A Joyful Practice

An Excerpt & FTWMI: Perception, Commitment, & Grace April 1, 2025

Many blessings to all! “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Chaitra Navaratri!” Many blessings to those observing Lent & Great Lent!

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

“This is what should be done

By one who is skilled in goodness,

And who knows the path of peace:

Let them be able and upright,

Straightforward and gentle in speech,

Humble and not conceited,

Contented and easily satisfied,

Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.

Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,

Not proud or demanding in nature.”

— quoted from “Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha’s Words on Loving-Kindness” (SN 1.8), translated from the Pali by The Amaravati Sangha. Access to Insight (2004)

This time of year is full of stories (including in poems) associated with various rituals, traditions, celebrations, and observations related to people overcoming challenges (and personal demons) in order to achieve peace. This is true about the Season of Nonviolence, as well as about Lent and Great Lent (for many Christians). It is also true about Chaitra Navaratri, the third day of which is today (Tuesday).

EXCERPT: The following slightly revised excerpt was originally posted in a slightly different context.

Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations, occurs four times a year. Magha Navaratri is one of the celebrations referred to as Gupta Navaratri meaning it is “hidden/secret” — again, not because no one knows about it, but because it is not as obvious as the bigger celebrations in the Spring and Fall.

Each day and night is dedicated to a different manifestation of Durga, the divine mother. Some people see the manifestations as nine different women; however, they are also seen by some as the same woman at different points in her story. For instance, her third form is Chandraghanta, whose name “one who has a half-moon shaped like a bell” comes from the image of the newly-wed Parvati. She is depicted as a combination of beauty, grace, and courage, with her third eye open — the result of all the (yoga) preparation performed by Her previous manifestation. That open third eye means that she is always ready to fight evil and demons. In fact, she is sometimes known as the “Goddess Who Fights Demons.”

Here “demons” can be a metaphor for anything that ails you physically, mentally, emotionally — even energetically, spiritually, and religiously. They can be challenges and hurdles that need to be over come. They can even be mistakes… sins… or vows (as I referred to them during the High Holidays) that can be absolved or forgiven. In fact, the faithful of all the different religions believe that there are ways (and even special times) when mistakes, sins, and broken vows are turned away… or washed away.

But, for a moment, let’s step back to the idea of overcoming challenges and hurdles.

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2023. Links, formatting, and some date related information have been updated.

“‘He told me his name was Hayden Finch, but he wanted to be called Sidd Finch. I said that most of the Sids we had in baseball came from Brooklyn. Or the Bronx. He said his Sidd came from “Siddhartha,” which means “Aim Attained” or “The Perfect Pitch.” That’s what he had learned, how to throw the perfect pitch. O.K. by me, I told him, and that’s what I put on the scouting report, “Sidd Finch.” And I mailed it in to the front office.’”

— quoted from the Sports Illustrated article (originally in the April 1, 1985 issue) entitled “The Curious Case Of Sidd Finch: He’s a pitcher, part yogi and part recluse. Impressively liberated from our opulent life-style, Sidd’s deciding about yoga—and his future in baseball.” by George Plimpton

During a conversation with one of my yoga-buddies [in March 2023], I mentioned that “context matters.” That statement can be taken in several different ways, but consider that — like kids during a spelling be — our understanding of a situation is based on context. Another way to say that is that our perception is based on context. Our perception is also based on expectation, which is based on our past experiences. This comes up in Yoga Sūtra 2.20, where Patanjali explained that we “see only what the mind-intellect shows [us].” This is also connected to what neuroscientists, like Dr. Beau Lotto, call our “space of possibility”. Politically (and socially), we can even think in terms of the Overton window (also known as the window of discourse) — just on a personal, individual level. How ever you look at it, it all boils down to one of the reasons why we humans make “bad” witnesses: We don’t always perceive The Truth; we perceive a truth (our truth).

In some ways, it’s like a Venn Diagram for “art”, where art is not an object, but, rather, the overlap between the artist’s intention and the audience’s perception. Similarly, if you have a subset of Facts in one circle and two other circles containing the understanding and/or awareness of two different people, there will be some overlap — which we will call the truth. But very rarely (if ever) will there just be one big, giant circle duplicated three times — which we can call The Truth. Yet, one of the yamas (external “restraints” or universal “commandments”), is a commitment / dedication to The Truth. (YS 2.30 – 31, YS 2.36)

Is that even possible? Especially today, in this day and age?

Yes, it is possible with awareness and grace.

I’m Thinking Several Aphorisms / Prose Really Illustrates Life For Our Overton Lookout Subsets. Click here for the 2019 post related to this practice.

Please join me today (Tuesday, April 1^st) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04012022 An “Important” Story”]

Yoga Sūtra 2.36: satyapratişţhāyām kriyāphalāśrayatvam

— “When a yogi is established in truthfulness, actions begin to bear fruit. [Truth is the foundation for fruitful action.]”

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).

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.)

### As far as I know, everything I’ve stated above is true ###