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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.
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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 12th, 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 12th) 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? ###

Symbols for Reflection & Self-Study (the “missing” Monday post) July 24, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Buddhism, California, Changing Perspectives, Faith, First Nations, Food, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma, Life, Loss, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.
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Stay hydrated, y’all, and “may our hearts be open!”

This is a “missing” post for Monday, July 24th. It contains some new material and some “leftovers” from 2022. You can request an audio recording of either 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.)

“Pecan pie.”

– My response to the prompt question* on Monday, July 24, 2023

Sometimes, I use symbols in the practice that may seem really random and quirky.

Like tacos… or pie.

No, not the symbol pi – but actual pie that you eat. Except, in this case, it’s just a symbol. In this case, when I ask people what pie symbolizes their faith, it’s just a starting point to go deeper into the practice.

“The lord Buddha continued:

‘If any person were to say that the Buddha, in his teachings, has constantly referred to himself, to other selves, to living beings, or to a universal self, what do you think, would that person have understood my meaning?’

Subhuti replied, ‘No, blessed lord. That person would not have understood the meaning of your teachings. For when you refer to those things, you are not referring to their actual existence, you only use the words as figures of speech, as symbols. Only in that sense can words be used, for conceptions, ideas, limited truths, and spiritual truths have no more reality than have matter or phenomena.’”

– quoted from “Chapter 31” of the Diamond Sutra – A New Translation, translated by Alex Johnson

According to the Yoga Sūtras, meditation is the way to overcome obstacles and the five debilitating conditions that arise from the obstacles. Meditation, in yoga, requires “withdrawing the senses” (pratyāhāra) – which means turning your awareness and senses towards a single focal point – and focusing on that single point until the focus becomes concentration. Concentration over a certain period of time becomes meditation, which is some degree of absorption. The various degrees of absorption involve the merging of the person meditating, the process of meditating, the awareness of meditating, and the initial focal point.

Patanjali detailed powers/abilities that come from meditating on certain things and described “seedless” meditation (meaning meditation without an object). However, in the first chapter of the Yoga Sūtras, he actually offered several different objects which can be used as a focal point (or starting point), including: aspects of the Divine, a single word, attributes of the heart, the breath, sensations experienced through a sense organ, inner light, a person who is free of desire, dream knowledge, or “whatever.”

Ok, Yoga Sūtra 1.39 doesn’t just say “whatever.” The instruction is actually to meditate on “a well-considered object.” The commentary specifically points to objects which have been “agreed upon or accepted” within a certain tradition. If we want to get precise, these are objects that have been proven (within the context of a tradition) to lead to peace, happiness, enlightenment… whatever that means to you in this moment.

It is interesting to me that the classical commentary (as well as the commentaries on that commentary) describe things as “proven” and then inevitably point to symbols of faith, i.e. spiritual and/or religious symbols. For example, in the commentary in The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, highlighted the “lotus of the heart, the Sri Chakra, the Star of David, the cross, an unwavering flame, [and] personified forms….” Similarly, the people most commonly suggested as being free of desire – i.e., those personified forms – are people who are recognized, in the various religions of the world, as people of faith and symbols of faith.

“FAITH, noun

  1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

  2. strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.”

– quoted from Oxford Languages

Faith means different things to different people. Therefore, just the thought of the concept of faith can turn people on – or it can turn people off. One thing to remember, however, is that faith is not necessarily religious. Ultimately, faith is about trust. We can trust (or not trust) anything. In fact, even the definition in The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews comes down to trust: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (11:1, New International Version)

Where we place our trust directly contributes to the way we move through the world. Even outside of the practice of yoga, giving some thought to who, what, and how we trust can provide some insight into how we move through the world. Contemplating our own concept of faith – even, maybe especially, when we say we don’t believe in anything – can give us insight into why we think, speak, and do the things we do. It can also help us better understand why we believe certain things are acceptable and why we believe certain things are unacceptable.

Gaining insight into ourselves is one of the benefits of practicing the Yoga Philosophy and, in particular, in practicing svādhyāya (“self-study”), which is the fourth the niyama (internal “observation”) in the philosophy. Now, if you look at an English translation, Yoga Sūtra 2.44 is simply a description of the benefit of practicing svādhyāya. Sometimes there is a reference to mantras and some commentaries point to those same religious and/or spiritual figures who are considered free of desire (and, therefore, free of suffering). In any case, the classic practice comes down to paying attention to what comes up – physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, and/or spiritually – when contemplating shastra, sacred text and/or scriptures.

Sometimes self-study is simply noticing what comes up (i.e., what one feels and/or thinks) about a passage or scenario. It can also be noticing what comes when contemplating being in the scenario. Sometimes it is noticing what comes up with regard to a vibration – which can be a mantra and can also be music. In a moving practice, the movement, the poses, and how one feels about the movement and the poses (as well as how one feels about what one is feeling) are all opportunities for svādhyāya. For a variety of reasons, my practice includes historical scenarios and figures from different religions, philosophical traditions, and a variety of cultures.

My practice also includes non-religious situations and people – some of whom may be people of faith, but not the ones we automatically think of as being free of desire.

In fact, sometimes, their desire (and how they acted based on their desire) is the point of the practice.

Some portions of the following were posted in 2022.

“Family worship succeeding, the portion of the Scripture read had in it the following words, ‘By the Grace of God I am what I am,’ –– It was [John Newton’s] custom to make a short familiar exposition on the passage read. After the reading, he paused for some moments and then uttered the following affected words –– –I am not what I ought to be — ah, how imperfect and deficient – I am not what I wish to be, I abhor what is evil, and I would cleave to what is good –– I am not what I hope to be — soon, soon shall I put off mortality, and with mortality all sin and imperfection –– yet, though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say, I am not what I once was, a slave to sin and Satan; and I can heartily join with the apostle, and acknowledge; by the grace of God I am what I am, Let us pray.”

– quoted from passage entitled “Anecdote of Mr. John Newton” by Dr. Gill, in the “Gleanings” section of The Religious Monitor, or, Evangelical Repository (March 1825)  

Born in London on July 24, 1725, John Newton, the Anglican clergyman known for hymns like “Amazing Grace,” was not always a man of faith. His life was full of hardship and trauma that included his mother dying just a couple of weeks before he turned seven years old. After a couple of years at boarding school and another couple of years living with his father and stepmother, he went to sea with his father. When he was 18 years old, he was pressed into the Royal Navy; but, he ended up being publicly punished after trying to desert. Eventually, he transferred to a slave ship – but, he didn’t have any better luck there and was himself enslaved by the time he was 20.

After three years (of being enslaved), John Newton was rescued. But, then he found himself in the middle of a terrible storm. Faced with the very real possibility of his own death, he prayed and made a promise to God: if he survived, he would turn his life around. True to his word, he gave up drinking, gambling, and cursing. Later, he would also give up working within the slave trade and begin serious religious study. He spent years applying to be ordained by several different churches. Finally, he was ordained and accepted by the Church of England.

Take a moment, especially if you do not believe as John Newton eventually believed, to consider how you would respond and react to the trauma and tragedies that he endured. Keep in mind, there is not a “right answer” here. There is simply your answer.

“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

July 24th is “Pioneer Day” in Utah. It marks the occasion, in 1847, when Brigham Young looked out of the back of a covered wagon and said, “It is enough. This is the Right Place.” Young was the successor of Joseph Smith, the founder of what is now known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and – before he was exiled from Illinois – Young had a vision of a place that these Mormon settlers could call home, a place where they would be free from religious persecution and conflict: “a place on this earth that nobody else wants.”

That last quote is what Brigham Young and his followers ostensibly believed. This belief and the desire to live without religious persecution were the reasons 148 settlers followed Brigham Young west. Most reached the Great Salt Lake Valley, at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, a couple of days ahead of their leader, who was suffering from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Of course, they would eventually discover that at least one of their beliefs was misplaced – because there were already whole Nations of people living in the place, wanting the place.

“For generations, various Shoshone bands gathered on the lake’s shores for an annual fish festival to celebrate the lake’s bounty, according to Mary Murdock Meyer, chief executive of the Timpanogos Nation.

‘Our people raised families around these waters. We laughed and played. We worked and toiled. We swam. We fished. We utilized the surrounding foliage to make the necessary tools and medicines,’ Meyer said at last year’s Utah Lake Symposium. ‘Above all, we prayed. We held ceremonies. We danced, and we sang around the lake.’

Within a century of the pioneers’ arrival, much of this biological diversity would, like the Timpanogos, be gone….”

– quoted from The Salt Lake Tribune (March 31, 2022) article entitled, “How Utah Lake once sustained tribes and Mormon pioneers and why it needs help: After neglecting it for decades, Utahns want to make Utah Lake great again, but are sharply divided over how or even what that means.” by Brian Maffly

When contemplating those historical perspectives, we must keep in mind that what people did was also (partially) based on what people had already done. So, I also contemplate those religious pioneers that left New York, Illinois, and Missouri earlier (in 1846) and got trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains as they traveled to California. They got trapped and many – like in the case of the tragic Donner party of 18 – did not survive the extreme cold. Of course, when I talk about Brigham Young and those 148 pioneers, I think about the extreme heat.

While I have only ever been to the east side of Salt Lake City, to This Is the Place Heritage Park, in the winter, I can imagine what it would be like after traveling months on end through so much heat. I think about the religious fervor that carried people through the rocky terrain and I think about what it might have been like for Brigham Young, sick, feverish, maybe delirious, and (even if he was experiencing chills) surrounded by major heat, great heat.

Then I think about what I might have felt was acceptable (and unacceptable) given those conditions, beliefs, and major heat, great heat.

Click here if you want to read a post about major heat, great heat. 

Just as I consider those different historical viewpoints as an opportunity for svādhyāya (“self-study”), I also think of people’s modern viewpoints. For instance, some people in Salt Lake City spend July 24th celebrating “Pie and Beer Day.” Some do so because they are not part of the Church and it’s a funny little rhyme. Some do so because they feel the official holiday isn’t as inclusive as it (theoretically) could be. On that same note, there is an Intertribal Powwow on this date that celebrates indigenous culture and the contributions of Native Americans to Utah. The powwow also highlights the fact that there were, in fact, people who wanted the land. They just didn’t see and/or articulate their relationship with the land in the same way as the Mormons; because they had different beliefs.

In some cases, they still have different beliefs… and those different beliefs inform what they think and say and do.

“What dredging proponents call ‘restoration,’ however, Mary Murdock Meyer describes as desecration of a sacred place. Her people may no longer live in Utah Valley, but she says they deserve a say in what happens to the lake that sustained their ancestors.

Like the endangered June suckers, the Timpanogos ‘have endured near extinction and deserve to live,’ Meyer says. ‘Think about tomorrow and the future generations. We, as native people, say you must look ahead seven generations when making decisions because what we decide today affects future generations.’”

– quoted from The Salt Lake Tribune (March 31, 2022) article entitled, “How Utah Lake once sustained tribes and Mormon pioneers and why it needs help: After neglecting it for decades, Utahns want to make Utah Lake great again, but are sharply divided over how or even what that means.” by Brian Maffly

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

*NOTE: The fact that people in the same place have different beliefs brings us back to pie. Just like we all have different beliefs (and different preferences in tacos), we all have different preferences in pie. But, Monday’s question wasn’t about favorite kinds of pie; it was about pie as a symbol of faith. If you consider the first pie that popped into your mind (when you contemplated your faith), you might learn something about yourself.

My answer, pecan pie, is super sweet, super crunchy, and has Southern roots. I love it, but too much can be detrimental – and it doesn’t take much to be too much! Also, depending on your source, it can leave an unpleasant aftertaste.

What’s your pie?

“[Utah] is home to five groups of Indigenous people: Navajo, Shoshone, Ute, Paiute and Goshute. But within each larger tribal grouping, there may be ‘bands’ or ‘clans’ that are subgroups, often very distinct in culture and tradition while still sharing common language and ancestry with the tribe as a whole.

From these five tribes, Utah has eight federally recognized tribal nations: Navajo Nation; Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation; Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah; San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe; Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation; Skull Valley Band of Goshute; White Mesa Community of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe; and Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. Three of our tribes (the Ute, Paiute and Goshute) each have two distinct federally recognized nations.

Adding to the confusion is Utah’s flag with an eagle that has six arrows in its beak, said to represent the six tribes of Utah. Which there were — in the 19th century. But in the late 1800s the Bannock were moved to the Fort Hall Reservation in southern Idaho.”

– quoted from the Deseret News (Jul 19, 2021) op-ed entitled, “Pioneer Day is a chance to look at Utah’s many layered history: Native Americans in Utah illustrate the diversity and unique cultures that still exist today” by Heather Sundahl 

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.

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).

### MORE H2O ###

Where We Begin… & How It All Works April 12, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Poetry, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.
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“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer! Blessings to anyone celebrating Great Week or Eastertide / the Octave of Easter! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the holy month of Ramadān.

“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 (born 04/12/1952)

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 the Passover Seder, Lent, Great Lent, Eastertide, and the holy month of Ramadān 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 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.

The economist and social theorist Stuart Chase is often quoted as saying, “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who do not believe, no proof is possible.” I generally associate this 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?

That question is at the heart of the story associated with Easter Wednesday, which is the fourth day of the Octave of Easter in the Western Christian traditions.* Not surprisingly, the answer is simple: Work your way back to the beginning. As Jewish communities are entering the last days of Passover; Orthodox Christians are observing Great Wednesday (also known as Spy Wednesday); and Muslim communities are keeping their eyes open for the holiest night of the holy month of Ramadān; let’s practice a little svādhyāya (“self-study”) partially inspired by the Gospel According to Luke (24:13 – 35).

“He asked them, ‘What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?’ They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, ‘You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.’”

– The Gospel According to Luke (24:17 – 18, NLT)

Please join me today (Wednesday, April 12th) 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 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04122020 All That Is Holy”]

If you are interested in my previous Gary Soto-inspired musings (that are more directly tied to his life and poetry), check out the following: a 2018 blog post about vinyasa and vinyasa krama , a 2019 blog post about why we begin where we begin, and a 2021 blog post about, well, life.

*NOTE: Easter Week is known as Bright Week in Orthodox Christian traditions and begins this Sunday.

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 can tell, daughter, it works like this” ~ Gary Soto ###

Callings & Purpose-Driven Lives (this is the “missing” Wednesday post) April 9, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Love, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
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“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 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.)

“To refuse the call
means stagnation.

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.)

April 12, 2020 – Down the Rabbit Hole, On the 12th

April 16, 2020 – The Cost of Freedom

March 28, 2021 – Questions of Faith

April 14, 2022 – How You Use Your Power Matters

April 22, 2022 – Remembering Rachel’s Challenge, Especially When You’re Suffering

*NOTE: I have several “missing” posts that are still draft mode, but I plan to post them later this year (and may add links accordingly). 

### THERE IS GREAT POWER IN THE STORIES ###

The Beginning & the Cost of Faith (mostly the music and links) April 16, 2022

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Faith, Healing Stories, Karma, Life, Music, Philosophy, Wisdom, Yoga.
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“Chag Sameach!” “Happy Festival!” to anyone celebrating Passover. “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who was observing the holy month of Ramadān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating or observing Holy Saturday, Lazarus Saturday, and/or Hanuman Jayanti! 

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

*

– Stuart Chase

**

Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, April 16th) at 12:00 PM. 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.

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

 

Here’s a little excerpt from my 2020 post on this date: “Most people, I think, would agree that freedom is priceless. I mean, at least, I think we can all agree about that when we are talking about our own freedom. Things get a little twisted when we are talking about someone else’s freedom. How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone we perceive as different from us? How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone with whom we disagree about even the meaning of freedom?” Click here for to read the rest of the post . 

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.)

 

 

### 🎶 ###

Miracles in December (the Sunday post) December 13, 2021

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, First Nations, Healing Stories, Hope, Kirtan, Music, Mysticism, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
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This is the post for Sunday, December 12th. You can request an audio recording of Sunday’s practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

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

“I try to find you, who I can’t see
I try to hear you, who I can’t hear

Then I start to see things I couldn’t see
Hear things I couldn’t hear
Because after you left
I received a power I didn’t have before”

 

– quoted from the song “Miracles in December” by EXO

‘Tis the season for miracles!

Ok, let’s be real. If you look at a calendar – you will find that there a plethora of miracles in every season. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church has a whole calendar that, essentially, celebrates miracles attributed to various people. This time of year, however, there seems to be a concentration of miracles – or maybe it just feels that way because so many of the miracles are similar and/or connected.

On Wednesday, I mentioned that within the Roman Catholic tradition there are almost 20 Marian feast days (i.e., days honoring the Virgin Mary), excluding local and regional days devoted to this holy mother. I even mentioned that December 9th, like December 8th, is a day when some people in the world celebrate the miracle of this blessed woman’s birth, a birth… which was itself a miracle. Of course, when most people (even many Christians) think of the miracle of birth, they think of the newborn baby and, in this context, they think of Jesus. Interestingly, December 12th is also a Marian feast day in the Roman Catholic tradition. It is a day associated with several miracles that occurred over a series of days (beginning on the aforementioned December 9th) in 1531, culminating with the fourth (or fifth) miraculous apparition occurring on December 12th.  

Or, at least that’s how the story has been told for almost 500 years.

But, it turns out there was more to the story.

And whether you believe the story or not*, it’s a tale full of compelling evidence. One could even say that the “balance of probabilities” or “preponderance of the evidence” was enough to convince a man who identified himself as being “poor” (possibly in spirit) and who was not inclined to believe his own senses.

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

 

– Stuart Chase

An important part of this story is the timeline.* However, before we get started, we need to clarify the timeline. In October of 1582, Papal-governed nations like Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth switched to the Gregorian calendar. Up until then, these nations – as well as their colonies – used the Julian calendar. So, keep in mind that even though the events of our story took place according to the Julian calendar, most people today celebrate according to the Gregorian calendar.

That said, our story begins on Saturday, December 9, 1531, when an Indigenous man in what is now Mexico City was walking to mass. His journey took Juan Diego Cuāuhtlahtoātzin across Tepeyac Hill, which many modern people believe had been a sacred Aztec site associated with a mother goddess. Please keep in mind that this future saint, Juan Diego, was an adult and Spanish missionaries had only been in his country for about eight years. So, if historians are correct, he would have known the significance of the site. Either way, as he was walking along his way, he started hearing birds singing. It was an odd time of year to hear this type of birdsong and so it made him pause.

Perhaps he looked around for the source. Have you ever done that? Heard some beautiful sounds in nature (or maybe something that startled you) and you looked around to verify what you were hearing? Perhaps that’s what San Juan Diego did in 1531. Only, instead of birds, he saw the vision of a young woman. She was dressed in clothes that would have been familiar to him and she spoke his language (Nahuatl), but what she said was strange. She identified herself as the virgin mother – which was weird, because she didn’t look like the pictures and descriptions that came courtesy of the priests. She was not fair-haired or fair-skinned. She looked and spoke more like Juan Diego’s people. Stranger even than her appearance was that she wanted this poor man to go to the Franciscan bishop and ask that a chapel be built where she appeared. 

Now, a little back story about this bishop might be handy (just so you can understand his possible state of mind). His Excellency Don Juan de Zumárraga y Arrazola O. F. M. was born into a noble Basque family in Spain. I’m unclear when he entered the priesthood; however, several significant things happened when he was approaching 60 years old. First, he was named as custodian of a convent. That same year, 1527, he was appointed as a judge in a court investigating witches and recommended by the Holy Roman Emperor (Charles V) to be the first bishop of Mexico (New Spain). A year later he was in the “New World,” but only had the title(s) of bishop-elect and “Protector of the Indians.” His role was not officially consecrated until April of 1533 – which means that in 1531, during the time of our story – he could not fully execute his duties. Oh, also there was dissension in the ranks and the ever-present possibility of a socio-political and religious mutiny.

So, here comes Juan Diego with his message from the Divine Mother. To be clear, he was a reluctant messenger from the very beginning, but he was even more so after visiting the bishop-elect, who (naturally) did not believe him. I say “naturally,” because even if Juan Diego was 100% convinced of his mission, the bishop-elect and “Protector of the Indians” would have been skeptical. He may have wondered why this “poor” indigenous man would be blessed with a visitation instead of someone like him, who had devoted his life to God and the Church. He might have questioned Juan Diego’s description of the woman. Finally, his previous experience serving with the court that examined witches, may have made him skeptical of anything that might be considered “hallucinatory,” especially if it was related to women.

On his way back home, defeated, discouraged, and doubtful, San Juan Diego again saw and spoke with the lady on the hill. At some point, he even pulled a Moses and suggested that someone else would be better suited for the job of messenger. But no, the blessed mother was sending him; the man whose surname (Cuāuhtlahtoātzin) means “He who speaks like an eagle.” 

“Do you hear what I hear?
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear? (Hear what I hear)
Ringing through the night, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear (Hear what I hear)
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea”

 

– 1st verse of “Do You Hear What I Hear” by Whitney Houston

The next day, Sunday, December 10th, Juan Diego went back to speak to His Excellency Don Juan de Zumárraga y Arrazola. Again, he was not believed; but this time the man who would become the first bishop and the first archbishop of Mexico told Juan Diego to go back to Tepeyac Hill and ask for proof. He wanted some form of religious currency – and here, I don’t mean a bribe: he wanted a verifiable miracle.

As instructed, Juan Diego went to the hill to request proof, which he was told he would receive if he came to the hill the next day. Unbeknownst to him, the bishop elect sent servants or guards to follow him, but “some how” they lost him. Of course, the servants or guards weren’t going to admit that they lost an indigenous “peasant.” So, they went back and told the bishop-elect that Juan Diego was a liar who had made the whole thing up. They accused him of a number of things that would be considered heretical and blasphemous. If this story were happening today, he might have been accused of “pushing a woke (or liberal) agenda” – because who else but a social justice warrior would request a church devoted to a brown-skinned Madonna.

Now, here’s where the story takes a turn, because Juan Diego does not return to Tepeyac Hill on Monday, December 11th. It’s not that he didn’t believe or didn’t take his task seriously, it’s not that he didn’t care. But, he did have a more urgent need to address: his beloved uncle Juan Diego Bernardino was deathly ill. This uncle, who had taken him in after his parents died, needed someone to take care of him; and so Juan Diego did what was needed. At some point, however, it became clear that San Juan Diego’s physical ministrations were not enough. That Tuesday morning, December 12th, he left home to find a priest who could administer the last rites. 

Imagine his grief. Imagine his pain. Also, imagine the urgency of his quest and the shame. Yes, he felt shame and embarrassment, because he hadn’t gone back to the hill to get the proof requested by the bishop-elect. He was also in a hurry and so he tried to figure out another route. Some other way that he could reach the church and find a priest without being stopped by the vision. But, to no avail. Our Lady of Guadalupe was still waiting for him.

“¿No estoy yo aquí que soy tu madre?”

[“Am I not here, I who am your mother?”] 

 

– Spanish quoted from the front entrance of the modern (or new) Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, based on the 17th century Nahuatl text Nican Mopohua (Here Is Told)

 

The vision of the Divine Mother told him that his uncle had recovered. (Later he would learn that his uncle Juan Diego Bernardino had also received a visit from the Blessed Mother.) Our Lady of Guadalupe told the future saint that if he went up to the top of the hill, where it was the coldest, he would find proof that he could take back to the bishop-elect. Juan Diego did as he was told and found the peak covered in roses. These were roses that were not indigenous to the area. Fragrant roses that could not be bought at any supermarket or mercado in the area. Flower covered in morning dew – even though it was too cold and out of season for such flowers to grow. As astounded as he must have been (and relieved because his uncle was well), he managed to gather as many flowers as he could carry in his tilma (or cloak) and brought them to the vision. She touched each flower and placed them back in his blanket-like cape. 

Now, to be clear, at this point in the story, Juan Diego had experienced these miracles with almost every one of his senses. He has heard them, seen them, smelled them, and felt them. He has thought about them and remembered them with clarity. One could argue that the only sense not engaged was his sense of taste; but since smell and taste are closely connected, we can’t exclude the possibility that the fragrant flowers left and impression on his tongue.

Yet, there was more.

After some resistance (mostly from the servants or guards at the Church), Juan Diego was admitted into the bishop’s chambers. When he opened his tilma the roses fell out onto the flower. More roses than he could have carried and, again, roses that were out of season and not available in the area. Some say they were Castilian roses, meaning they were indigenous to Spain and, theoretically, would have been recognizable to His Excellency Don Juan de Zumárraga y Arrazola O. F. M. as such.

But, there was more.

When the roses fell on the floor, they revealed an image in the tilma: a vibrant image of the Virgin Mary as she appeared to Juan Diego. She appeared to be mestiza, a mixture of two ethnicities: Aztec and Spanish. Her dark hair was parted to indicate that she was a virgin. Her blue-green mantilla or veil was covered in stars, indicating that she came from Heaven and also (by their pattern) establishing the date and time of her appearance. Her hands were in prayer with her fingers pointed to the cross that she wore at the top of her dress. A black ribbon tied beneath her hands and above her belly indicated that she was encinta, “enclosed in the ribbon” – which means she was pregnant. Four-petaled and eight-petaled flowers covered the cloth over her belly and the lower portion of her dress. She stood in the clouds, in front of the sun (which some say represents Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of the sun and of war). She also stood on top of the moon (some say crushing the Aztec’s Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent moon god) with a shoe that looks like the tilma. Finally, the edge of her mantilla and the edge of her dress were held up by “an angel with eagle wings” who wore a shirt and cross that matched hers.

I say “finally,” but – to be clear – I’ve only highlighted some (but not all) of the most obvious elements of the image. An image that scientists have said was not painted and has no (significant) brushstrokes. An image that, though I refer to it in the past tense above, reportedly looks almost** exactly the same as it did when it was first revealed (almost 500 years ago) – despite the fact that it was not protected from the elements for over one hundred years.

Also, I’ve left out explanations for a lot of the symbols, a note about Her name, and a few things that would not have been obvious when the image was first revealed. For example, the eyes of Our Lady of Guadalupe are shaped like a real person’s eyes and modern science has revealed that they contain two images: reflections of two scenes which include the images of people like San Juan Diego and His Excellency Don Juan de Zumárraga y Arrazola.

Then there are the flowers…

“Each celestial body, in fact each and every atom, produces a particular sound on account of its movement, its rhythm or vibration. All these sounds and vibrations form a universal harmony in which each element, while having it’s own function and character, contributes to the whole.”

 

– quote attributed to Pythagoras (of Samos)

The arrangement of the stars and flowers held significance right off the bat. Some of the flowers even look different when viewed at different angles, but a Mexico accountant (recently) discovered that there’s more to the arrangement than date, time, topography, and religious symbolism. According to Fernando Ojeda, a member of the Instituto Superior de Estudios Guadalupanos (ISEG), the arrangement is, well, an actual arrangement. It’s music.

Analyzing the image from a mathematical perspective, Fernando Ojeda found that it was symmetrical and maintained the golden ratio. When he asked what would be considered the “most symmetrical” instrument, someone told him it was a piano. So, he framed a copy of the image with a golden triangle and had a musical colleague overlap the image with a drawing of a piano so that they could transcribe the stars and flowers into music notes. Then, Fernando Ojeda plugged the notes into a computer program and (with the help of some classical musicians) produced what could easily be described as something heavenly.

I know, I know. Even if you believe all the rest of the story, you might be skeptical of this last bit. Especially if you know about John Cage and the wind chimes.  However, when the ISEG analysts reportedly applied these same methods to paintings from the 16th and 17th century, the painted stars and flowers did not produce anything that would have met with Bach’s approval.

“[Music] should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the re-creation of the soul, where this is not kept in mind, there is no true music, but only an infernal clamour and ranting.”

 

– Johann Sebastian Bach (b. 1685)

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube only. Spotify users can find similar music on the Mother’s Day 2020 playlist.

[NOTE: I could not find “the music of the mantle” on Spotify, but it’s embedded/linked below along with a third track that is not on the Mother’s Day playlist.]

I can’t help wondering, is this the music (of the birds) that San Juan Diego heard?

 

A longer version…

 

“Miracles in December”

 

*NOTE: Many scholars and theologians are skeptical about the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Some of the skepticism surrounds the timeline and the fact that the first written account didn’t appear until the 17th century. There is also some confusion about the name, confusion that is heightened by translating into (and out of) languages that don’t share an original culture. Some of that language confusion all revolves around a misunderstanding about what is a title and what is a name.

 

**NOTE: Acid was spilled on the tilma in 1791, but it appears that there was minimum damage and/or (as some people believe) the image healed itself. The visions crown has been altered. Scientists have disagreed about how much the image has faded or flaked over the years, but consistently agree that it seems to be very little.

 

 

### WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE? ###

 

For Those Who Missed It: Music for This Date (“the post that almost wasn’t”) December 8, 2021

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Life, Love, Music, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
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This following was originally posted in December of 2020. 

I wasn’t 100% sure if I was even going to post it back then, but…here it is, again, for your pleasure and consideration. Class information has been updated and I did remix the playlist. (The original is still available if you go back to the original post.)

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

– Stuart Chase

Take a moment to notice how you feel – maybe even do that 90-second thing.

I mention all the time that what is happening in this moment, including how we feel, is the culmination of all the moments that have come before and that this moment is the beginning of everything that comes next – including how we feel in the next moment. But, take a moment to consider how what you think and believe about what’s happening (and what you’re feeling) directly impact this moment… and therefore all the other moments. What we think and what we believe impact not only what we are feeling, but also what we are doing and how we do it. So, go a little deeper into what you believe.

There was a time, when people within the Roman Catholic tradition referred to today as the Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today in 1854, however, Pope Pius IX issued a dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception – declaring her “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin” – and making today the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Today is one of almost 20 Marian feast days on the Roman Catholic Calendar – not to mention the many local and regional days devoted to this holy mother. Eastern Orthodox Christian churches have a different calendar, as well as a different definition of Immaculate Conception, and celebrate tomorrow, December 9th, as the Feast of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos or the Feast of the Conception of the Virgin Mary.

“…what had been lost in the first Adam would be gloriously restored in the Second Adam. From the very beginning, and before time began, the eternal Father chose and prepared for his only-begotten Son a Mother in whom the Son of God would become incarnate and from whom, in the blessed fullness of time, he would be born into this world. Above all creatures did God so love her that truly in her was the Father well pleased with singular delight. Therefore, far above all the angels and all the saints so wondrously did God endow her with the abundance of all heavenly gifts poured from the treasury of his divinity that this mother, ever absolutely free of all stain of sin, all fair and perfect, would possess that fullness of holy innocence and sanctity than which, under God, one cannot even imagine anything greater, and which, outside of God, no mind can succeed in comprehending fully.”

– quoted from Ineffabilis Deus by Pope Pius IX (“Given at St. Peter’s in Rome, in the eighth day of December, 1854, in the either year of our pontificate.”)

Pope Pius IX was pope from June of 1846 until February 1878 – and, for most of that time, he was also the (last) Sovereign Ruler of the Papal States, making him simultaneously “King” and “Pope.” Meaning, he was the last pope to serve as both a secular and spiritual ruler and therefore he was officially concerned with both secular and spiritual issues. Sometimes, there were obvious conflicts. At one point during his reign he was seen as liberal enough to appoint an enlightened minister; release religious political prisoners; and nullify the requirement for Jewish people to attend Mass. However, he also upheld the Church’s right to remove a child from their Jewish parents simply because the Church recognized the child as Catholic (it’s a long and sketchy story). Some people’s opinion of him changed after he released a very dogmatic encyclical, today in 1864, condemning what he defined as 80 errors or heresies of the modern age (including liberalism, modernism, and secularization, just to name a few).

If you are Catholic, or even some version of Christian, certain aspects of today’s practice may feel extra connected to the story and symbolism of the Virgin Mary. If you are not Catholic, or even Christian, you may not even notice those elements – except when they feel good to you or not so good to you. This is true of every one of my practices. There is always a physical-mental element, as well as the emotional-energetic elements and psychic-symbolic. Sometimes I break down the meanings and the whys and wherefores of a practice. Every once in a while, however, I just put it out there – and then each element is significant to you based on what you feel, think, and believe. This happens not only with the sequence and the stories I choose to tell, but also with the music. Noticing how you feel about any and all of that (i.e., self-study) is a key element of the practice.

Yoga Sūtra 2.44: svādhyāyādişţadevatāsamprayogah

– “From self-study comes the opportunity to be in the company of bright beings [of our choice].”

Today’s playlist features a few of the many really amazing musicians who were born on this date (and one really amazing musician who was killed on this date). Notice how your prior connection to the music and/or the musicians changes your experience of the practice. Notice, also, the times when you don’t have a prior experience and yet you are still able to get something out of the moment.

“‘If I don’t work out, my back and legs start to ache. So for me to keep working, I have to work out. But it doesn’t have to be a Dorian Gray kind of thing; simply exercising and eating healthy really is the fountain of youth. And it helps with how I look – which, as a performer, is definitely a part of my job.’”

– Phil Collen, quoted about his cardio, lifting, and Muy Thai kickboxing exercise regime and vegan diet in “Work-Life Balance: Get Fit, Lose Weight: What Happened When I Tried Def Leppard Guitarist Phil Collen’s Fitness Program” by Jeff Haden, published on Inc.com (June 1, 2017)

Please join me today (Wednesday, December 8th) 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. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. 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.

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.)

“Music for the Date” features Sir James Galway (b. 1939), Sinead O’Connor (b. 1966), Sammy Davis Jr. (b. 1925), Jim Morrison (b. 1943), Gregg Allman (b. 1947), Phil Collen (b. 1957), John Lennon (d. 1980) – with references Nicki Minaj (b. 1982) and Sam Hunt (b. 1984). If I remix The remixed playlist it will also includes part of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, which premiered today 1813.

“During the later war years, he had composed the Seventh Symphony in the Bohemian town of Teplitz in 1811 – 1812 and Wellington’s Victory, both of which were premiered in Vienna on December 8, 1813 at a charity concert for wounded soldiers. Beethoven conducted the concert himself and addressed the audience before the presentation, saying, ‘We are moved by nothing but pure patriotism and the joyful sacrifice of our powers for those who have sacrificed so much for us.’”

– quoted from Double Emperor: The Life and Times of Francis of Austria by Chip Wagar

### OM AUM ###

Music for This Date (“the post that almost wasn’t”) December 9, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Life, Love, Music, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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[I wasn’t 100% sure if I was even going to post this, but…here it is, for your pleasure and consideration. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below.

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.)]

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

– Stuart Chase

Take a moment to notice how you feel – maybe even do that 90-second thing.

I mention all the time that what is happening in this moment, including how we feel, is the culmination of all the moments that have come before and that this moment is the beginning of everything that comes next – including how we feel in the next moment. But, take a moment to consider how what you think and believe about what’s happening (and what you’re feeling) directly impact this moment… and therefore all the other moments. What we think and what we believe impact not only what we are feeling, but also what we are doing and how we do it. So, go a little deeper into what you believe.

There was a time, when people within the Roman Catholic tradition referred to today as the Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today in 1854, however, Pope Pius IX issued a dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception – declaring her “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin” – and making today the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Today is one of almost 20 Marian feast days on the Roman Catholic Calendar – not to mention the many local and regional days devoted to this holy mother. Eastern Orthodox Christian churches have a different calendar, as well as a different definition of Immaculate Conception, and celebrate tomorrow, December 9th, as the Feast of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos or the Feast of the Conception of the Virgin Mary.

“…what had been lost in the first Adam would be gloriously restored in the Second Adam. From the very beginning, and before time began, the eternal Father chose and prepared for his only-begotten Son a Mother in whom the Son of God would become incarnate and from whom, in the blessed fullness of time, he would be born into this world. Above all creatures did God so love her that truly in her was the Father well pleased with singular delight. Therefore, far above all the angels and all the saints so wondrously did God endow her with the abundance of all heavenly gifts poured from the treasury of his divinity that this mother, ever absolutely free of all stain of sin, all fair and perfect, would possess that fullness of holy innocence and sanctity than which, under God, one cannot even imagine anything greater, and which, outside of God, no mind can succeed in comprehending fully.”

– quoted from Ineffabilis Deus by Pope Pius IX (“Given at St. Peter’s in Rome, in the eighth day of December, 1854, in the either year of our pontificate.”)

Pope Pius IX was pope from June of 1846 until February 1878 – and, for most of that time, he was also the (last) Sovereign Ruler of the Papal States, making him simultaneously “King” and “Pope.” Meaning, he was the last pope to serve as both a secular and spiritual ruler and therefore he was officially concerned with both secular and spiritual issues. Sometimes, there were obvious conflicts. At one point during his reign he was seen as liberal enough to appoint an enlightened minister; release religious political prisoners; and nullify the requirement for Jewish people to attend Mass. However, he also upheld the Church’s right to remove a child from their Jewish parents simply because the Church recognized the child as Catholic (it’s a long and sketchy story). Some people’s opinion of him changed after he released a very dogmatic encyclical, today in 1864, condemning what he defined as 80 errors or heresies of the modern age (including liberalism, modernism, and secularization, just to name a few).

If you are Catholic, or even some version of Christian, certain aspects of today’s practice may feel extra connected to the story and symbolism of the Virgin Mary. If you are not Catholic, or even Christian, you may not even notice those elements – except when they feel good to you or not so good to you. This is true of every one of my practices. There is always a physical-mental element, as well as the emotional-energetic elements and psychic-symbolic. Sometimes I break down the meanings and the whys and wherefores of a practice. Every once in a while, however, I just put it out there – and then each element is significant to you based on what you feel, think, and believe. This happens not only with the sequence and the stories I choose to tell, but also with the music. Noticing how you feel about any and all of that (i.e., self-study) is a key element of the practice.

Yoga Sūtra 2.44: svādhyāyādişţadevatāsamprayogah

– “From self-study comes the opportunity to be in the company of bright beings [of our choice].”

Today’s playlist features a few of the many really amazing musicians who were born on this date (and one really amazing musician who was killed on this date). Notice how your prior connection to the music and/or the musicians changes your experience of the practice. Notice, also, the times when you don’t have a prior experience and yet you are still able to get something out of the moment.

“‘If I don’t work out, my back and legs start to ache. So for me to keep working, I have to work out. But it doesn’t have to be a Dorian Gray kind of thing; simply exercising and eating healthy really is the fountain of youth. And it helps with how I look – which, as a performer, is definitely a part of my job.’”

– Phil Collen, quoted about his cardio, lifting, and Muy Thai kickboxing exercise regime and vegan diet in “Work-Life Balance: Get Fit, Lose Weight: What Happened When I Tried Def Leppard Guitarist Phil Collen’s Fitness Program” by Jeff Haden, published on Inc.com (June 1, 2017)

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

“Music for the Date” features Sir James Galway (b. 1939), Sinead O’Connor (b. 1966), Sammy Davis Jr. (b. 1925), Jim Morrison (b. 1943), Gregg Allman (b. 1947), Phil Collen (b. 1957), John Lennon (d. 1980) – with references Nicki Minaj (b. 1982) and Sam Hunt (b. 1984). If I remix the playlist it will also include part of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, which premiered today 1813.

“During the later war years, he had composed the Seventh Symphony in the Bohemian town of Teplitz in 1811 – 1812 and Wellington’s Victory, both of which were premiered in Vienna on December 8, 1813 at a charity concert for wounded soldiers. Beethoven conducted the concert himself and addressed the audience before the presentation, saying, ‘We are moved by nothing but pure patriotism and the joyful sacrifice of our powers for those who have sacrificed so much for us.’”

– quoted from Double Emperor: The Life and Times of Francis of Austria by Chip Wagar

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