“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer! Blessings to anyone observing Palm Sunday during Great Lent or Easter! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the holy month of Ramadān.
This is the “missing” post for Wednesday, April 5th. It is a little comparative analysis related to the story of Exodus and the Passion story. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment belowor (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.
You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path.
Where there is a way or path, it is someone else’s path.
You are not on your own path.
If you follow someone else’s way, you are not going to realize your potential.”
– quoted from “In the Field” in A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living by Joseph Campbell (edited by Robert Walter, Conceived by Diane K. Osbon)
Technically speaking, Joseph Campbell was a professor of literature. His Bachelor of Arts degree was in English and his Master of Arts degree was in medieval literature. But, he also studied languages, philosophy, and religion and he became known for his research and teachings about comparative mythology and comparative religion. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces (published in 1949), he theorized that every mythic story (including every folk story and every religious story) in the world was just a variation of a single story: a monomyth. His conclusion was based on shared elements and a common order of events. The order and the elements can be broken down into seventeen (17) stages that fall within three categories.
These categories of separation, initiation, and return – as well as the seventeen stages within – can be found in our lives, just as they are found in the stories that some people commemorate throughout their lives. While I have highlighted all the steps on other occasions,* this year I felt “called” to highlight just a few elements and stages that show up in the stories people commemorate during Holy Week (also known as Passion Week or Great Week) and during Passover. First, we have to identify the hero – which may not always be as obvious as modern movies make it out to be – and, if there is a hero/protagonist, there will be an antagonist (or two) who is often in a position of authority and some kind of confrontation and reckoning. There is also a calling, a purpose – even though the protagonist may not always know it or understand it – and a refusal to answer the call. Then there is some supernatural (or magical) aid; trials and tribulations; a goddess (who represents “all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love”); temptation; apostasis (a death of some kind); and the ultimate boon (something beneficial) that can in some way be shared with the world.
Variations of the details within the following comparison have been posted in different contexts. An index of the earlier posts appears at the bottom of this post.
“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who do not believe, no proof is possible.”
– attributed to Stuart Chase
We’ve hit that auspicious and holy time on the calendar(s) when all of the Abrahamic religious traditions (and several traditions outside of those religions) are engaged in sacred celebrations and rituals that are tied to suffering and the end of suffering. Wednesday, April 5, 2023, was a particularly significant time as it simultaneously marked the last week of Lent, which is also Passiontide (in Western Christianity); the penultimate week of Great Lent (in Orthodox Christianity); the beginning of the third week of the holy month of Ramadān (in Islām); and the beginning of Passover (in Jewish communities). Outside of the Abrahamic religions, some communities also started celebrations for Hanuman Jayanti (which was on Thursday).
As I previously mentioned, in reference to a question from my brother, it is not a coincidence that so many holy obligations are happening at the same time even though different faiths use different calendars. While how the holidays overlap on the Gregorian calendar is different from year to year, the fact that they overlap is significant and relevant, because the stories of Exodus and the story of Jesus’ last week are connected – and, on Wednesday, we focused on some of those connections. Specifically, we focused on the story of Holy/Passion Wednesday, also known as Spy Wednesday during both practices and, during the evening practice, we also focused on the story of Passover, which started on Wednesday at sunset.
Stories (& Back Stories)
“What makes this night different from all [other] nights? 1) On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice? 2) On all nights we eat chametz or matzah, and on this night only matzah? 3) On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror? 4) On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline?”
– The Four Questions (“Ma Nishtana”)
How is this practice different from all the other practices? Good question. It is a question you can ask before any practice. It is also a question that sounds a lot like “The Four Questions” traditionally asked by the youngest person at a Passover Seder. The word seder is a Hebrew word that means “order” or “arrangement,” and it refers to the ritual feast people in the Jewish community have on the first night of Passover (or first two nights for Orthodox and Conservative communities outside of Israel). The meal is a symbolic celebration of the Exodus story, which is the story of how the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt. Really, the meal is the story – beginning with the questions, which are also symbolic.
Passover, which is also called Pesach and The Feast of Unleavened Bread, is considered a spring festival. In ancient times, it was directly connected to the harvesting and offering of barley – which was the first grain to ripen and harvest in the Holy Land. For seven days (eight days for the Orthodox and Conservative communities, especially in the diaspora), people commemorate the story of Exodus, which is a story of faith. The ritual observation actually begins before the Passover Seder, with the removal of chametz (“leavening”), as it is forbidden to consume, keep, or own chametz during Passover. Some forms or chametz will be burned; other forms can be given away or even sold. Keep in mind that the agents of “rising” or fermentation are not forbidden – in fact, wine is a required part of the celebration. However, the action of rising is symbolic and part of the story (2. where the Jews have to flee so fast their bread doesn’t have time to rise.)
Another part of the story and another ritual that occurs before the Passover Seder is the Fast of the Firstborn, which falls on the day before the evening of the Passover Seder (with adjustments made when Passover begins on a Saturday night – which is the end of the Sabbath). Again, this is a symbolic element of the story as first-born sons (and “newborn” sons) play critical roles in the Exodus story (as you will see below).
The observation of Passover is the link between the two observations, because, historically speaking, Jesus was a Jewish teacher or rabbi, who returned home to Jerusalem for Passover. The Gospel According to Saint John (12:1) is the only New Testament gospel that specifically refers to Passover as a reference point for the beginning of the last week of Jesus’ life. However, all four of the canonical gospels mention preparation for the festival, feast, or first day (depending on the translation) of “Unleavened Bread” and describe a jubilant and memorable moment where Jesus rode into town on a donkey (a symbol of peace) and was greeted by people who honored him by laying down palm fronds (and possibly coats) to cover his path. In Christian communities, Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent and marks Christians’ final preparation for Easter.
The Heroes/Protagonists & Their Callings
“The Lord saw that he had turned to see, and God called to him from within the thorn bush, and He said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am!’”
– Shemot – Exodus 3:4
In some ways, both Moses and Jesus were born to be the heroes. However, to fit Joseph Campbell’s criteria, they must have a “call to adventure:” something that separates them from their mundane, everyday existence and propels them into a mystical experience. The call is the first of three (or four, depending on how you count) stages that mark a separation from community. In some ways, Moses had two separations before he heard the call. In some ways, Jesus was always separated; however, there is a point where he is specifically called out (i.e., betrayed and denied).
According to Shemot / Exodus, an Egyptian pharaoh first oppressed and then enslaved the Jewish people. He also ordered all Hebrew newborn sons to be killed. For a while, the midwives and the Jewish mothers circumvented Pharaoh’s order. Then, he ordered all the newborn sons to be thrown in the river. Jochebed, Moses’ birth mother, hid her son for three months. Then, she very cleverly placed him in a basket in the river and sent her daughter, Miriam, to watch the baby in the basket. When Pharaoh’s daughter scooped up the baby – who she would eventually name “Moses… ‘For I drew him from the water’” – Miriam offered to secure a wet nurse (who was, of course, Jochebed, their mother). In this way, Moses grew up as the Pharaoh’s grandson and, also, grew up knowing he was Jewish. This was the first separation (and the first return).
At the age of 40, Moses stepped in to protect a Jewish man who was being beaten by an Egyptian and had to flee his home. This was the second separation. When he was 80, he received his “calling.” Now, we could say that Moses was called earlier (see earlier separations), but there is no denying what happened when G-d (in the form of the burning bush) commanded him to return to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh about freeing the Jewish people. Because he had lived a lifetime (40 years) and established a home in Midian, the return to Egypt is the second return and the third separation (if you’re counting). Theoretically, Moses was also 80 when he received the Torah, G-d’s truth for his people, and he was 120 when he died – but that’s a story for a different day.
“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)
Christians believe that Jesus was born with and for a specific purpose – and that, unlike Moses, he was aware of this purpose and his calling. According to all four canonical gospels of the New Testament, Jesus spent a period of time in the desert and then spent the last week of his life preparing for Passover (and for what he knew was coming, in terms of the Crucifixion and Resurrection). The Gospels also indicate that Jesus spent that time preparing his disciples. Three of the four indicate that what Christians (and artists) refer to as the “Last Supper” was actually a Passover Seder. While most Christians do not have a Passover Seder, they do commemorate this preparation time through the observations of Lent and Great Lent.
Supernatural/Magical Aid
“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.’”
– 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.’””
– Shemot / Exodus 3:14
According to Joseph Campbell’s paradigm, every hero(ine) encounters a supernatural or magical aid when they begin their journey. This aid often helps navigate the transition between the known and the unknown and also aids in the transition back to the regular world once the mission is complete and the ultimate boon has been acquired/achieved. In the Bible stories, this aid comes in multiple forms. First, aid comes in a purely Spiritual/Divine form – and the hand or power of God (and the Holy Spirit) are explicitly detailed in both stories. Second, aid comes in the form of other people.
Both stories are full of what some might consider coincidences, but they are also full of “open miracles” and signs of the power of God. If we are skeptical, we can ignore Moses’ lineage and consider it a coincidence that he survived Pharaoh’s orders to kill all the newborn Hebrew sons. It may also seem like a wild coincidence that his life unfolded as it did. But, then there’s the burning bush that called him and showed him how his staff could become a snake. There’s also the fact that Aaron received a call to meet his brother Moses. Finally, there are all the different signs that the Pharaoh considered to be nothing more than magic: Aaron’s staff becoming a snake; the Ten Plagues (blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts in the streets, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, day(s) of darkness, and the death of the first born male child); the fact that the tenth plague “passed over” the Jewish people; the fact that the river parted; and, finally, that the people were sustained in the desert. One critical – but not often highlighted – aspect of the Ten Plagues is that they not only started on command, they also ended on command.
In Christianity, Jesus is the supernatural and the aid (as I note below). His very nature is more… super. Throughout the New Testament gospels, the disciples detailed “open miracles” performed by Jesus – especially during the period of time that is commemorated by the Lenten season.
People in both stories were required to have faith in order to be saved and released from their suffering. Faith is, in this case, the magic or supernatural element. Through their faith, Miriam and Aaron served as aids who assisted Moses (as did the Pharaoh’s daughter). Additionally, the people in the Passover story were told that the most have faith and follow the instructions of G-d in order to to be passed over and saved. Remember, not everyone celebrated the first Passover – neither did everyone flee when given the opportunity. The Midrash, talmudic commentary, describes the assistance of Nahshon, who believed that G-d would save the Jewish people and, therefore, waded into the water.
Trials and Tribulations
Passion (noun): 1. [mass noun] strong and barely controllable emotion; 1.2 intense sexual love; 1.3 [in singular] an intense desire or enthusiasm for something; 2. (the Passion) The suffering and death of Jesus.
Origin: Middle English: from Old French; from late Latin passio(n-), from Latin pati- “suffer”
– from Oxford Dictionaries
The first big piece of suffering within the story of Shemot / Exodus is the oppression and enslavement of the Jewish people. Then, there is Pharaoh’s edict. We can debate how much (or little) Moses suffered before he intervened and had to flee; but, there is no question that the Jewish people suffered nine of the Ten Plagues, right along with the Egyptians. In the monomyth outline, the series of trials and tests are challenges one has to overcome in order to be transformed. In the story of Exodus, the Jewish people were told to have faith. Part of that faith involved envisioning, and also celebrating, freedom that had not yet come. That was the whole point of the first Seder, which actually happened before the exodus. The moment when Pharaoh’s heart hardened again, and the Jewish people were stuck between the Egyptian army and the raging water of the sea, is another example of a test.
The trials and tribulations related to Holy/Passion/Great Week are multiple. First, there is the passion (or suffering) associated with Jesus being born into a human body and therefore experiencing the suffering that is associated with being human. Then there is the passion narrative, which is chronicled in the Gospels as the last week of Jesus’ life. Events described as “the Passion of Jesus” and/or as “the Passion of the Christ” may include everything beginning with the events of Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday, and the cleansing of the temple all the way through the betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection – or may only include the anointing of Jesus; the Last Supper; the agony of Jesus; the betrayal; and Jesus’ arrest, trials before the Sanhedrin and before Pilate; as well as the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. To be clear, the passion or suffering described includes that of the disciples and of Mary (his mother) and the other people Jesus met along the Via Dolorosa.
The Goddess(es)
“People often think of the Goddess as a fertility deity only. Not at all—she’s the muse. She’s the inspirer of poetry. She’s the inspirer of the spirit. So, she has three functions: one, to give us life; two, to be the one who receives us in death; and three, to inspire our spiritual, poetic realization.”
– quoted from “Chapter 1. Myth and the Feminine Divine: Th Goddess as Nature” in Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine by Joseph Campbell (edited and with a forward by Safron Rossi, PhD)
The Goddess of the monomyth is also depicted as the temptress. She represents all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love. It is love that is described as “love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother.” In the story of Exodus, Jochebed, Miriam, all the midwives, and even Pharaoh’s daughter exhibit the characteristics of the goddess. Moses’ wife might also be considered a goddess of the story.
If you think of this type of love in the context of Christianity, you might immediately think of the Virgin Mary – which is fair and true. However, in the context of the Passion Story, there were several women who showed Jesus (and others) great love and compassion. One woman, in particular, is usually unnamed, but she is notable in the Gospels specifically because of the way she loves (and expresses her love) for Jesus – and because her part of the story is critical to the way events unfolded.
In the Gospel According to Luke (7:36 – 50), Jesus was having what might be described as a luxurious dinner (because he was “reclining”) when a woman who had a sinful past washed his feet with her tears and hair. Then, she poured expensive oil from an expensive alabaster jar onto his feet. This incident took place in the home of a Pharisee named Simon and the woman is not identified by name. In the Gospel According to Matthew (26:6 – 13) and the Gospel According to Mark (14:3 – 9) the incident – or a similar incident – took place in Bethany at the home of Simon the Leper and the oil is poured over his head (but there there is no mention of tears and hair). Here, again, the woman is not identified; however, all three synoptic gospels indicate that the woman “came,” which could be interpreted as meaning that she did not live in the home.
The indicated timelines, as well as the different locations, also lead some to believe that these may be different events. Some traditions identify the woman (or women) as Mary Magdalene – and that misrepresentation never ends well – but the Gospel According to John (12:1 – 8) is the only account that identifies the woman as someone named Mary. According to John, “Mary” poured the oil on Jesus’ feet and then wiped his feet with her hair. The account does not, however, indicate that she “came” to the home, leading many to believe that she was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha.
Jesus ultimately used the washing of his feet as a teaching moment for the disciples; but, first, it was a moment of contention that led to the betrayal. [Insert villain music here.]
The Antagonists
“This is the secret message of judgment Jesus spoke with Judas Iscariot over a period of eight days, three days before he celebrated Passover.
When he appeared on earth, he did signs and great wonders for the salvation of humanity. Some [walked] in the way of righteousness, but others walked in their transgression, so the twelve disciples were called.”
– quoted from The Gospel of Judas, translated by Mark M. Mattison
The Egyptian Pharaoh, with his hardened heart, is undoubtedly the antagonist in the Passover story. He is motivated by power and greed – as is the case with so many villains. It is curious, however, that the passive voice is sometimes used with regard to his hardened heart and that (in Shemot / Exodus 10:1 and 14:17) G-d is clearly the one that hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
The Wednesday of Holy Week, Passion Week, or Great Week is also known as Spy Wednesday. A spy is a person inside a group, organization, or country who collects information so that others can attack, ambush, or otherwise ensnare the group, organization, country and/or the leaders therein. In the Passion story, Judas Iscariot is the spy and the woman washing Jesus’ feet pushed Juda’ buttons, which resulted in him betraying his rabbi and friend.
Several gospels indicate that more than one disciple was upset by the woman’s actions; however, Judas was particularly incensed by the cost of the honor. He was the one who held the purse strings – sometimes, too tightly and too personally – and felt that the cost of the oil and the jar used could have gone to the poor (or, into his own pockets). He was so upset that he decided to betray Jesus. [Insert villain more music here.]
“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.”
– The Gospel According to Matthew (26:14 – 15, NIV)
When it comes to Judas’ betrayal there are also different accounts. Most people are familiar with the idea that Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver. In the Gospel According to Mark (14:11), the chief priests promised to pay Judas and this is often referenced as “a few pieces of silver.” In two accounts, however, Satan possessed Judas. Yes, that’s right, in the Gospel According to Luke (22:4) and the Gospel According to John (13:27), the devil made him do it. Or, you could look at the devil as a euphemism for his own anger, jealousy, and hubris. It’s also important, I think, to note that in a few places – including at least one gnostic gospel, Judas betrayed Jesus because Jesus told him (Judas) to do so. Which, if you look at it that way, means God gave both men a purpose and a call.
Regardless of why he did it, Judas’ betrayal means that for generation after generation his name is mud. His reputation is smeared. One action made him the ultimate villain, the devil incarnate, and… one of the reasons we have the story. Remember, there is no Easter without the Resurrection. There’s is no Resurrection without the Crucifixion and the Passion. There is no Crucifixion and Passion (or Suffering) without the betrayal. And there is no betrayal without Judas of Iscariot. I’m not saying that he is equal to Jesus. What I am pointing out is that they are both an important part of the story and they are both “sacrificed” because – according to the teachings – “God so loved the world….”
Temptation
“[[Jesus]] answered and said to them, ‘I’m not laughing at you. You’re not doing this because you want to, but because through this your God [will be] praised.’”
– quoted from The Gospel of Judas, translated by Mark M. Mattison
“Jesus shows us how to face moments of difficulty and the most insidious of temptations by preserving in our hearts a peace that is neither detachment nor superhuman impassivity, but confident abandonment to the Father and to his saving will, bestows life and mercy.”
– excerpt from 2019 Palm Sunday homily by Pope Francis
There are several underlying temptations in the story of exodus, although they are not all explicitly described as temptations. However, if we do a little svādhyāya (“self-study”) and put ourselves in Moses’ shoes, several temptations become obvious. Moses knew his family and his people – he knew he was Jewish – but he was raised in the royal household. He was raised without experiencing some of the direct oppression felt by his family and friends. He is like the Old Testament Buddha, a prince who witnessed the suffering of others. He could have ignored his brothers’ “burdens;” just as he could have ignored the Hebrew man being struck by an Egyptian – and perhaps he was tempted to do so. Furthermore, when he was called by the burning bush, he was fearful, doubtful, and tempted not to answer. We also see temptation in the fact that some enslaved Hebrews stayed in Egypt and others (later) compromised their faith during their exile.
According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, as well as in The Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert praying and fasting. He was also tempted by the devil / Satan. Judas, obviously, fell into temptation when he betrayed Jesus – as did Peter when he denied Jesus three times (according to all four canonical gospels).
Apostasis
“Contrary to what many think or feel, Lent is a time of joy. It is a time when we come back to life. It is a time when we shake off what is bad and dead in us in order to become able to live, to live with all the vastness, all the depth, and all the intensity to which we are called. Unless we understand this quality of joy in Lent, we will make of it a monstrous caricature, a time when in God’s own name we make our life a misery.”
– quoted from “An Introduction to Lent” (dated February 17, 1968) by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
Joseph Campbell described a moment of physical and/or spiritual death, which could also be considered as a moment of limbo, abandonment, and/or a moment when the hero is categorically altered. Oddly, it is also described as a state of “divine knowledge, love, compassion, and bliss.” In Shemot / Exodus, G-d specifically told Moses that he (and the Jewish people) would not be abandoned. But, the previously mentioned moments of separation were also times when Moses “died” and was no longer identified in the same way. The Jewish people, themselves, were in a state if limbo before (and just after) their emancipation – but, remember, they were told to celebrate the freedom that had been promised.
Holy Saturday, which is the Saturday before Easter in the Western Christian traditions, is the commemoration of the apostasis in the Passion story. According to the Gospels, Jesus died and rose again – but, there was that moment (or day) of limbo and waiting. That day was (and is) a moment of transcendence, love, compassion, and knowledge – even though everyone was not aware of it at the time.
The Ultimate Boon
“This notion of joy connected with effort, with ascetical endeavour, with strenuous effort may indeed seem strange, and yet it runs through the whole of our spiritual life, through the life of the Church and the life of the Gospel. The Kingdom of Gd is something to be conquered. It is not simply given to those who leisurely, lazily wait for it to come. To those who wait for it in that spirit, it will come indeed: it will come at midnight; it will come like the Judgement of God, like the thief who enters when he is not expected, like the bridegroom, who arrives while the foolish virgins are asleep.”
– quoted from “An Introduction to Lent” (dated February 17, 1968) by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
A boon is, literally, a favor or request. It is something helpful or beneficial. It can also be seen as a reward or prize. Ultimately, however, it is grace. In the biblical stories, that grace is the promise of salvation. The overall message – of the existence and power of the Divine and of God’s love – can also be considered the ultimate boon in both the Exodus story and the Passion story.
More specifically, freedom (first from the suffering of slavery) and the freedom to worship according to their faith and culture are the ultimate boon for Moses, the Jewish people in the Exodus story, and for the modern Jewish communities. Remember, however, that Exodus story as commemorated by the observation of Passover is just one part of a larger story. In fact, on the second night of Passover, some people begin Counting the Omer – which is a 49-day period of prayer the culminates with Shavout (also known as Shavuos), which is the “Feast of Weeks” and the anniversary of the revelation of the Torah: another boon.
For Jesus, the apostles, and for the modern Christian communities, the ultimate boon is (again) freedom from suffering and the ability worship according to their faith and culture. Additionally, for Christians, there is the belief that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus (as well as belief in the Divinity of Jesus) delivers everlasting life. In this way, Jesus himself is the ultimate boon – because he is the Christian Messiah. Dogmatically speaking, the concept of a Messiah originated within Judaism and included specific qualifications for how the Messiah would be identified. According to Judaism, Jesus does not meet the criteria; for Christians he does. Therefore, for Christians, faith in Jesus as the Messiah is the “ticket to heaven” (because his crucifixion and resurrection are considered the Ultimate Boon).
“‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’”
– The Gospel According to John (13:34 – 35, KJV)
Wednesday (4:30) afternoon’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Spy Wednesday 2022”]
Wednesday (7:15) evening’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03312021 Spy Wednesday + Passover”]
INDEX
Here is a partial list of some of the original posts related to the Lenten seasons, Passover, and Easter. (Most of these are Wednesday posts.)
The (slightly belated) “practice preview” below is part of my offering for the 2019 Kiss My Asana yogathon. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with today’s theme or concept as inspiration. You can practice in a class or on your own, but since the Kiss My Asana yogathon raises resources as well as awareness, I invite you to join me at a donation-based class on April 27th or May 4th.
I also challenge you to set aside a certain amount every day that you practice with this concept/theme in mind. It doesn’t matter if you set aside one dollar per practice or $25 – set aside that amount each time you practice and donate it by April 30th.
Founded by Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions helps those who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability find new ways to live by integrating both mind and body. They provide classes, workshops, and outreach programs. They also train yoga teachers and offer highly specialized training for health care professionals. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga. Or, as this year’s tag line states….
do yoga. share yoga. help others.
***
“One’s personal duty in life (one’s sva-dharma) should be viewed as one’s highest responsibility to his or her highest Self, the Atma. This ultrahigh level of duty carries with it the requirement that one never does anything that is contrary to this True Self Within. And even if you consider your sva-dharma more narrowly from the standpoint of being true to your profession, you should not hesitate to fight. For a warrior, war against evil, greed, cruelty, hate, and jealousy is the highest duty.”
– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.31) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Sacred texts from a variety of different cultures, tell us that everyone has a purpose. However, even if you don’t believe the old adage, science has shown that people who live a purpose driven life have better physical and mental health and stronger resilience than their peers. It’s a bit of a cycle: we need our mind-body-spirit to fulfill a purpose and fulfilling the purpose strengthens our mind-body-spirit so that we are better equipped to fulfill the purpose.
Sometimes, however, we do things – or don’t do things – that sap our energy and drag us down. If our mind-bodies are temples, then the things that sap our energy are like thieves in the temple. Thieves can be eating the wrong foods; drinking too much of the wrong beverages and/or not drinking enough water; not resting; not exercising; partaking in illicit drugs; not managing stress; and/or being surrounded by negative opinions. Doesn’t matter what they are though, because at some point we have to throw the thieves out of the temple in order to restore the temple to its original purpose.
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,” (Matthew 21:12 KJV)
“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:13 KJV)
– The Gospel According to Matthew
Passion Monday, or Holy Monday, is associated with the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. According to the New Testament Gospels, Jesus is very clear about his purpose as he enters the last week of his life. He understands that there will be suffering (hence, the passion), trials, tribulation, and betrayal, and joy. He knows he will be tested and tempted (yet another passion/suffering). It is unclear if he knows how quickly the suffering will begin, but suffice it to say, it is immediate.
When he returns to Jerusalem for Passover, Jesus finds that the Temple of Jerusalem had been turned into a defacto market place. All four (4) canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) state that Jesus runs the livestock and the merchants out, and overturns the tables of the money changers and the dove sellers. He then begins to heal the sick and to teach, thus restoring the temple to its original purpose. Children praise him and this, along with everything else, riles up the establishment.
In three (3) of the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) several groups of the establishment question Jesus’ authority and his views on taxes. First he is asked, “By what authority are you doing these things?” To which, Jesus asks his own question regarding the authority of the then wildly popular John the Baptist:
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew 21:24 KJV)
“The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?” (Matthew 21:25 KJV)
“And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew 21:26 KJV)
Later, in another attempt to trap Jesus, the elders ask him if the Jewish people should pay taxes to the Roman Empire. He asks them to show him a coin suitable for payment and, when they present a coin with a Roman face on the front – specifically, Caesar’s face – Jesus says, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s”.” (Matthew 22:21)
As Passion Week is associated with a movable feast, Passion Monday doesn’t always fall on April 15th, U. S. Tax Day, but it does in 2019.
April 15th is also Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. It is the day, in 1947, when Jackie Robinson broke the modern day color line (in Major League Baseball) and started Opening Day playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Keep in mind that in the mid-1900’s there was a professional Negro League and prior to that, in the 1880’s, there had been 2, maybe 3, African-Americans playing in Major League Baseball. But times had changed; the country had changed, and baseball had changed. And, in the 1940’s all would change again.
“But if you do not fight this battle of good over evil, you will fail in both your worldly duty and in your duty to your very Self. You will violate your sva-dharma. Not doing the right thing when it is required is worse than doing the wrong thing.”
– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.33) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Jackie Robinson was an amazing athlete, excelling in track and field, as well as in football. He was an Army veteran and he would go on to be recognized and honored as a baseball player. In addition to winning a World Series with the Dodgers (1955), he was (the 1st ever) Rookie of the Year (1947) and the 1st African-American to be named Most Valuable Player (1949). He was a six-time All-Star, a batting champion, and a stolen base leader. Despite all that he would accomplish, many would argue – and the stats would support the argument – that in 1945, Jackie Robinson was not the best player in the Negro Baseball League.
Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Larry Doby (who would go on to break the color barrier in the ALB) all had better stats than Robinson. Even George Burns (the baseball player, not the comedian) had more steals than Jackie Robinson in the 1940’s. And yet, Branch Rickey, the Dodgers club president, spent 3 hours (in August 1945) talking to Robinson about playing for the Dodgers and about all the racial hostility he might encounter – on and off the field. Ultimately, Robinson asked, “Mr. Rickey, are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?” To which Rickey replied, “Robinson, I’m looking for a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back.” Jackie Robinson said he could be that ballplayer.
When I was a kid, I use to watch my maternal great-grandfather watching baseball. I had no interest in the game, but it was interesting to me that he was so invested. That being said, he wasn’t a baseball fan the way his daughter (my grandmother) was a basketball fan. My grandmother was such a huge Houston Rockets fan that “Rockets” became part of her nickname. In 2017, just a few months before my grandmother died, I watched a little bit of the World Series with her and my mom (her daughter). It was the Houston Astros versus the Los Angeles Dodgers and at one point my mother said, “I wonder which team your grandfather and great-grandfather would have been rooting for.” Not thinking about the history of baseball in that moment, I questioned her question – after all, they were Texas men! But then my mother reminded me that the L. A. Dodgers were originally the Brooklyn Dodgers and that there was a time when “every Black man in America was a Dodgers fan.”
Jackie Robinson’s number (42) was retired by the Dodgers in 1972 and by all MLB teams in 1997. For those of you who don’t follow baseball: when a number is retired it means that no other player will wear that number on their jersey. And yet, if you watch a MLB baseball game on April 15th, you will notice that every player, on every team, is wearing Number 42. Everybody is Jackie Robinson.
“Jackie‘s body was a temple of God, an instrument of peace.”
– excerpt from Reverend Jesse Jackson’s eulogy of Jackie Robinson (October 1972)
“His leadership helped win 7 Dodger pennants / He eased the acceptance of baseball’s first Black player into the Major Leagues”
– inscription on the tombstone of Harold Henry “Pee Wee” Reese, Captain of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Navy veteran, Baseball Hall of Famer, proud son of Louisville, Kentucky
Despite his personal opinions about integration, Eddie “The Brat” Stanky was one of the first people to “accept” Jackie Robinson as a teammate. They were both second basemen, but (as Stanky was already fielding at second base) Robinson was assigned to first base during his rookie year and he said that Stanky gave him tips that made the transition easier. But, that was all in private. Publicly, he didn’t have a whole lot to say when Robinson first faced insults during games, but Stanky was the first person to publicly take Robinson’s back when fans and players from other teams hurled insults.
Other Dodgers followed Stanky’s example.
Pee Wee Reese is one of the Dodgers who followed Stanky’s early example, but it is Reese’s support for Jackie Robinson that is most remembered, most memorialized, and most celebrated. At some point, maybe in 1947 – but most likely in 1948 (when Robinson was back on second base) – Pee Wee Reese stood beside Robinson and put his arm across his teammates shoulder while they had a little chat. It was an ordinary, everyday, baseball moment. One baseball fans see all the time – and think nothing of it, other than wondering / guessing what strategy is being discussed. Even though it wasn’t a moment that made a lot of headlines, it is a moment that has become iconic: a moment in history captured in a statue, a picture, a movie, and a day.
“Maybe tomorrow we’ll all wear 42, that way they won’t tell us apart.”
FEATURED POSE for April 15th: Revolving Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana)
Keeping in mind that everything has a purpose, spend a little time preparing the body for today’s featured pose. NOTE: Revolving Triangle is not prenatal approved unless it is modified.
You can warm up with Sun Salutations and Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) and/or you could practice lie down on your back and practice Supine Big Toe Pose (Supta Padangustasana), starting with the right side. In Supine Big Toe Pose, make sure the left hip and shoulder stay grounded you lower the right leg over to the right. After you’ve spent a few breaths with the right leg over to the right, bring the leg back to center, switch hands (so that the left hand is on the foot or the strap) and move the right leg over to the left, making sure that the right shoulder is grounded. (This twist is not prenatal approved.)
For Revolving Triangle, separate the feet at least 2 fists width apart. If you have tight hips, you may need to take them a little wider. Keeping the right foot in front, step the left foot as far back as your able to and still maintain stability. With both legs straight (no bend in the knees), check to make sure the right hip is reaching back towards the left heel and that the left hip is reaching for the right big toe. Place your right hand on your hip and, as you inhale, stretch the left hand high into the air. As you exhale, reach the left hand forward and down until you come as close to the outside of your right foot as you’re able to come without straining or losing your balance. Your hand can be on the floor or a block. Squeeze the thighs towards each other and extend your spine as you inhale. As you exhale, rotate your upper body to the right. Right hand can stay on your hip or lift up out of your heart. Every time you inhale, squeeze your legs towards each other and reach the ribs away from the hips. Every time you exhale, twist through your core. After 5 – 7 breaths, lower the lifted arm on an exhale. Inhale to look up and lengthen. Bring your hands to your hips on an exhale and stand up on the inhale. When you are ready, do the second side. Once you’ve completed the second side, move into a standing forward fold.
A prenatal option is to sit with legs stretched wide and keep the upper body upright as you rotate it to the right. You want to keep this as an open twist, so consider sitting up on top of something. After 5 – 7 breaths, switch to the second side. After the second side, fold forward and rest in between the wide legs.
The (slightly belated) “practice preview” below is part of my offering for the 2019 Kiss My Asana yogathon. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with today’s theme or concept as inspiration. You can practice in a class or on your own, but since the Kiss My Asana yogathon raises resources as well as awareness, I invite you to join me at a donation-based class on April 27th or May 4th.
I also challenge you to set aside a certain amount every day that you practice with this concept/theme in mind. It doesn’t matter if you set aside one dollar per practice or $25 – set aside that amount each time you practice and donate it by April 30th.
Founded by Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions helps those who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability find new ways to live by integrating both mind and body. They provide classes, workshops, and outreach programs. They also train yoga teachers and offer highly specialized training for health care professionals. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga. Or, as this year’s tag line states…
do yoga. share yoga. help others.
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Om
sahana vavatu sahano bhunaktu Saha viryam karavavahai Tejasvi navaditamastu Ma vidvishavahai
Om shanti shanti shantih.
Conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind / on every plane of existence
May we be protected May we be nourished May we work together with great energy May our study together be brilliant and effective May we not hate or dispute with one another
On every plane of existence peace (within us), peace (all around us), peace (to and from everything we encounter)
– Teaching Peace Chant (translation courtesy of Richard Freeman)
“Let us go forth in peace.”
– Final instruction in the Divine Liturgy
In many yoga traditions, the physical practice begins and ends with a chant or mantra. There are mantras that trace the teaching lineage of the tradition as well as a mantra that honors Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutra. Because of the way they end, several mantras are referred to as a şantipat. Pronounced “shanti,” the first root word means peace. It is not uncommon for people to think that the last part (pronounced “pot”) means path – and as it establishes how you want to move forward you could consider it your way or path. However, pat means “falling” or “going,” and these types of mantras are usually translated as “the falling down of peace.” They could also be translated as “going in peace” – which mirrors the final instruction in the Divine Liturgy and one of the last things stated before the Procession of the Palms in some Palm Sunday services.
In the Western Christian tradition, Sunday, April 14th marks the end of the Lenten Season and the beginning of Holy Week. Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday or the Second Sunday of the Passion, is the Sunday before Easter Sunday. It is a time when Christians are getting ready to commemorate the last days of Jesus, the crucifixion, and the resurrection: in other words, the Passion of the Christ.
Passion (noun): 1. [mass noun] strong and barely controllable emotion; 1.2 intense sexual love; 1.3 [in singular] an intense desire or enthusiasm for something; 2. (the Passion) The suffering and death of Jesus.
Origin: Middle English: from Old French; from late Latin passio(n-), from Latin pati- “suffer”
– from Oxford Dictionaries
All four (4) canonical Gospels in the Christian New Testament refer to Jesus returning to Jerusalem, for an observation of Passover. Remember, historically speaking, Jesus was a rabbi focused on getting his Jewish community to be better and more devout Jews. So, he comes home for Passover, but he does so in a way that is quite memorable and jubilant. He rides in on the back of a donkey, a symbol of peace (as oppose to riding in on a horse, which would be seen as a symbol of conquest or war). As he enters the city, it says people welcome him and honor him by laying down palm fronds and sometimes their coats in the middle of the road. (And all of this happens after he raises Lazarus from the dead.)
As part of a Palm Sunday service, Christians will display palms throughout the church and have a Procession of the Palms. Children wave the palms. Similar branches will be used in areas where it is hard to come by palms – leading the day to be called “Yew Sunday” or “Branch Sunday.” The palms waved on Palm Sunday will be burned down to ashes, blessed, and then the ashes will be used for the following year’s Ash Wednesday observations – which kick off the Lenten Season.
Theologically speaking, Jesus was aware of his destiny: the temptation, betrayal, and suffering that would all lead to his crucifixion and resurrection – all intended to usher in an era of peace. He attempts to prepare his disciples for what’s to come, but they are not prepared to go forward in peace, at least not in the way the faithful may be prepared today.
“Jesus shows us how to face moments of difficulty and the most insidious of temptations by preserving in our hearts a peace that is neither detachment nor superhuman impassivity, but confident abandonment to the Father and to his saving will, bestows life and mercy.”
When referring to Jesus’s return to Jerusalem, many Christians will refer to his “triumphant” return. In his 2019 Palm Sunday homily, however, Pope Francis focuses on Jesus’s humility and his ability to surrender to God’s will. Pope Francis said, “He shows us this kind of abandonment by spurning, at every point in his earthly ministry, the temptation to do things his way and not in complete obedience to the Father.”
Even if one is not Christian, there is a lesson in this message and an opportunity for svadyaya (self-study). Consider how you show up when you are challenged and/or things aren’t going your way. Do you show up in a way that alleviates suffering or in a way that creates more suffering?
Eastern philosophies, like yoga and Buddhism, view suffering as imbalance in the natural state of being (yoga and Taoism) and/or the result of attachment to (craving / desire for) a particular outcome (yoga and Buddhism). We all want things to go “our way” and yet more often than not things go in a different way. If we can’t let go of “our way,” we suffer. To find balance and to alleviate suffering, one must detach and practice non-attachment until it becomes a habit.
But, let’s get back to that experience of peace.
“So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.”
– Isaiah 51:11, Berean Study Bible
“From an attitude of contentment (santosha), unexcelled happiness, mental comfort, joy, and satisfaction is obtained.”
– Yoga Sutra 2.42
Isaiah is considered the first of the “Latter Prophets” in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the “Major Prophets” in the Christian Old Testament. Much of the “Book of Isaiah” contains details about what people can expect from and how they can recognize the Messiah or Savior. For Christians, Jesus fits the criteria and, therefore, brings them joy and peace now and in the hereafter. (Isaiah 51:11 and 52:7) It is not only a message that is brought; he also brings salvation (or the promise of salvation).
Consider, for a moment, how much easier life is if the hard stuff is being surrendered to a higher power.
In the second section of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali also talks of peace and joy. He particularly indicates that if someone diligently practices the external restraint (yama) of non-harming (ahimsa) then the people around them will give up hostilities (YS 2.35). Furthermore, he states that practicing the internal observation (niyama) of contentment (santosha) then “unexcelled, happiness, mental comfort, joy, and satisfaction.” (YS 2.42)
Consider, for a moment, what happens if you accept what is in the moment and surrender everything to the moment.
FEATURED POSE for April 14th: Forward Fold Pose (Uttanasana)
Palm Tree Breathing is a sequence of poses from Jasna’s Yoga that I include in certain practices; sometimes for physical and energetic reasons, sometimes for symbolic and emotional reasons, sometimes for all of the above. The sequence consists of two (2) poses in repetition – Mountain Pose (on the toes variation) (Tadasana) and Forward Fold Pose (Uttanasana). Both poses require strong core engagement (locks or bandhas), strong foundation engagement (asana), and balance, combined with breath awareness (pranayama). While the sequence can be modified by keeping the heels on the ground during the Mountain Pose, finding ease and stability in the Forward Fold is a critical element – and one that is often overlooked or taken for granted.
Standing in Mountain Pose, with feet together or slightly apart, focus on balancing the weight and standing up tall. (Remember, this is also Equal Standing.) Spread the big toes and little toes wide in order to start activating the arches and stabilize the ankles. Squeeze the legs towards one another and spiral the outer thighs in towards your mid-line. Squeezing a block, small book, or small ball between your legs encourages adduction and internal rotation. Use the quadriceps to lift the knee caps up, so that the thighs are firm; lift the pelvic bones up so that the sits bones drop down; squeeze the perineum muscles together and up (like you’re trying not to go to the bathroom); draw the belly button up and back; and the shoulders.
Inhale deeply and – with hands on hips – hinge from the waist as you exhale. Inhale, look up and lengthen so that you are in the Half Lift position (see yesterday’s post). Place your hands on your thighs or bend your knees and place your palms on your thighs. Spend a few breaths in the half lift position in order to find the flattest back position possible – even if that means the knees are bent.
Now, if it’s accessible, places your hands on a floor or a block – so you have closed-chain engagement and, therefore more control over accessing your muscles. If placing your hands lower causes you to round your spine, bring the hands back to the thighs and use the legs as a prop. Keeping the back flat and the core engaged, start to hinge or fold from the hips. See if you can bring your hands flat to the floor or the block without your low back rounding. (Remember: Low back issues, unregulated blood pressure, eye issues like glaucoma, and certain types of osteoarthritis are reasons to stay in the Flat Back position.)
Keep your weight balanced between hands and feet, arms and legs. You want dynamic tension that pushes your hips and ribs away from each other. After a few breaths, bend your knees, let your chest rest on your thighs, but maintain the core and foundational engagement. Release the arms, but keep the feet, legs, and core strong. While you surround your upper body to your lower body, let something roll of your back, something that no longer serves you. Or, let go of something you know. Or something you want but aren’t getting. If you are in the Half Lift position, whatever you are releasing rolls off when you stand up.
Either roll up, one vertebra, or inhale to a Half Lift and then lift the whole torso up on the next inhale.
If you want to move through Palm Tree Breathing, inhale your arms up for Mountain Pose. Again, make sure everything is strongly engaged. Use a block if you want to strengthen your adductors. Stay on your heels or roll up to your tip toes. Keep your eyes on something that’s not moving. As you exhale, lower the heels, hinge from your hips and fold. At the end of your breath, your heart will rest on your thighs. Inhale and reverse swan dive, maybe lifting the heels as you go, but definitely straightening the knees and rolling up one vertebra at a time until arms are overhead. Exhale and repeat at least 3 – 5 times. Finish with an inhale to Mountain Pose.
{NOTE: The Throat Chakra (the fifth intersection or wheel created by the overlapping of the three (3) primary nadis or energy channels/rivers) is associated with will and determination – specifically, Caroline Myss uses the mantra “Submit personal will to Divine will.” You can think of “Divine” as God, as the Universe, or as the World as a whole. Either way, consider the different positions your neck is in as you move through Palm Tree Breathing, and notice how the breath feels moving through your throat.}
A Joyful Practice 