of their friends) would have been “sitting shiva” when Jesus and the disciples arrived in Bethany. To be clear, they were waiting for Jesus and then they were waiting for the end of the mourning period.

While Lazarus Saturday is not always highlighted in Western Christian traditions the way it is in Orthodox Christian traditions, there are several parts of the story that are critical. First, Jesus waited (and knew when Lazarus died). Second, the description of how Lazarus was buried — in a cave with a stone in front — matches the descriptions of how Jesus was buried. Third, Jesus asks the sisters if they believe in him (and ask for verbal confirmation) — which was the whole reason he waited. Finally, it is notable that news of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead reached Jerusalem before Jesus arrived home for Passover.

Why did the news travel faster than Jesus? According to the Gospel, it is because he waited… in the desert — and that period of waiting in the desert is commemorated by people who observe Lent and Great Lent. However, those are not the only periods of waiting in the Christian liturgy. Remember, after his crucifixion and death, Jesus was buried, much like Lazarus — and his mother, Mary, and his followers waited. (But, that’s a story for another Saturday.)

Meanwhile, people who are preparing to observe Passover are commemorating the time(s) in Exodus when the Jewish people were waiting to be freed from slavery in Egypt.

Looking around, at all the believers — and their story/stories — notice how these periods of waiting are not only periods of hope and faith, they are also periods of time when people are expected to do something to actively express their faith (and their hope). Notice how they are actively participating in the elimination of their own suffering/sorrow.

“First and foremost, we believe creation of the world, G-d created a world in which he wanted the human being to actually be able to do something – that is to say, to exercise free will, to be like G-d, meaning to be a creator, not to be lab rats…. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. But to have a relationship with G-d requires that I have an exercise of my free will…. Free will means an environment in which not necessarily do I always have pleasure when I make the right decisions and not necessarily does someone always suffer when they make the wrong decision. Free will is having real power to create stuff. Free will is having real power to alleviate suffering.”

— Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in vlog explaining one of several reasons why suffering exists

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04112020 LSPW”]

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).

### What Do You Believe? ###

Signs and Symbols of Love & Devotion (the “missing” Wednesday post) March 8, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Abhyasa, Baha'i, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Food, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Love, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Vairagya, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 19-Day Fast, 8 Limbs of Yoga Philosophy, 988, aṣṭāṅga yoga, Ash Wednesday, attachment, aversion, avidyā, Baháʼí, Bhagavad Gita, Bhakti, bhakti yoga, darshan, devşa, Dhyāna, Father James Martin, Genesis, Jack Hawley, James Kubicki, Jnana, Karma Yoga, kriya yoga, kriyā yoga, Lent / Great Lent, Love, Melissa Block, Merriam-Webster, niyamās, Passover, Raja Yoga, Ramaḍān, Ramadan, rāga, Rāja yoga, samkhya, Sanyasa yoga, Season for Nonviolence, svādhyāya, Swami Vivekananda, tapas, The Gospel According to Mark, yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutra 2.1, Yoga Sutras 2.7-2.8, īśvarapraņidhāna
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“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, Great Lent, and/or Lent!

Peace, ease, and love to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!

This “missing” post for Wednesday, March 5^th is a compilation post. It includes some new material, some revised material, and excerpts. 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.

“Here are some of the forms in which love manifests itself. First there is reverence. Why do people show reverence to temples and holy places? Because He is worshipped there, and His presence is associated with all such places. Why do people in every country pay reverence to teachers of religion? It is natural for the human heart to do so, because all such teachers preach the Lord. At bottom, reverence is a growth out of love; we can none of us revere him whom we do not love.”

— quoted from “CHAPTER IV. THE FORMS OF LOVE — MANIFESTATION” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda — Volume 3: Para-Bhakti or Supreme Devotion by Swami Vivekananda

“Love” was Wednesday’s principle of the day for the “Season for Nonviolence”. It was a particularly appropriate principle since it is at the heart of many religious faiths — and definitely a foundational element of some ongoing (and upcoming) religious observations. In addition to being the fifth day of the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast and also of the holy month of Ramaḍān, Wednesday (March 5, 2025) was also the third day of Great Lent (in Orthodox Christian traditions) and Ash Wednesday (which is the beginning of Lent in Western Christian traditions).

Even though these observations are part of different faith traditions, they have historical (and theological) ties to each other — as well as to Passover (which will be in April this year). They (and similar observations in other faith traditions) also can be seen as a kind of yoga. I realize that this may be news to a lot of people — including (and especially) to people within these faith traditions. However, have they all have the same end goals: to end suffering and to cultivate a higher, deeper, more resilient and lasting connection with the Divine (whatever that means to you at this moment). These are also the end goals of Yoga. Furthermore, these rituals and observations fit into the rubric of kriyā yoga (“union in action”) and several other yoga paths.

“The word ‘lent’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lenten meaning ‘spring.’ In the spring people prepare the soil and plant seeds. In Lent, Christians do something similar, but in a spiritual way. Through fasting we clear the soil of our hearts, asking God to purify them and rid them of the weeds of sin. We prepare our hearts to receive the seeds of God’s Word, both scripture and the words God speaks to our hearts during prayer. We spend more time in prayer as we prepare for Easter, Christianity’s greatest feast.

The word ‘lent’ is also the past tense of the verb ‘to loan.’ During Lent we have the opportunity to realize that our lives are not our own. They are on loan to us from God. Saint Paul writes, ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body’ (1 Cor 6:19 – 20).”

— quoted from “March 1” in 2016 edition of A Year of Daily Offerings by James Kubicki S. J.

Before we get to deep into this discourse, it’s probably a good idea to make sure we’re talking about the same thing. For instance, most people may just think of yoga as a physical practice of postures, haṭha yoga (regardless of the style or tradition) — although some people might use the term refer to a specific style of postural yoga. Some people who have an asana (“seat” or pose) practice may or may not know that the foundational elements of yoga are two parts of an eight part philosophy and that the entire Yoga Philosophy is sometimes called Rāja yoga (“Royal union” or “Best/Highest union”) and/or aṣṭāṅga yoga (“eight limbs of union”) — which is not to be confused with the very vigorous, physical practice called Ashtanga Yoga.

In the Yoga Sūtras, Patanjali codified the eight-limbed Yoga Philosophy and described kriyā yoga (“union in action”) as a combination of the final three niyamas (internal “observations”): tapas (“heat, discipline, austerity” and the practices that cultivate them); svādhyāya (“self-study”); and īśvarapraņidhāna (“trustful surrender to higher reality”). (YS 2.1) While kriya yoga is also the term used to describe sequences in Kundalini Yoga, I am almost always using Patanjali’s definition — especially this time of year when referring to the aforementioned observations, rituals, and traditions which include these elements of kriyā yoga.

Additionally, the Yoga Philosophy is one of six Indian darshan (“view” or philosophy) and is most closely aligned with Samkhya, which is referred to in the Bhagavad Gita (“Song of the Lord”) as Samkhya Yoga or “The Path of Knowledge”. According to Krishna (in the Gita), there are several major paths to achieve the ultimate state of union:

Karma yoga (“union of action”) or “‘literally “union with God through action”’” (BG 2:40), which is technically the result of actions, is a way of living. It is a term that some studios and teachers use in reference to charitable acts.
Sanyasa yoga (“union through renunciation”) is also associated with “contemplation” and (depending on the translation) can be considered a form of karma yoga or a completely separate path.¹
Dhyana Yoga is “union through meditation”.
Jnana yoga (“union through knowledge [or wisdom]”) is, in some ways, inextricably linked to the other paths and requires understanding the true nature of things.
Bhakti yoga (“union through love [or devotion]”) can be considered worship — but/and a very active and embodied worship. It is described in some translations as the highest or best path and the ultimate goal of the other paths.

Bhakti yoga is especially relevant to the aforementioned observations, rituals, and traditions, because they are all ways in which people are actively, intentionally, and very deliberately strengthening their religious and spiritual relationships and expressing their love of God (whatever that means to you at this moment).

“When people pull back from worldly pleasures their knowledge of the Divine grows, and this knowing causes the yearning for pleasure to gradually fade away. But inside, they may still hanker for pleasures. Even those minds that know the path can be dragged away from it by unruly senses.

Much of one’s spiritual discipline must therefore focus on taming wayward senses and being ever vigilant against the treacherousness of the senses. The refinement of an individual or a society is measured by the yardstick of how well greed and desires are controlled.”

— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.59 – 60) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

The first quote (top of post) and the following are excerpts from a 2024 post. Date-related information and some formatting have been updated. Click here for the entire post on love/devotion, Navaratri, the Lunar New Year, and Ash Wednesday.

Yoga Sūtra 2.7: sukhānuśayī rāgah

— “Affliction that has pleasure as its resting ground is attachment.”

Yoga Sūtra 2.8: duhkhānuśayī dveşah

— “Affliction that has pain as its resting ground is aversion.”

Very early on in our human lives, people start to establish preferences. There are things (and people) we like and things (and people) we don’t like — and we will spend an extraordinary amount of time creating situations and environments full of the things (and people) we like and free of the things (and people) we don’t like. When things are not to our liking we experience suffering that we often attribute to things not being the way we want them. However, according to Eastern philosophies, believing things (or people) can make us happy or miserable is ignorant. Specifically, in the Yoga Philosophy, this is avidyā (“ignorance”) related to the true nature of things, which is a dysfunctional or afflicted thought pattern. Avidyā is seen as the bedrock of four other types of dysfunctional/afflicted thought patterns — two or which are rāga (“attachment” or what we like) and devşa (“aversion” or what we don’t like) and it is these afflictions (kleśāh) which lead to our suffering.

To experience freedom from craving and liberation from avidyā, and the subsequent suffering, Patanjali’s recommendations include abhyāsa (a devoted and uninterrupted “practice” done with trustful surrender devotion) and vairāgya (“non-attachment”). Throughout the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna also encourages practicing abhyāsa and vairāgya. What is always interesting to me is that when you combine abhyāsa and vairāgya with the niyamas (internal “observations”) you end up with a practice that can look very much like Lent and Great Lent (as well as the other aforementioned observations).

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

— Ceremonial words used on Ash Wednesday (drawn from Genesis 3:19)

“Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

— Ceremonial words used on Ash Wednesday (drawn from The Gospel According to Mark 1:15), Roman Catholic tradition after 1969

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “Lent comes from the Middle English word lente, meaning ‘springtime,’ which is itself descended from the Old English lencten.” (Italics are mine.) It is also the past tense and past participle of “lend”, but we will get into that symbolism in a week or so. In most Christian traditions, Lent is a 40-day period (46 when Sundays² are counted) when people actively focus on their spiritual life and connection to God by fasting, praying, and either giving up something — something to which they have a strong attachment (or aversion) — and/or doing something positive. When people give something up they will often donate the money they would have spent on whatever they gave up.

The 40-day ritual is a mirror of the days Jesus spent in the desert. It is also an opportunity for Christian contemplation, discernment, and self-reflection. Like the ongoing observations of Great Lent (in the Orthodox Christian traditions), the holy month of Ramaḍān, and the Baháʼí Nineteen-Day Fast — as well as the upcoming observation of Passover — observing Lent falls under the rubric of what Patanjali described as kriyā yoga (“yoga in action”): a combination of tapah (“heat, austerity, or discipline”), svādhyāya (“self-study”), and īśvarapraņidhāna (“trustful surrender to [God]”).

In many Western Christian traditions, the Lenten season officially begins with Ash Wednesday, which is a day of fasting and prayer. Ash Wednesday is also the day when people truly begin to get ready for Easter. Many take a moment out of their day to attend Mass or services and to receive ashes, which are traditionally made from the previous year’s Palm Sunday fronds. In a ritual that has ties to Judaism and Biblical times, the ashes are a sign of penance and preparation. They are sometimes sprinkled on the crown of the head; however, the more common practice in modern times is for a priest or pastor to use the ashes to make the sign of the cross on a person’s forehead. People are not required to wear the mark of the cross throughout the remainder of their day; however, many choose to maintain that link and reminder.

The practice is considered sacramental in the Roman Catholic tradition, but the ashes and receiving the ashes are not sacraments; which means they serve as a symbol and preparation aide for holy sacraments, as well as a reminder of the grace of the sacraments. The fact that receiving ashes is not a sacrament also means that, in the Roman Catholic tradition, anyone (including non-Catholics and those who have been excommunicated by the Church) may receive ashes.

Of course, if you are unfamiliar with these religious traditions and rituals, you may find it odd that people are walking around with a mark on their face. Or, perhaps you recognize the mark as a symbol of their faith, but you’ve been unclear about the symbolic significance (as mentioned above) or even why the Lenten season — like the other religious observations mentioned above — can be so powerful that the rituals and traditions have endured the test of time.

To understand the latter, we need to consider the desire for spiritual nourishment and then go a little deeper into that very common aspect of being human that I mentioned before: having preferences, and the absolute freedom that comes from trustful surrender.

“When I was in college, my Jewish roommates used to tell me what to give up for Lent….

Since then, for over 20 years my friend Rob has phoned me every Ash Wednesday to assign me a Lenten sacrifice. The sacrifices have grown easier over the years since Rob is running out of things for me to give up. For a few years he favored spices. One Lent I was suppose to avoid anything with oregano. It sounded easy until it dawned on me that pizza was out of the question for six weeks. Having another person choose your sacrifice adds an extra dimension to Lent. Since my penance is not within my control, it feels a little more spiritual. As with far more serious struggles in life, like an illness or the loss of a job, things outside our control are the most difficult to deal with. They are, in traditional Christian theology, crosses that eventually need to be accepted, much as Jesus finally accepted his cross.

When I was dealing with a long illness, I once complained to an older priest that I didn’t want that particular cross. He said, well it wouldn’t be much of a cross if you wanted it, would it?”

— Father James Martin quoted from the interview “Priest Lets Friend Choose His Sacrifice for Lent” with Melissa Block on NPR’s All Things Considered (2/28/2006)

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “One for Ash Wednesday 2022”]

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).

NOTES:

¹During the 2025 practice, I did not count Sanyasa yoga as an independent path.

²Sundays during Lent are considered anniversaries of Easter and the Resurrection; therefore, they are not counted as days of penance.

### LOVE IS THE FOUNDATION ###

An Anything [But] Ordinary 2025 (the “missing” Sunday post) March 2, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Baha'i, Life, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 19-Day Fast, 988, Carnival, Cheesefare Sunday, Estomihi, Forgiveness Sunday, James Kubicki, Praising, Quinquagesima, Ramadan, Ramadān, Read Across America Day, Season for Nonviolence, Shrove Sunday, Shrovetide, Stephanie Foley, The Gospel According to Luke, Transfiguration Sunday
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Peace, ease, and praising to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!

This is the “missing” post for Sunday, March 2^nd. It includes some previously posted information (updated for 2025) and embedded links to related posts. You can request a recording of the related practice(s) via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

“On why it’s called Ordinary Time, [Father James] Kubicki explained, ‘I’ll be honest, I think it’s a bad translation. It comes from the Latin word “ordo” which means numbered or numbers. So basically what it’s saying is that this is numbered time.’”

“‘Well, when the calendar was changed and transformed, those were dropped, and instead we were given what was called numbered time, or ordered time,’ Fr. Kubicki said. ‘Unfortunately the translation comes out as Ordinary Time. As though Christmas, Easter, Advent, and Lent are extraordinary time and this is just plain, old ordinary. Same old, same old time. That’s not the intent at all.’”

— quoted from the January 12, 2021 Relevant Radio® article entitled “Finding Grace in Ordinary Time” by Stephanie Foley

For some people, there was nothing special about today.

I mean, every day is special and any day that you are praised or can sing the praises of someone or something is special. But, for some this day is just like any other date on the calendar.

Oh, sure, maybe you know that today is National Read Across America Day — which is celebrated annually on the anniversary of the birth of Theodor (Ted) Geisel, also known as “Dr. Seuss” (b. 1904) — and the beginning of National Read Across America Week). Or, maybe you were one of those people excited about the Academy Awards… or catching up on the news from yesterday’s Brit Awards… or something related.

But, unless you mark some personal special occasion on March 3^rd — there was nothing extra special about today.

It was just an ordinary… regular Sunday… on the Gregorian calendar.

Of course, not everyone uses the Gregorian calendar. So, for some people today (Sunday) was the second day of the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast and/or the holy month of Ramaḍān. In both cases, there are millions or billions of people cultivating deeper and more resilient spiritual/religious bonds with God (whatever that means to you at this moment) and preparing for a new season of peace. Simultaneously, billions more are cultivating and preparing for the same, in their own way.

A variation of the following was previously posted in 2021 & 2023. This version is updated for 2025.

“Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.”

— The Gospel According to St. Luke (18:31, NIV)

For some Western Christians, the fact that today was a “Regular” or “Ordinary” day means it is outside specifically designated periods of liturgy. For some, today is specifically referenced as Quinquagesima, as it is 50 days before Easter (including the Sundays, which are excluded when counting the 40 Days of Lent).¹ For others, within Western Christian traditions, today is Shrove Sunday (which, in some traditions is also Transfiguration Sunday). Still others, specifically some Catholics who use the Latin Psalters, observe today as Estomihi, which comes from the opening lines of many services on this day: “Inclina ad me aurem tuam, accelera ut eruas me. Esto mihi in Deum protectorem: et in domum refugii, ut salvum me facias.” (“Incline your ear to me. Hasten to rescue me. Be for me a protector God and a house of refuge, so as to accomplish my salvation.”)

Keep in mind that these are all “moveable feasts”, meaning their dates on the secular calendar change depending on the date of Easter each year. Also keep in mind that the Western and Eastern/Orthodox Churches have different calendars — and not all Orthodox communities share the same liturgical schedule. In 2025, however, these last days of Shrovetide (which include Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday) overlap in the Western and Eastern/Orthodox Christian traditions.

Just as people start preparations for the Lenten season at different times, people have different ways of getting ready. Carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations are opportunities for people to indulge in the things they plan to give up, as the Lenten season is a period of fasting and repentance in preparation for Easter. Whether fasting or feasting, there is a symbolic association with food. In the Eastern Orthodox traditions, especially in Slavic countries, the last week before Lent/Great Lent is known as Maslenitsa (Belarusian: Масленіца, Russian: Мaсленица, Rusyn: Пущаня, Ukrainian: Маслянаas) or Butter Lady, Butter Week, Crepe Week, or Cheesefare Week. Meaning today, this last Sunday before Great Lent, is also known as Cheesefare Sunday.

Rather than focusing on indulging, however, some Christians designate the three weeks before Lent as Shrovetide. Shrove comes from the word “shrive”, meaning “to absolve” and, for Christians who are focused on “shriving”, Shrovetide is a period of self-examination, repentance, and amendments of sins. In some Orthodox traditions, Shrove Sunday is also known as “Forgiveness Sunday”, which includes “Forgiveness Vespers”. By emphasizing forgiveness of sins and transgressions, as well as fasting, as a foundation for beginning the Great Lent, people believe that they will be better able to focus on the spiritual aspects of life with a pure heart.

“As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.”

— The Gospel According to St. Luke (9:29 – 31, NIV)

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Quinquagesima 2022”]

NOTE: This playlist has been slightly revised for 2024 & 2025, but the practice timings have not changed. The YouTube playlist has one extra before/after track.

“If you’re looking to stay connected with the Lord during this Ordinary Time, Father Kubicki offered a suggestion. He said, ‘One thing I really recommend, and this is something I became very engaged in when I was director of the Apostleship of Prayer, is to see every day as “kairos”’.

Fr. Kubicki explained that the Greeks had two words for time. One was chronos, which is the root of the word chronological. ‘That’s just basically day in and day out,’ he said. ‘Kairos is a sense of a privileged moment, a graced moment, of God breaking into our lives, being present to us.’”

— quoted from the January 12, 2021 Relevant Radio® article entitled “Finding Grace in Ordinary Time” by Stephanie Foley

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).

¹NOTE: Sundays during Lent are considered anniversaries of Easter and the Resurrection; therefore, they are not counted as days of penance.

### ARE YOU (GETTING) READY? ###

Finding Grace In the Waiting, or vice versa (a “missing” and “renewed” Saturday/Sunday post) April 16, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Science, Shavuot, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: Buddha, Buddha's Birthday, chesed, Counting the Omer, Erwin Schrödinger, Eugene Wigner, Exodus, Four Noble Truths, gevurah, Great Lent, Guy Johnston, Hilary Tann, Holy Saturday, Jack Hawley, James Kubicki, kabbalah, Laylat al-Qadr, Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus Saturday, Lent / Great Lent, Martha of Bethany, Mary of Bethany, Passover, Pope Francis, R. S. Thomas, Rabbi David Fohrman, Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Ramadan, sefirot, shastra kripa, Shemot, Shiva, shiv’ah, Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi), Siddhartha, The Gospel According to John, the Virgin Mary, שִׁבְעָה, שבעה
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Blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating Easter and Eastertide / the Octave of Easter! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!)

This is the “missing” and slightly revised post for Saturday, April 8^th, which was the 2023 Saturday before Easter in Western Christian traditions and Lazarus Saturday in the Orthodox Christian traditions, as well as Passover and the holy month of Ramadān. This is also an Easter post. NOTE: There are references to death and dying. You can request an audio recording of this Saturday practice and/or the Easter practice from 2020 via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“Still; all that close throng
Of spirits waiting, as I,
For the message.
Prompt me, God;
But not yet. When I speak,
Though it be you who speak
Through me, something is lost.
The meaning is in the waiting.”

– quoted from the poem “Kneeling” by R. S. Thomas, with accompanying music composed by Hilary Tann, featuring Guy Johnston

April marks the beginning of our Saturday exploration of the second of the four graces found in Indian philosophy, particularly in the Himalayan tradition of the Yoga Philosophy. We started with “Grace of God” (or Divine Grace) and we plan to end the year with Grace of Self. The second and third graces (Grace of Scripture and Grace of Guru) are often flipped and, in some ways, this practice connects the two. Mostly, however, this is about shastra kripa. In another practice (and post), I will get into why some traditions do not translate shastra as “scripture” and also why those tradition do not consider the scriptures I reference below as shastras. However, some do and, ultimately, the practice is about what we find inside the stories.

Pay close attention and you will find there is a lot of waiting – so much waiting – in the stories that people commemorate during Passover; the Saturday of Holy Week (which is the Saturday before Easter); Lazarus Saturday (which is the Saturday before Palm Sunday); and during the holy month of Ramadān. In 2023, all of those observations overlapped each other and overlapped some celebrations of the Buddha’s birthday – and there is significant waiting in the story of the Buddha. It is almost like there is something important about waiting. It is almost like there is something holy, something Divine, about waiting.

Waiting is something we all do at some point in our day-to-day lives – and it can be challenging. Whether we are waiting our turn or waiting for something for which we desire, we can get fidgety and impatient on the best days. We can be especially fidgety and impatient if we feel like nothing is happening or that something is not happening fast enough. But something is always happening; we just need to bring awareness to the moment.

This is where the waiting in yoga and meditation comes in handy: We can bring awareness to how we wait.

For instance, we may notice that we are so keen to do something that we start doing things that don’t actually serve us. We may even do things that are detrimental, because we don’t have the strength to wait. (And don’t doubt for a minute, that waiting, patiently, requires a certain kind of strength.) Additionally, we may notice that we are in the habit of saying, “I can’t wait,” when what we really mean is “I can hardly wait.” At first, the difference can seem like a matter of semantics, but then we notice that the mind-body is taking cues from our conscious awareness and that changing our inner dialogue (as well as what we verbalize to others) changes the way we show up in the moment. Over time, we may find that there can be kindness in waiting. We may notice that waiting sometimes gives us an opportunity to get ready for what’s ahead.

In fact, if you pay close attention, you will find that there is something important about what people do while they wait – especially in the sacred stories commemorated (this year) on April 8^th.

“First and foremost, we believe creation of the world, G-d created a world in which he wanted the human being to actually be able to do something – that is to say, to exercise free will, to be like G-d, meaning to be a creator, not to be lab rats…. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. But to have a relationship with G-d requires that I have an exercise of my free will…. Free will means an environment in which not necessarily do I always have pleasure when I make the right decisions and not necessarily does someone always suffer when they make the wrong decision. Free will is having real power to create stuff. Free will is having real power to alleviate suffering.”

– Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in vlog explaining one of several reasons why suffering exists

While some people celebrate the birthday of the Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Gautama Buddha, on different days in May, some celebrate on April 8^th. I have heard that Siddhartha Gautama sat under the Bodhi tree and was determined to wait there until he awakened to the nature of reality. In some suttas, it says that the Buddha (“the Awakened One”) sat there for an additional seven days. Eventually, he started teaching from this enlightened state. Some say that he only ever taught about two things: suffering and the end of suffering. His teachings were codified in the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism and the Noble Eightfold Path. According to the former:

Suffering exists
Suffering is caused by attachment, clinging, craving
There is an end to suffering
The Noble Eight-fold Path is the way to end suffering

Following the path includes some sitting… and waiting. What is promised at the end of the sitting and waiting is freedom from suffering.

Click here and scroll down to “So Much Suffering,” if you are interested in the ways the Buddha and Moses had parallel life experiences and journeys to freedom.

Towards the end of the holy month of Ramadān, people in the Muslim community seek the holiest of nights, Laylat al-Qadr (translated as “Night of Power,” “Night of Destiny,” “Night of Value,” Night of Measure,” Night of Decree” or “Night of Honour”), which is commemorated as the anniversary of the revelations of the Qur’ān. As they seek (and wait) they pray. This pattern of people waiting for revelations (and freedom) shows up again and again in the other Abrahamic traditions.

For example, the story of Passover (which is summarized below), is the story of the Jewish people waiting to be free. Part of the story is also about waiting to be passed over during the 10^th and final plague. Remember, that during most of the waiting, the Jewish people had to continue living their lives as enslaved people in Egypt. They had to suffer the indignities and hardships of slaver – and, also, the first nine plagues. They had to wait, with faith. Then, on that final night they had to wait and believe. They had to believe enough to celebrate freedom that had not been given. One the second night of Passover, some people begin Counting the Omer.

The sacred ritual of Counting the Omer is a period of 49 days, a total of 7 weeks, leading up to Shavuot or Shavuos (also known as the “Festival of Weeks”) – which itself is a commemoration of the Jewish people receiving the Torah. Commonly associated with Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), the practice of Counting the Omer involves 7 of the 10 attributes of the Divine that are found on the Tree of Life. Each day is associated with a different attribute, as is each week – which means that for 49 days people are focusing-concentrating-meditating on the interrelation of two attributes. Since each attribute is associated with a different part of the body, and some people combine a physical component, it’s a ritual exercise wrapped in a mystical meditation disguised as a 49-day perspective changing challenge.

In some ways, Counting the Omer is a period of waiting. However, it is not the only time, in Jewish tradition, when people are praying and reflecting while they wait. Nor is it the only time when 7 is a factor. In fact, one of the notably periods of waiting occurs after someone dies and their loved ones are “sitting shiva.” The Hebrew word shiva ( שִׁבְעָה ) comes from shiv’ah ( שבעה ), which means “seven,” and it is a seven-day period of mourning. The rituals, traditions, and prayers associated with Shiva formalize the grieving process and also provide a container for people to express compassion. It can also be a way to express hope.

“As spring is nature’s season of hope, so Easter is the Church’s season of hope. Hope is an active virtue. It’s more than wishful thinking….. My hope in the Resurrection is not an idle hope like wishing for good weather but an active hope. It requires something on my part – work. Salvation is a gift from God for which I hope, but Saint Paul told the Philippians to ‘work out your salvation with fear and trembling’ (2:12). My hope in the resurrection and eternal life in heaven requires work on my part.”

– quoted from A Year of Daily Offerings by Rev. James Kubicki

In the Gospel According to John (11:1 – 45), Jesus received the news that Lazarus was sick, but then waited (until he died) before traveling to Bethany. The text is very clear that Lazarus had been dead (or dead and buried) for four days. Historically speaking, and given that there are seven-day periods of mourning depicted in the Torah, Mary and Martha (and all of their friends) would have been “sitting shiva” when Jesus and the disciples arrived in Bethany. To be clear, they were waiting for Jesus and then they were waiting for the end of the mourning period.

While Lazarus Saturday is not always highlighted in Western Christian traditions the way it is in Orthodox Christian traditions, there are several parts of the story that are critical. First, Jesus waited (and knew when Lazarus died). Second, the description of how Lazarus was buried – in a cave with a stone in front – matches the descriptions of how Jesus was buried. Third, Jesus asks the sisters if they believe in him (and ask for verbal confirmation) – which was the whole reason he waited. Finally, it is notable that news of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead reached Jerusalem before Jesus arrived home for Passover.

Why did the news travel faster than Jesus? According to the Gospel, it is because he waited… in the desert – and that period of waiting in the desert is commemorated by people who observe Lent and Great Lent. However, those are not the only periods of waiting in the Christian liturgy. Remember, after his crucifixion and death, Jesus was buried, much like Lazarus – and his mother, Mary, and his followers waited.

“This year however, we are experiencing, more than ever, the great silence of Holy Saturday. We can imagine ourselves in the position of the women on that day. They, like us, had before their eyes the drama of suffering, of an unexpected tragedy that happened all too suddenly. They had seen death and it weighed on their hearts. Pain was mixed with fear: would they suffer the same fate as the Master? Then too there was fear about the future and all that would need to be rebuilt. A painful memory, a hope cut short. For them, as for us, it was the darkest hour.

Yet in this situation the women did not allow themselves to be paralyzed. They did not give in to the gloom of sorrow and regret, they did not morosely close in on themselves, or flee from reality. They were doing something simple yet extraordinary: preparing at home the spices to anoint the body of Jesus. They did not stop loving; in the darkness of their hearts, they lit a flame of mercy. Our Lady spent that Saturday, the day that would be dedicated to her, in prayer and hope. She responded to sorrow with trust in the Lord. Unbeknownst to these women, they were making preparations, in the darkness of that Sabbath, for “the dawn of the first day of the week”, the day that would change history. Jesus, like a seed buried in the ground, was about to make new life blossom in the world; and these women, by prayer and love, were helping to make that hope flower. How many people, in these sad days, have done and are still doing what those women did, sowing seeds of hope! With small gestures of care, affection and prayer.”

– Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis, Easter Vigil, Holy Saturday, 11 April 2020

The following was originally posted in April 2020 and revised in April 2022 (in the “Down the Rabbit Hole” section). Some information was posted during Passover and holy week this year, but I am posting it here, For Those Who Missed It. This version has been slightly revised.

Whenever I think about Easter, the waiting that happened on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, and the moment when the rock was rolled away to reveal the empty tomb, I think of one thing: Wigner’s friend taking care of that quantum mechanics Cat.

For those of you not familiar with physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment (or paradox), it goes like this: The (imaginary) cat is closed up in a box with an unstable radioactive element that has a 50-50 chance of killing the cat before the box is opened. According to quantum mechanics, there is a moment when the cat is simultaneously alive and dead. This is called superposition and it could be considered the scientific equivalent of non-duality. When the box is opened, revealing the state of the cat, the superposition collapses into a single reality. (There is also the possibility that opening the box changes the percentage, but that’s a whole different tunnel.)

Physicist Eugene Wigner took things a bit farther by adding a friend. According to the Wigner’s thought experiment, instead of doing the experiment, the scientist leaves it all in the hands of a friend and waits for a report. Now, there is the superposition inside of the box and there is a separate superposition inside the lab, which means the wave (or superposition) collapses into a single reality when the box is opened (creating reality as the friend knows it) and collapses again when the (imaginary) friend reports to the scientist (establishing the original scientist’s reality). Let’s not even get into what happens if the friend opens the box and leaves the lab without reporting back to the original scientist, but has a certain expectation – i.e., understanding of reality – about what the scientist will find in the lab. Through it all, the cat exists (and ceases to exist) within its own reality. It never experiences the superposition others experience. It just is.

That state of being, existing, takes us back to Passover, and eventually to the Resurrection of Jesus.

“And He said, ‘For I will be with you, and this is the sign for you that it was I Who sent you. When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’”

– quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:12)

“God said to Moses, ‘Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be),’ and He said, ‘So shall you say to the children of Israel, “Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.’””

– quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:14)

In the Exodus story, while the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt, G-d commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand the Jews be released. Moses had an interesting backstory and was, in some ways, the perfect person to be the (human) hero of the story. However, he was humble to the point of lacking confidence and ended up asking his brother Aaron to come along on the mission. When their show of power didn’t convince Pharaoh of the authority of G-d, everyone was subject to nine plagues: blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts in the streets, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, and day(s) of darkness. Remember it was not only Pharaoh and the Egyptians who suffered. The Jews, who were already suffering the hardship of slavery, also had to endure the additional hardships. On the evening of the tenth plague, the death of the first born male child, the Jewish families were told to smear lambs blood on their doors – so their households will be passed over. They were also commanded to celebrate and give thanks for their freedom – even though they are still slaves.

Yes, it is a little mind boggling, but what passes as the first Passover Seder happened in Egypt and during a time of slavery. Considering Pharaoh had changed his mind before, they had no way of knowing (with any certainty) that they would be freed immediately after the tenth plague. See where this is going? In that moment, the Jewish people are simultaneously free and not free.

Furthermore, Rabbi David Fohrman, quoting Shlomo Yitzchaki, the medieval French rabbi known as Rashi, points out that when G-d initial spoke to Moses and Moses asked for G-d’s identity, Moses was told three times that the One who spoke was the One who would always be with Moses and the Jewish people. Regardless of what they experience, Rashi explained, G-d will be with them. This is the very definition of compassion, which literally means “to suffer with.”

“‘Whenever goodness and “dharma” (right action) weaken and evil grows stronger, I make Myself a body. I do this to uplift and transform society, reestablish the balance of goodness over wickedness, explain the sublime plan and purpose of life, and serve as the model for others to follow. I come age after age in times of spiritual and moral crisis for this purpose.’”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.7 – 8) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Jesus was (during his time), and future Christians are, kind of in the same boat. In the last week of his life, he was betrayed, crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected – and he simultaneously was not. However, most of that is semantics. What is critical is the dead/buried, and resurrected part. In those moments, even right after the tomb was opened and there was some confusion about what had happened, Jesus was essentially the quantum physics Cat – and Christians, as well as non-believers, were either the original scientist or the friend.

Yet, when everything is said and done (stay with me here), this is all head stuff. What people observe, commemorate, and/or celebrate in modern times, isn’t really about the head. Faith never is. It’s all about the heart. It’s all about love. Specifically, in these examples, it all comes back to G-d’s love expressed as compassion.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

– quoted from The Gospel According to John (3:16, NIV)

The playlist for Saturday (4/8/2023) is available on YouTube and Spotify.

### STRENGTH IN LOVING-KINDNESS ###

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 / Great Lent, Life, Loss, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Alexander Graham Bell, Alexander Melville Bell, Anne Sullivan, Bramcharya, Catherine Drexel, Dhyāna, Dhāraṇā, Feast Day of Saint Katharine, Jack Hawley, Jacqueline Kennedy, James H. Platt, James Kubicki, Kanienʼkéha, Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace, Mohawk, Orison Swett Marden, Saint Katharine, Samyama, Samādhi, Shannen Dee Williams, Soma Yoga, Somatic Yoga, Susan Moon, Visible Speech, World Hearing Day, yama, Yoga Sutra 2.38
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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 3^rd. 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 3^rd, 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 3^rd 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 3^rd 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) 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 (2.48) 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 3^rd. 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 3^rd 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: Liminal, Lofty, & Rare Days – I March 1, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Baha'i, Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga, Yom Kippur.
Tags: Abdul-Baha, Baháʼí, Great Lent, Jack Hawley, James Kubicki, kriya yoga, Mrs. Corinne True, niyamas, Saint David's Day
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Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent, Great Lent, St. David’s Day, and/or Ayyám-i-Há and the 19-Day Fast during this “Season for Non-violence” and all other seasons! “Praising” is the word of the day.

For Those Who Missed It: This is an abridged, revised, and updated version of a 2021 post.

“‘There are yet others whose way of worship is to offer up wealth and possessions. Still others offer up self-denial, suffering, and austerities (purifications). Others take clerical or monastic vows, offering up knowledge of the scriptures. Some others make their meditation itself an offering.

‘Some offer up prana, the mysterious vital energy force within them. They do this through control of the breath, literally stopping their inhaling and exhaling.

‘Yet others abstain from food and practice sacrifice by spiritualizing their vital energy – that is, by figuratively pouring their own vital life force into the Cosmic Life Force. The whole point of all these various methods of sacrifice (worship) is to develop a certain mental attitude. Those who live with a truly worshipful attitude, whose whole lives are offered up for improvement of the world, incur no sin (no karmic debt).’”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.28 – 30) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Much of this last week has been devoted towards sacrifice and nourishment – specifically, nourishment that comes from sacrifice. I realize that, in the base case, most of us do not think of nourishment and sacrifice in the same heartbeat. Perhaps, if you are a parent without a lot of means, you have to sacrifice (go without) so that your child(ren) can eat and be nourished. But, in most other cases, “sacrifice” and “nourishment” seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. And they are… if we are only talking about the body. If, however, we are talking about the mind-body and the spirit within, then sacrifice and nourishment can sometimes go hand-in-hand. As we give up something, let go of our attachment, we bring awareness to how we are using our time, energy, and resources. We also bring awareness to the difference between need and desire. Finally, we find ourselves facing our greatest need/desire: the longing for belonging.

The desire to be (and feel) connected to something more than our (individual) self crosses cultural, socio-economic, and geographical boundaries. It crosses the barrier that is sometimes erected by language and age, religion and philosophy. It is, it seems, as much a part of being human as breathing… or eating. So, it might seem ironic that one of the ways in which people “feed” that need/desire to belong is to go without, to give something up. Yet, all of the major religions and philosophies have some ritualistic traditions that involve fasting and/or abstaining from certain behavior for a predetermined period of time. For certain Christians, that period is Lent (which is currently being observed by both Western and Eastern/Orthodox Christian communities). The Baha’i Faith community begins their own observation, the 19-Day Fast, at sunset on tonight.

I call these “liminal days;” because even though all days are transitional and threshold days on a certain level, these days are specifically designated by various traditions as in-between times. Not “regular” or “ordinary” days, but days when there is a heightened awareness of what’s to come and the need to be ready for what’s to come. While the customs and beliefs are different within these different traditions, people all over the world are actually preparing: Christians observe Lent to get ready for Easter; the Baháʼí community observes their fast as they prepare for a new year.

“The second wisdom is this: Fasting is the cause of awakening man. The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases. This is produced by the fact that man’s thoughts will be confined to the commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation surely ideal advancements follow.

Third wisdom: Fasting is of two kinds, material and spiritual. The material fasting is abstaining from food and drink, that is, from the appetites of the body. But spiritual, ideal, fasting is this, that man abstain from selfish passions, from negligence and from satanic animal traits. Therefore, the material fast is a token of the spiritual fast.”

– quoted from article entitled “The Divine Wisdom in Fasting – From Table Talks by Abdul-Baha” by Mrs. Corinne True, printed in Star of the West, Vol. IV (No. 18), dated Mulk 1, 69 (February 7, 1914)

For those who are not familiar: The Baháʼí Faith is a monotheistic faith that believes in the oneness of God and religion, as well as the oneness and nobility of humanity. The community believes that, historically, there has been a “progressive revelation of religious truth” which has been shared with the world through the voices of the prophets or Divine Messengers, known as “Manifestations of God” (which include “Braham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh”). People within the faith are taught to honor the value of different religious and philosophical traditions as well as the value of education, especially in science (which is viewed by some faiths as being contrary to religion).

The Baháʼí calendar consists of 19 months, each with 19 days, and each month (and day) is named after an attribute of God. To maintain the integrity of the calendar, there are 4 – 5 intercalary days just before the final month. The final month, which begins tonight at sunset, is known as “‘Alá’” (“loftiness”). We often think of “lofty” as meaning something in a high or elevated position, a noble goal. When speaking of textiles, it is also something that is thick and resilient. Consider for a moment, that even those who are guided by a different calendar are spending this time focused on a higher, deeper, more resilient and lasting connection with the Divine (whatever that means to you at this moment).

Similar to Passover and Yom Kippur (in the Jewish tradition) and the holy month of Ramaḍān (in the Muslim tradition), the Lenten season and the 19-Day Fast contain elements of the Yoga Philosophy’s niyamās (internal “observations”) and also fall under the rubric that Patanjali calls kriyā yoga (“union in action”), which is a combination of the final three: tapas (“heat, discipline, austerity” and the practices that cultivate them); svādhyāya (“self-study”); and īśvarapraņidhāna (“trustful surrender to higher reality”).

“For this material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of God.”

– quoted from Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahā (page 70)

On a purely physical level, fasting and/or abstaining from certain indulgences provide physical detoxification. When the elimination is done in order to achieve a higher, loftier, goal (than just physical detoxification), one can also experience mental (and sometimes emotional) detoxification. Mind-body purification is the practice of śaucāt (“cleanliness”), which is the first niyamā. A pure mind-body begins to cultivate non-attachment and a sense of peace, ease, and “contentment” – which is santoşā, the second niyamā.

In Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord), which focuses on “The Path of Threefold Faith,” Krishna defines tapas (the third niyamā) as “to melt” and states, “‘The purpose of purification is not pain and penance, but to deliberately refine one’s life, to melt it down and recast in it into a higher order of purity and spirituality.’” Practices that cultivate this melting/refining experience are not easy. In fact, in most cases they can be detrimental when engaged without community; for the wrong purpose(s); and/or under the guidance of someone who is more focused on pain, punishment, and penance than on transcendence. In fact, the Gita specifically (and emphatically) reinforces the fact that these practices are not intended to be a form of self-punishment. They are not abusive – which is why every major religion has exclusions based on age and physical-mental conditions.

The fact that these practices/rituals are not intended to be abusive does not mean that they are not hard. In fact, they can be brutally challenging – which is part of the reason why (when practiced in community) people feel bonded by the experience. These challenging situations are also a great opportunity for self-study, which is the fourth niyamā. Svādhyāya is not only observing your reactions and responses to challenging situations, but also taking note of your reactions and responses to sacred text or – in the physical practice – how your body is moving (or not moving) through the poses.

Another element of self-study involves contemplating how one would react if they were in certain historical and/or biblical situations. For instance, the 40 days of Lent are meant to mirror the 40 days of prayer and fasting that Jesus experienced in preparation of the final betrayal, temptation, crucifixion, and resurrection. In sharing the wisdom of fasting, the Baháʼí teach about Moses and Jesus fasting for 40 days (and how those practices became Passover, Lent, and the holy month of Ramaḍān) and how “the Blessed Beauty [Bahá’u’lláh]” fasted when focused on receiving the teachings. To receive the teachings, each of the divine messengers or prophets had to completely and trustfully surrender to the Divine, which is īśvarapraņidhāna, the final niyamā.

“The word ‘lent’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lenten meaning ‘spring.’ In the spring people prepare the soil and plant seeds. In Lent, Christians do something similar, but in a spiritual way. Through fasting we clear the soil of our hearts, asking God to purify them and rid them of the weeds of sin. We prepare our hearts to receive the seeds of God’s Word, both scripture and the words God speaks to our hearts during prayer. We spend more time in prayer as we prepare for Easter, Christianity’s greatest feast.

The word ‘lent’ is also the past tense of the verb ‘to loan.’ During Lent we have the opportunity to realize that our lives are not our own. They are on loan to us from God. Saint Paul writes, ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body’ (1 Cor 6:19 – 20).”

– quoted from “March 1” in 2016 edition of A Year of Daily Offerings by James Kubicki S. J.

It would be nice if, once committed to the path, there was no hesitation or doubt and no attachments/aversions that lead to suffering. However, even when we look at the lives of people who whole-heartedly committed to a spiritual path, we find that the challenges of the path can try even the souls of saints, prophets, and mystics. Consider, for instance, the story of Saint David, whose feast day was today (March 1^st), and how his adherence to the path he chose wasn’t well-received by some of his followers.

Saint David was a 6^th century Welsh archbishop whose recorded death date is March 1, 589. Since he is the patron saint of Wales, as well as of vegetarians and poets, Saint David’s Day (March 1^st) is a big deal in Wales. People dress up in traditional clothing – sometimes with a bit of red; wear leeks and daffodils; and (traditionally) children participate in concerts and festivals.

Saint David was known for his pilgrimages; his strict adherence to disciplined discipleship; and his miracles. He was a descendent of Welsh (Celtic) royalty and, some say, that his mother was King Arthur’s niece. He founded at least 13 monasteries and was known to enforce a strict code of conduct among his brethren that included hard physical labor, regular prayers, a minimalist vegetarian diet, and great charitable works. Furthermore, the monks were required to practice such a severe form of non-attachment that they could not even refer to the Bible as “my book.”

Saint David is known, in Welsh as “Dewi Ddyfrwr” (“David the Water Drinker”), because of stories that he mostly consumed water and the occasional bits of bread, vegetables, leeks, and herbs – sometimes even standing in a cold lake and reciting Scripture. One of the miracles attributed to Saint David is that he survived his bread being poisoned by his brethren (who were tired of his challenging regime). Legend has it that the bread was split between the bishop, a dog, and a raven – the latter two dying wretchedly and almost instantaneously.

It is said that springs of water often appeared during important moments in Saint David’s life and that he was followed by a dove. It is also said that he raised a youth from the dead and cured the blindness of his teacher, Paulinus. However, the most well-known miracle associated with Saint David is that while he was giving a sermon at Synod of Llanddwei Brefi, people complained that they could not see or hear him. Instantly, the story goes, the ground rose up – so that all could see and hear him. Then, a dove landed on his shoulder. I’m not sure what he said during that sermon “on the mount”, but some of the words from his final Sunday sermon (in 589) are well-known and a portion have become a well-utilized saying in Welsh, a reminder of what is important: “Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd.” “Do the little things in life.”

“Brothers and sisters, Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I on the third day of the week on the first of March shall go the way of my fathers. Farewell in the Lord.”

– based on “62. The Assembly of Mourners” in Rhygyvarch’s Life of St. David (circa later 11^th century)

Please join me today (Wednesday, March 1^st) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02282021 Lofty and Rare Days”]

NOTE: Sundays during Lent are considered anniversaries of Easter and the Resurrection; therefore, they are not counted as days of penance.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, playlists, 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 to Common Ground are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

ERRATA & CORRECTION: Today’s post originally identified March 1^st as a Monday, when it is clearly Wednesday. During the practices, I referred to yellow and green clothing, but left out the fact that many Welsh people would associate red with St. David’s Day.

### BELIEVE IN THE LITTLE THINGS ###

The Power of a Good Story April 15, 2022

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Love, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Beresh't, Bhagavad Gita, Chaka Khan and Rufus, chesed, Counting of the Omer, Erwin Schrödinger, Eugene Wigner, Exodus, Genesis, Great Week, Holy Week, Jack Hawley, James Kubicki, Lazarus Saturday, Marcus J Freed, Meghan G, Metta, Passion Week, Passover, Rabbi David Fohrman, Sarah Kendzior, Shemot, Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi), The Gospel According to John, tov, YMCA
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Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating or observing Holy Week, Great Lent, or Passover! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who was observing the holy month of Ramadān.

This chapter-length post, related to the last few days of Holy Week or Passion Week and the beginning of Passover, is a combination of several revised posts from previous years, with some additional context. In addition to the quotes, there are additional section headings (in color) you can use to break up your reading time. You can request an audio recording of any of the pre-recorded practices via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

Remember, there is no class this Sunday.

“And God saw that it was good.”

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– Words that appear 7 times in the Creation Story found in Bereish’t – Genesis

Tov is a Hebrew word that means “good.” At the beginning of the Torah (also the Christian Old Testament), God defines something as “good” when it is useful and serving its purpose. In our physical practice of yoga, regardless of the style or tradition, we want every pose to be “good” in this way. However, in a modern context – when we think of the word “good” as something that as desired, approved, right, pleasing, and welcome – we can find ourselves in a bit of a quandary, when we don’t know what we’re doing. On the mat, that quandary may mean we’re doing poses without understanding how they serve or benefit us – and then doing them in a way that means we’re not getting all the benefits. It could also mean doing poses and sequences for the wrong reasons. Off the mat, that quandary can result in us doing things that have lost their meaning.

I often point to the fact that there was a time when everything people did had meaning. Over time, as people got further away from the meaning, rituals became traditions – things people did just because their ancestors did them. When those traditions lose meaning, they just become things people say. There are some rituals and traditions that have their meanings baked into the practice; however, even then, people sometimes don’t really understand the meaning. Then, too, things can get even more confusing when cultures overlap and suddenly people are witnessing practices they don’t understand – because they don’t know the meaning.

These kinds of perplexing situations happen a lot in the Spring, when all the major religions and philosophies have significant observations and celebrations that overlap. This can get ever more confusing when, for instance, people outside of Judaism wonder why there’s a celebration associated with a time of so much suffering and non-Christians have a hard time understanding how the Friday of Holy Week / Passion Week can be simultaneously associated with the trial, persecution, crucifixion, and death of Jesus and also good. It’s a bit of a conundrum… until you go a little deeper.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE…

PLEASE NOTE: This next portion, revised from April 2020, involves a theoretical discussion on non-COVID related death.

“People ask me how I find hope. I answer that I don’t believe in hope, and I don’t believe in hopelessness. I believe in compassion and pragmatism, in doing what is right for its own sake. Hope can be lethal when you are fighting an autocracy because hope is inextricable from time. An enduring strategy of autocrats is to simply run out the clock.”

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– quoted from Hiding in Plain Sight by Sarah Kendzior

Serendipitously, I received two texts from the same Austin suburb (on April 11, 2020). One was from a friend, sharing the Sarah Kendzior quote (above). The other was from my brother, asking why people were celebrating the same thing at different times. The quote sharpened my focus. The question brings me to you.

Even though he didn’t ask the question in an all encompassing way, I am going to answer his question here in a broader sense, and in a pretty basic way.

On Friday 15, 2022, people all over the the world will be beginning the third week of the holy month of Ramadān; celebrating Good Friday (in the Western Christian traditions); getting ready for Holy Saturday (on April 16^th, in the Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions); and, at sunset, beginning Passover. Then, there’s Easter Sunday (in the Western Christian traditions), which this year is also Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) in the Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions. It is also the time, in the Jewish traditions, that people begin Counting the Omer. Oh, and then there are people who will celebrate Easter and Passover, and maybe even start Counting the Omer. Plus, outside of the Abrahamic religions, there are millions more who will celebrate Hanuman Jayanti, also on the 16^th. When you consider that these observations and celebrations are occurring all over the world – and keeping in mind different time zone – it can get really confusing. Hence my brothers question.

If we just stick with the Abrahamic religions for a moment, remember that Passover is a commemoration of the Exodus story, which is the story of the Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt. The Jewish liturgical calendar is lunar-based and, therefore, Passover happens at a slightly different time each year on the Gregorian (i.e., secular) calendar. According to all four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus spent the last week of his life preparing for Passover (and what he knew was coming in terms of the Crucifixion and Resurrection). Three of the four gospels indicate that what Christians (and artists) refer to as the “Last Supper” was actually a Passover Seder – so we are back to a lunar calendar, although it’s a different lunar calendar. Orthodox Christians operate under the old-school Julian calendar, so now we have a third timeline.

Just to add a little spice to the mix, consider that, dogmatically speaking, the concept of a Messiah originated within Judaism and includes specific qualifications for how the Messiah would be identified. According to the Christian paradigm, Jesus met the qualifications. According to most Jews, he did not. Most modern Christians focus exclusively on the New Testament and observe holy times accordingly. Some Christians, however, also follow the observations commanded in Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

Got it? Be honest. If you need a scorecard, I’m happy to provide one – especially since I’m about to go down the (metaphorical) rabbit hole.

“As spring is nature’s season of hope, so Easter is the Church’s season of hope. Hope is an active virtue. It’s more than wishful thinking….. My hope in the Resurrection is not an idle hope like wishing for good weather but an active hope. It requires something on my part – work. Salvation is a gift from God for which I hope, but Saint Paul told the Philippians to ‘work out your salvation with fear and trembling’ (2:12). My hope in the resurrection and eternal life in heaven requires work on my part.”

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– quoted from A Year of Daily Offerings by Rev. James Kubicki

Whenever I think about Easter, the waiting that happens on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, and the moment when the rock is rolled away to reveal the empty tomb, I think of one thing: Wigner’s friend taking care of Schrödinger’s Cat.

That state of being, existing, takes us back to Passover, and eventually to the Resurrection of Jesus.

“And He said, ‘For I will be with you, and this is the sign for you that it was I Who sent you. When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’”

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– quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:12)

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“God said to Moses, ‘Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be),’ and He said, ‘So shall you say to the children of Israel, “Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.’””

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– quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:14)

“’Whenever goodness and “dharma” (right action) weaken and evil grows stronger, I make Myself a body. I do this to uplift and transform society, reestablish the balance of goodness over wickedness, explain the sublime plan and purpose of life, and serve as the model for others to follow. I come age after age in times of spiritual and moral crisis for this purpose.’”

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– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.7 – 8) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Jesus (during his time) was, and future Christians are, kind of in the same boat. In the last week of his life, he was betrayed, crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected – and he simultaneously was not. However, most of that is semantics. What is critical is the dead/buried, and resurrected part. In those moments, even right after the tomb was opened and there was some confusion about what had happened, Jesus was essentially Schrödinger’s Cat – and Christians, as well as non-believers, were either the original scientist or the friend.

Yet, when everything is said and done (stay with me here), this is all head stuff. What people are observing, commemorating, and/or celebrating right now, isn’t really about the head. Faith never is. It’s all about the heart. It’s all about love. Specifically, in these examples, it all comes back to G-d’s love expressed as compassion.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

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– quoted from The Gospel According to John (3:16, NIV)

IT’S ALL TOV

Portions of the following were originally posted in April 2021.

The rituals related to the aforementioned observations emphasize a specific order of events and how a story is told through the order of events. In the case of Passover, the story of Exodus is told through the symbolic elements of the Passover Seder. The Seder (which means “order” or “arrangement”) moves through 15 steps, including “The Four Questions” that lead to the telling of the story. It’s a ritual pilgrimage wrapped in a dinner party wrapped in a children’s bedtime story disguised as a tradition.

For Good Friday, many Christians move through the Stations of the Cross, a visual pilgrimage of Jesus’ last moments. The earliest “Way of the Cross” or “Way of Sorrows” artwork and the Scriptural Way of the Cross (introduced by Pope John Paul II on Good Friday 1991, and approved by Pope Benedict in 2007) depict 14 scenes or “steps,” ending with Jesus being laid in the tomb. The Resurrection is often considered to be the 15^th Station of the Cross. (NOTE: The Resurrection is the 14^th Station according to the “New Way of the Cross” in the Philippines; however, this version is different from the previous mentioned versions.) The art is meant to mirror Via Dolorosa (the “Way of Sorrow/Pain”) in Jerusalem, the actual path Jesus would have taken to Mount Calvary. So, when people “move through the Stations of the Cross” it is a ritual pilgrimage wrapped in a walking tour wrapped in a children’s picture book disguised as traditional art.

Within the Jewish community, the sacred ritual of Counting the Omer begins on the second day of Passover. This is a period of 49 days, a total of 7 weeks, leading up to Shavuot (also known as the “Festival of Weeks”) – which itself is a commemoration of the Jewish people receiving the Torah. Commonly associated with Jewish mysticism (Kabbalism), the practice of Counting the Omer involves 7 of the 10 attributes of the Divine that are found on the Tree of Life. Each day is associated with a different attribute, as is each week – which means that for 49 days people are focusing-concentrating-meditating on the interrelation of two attributes. Since each attribute is associated with a different part of the body, and some people combine a physical component, it’s a ritual exercise wrapped in a mystical meditation disguised as a 49-day perspective changing challenge.

Coincidentally – or, perhaps, divinely intentionally – this year’s celebrations of Easter (in Western Christianity) and Palm Sunday (in Eastern Orthodox Christianity) – which, again, are all about the power of G-d’s love – overlap the second night and day of Passover, which is also the beginning of Counting the Omer, when people focus on “Love/Lovingkindness in Love/Lovingkindness.”

All of the religious rituals above traditionally involve prayers, which I do not include in the practices. However, if you are religious and observing there’s always an opportunity to pray as you feel is appropriate. If you are not religious and/or are not familiar with the stories, you can think of what I offer as a history lesson wrapped in a little svādhyāya (“self-study) disguised as a physical yoga practice… or you could ignore what comes up for you and just decide I’m stepping out of my lane.

SOMETHING GOOD… ON FRIDAY

Portions of the following were originally posted in 2020.

“You ain’t got no kind of feeling inside
I got something that will sho’ ’nuff set your stuff on fire
You refuse to put anything before your pride
What I got will knock all your pride aside”

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– quoted from the song “Tell Me Something Good” by Chaka Khan and Rufus

2020 was the first time in 11 years that I did not teaching on Good Friday. It was also the first time in 11 years, that I taught on Easter. It was (and still is) a little surreal and bittersweet. While I know some people appreciate a yoga practice that essentially mirrors the Via Dolorosa and walks through the Stations of the Cross; I also know it’s a little much for some folks. Every year, someone asks me if I’m going to do the Good Friday theme and, every year, someone thanks me and says that it’s meaningful, which is good.

Getting back to that idea of the Friday of Holy Week / Passion Week being good, remember that in Christian traditions Jesus is recognized as the Messiah, the Christ, the one who heralds and ushers in an era of peace and salvation. He serves his purpose, because he lives, suffers, is crucified, dies, is buried, and rises – in order for sins to be forgiven. There is no passion, no crucifixion, no death, no burial, nor resurrection, however, without the betrayal. Implying that the betrayal and Judas, by extension, are good, because they are meaningful (and have a purpose) is one of the things that gets me into trouble.

“’Strange? Yes. It is difficult for most people to comprehend that the Supreme Divinity is actually moving about in human form. But for those few who dare to learn the secret that is I, Divinity, who is the Operator within them, their own Self, My coming in human form is a rare opportunity to free themselves from the erroneous belief that they are their bodies.’”

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– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.9) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners (4:9) by Jack Hawley

Every year that I taught at the YMCA, with the exception of 2019, someone complained to the YMCA management about one of my Passion Week classes. It didn’t matter that the complaint often came up in a class where I also told the Passover story. It didn’t matter that throughout the year, I talk about a variety of religions and religious observations. It was always Passion Week that caused someone to say that what I teach and the way I teach are not appropriate.

Keep in mind, it’s still very common for people to tell me that I made them uncomfortable (or even touched them) because of something that was personal only to them. Yoga can be very healing, but in the process it can bring up a lot of trauma. Religion, specifically religious fanaticism, has caused a lot of harm in the history of the world; so, it is not surprising that hearing me talking about a religious practice during a yoga practice is upsetting to some. It’s especially not surprising or unexpected if they are not familiar with the history and original intention of the philosophy. On the religious front, though, the complaint always goes went through management and it always involved Christianity and Passion Week. The irony is not lost on me that these classes were always at the Young Men’s Christian Association. (As a side note, outside of the YMCA, I have had someone complain that Judaism came up a lot throughout the year.)

“That they all may be one. (John 17:21)”

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– YMCA motto adopted, along with the “Paris Basis,” by international delegates at the First World Conference of the YMCA, 1855

I would like to think that I’ve become a little wiser and a little more conscious as a teacher. I definitely appreciate feedback and take it into consideration. That said, I still teach the themes I teach. I still teach with the understanding that everyone doesn’t believe what I believe. I still teach with the understanding that even when I teach from a historical, philosophical, and conceptual perspective, some people will think I am of a certain faith and have a religious agenda.

I hate breaking it to y’all, but I’m neither Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Baha’i, Daoist, Hindu, Wiccan, Pagan, nor any number of things you might have considered. But, I do have an agenda.

“Yoga” means union. Throughout the 8-Limb philosophy there is a recognition of and belief in something Divine – G-d. Whatever that means to you at this moment, it is simultaneously that and not that (neti, neti). The end goal of the philosophy is sometimes referred to as “union with the Divine.” That, however, does not mean – or does not only mean – union with an anthropomorphic being. It does, however, mean a state of awareness and existence that understands how everything and everyone is connected. Being connected, working together, that is yoga. Being intentional about our thoughts, words, and deeds, because what we think, say, and do affects everything and everyone around us, that is part of the practice. As someone who practices the philosophy, that’s my agenda: yoga.

“We talk of becoming one with God and many seekers are looking to reach higher spiritual levels, but first we must unify the different parts of ourselves. To see that we are complex beings, often with apparent internal contradictions, but this too is also a form of oneness. Understanding the Divine begins by first understanding ourselves.”

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– quoted from the introduction to The Kabbalah Sutras: 49 Steps to Enlightenment, by Marcus J. Freed

This year, 2022, I am not teaching on Good Friday or Easter Sunday (which is Easter in the Roman Catholic and Western Christian traditions, Palm Sunday in the Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions, and Hanuman Jayanti). However, I am teaching on what is considered Lazarus Saturday in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. I will also send out pre-recorded practices to anyone on the Friday or Sunday lists.

If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.

If you are interested in combining a physical practice (yoga or weightlifting) with the Counting of the Omer, you can purchase a copy of Marcus J. Freed’s The Kabbalh Sutras: 49 Steps to Enlightenment.

Meanwhile, I offer you a little taste of my personal practice (see meditation below) followed by Meghan G’s Good Friday message, which was part of my 202 Kiss My Asana offering. Yes, yes, the annual yogathon where we “do yoga, share yoga, and help others” is coming next week.

METTA MEDITATION (with relationships):

Prior to the quarantine, Metta Meditation was part of my daily commute. Part I gives you a little background and a partially guided meditation. Part II (coming soon) includes guided meditation for the cardinal and intercardinal directions. These meditations were recorded in the Spring of 2019.

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ONCE MORE MORE WITH FEELING

This excerpt was part of a 2020 Kiss My Asana offering.

In my Good Friday post, I alluded to some people who would miss my Good Friday class. One of those people that immediately came to mind was Meghan G (who some of you will remember as Yogi #12: The Fixer during Kiss My Asana 2016). When I requested stories for Kiss My Asana 2020, Meghan G sent me the following Good Friday story:

“My story has happened quite recently. On Good Friday, just last week, I was feeling so disconnected from my faith community of Saint Joan of Arc, my yoga community Downtown YMCA Friday night yogis and really the whole human community. Every tradition or ritual that I/we have grounds me in the meaning of Holy Week was uprooted. Holy Week, and Good Friday contemporary stations of the cross in particular, is one of the most sacred times of the year. It almost felt to me that day as though it was being ignored.

In an effort to stop the downward spiral of disconnectedness, I sought out Saint Joan of Arc’s Good Friday celebration on video, posted on the website. I had tried to worship this way on Holy Thursday, but found myself distracted, multi-tasking and unfulfilled by the experience. So this Friday I decided to stop the swirling in my mind I would lead myself through a series of poses to calm and focus my mind. Myra had prepared me well for this. As I listened to the Stations of the Cross and the familiar music and stories from my faith community I progressed through a series of poses that were also as familiar and soothing as the service. I was able to connect Jesus’s suffering on the cross with the greater suffering in our world right now (and always) and feel again a part of the human community.

Thank you, Myra, for teaching me over the years to do yoga as you do life…with intention and love. Happy Easter, Meghan”

Thanks, again, Meghan!

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“’And know also, Arjuna, that as the Divinity in all creatures and all nature, I am birthless and deathless. And yet, from time to time I manifest Myself in worldly form and live what seems an earthly life. I may appear human but that is only my “mya” (power of illusion), because in truth I am beyond humankind; I just consort with nature, which is Mine.’”

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– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.6) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

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[NOTE: As much as I am able, I like to highlight the quotes with a good color, i.e., a meaningful color. Today that color is black, for those who know.]

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### “et lux in tenebris lucet et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt” (John 1:5) ###

Liminal, Lofty, & Rare Days – I & Redux (a “missing” post for multiple days) March 4, 2021

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Baha'i, Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Helen Keller, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga, Yom Kippur.
Tags: Abdu’l-Bahā, Abdul-Baha, Anne Sullivan, Baháʼí, Feast Day of Saint Katherine, Great Lent, Jack Hawley, James Kubicki, kriya yoga, kriyā yoga, Mrs. Corinne True, niyamas, Saint David's Day
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[This post is related to Sunday, February 28^th; Monday, March 1^st; and Wednesday, March 2^nd. You can request an audio recording of any of the practices via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes. *** DON’T FORGET THERE’S A “FIRST FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL ON FRIDAY (MARCH 5^th)! ***]

“‘There are yet others whose way of worship is to offer up wealth and possessions. Still others offer up self-denial, suffering, and austerities (purifications). Others take clerical or monastic vows, offering up knowledge of the scriptures. Some others make their meditation itself an offering.

‘Some offer up prana, the mysterious vital energy force within them. They do this through control of the breath, literally stopping their inhaling and exhaling.

‘Yet others abstain from food and practice sacrifice by spiritualizing their vital energy – that is, by figuratively pouring their own vital life force into the Cosmic Life Force. The whole point of all these various methods of sacrifice (worship) is to develop a certain mental attitude. Those who live with a truly worshipful attitude, whose whole lives are offered up for improvement of the world, incur no sin (no karmic debt).’”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.28 – 30) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Much of this week has been devoted towards sacrifice and nourishment – specifically, nourishment that comes from sacrifice. I realize that, in the base case, most of us do not think of nourishment and sacrifice in the same heartbeat. Perhaps, if you are a parent without a lot of means, you have to sacrifice (go without) so that your child(ren) can eat and be nourished. But, in most other cases, “sacrifice” and “nourishment” seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. And they are… if we are only talking about the body. If, however, we are talking about the mind-body and the spirit within, then sacrifice and nourishment can sometimes go hand-in-hand. As we give up something, let go of our attachment, we bring awareness to how we are using our time, energy, and resources. We also bring awareness to the difference between need and desire. Finally, we find ourselves facing our greatest need/desire: the longing for belonging.

The desire to be (and feel) connected to something more than our (individual) self crosses cultural, socio-economic, and geographical boundaries. It crosses the barrier that is sometimes erected by language and age, religion and philosophy. It is, it seems, as much a part of being human as breathing… or eating. So, it might seem ironic that one of the ways in which people “feed” that need/desire is to go without, to give something up. Yet, all of the major religions and philosophies have some ritualistic tradition that involves fasting and/or abstaining from certain behavior for a predetermined period of time. For certain Christians, that period is Lent (which is currently being observed by some within Western Christianity and will, in a couple of weeks, be observed by those within the Eastern/Orthodox communities). The Baha’i community started their own observation, the 19-Day Fast, at sunset on Sunday (February 28^th).

I call these “liminal days;” because even though all days are transitional and threshold days on a certain level, these days are specifically designated by various traditions are in-between times. Not “regular” or “ordinary” days, but days when there is a heightened awareness of what’s to come and the need to be ready for what’s to come. While the customs and beliefs are different within these different traditions, people all over the world are actually preparing: Christians observe Lent to get ready for Easter; the Baháʼí community observes the fast as they prepare for a new year.

“The second wisdom is this: Fasting is the cause of awakening man. The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases. This is produced by the fact that man’s thoughts will be confined to the commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation surely ideal advancements follow.

Third wisdom: Fasting is of two kinds, material and spiritual. The material fasting is abstaining from food and drink, that is, from the appetites of the body. But spiritual, ideal, fasting is this, that man abstain from selfish passions, from negligence and from satanic animal traits. Therefore is a token of the spiritual fast.”

– quoted from article entitled “The Divine Wisdom in Fasting – From Table Talks by Abdul-Baha” by Mrs. Corinne True, printed in Star of the West, Vol. IV (No. 18), dated Mulk 1, 69 (February 7, 1914)

For those who are not familiar: The Baháʼí Faith is a monotheistic faith that believes in the oneness of God and religion, as well as the oneness and nobility of humanity. The community believes that, historically, there has been a “progressive revelation of religious truth” which has been shared with the world through the voices of the prophets or Divine Messengers, known as “Manifestations of God” (which include “Braham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh”). People within the faith are taught to honor the value of different religious and philosophical traditions as well as the value of education, especially in science (which is viewed by some faiths as being contrary to religion). The Baháʼí calendar consists of 19 months, each with 19 days, and each month (and day) is named after an attribute of God. To maintain the integrity of the calendar, there are 4 – 5 intercalary days just before the final month.

The final month, which started on Sunday at sunset, is known as “‘Alá’” (“loftiness”). We often think of “lofty” as meaning something in a high or elevated position, a noble goal. When speaking of textiles, it is also something that is thick and resilient. Consider for a moment, that even those who are guided by a different calendar are spending this time focused on a higher, deeper, more resilient and lasting connection with the Divine (whatever that means to you at this moment).

Similar to Passover and Yom Kippur (in the Jewish tradition) and the month of Ramadan (in the Muslim tradition), the Lenten season and the 19-Day Fast contain elements of the Yoga Philosophy’s niyamās (internal “observations”) and also fall under the rubric that Patanjali calls kriyā yoga (“union in action”), which is a combination of the final three: tapas (“heat, discipline, austerity” and the practices that cultivate them), svādhyāya (“self-study”), and īśvarapraņidhāna (“trustful surrender to higher reality”).

“For this material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of God.”

– quoted from Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahā (page 70)

In Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord), which focuses on “The Path of Threefold Faith,” Krishna defines tapas (the third niyamā) as “to melt” and states, “‘The purpose of purification is no pain and penance, but to deliberately refine one’s life, to melt it down and recast in it into a higher order of purity and spirituality.’” Practices that cultivate this melting/refining experience are not easy. In fact, in most cases they can be detrimental when engaged without community, for the wrong purpose(s), and/or under the guidance of someone who is more focused on pain, punishment, and penance than on transcendence. In fact, the Gita specifically (and emphatically) reinforces the fact that these practices are not intended to be a form of self-punishment. They are not abusive – which is why every major religion has exclusions based on age and physical-mental conditions.

The fact that these practices/rituals are not intended to be abusive does not mean that they are not hard. In fact, they can be brutal challenging – which is part of the reason why (when practiced in community) people feel bonded by the experience. These challenging situations are also a great opportunity for self-study, which is the fourth niyamā. Svādhyāya is not only observing your reactions and responses to challenging situations, but also taking note of your reactions and responses to sacred text or – in the physical practice – how your body is moving (or not moving) through the poses.

Another element of self-study involves contemplating how one would react if they were in certain historical and/or biblical situations. For instance, the 40 days of Lent are meant to mirror the 40 days of prayer and fasting that Jesus experienced in preparation of the final betrayal, temptation, crucifixion, and resurrection. In sharing the wisdom of fasting, the Baháʼí teach about Moses and Jesus fasting for 40 days (and how those practices became Passover, Lent, and the month of Ramadan) and how “the Blessed Beauty [Bahá’u’lláh]” fasted when focused on receiving the teachings. To receive the teachings, each of the divine messengers or prophets had to completely and trustfully surrender to the Divine, which is īśvarapraņidhāna, the final niyamā.

“The word ‘lent’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lenten meaning ‘spring.’ In the spring people prepare the soil and plant seeds. In Lent, Christians do something similar, but in a spiritual way. Through fasting we clear the soil of our hearts, asking God to purify them and rid them of the weeds of sin. We prepare our hearts to receive the seeds of God’s Word, both scripture and the words God speaks to our hearts during prayer. We spend more time in prayer as we prepare for Easter, Christianity’s greatest feast.

The word ‘lent’ is also the past tense of the verb ‘to loan.’ During Lent we have the opportunity to realize that our lives are not our own. They are on loan to us from God. Saint Paul writes, ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body’ (1 Cor 6:19 – 20).”

– quoted from “March 1” in 2016 edition of A Year of Daily Offerings by James Kubicki S. J.

It would be nice if, once committed to the path, there was no hesitation or doubt and no attachments/aversions that lead to suffering. However, even when we look at the lives of people who have who whole-heartedly committed to a spiritual path, we find that the challenges of the path can try even the souls of saints, prophets, and mystics. Consider, for instance, the story of Saint David, whose feast day was Monday (March 1^st), and how his adherence to the path he chose wasn’t well-received by some of his followers.

Saint David was a 6^th century Welsh archbishop whose recorded death date is March 1, 589. As he is the patron saint of Wales, as well as of vegetarians and poets, Saint David’s Day (March 1^st) is a big deal in Wales. People dress up in traditional clothing; wear leeks and daffodils; and (traditionally) children participate in concerts and festivals.

Saint David was known for his pilgrimages, his strict adherence to disciplined discipleship, and his miracles. He was a descendent Welsh (Celtic) royalty and, some say, that his mother was King Arthur’s niece. He founded at least 13 monasteries and was known to enforce a strict code of conduct among his brethren that included hard physical labor, regular prayers, a minimalist vegetarian diet, and great charitable works. Furthermore, the monks were required to practice such a severe form of non-attachment that they could not even refer to the Bible as “my book.”

It is said that springs of water often appeared during important moments in Saint David’s life and that he was followed by a dove. It is also said that he raised a youth from the dead and cured the blindness of his teacher, Paulinus. However, the most well-known miracle associated with Saint David is that while he was giving a sermon at Synod of Llanddwei Brefi, people complained that they could not see or hear him. Instantly, the story goes, the ground rose up – so that all could see and hear him – and that a dove landed on his shoulder. I’m not sure what he said during that sermon “on the mount”, but some of the words from his final Sunday sermon (in 589) are well-known and a portion have become a well-utilized saying in Welsh, a reminder of what is important: “Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd.” “Do the little things in life.”

“Brothers and sisters, Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I on the third day of the week on the first of March shall go the way of my fathers. Farewell in the Lord.”

– based on “62. The Assembly of Mourners” in Rhygyvarch’s Life of St. David (circa later 11^th century)

On the other side of the coin there is Saint Katherine (Drexel) whose feast day is (Wednesday) March 3^rd. Saint Katherine was an heiress who, along with her two sisters, inherited several millions when her father and step-mother died. That’s several million USD, even after $1.5 million USD was subtracted for charitable donations stipulated in their father’s will (which also ensured that the sisters maintained control of their own finances. In 1887, several years after they became multi-millionaires, the sisters received a private audience with Pope Leo XIII, who suggested that Katherine become a missionary. She ultimately decided to take holy vows (which she did in 1891) and, joined by 13 other women, she founded Blessed Sacrament, a religious congregation for women and specifically serving Indigenous and African-American people. She died March 3, 1955 – after dedicating her time, energy, and all of her considerable resources to the Church – and eventually became the second U S. citizen to be canonized, and the first saint actually born a United States citizen.

“At her canonization in 2000, Saint John Paul II said, ‘From her parents [Blessed Katherine 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.

The playlist for Sunday and Wednesday is available on YouTube and Spotify.

There is no playlist for the (Monday) Common Ground practice.

A Little Serendipitous Footnote, or Rabbit Hole: I mentioned above that one of Saint David’s miracles was to heal the sight of his blind teacher. I recently learned that Saint Katherine (a native of Philadelphia, PA) died in 1955 and 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.”

Remember, Saint Katherine’s Feast Day is March 3^rd – which is also the anniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell (b. 1847), whose interest in hearing and speech and all things acoustic stemmed from his mother’s deafness. “Aleck” (as friends and family called him) co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company on his birthday in 1885. Within a couple of years, he would suggest that a couple contact the Perkins Institution to find a teacher for their young daughter, who had lost her hearing and sight after a severe illness when she was a baby. The couple did as suggested… and the teacher, Anne Sullivan (the “Miracle Worker”), started working with the young girl, Helen Keller, on March 3, 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

A Joyful Practice

Looking Around At All the Believers (the “missing” Saturday post) April 12, 2025

— quoted from the poem “How Things Work” by Gary Soto

“How strange that we can begin at any time. With two feet we get down the street. With a hand we undo the rose. With an eye we lift up the peach tree And hold it up to the wind – white blossoms At our feet. Like today. I started”

— quoted from the poem “Looking Around, Believing” by Gary Soto

“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who do not believe, no proof is possible.”

— quote attributed to Stuart Chase, economist, social theorist, author

— quoted from A Year of Daily Offerings by Rev. James Kubicki

— Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in vlog explaining one of several reasons why suffering exists

### What Do You Believe? ###

Signs and Symbols of Love & Devotion (the “missing” Wednesday post) March 8, 2025

— quoted from “CHAPTER IV. THE FORMS OF LOVE — MANIFESTATION” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda — Volume 3: Para-Bhakti or Supreme Devotion by Swami Vivekananda

— quoted from “March 1” in 2016 edition of A Year of Daily Offerings by James Kubicki S. J.

Karma yoga (“union of action”) or “‘literally “union with God through action”’” (BG 2:40), which is technically the result of actions, is a way of living. It is a term that some studios and teachers use in reference to charitable acts.

Sanyasa yoga (“union through renunciation”) is also associated with “contemplation” and (depending on the translation) can be considered a form of karma yoga or a completely separate path.1

Dhyana Yoga is “union through meditation”.

Jnana yoga (“union through knowledge [or wisdom]”) is, in some ways, inextricably linked to the other paths and requires understanding the true nature of things.

Bhakti yoga (“union through love [or devotion]”) can be considered worship — but/and a very active and embodied worship. It is described in some translations as the highest or best path and the ultimate goal of the other paths.

“When people pull back from worldly pleasures their knowledge of the Divine grows, and this knowing causes the yearning for pleasure to gradually fade away. But inside, they may still hanker for pleasures. Even those minds that know the path can be dragged away from it by unruly senses.

Much of one’s spiritual discipline must therefore focus on taming wayward senses and being ever vigilant against the treacherousness of the senses. The refinement of an individual or a society is measured by the yardstick of how well greed and desires are controlled.”

— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.59 – 60) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Yoga Sūtra 2.7: sukhānuśayī rāgah

— “Affliction that has pleasure as its resting ground is attachment.”

Yoga Sūtra 2.8: duhkhānuśayī dveşah

— “Affliction that has pain as its resting ground is aversion.”

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

— Ceremonial words used on Ash Wednesday (drawn from Genesis 3:19)

“Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

— Ceremonial words used on Ash Wednesday (drawn from The Gospel According to Mark 1:15), Roman Catholic tradition after 1969

“When I was in college, my Jewish roommates used to tell me what to give up for Lent….

When I was dealing with a long illness, I once complained to an older priest that I didn’t want that particular cross. He said, well it wouldn’t be much of a cross if you wanted it, would it?”

— Father James Martin quoted from the interview “Priest Lets Friend Choose His Sacrifice for Lent” with Melissa Block on NPR’s All Things Considered (2/28/2006)

### LOVE IS THE FOUNDATION ###

An Anything [But] Ordinary 2025 (the “missing” Sunday post) March 2, 2025

“On why it’s called Ordinary Time, [Father James] Kubicki explained, ‘I’ll be honest, I think it’s a bad translation. It comes from the Latin word “ordo” which means numbered or numbers. So basically what it’s saying is that this is numbered time.’”

— quoted from the January 12, 2021 Relevant Radio® article entitled “Finding Grace in Ordinary Time” by Stephanie Foley

“Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.”

— The Gospel According to St. Luke (18:31, NIV)

“As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.”

— The Gospel According to St. Luke (9:29 – 31, NIV)

“If you’re looking to stay connected with the Lord during this Ordinary Time, Father Kubicki offered a suggestion. He said, ‘One thing I really recommend, and this is something I became very engaged in when I was director of the Apostleship of Prayer, is to see every day as “kairos”’.

— quoted from the January 12, 2021 Relevant Radio® article entitled “Finding Grace in Ordinary Time” by Stephanie Foley

### ARE YOU (GETTING) READY? ###

Finding Grace In the Waiting, or vice versa (a “missing” and “renewed” Saturday/Sunday post) April 16, 2023

“Still; all that close throng Of spirits waiting, as I, For the message. Prompt me, God; But not yet. When I speak, Though it be you who speak Through me, something is lost. The meaning is in the waiting.”

– quoted from the poem “Kneeling” by R. S. Thomas, with accompanying music composed by Hilary Tann, featuring Guy Johnston

– Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in vlog explaining one of several reasons why suffering exists

– quoted from A Year of Daily Offerings by Rev. James Kubicki

– Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis, Easter Vigil, Holy Saturday, 11 April 2020

“And He said, ‘For I will be with you, and this is the sign for you that it was I Who sent you. When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’”

– quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:12)

“God said to Moses, ‘Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be),’ and He said, ‘So shall you say to the children of Israel, “Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.’””

– quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:14)

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.7 – 8) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

– quoted from The Gospel According to John (3:16, NIV)

### STRENGTH IN LOVING-KINDNESS ###

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

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

“‘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) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (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.

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

– 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

– 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

“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

“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)

“‘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

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

### PICK YOUR FOCUS WISELY ###

FTWMI: Liminal, Lofty, & Rare Days – I March 1, 2023

“‘There are yet others whose way of worship is to offer up wealth and possessions. Still others offer up self-denial, suffering, and austerities (purifications). Others take clerical or monastic vows, offering up knowledge of the scriptures. Some others make their meditation itself an offering.

‘Some offer up prana, the mysterious vital energy force within them. They do this through control of the breath, literally stopping their inhaling and exhaling.

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.28 – 30) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

– quoted from article entitled “The Divine Wisdom in Fasting – From Table Talks by Abdul-Baha” by Mrs. Corinne True, printed in Star of the West, Vol. IV (No. 18), dated Mulk 1, 69 (February 7, 1914)

“For this material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of God.”

“How strange that we can begin at any time.
With two feet we get down the street.
With a hand we undo the rose.
With an eye we lift up the peach tree
And hold it up to the wind – white blossoms
At our feet. Like today. I started”

Sanyasa yoga (“union through renunciation”) is also associated with “contemplation” and (depending on the translation) can be considered a form of karma yoga or a completely separate path.¹

“Still; all that close throng
Of spirits waiting, as I,
For the message.
Prompt me, God;
But not yet. When I speak,
Though it be you who speak
Through me, something is lost.
The meaning is in the waiting.”

– based on “62. The Assembly of Mourners” in Rhygyvarch’s Life of St. David (circa later 11^th century)

“You ain’t got no kind of feeling inside
I got something that will sho’ ’nuff set your stuff on fire
You refuse to put anything before your pride
What I got will knock all your pride aside”