FTWMI (x2): What the Gurus Teach Us & Heart Filled… [revised] August 26, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Women, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, bible, Buddha, Chris Pine, Christopher Isherwood, compassion, Diamond Sutra, Diamond Sutta, Dorothy S. Hunt, Edmund White, Edward W. Desmond, faith, god, Gospel According to St. John, Gwen Costello, Hillel the Elder, Jesus, Love, loving-kindness, lovingkindness, Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize, Qur'an, Swami Prabhavananda, Swami Tattwamayananda, The Gospel According to John, Thornton Wilder, Tom Eubanks, Torah, Vedanta, Yoga Sutra 1.33
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Dormition (Theotokos) Fast; and/or working to cultivate friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).

Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2024. Class details and some links have been added/updated.

“STAGE MANAGER….. – Now there are some things we all know but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

Given the fact that I love Thornton Wilder’s work and that the Stage Manager in Our Town has a special place in my heart — and given the fact that that little bit from Act III plays as a regular loop in my brain — I should not have been caught off guard by a question someone asked Swami Tattwamayananda, the Minister of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, at the end of one of his 2019 lectures on the Bhagavad Gita. But, there I was doing my hair on a Friday, listening to the podcast, and being completely flabbergasted that someone didn’t get the lesson taught by all the “Big G” gurus associated with all the major religions and philosophies.

I’m not going to lie; for a moment, I got “hooked.” My judgement kicked in and I just waited for the answer… the answer I knew was coming. I just didn’t know how it was going to come. I knew it was coming, because (again), it’s the most consistent lesson in the world. It is the lesson that is at the heart (pun intended) of all the major philosophies and religions. In no particular order…

It’s the one underlying most of my practices (and highlighted in all of the practices over the last couple of days).

It’s the one Hillel the Elder taught while standing on one foot.

It’s the one the Buddha taught with a Diamond.

It’s the one the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught with a brother.

It’s the one Jesus taught until his final words and the one Patanjali taught, with a twist. (See below.)

It’s the one taught by so many teachers we could spend our whole lives just naming the teachers (and never even getting to the lesson). But, let’s get (back) to the lesson, the heart filled lesson.

For Those Who Missed It: The following is a revised and expanded version of a 2020 post. The revisions include more information on Christopher Isherwood, citations for quotes, and a coda related to the 2019 Vedanta lesson referenced above.

“… if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

— quoted from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University’s Architects of Peace essay, “Reflections on Working Towards Peace” by Mother Teresa

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

— quoted from (“the last words of Jesus”) in The Gospel According to St. John (19:26 – 27, KJV)

I have officiated three weddings as a yogi and I did this after pretty in-depth conversations with the couples about their relationships, their backgrounds, their expectations, and their love languages. Each wedding was uniquely beautiful — as the relationships are uniquely beautiful. However, I ended each ceremony with the words (above) of Mother Teresa. When someone says, “Start as you mean to go on,” I again think of Mother Teresa’s words; because to me they are as vital in a marriage as they are in any other relationship — including (maybe especially) our relationships with our master teachers and our precious jewels, people with whom we have no peace.

Born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, today in 1910, Mother Teresa spoke words that remind me of one of the Stations of the Cross that falls in the rubric of “the last words of Jesus.” According to The New Testament, specifically The Gospel According to John, when Jesus looks down from the cross to see his mother and one of his disciples, he tells them that they are family. Now, I know that some folks don’t treat every member of their family with love and respect. I know that we all have a moment when we forget what many great minds and sacred texts keep telling us. Yet, the lesson on love and kindness persists. Even before Johannes Gutenberg created the first printed Bible on August 24, 1456, the lesson was there in the Hebrew Bible and in the Christian New Testament. The lesson also appears in the Diamond Sūtra and in the Mettā Sūtra. While I often say that the lesson on offering love, kindness, equanimity, and joy also appears in the Yoga Sūtra — and it does, Patanjali made a distinction that is overlooked in some translations.

“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating feelings of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked [ or non-virtuous].”

— quoted from How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (1.33), translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood

Born today in 1904, Christopher Isherwood was a British-American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, autobiographer, and diarist. He was the author of the semi-autobiographical novel Goodbye to Berlin (1939) — which John van Druten adapted into the 1951 Broadway play I Am a Camera, which was the inspiration for the Broadway musical (1966) and movie Cabaret. He was also the author of A Single Man (1964), a semi-autobiographical gay romance about learning to live despite grief, which was adapted into a film by Tom Ford in 2009, and his 1976 memoir, Christopher and His Kind, (which was also turned into a television movie by the BBC in 2011). When reviewing the author’s diaries in a 2012 LAMBDA Literary article, Tom Eubanks noted Mr. Isherwood’s “melancholia [with] humorous doses of hypochondria and body dysmorphia” and stated that “As Edmund White notes in the preface, there’s a surprising amount of anti-Semitism and misogyny in these pages. Overall, it could be argued that Isherwood was an equal opportunity hater.” At the same time, Christopher Isherwood and his closest friends, like W. H. Auden and Truman Capote, were critical of Nazism and Adolf Hitler.

Other seemingly contradictory aspects of Christopher Isherwood’s life were his long-term relationships with young men and his long-term relationship with the Vedanta Society of Southern California. The former was about romantic (and sexual) love; the latter required so much austerity, discipline, and devotion to spirit (rather than to the flesh) that the author did not a novel during the six years when he was becoming a monk. Yet, there is no denying that, after Gerald Heard and Aldous Huxley introduced him to Vedanta, he was deeply committed to the philosophy. He and Swami Prabhavananda, the society’s founder, even spent 35 years researching, translating, and collaborating on several books and papers.

Christopher Isherwood and Swami Prabhavananda’s collaborations included Bhagavad Gita — The Song of God (1944), which features an introduction by Aldous Huxley, and a translation with commentary of the Yoga Sūtras, called How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (1953). As noted above, they were very explicit and specific about sūtra 1.33; noting in the commentary, “As for the wicked, we must remember Christ’s words: ‘Be not overcome of evil.’ If someone harms us or hates us, our instinct is to answer him with hatred and injury. We may succeed in injuring him, but we shall be injuring ourselves much more, and our hatred will throw our own mind into confusion.”

This, too, seems to be a lesson Mother Teresa carried close to her heart. She was considered a saint by some, a pariah by others; but, there is no denying that she served, taught, and ministered to the poor, the sick, and the hungry in a way that fed bodies as well as minds. She heard her (religious) calling at the age of 12 and left home at 18-years old. She was an ethnic Albanian who claimed Indian citizenship; Catholic faith; said, “As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus;” and considered August 27^th, the date of her baptism, as her true birthday. She took her religious vows in Dalkey, Ireland in 1931. Her chosen name was after Thérèsa de Lisieux, the patron saint of missionaries; however, she chose a different spelling as the Loreta Abbey already had a nun named Theresa.

“You in the West have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted.”

— quoted from “Pentecost: Spiritual Poverty — Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost — Spiritual poverty of Western World” in Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

— Mother Teresa, quoted from the December 4, 1989, TIME interview, “Interview with MOTHER Teresa: A Pencil In the Hand Of God” by Edward W. Desmond

While teaching in Calcutta, India, Teresa heard God telling her to leave the safety and comfort of the convent so that she could live with and minister to the poor. With permission from the Vatican, she started what would become the Missionaries of Charity. 13 nuns joined Teresa by taking vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and devotion to God through “wholehearted free service to the poorest of poor.” When Pope Paul VI gave her a limousine, she raffled it and gave the proceeds to charity. When she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she asked that the money that would normally go towards a gala dinner be donated to charity. When the Nobel committee asked her what people should do to promote peace, she said, “Go home and love your family.” During her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, she also said, “Love begins at home.”

When Mother Teresa died in 1977, Missionaries of Charity had expanded beyond India. It had become a worldwide institution with more than 4,000 workers in 133 countries. The organizations ongoing efforts include orphanages, homes for people suffering from tuberculosis, leprosy, and HIV/AIDs. Mother Teresa opened soup kitchens, mobile health clinics, schools, and shelters in places like Harlem and Greenwich Village, while also brokering a temporary cease-fire in the Middle East in order to rescue children trapped in a hospital on the front lines.

All of the above is why some consider her a saint. However, the celebrity status her work earned her, as well as her pro-life position, was criticized by people who felt she was hurting the poor as much as she was helping them. For every documentary, book, and article praising her, there is a documentary, book, and article demonizing her. While she was known to have “dark nights of the soul,” or crises of faith, she continued to wash her $1 sari every day and go out in service to the world.

“Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within the reach of every hand. Anyone can gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, spirit of prayer, and sacrifice, by an intense inner life.”

— quoted from the front page of Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

“It is not how much we are doing but how much love we put into doing it. It makes no difference what we are doing. What you are doing, I cannot do, and what I am doing you cannot do. But all of us are doing what God has given us to do. Only sometimes we forget and spend more time looking at somebody else and wishing we were doing something else (HP, 138).”

— quoted from “Pentecost: Martha and Mary — Monday — Wishing we were doing something else” in Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

𝄌

“Intense love does not measure, it just gives.”

— Mother Teresa, quoted from “22. A Simple Response” in Spiritual Gems from Mother Teresa by Gwen Costello

So there it is: the lesson that, according to the Stage Manager in Our Town, “All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact.” And, there is no denying that we can’t seem to hang on to it. Because, if we got it — really, really got it — we would not be so disconnected, disenfranchised, and without peace.

While I (mostly) hold on to the lesson, I sometimes forget that not everyone gets it. So, as I mentioned before, I was flabbergasted to hear the 2019 exchange between an unnamed person and Swami Tattwamayananda — an exchange that could have just as easily been between Christopher Isherwood and Swami Prabhavananda in the 1930s or any other teacher at any other time in history. I paused, hands still in my hair, and this is what I heard:

“Unnamed Person: You mentioned compassion for others as leading to a state of equilibrium or — I was wondering what that has to do with – anything, really. Why is that important?

Swami Tattwamayananda: Compassion for —

Unnamed Person: Compassion for others, and purity of thought. Why is that important to —?

Swami Tattwamayananda: Yeah. Vedanta tells you that this spiritual reality is present in everyone and everything. So compassion is not really an act of charity. It is rooted in the idea of the spiritual unity and oneness of humanity. So, when we show compassion to somebody, we are spiritually helping our self. When we do not do that, when we are [doing] harm to someone, we are spiritually doing harm to our self. So, the idea of the spiritual oneness of humanity, [of] one spiritual family, that is the practical aspect of Vedanta metaphysics.

The metaphysics tells you the same reality is present in everyone. It’s practical application makes you a better human being. And that, compassion, humanistic impulse is not an act of charity. It’s rooted in the understanding and realization of the fact that when we do good to others, we are doing good to our self. And the opposite way! When we do harm to others, we are doing harm to our self.

The spiritual unity and oneness of existence is the foundation of this compassion.”

— quoted from an exchange between a person in attendance and Swami Tattwamayananda (at the end of the guru’s lecture, “4 – The Real and the Unreal: Beyond Pain and Pleasure,” recorded February 22, 2019 as part of the “Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta” lecture series)

Please join me today (Tuesday, August 26^th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s heart-filled playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08262020 Heart Filled for Teresa & 2 Christophers”]

(The second “Christopher” is Chris Pine, born today in 1980, so I have also previously offered last week’s (Courage filled) playlist, which is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08192020 To Boldly Go with Courage”])

It’s hard to be loving or kind — to yourself or another — when you’re uncomfortable. Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

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

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

— a compilation quoted attributed to Mother Teresa

### LOVE MORE (hate less) ###

BELIEVING, SITTING, CELEBRATING HUMANS (the “missing” Tuesday post) February 4, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Bhakti, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Kumbh Mela, Life, Music, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Believing, Black History Month, Carnival, Civil Rights, Gupta Navaratri, Haiwang Yuan, human rights, humanity, Katyayani, Kumbha Mēlā, Lunar New Year, Magha Navaratri, Maha Kumbh Mela, Margaret Bonds, Michael Ann Williams, Navaratri, Nüwa, Rosa Parks, Rosa Parks Day, Samyama, Season for Nonviolence, Spring Festival, Sunn m'Cheaux, Swami Vivekananda, Thornton Wilder, Year of the Snake, Yoga Sutra 3.35, Yoga Sutra 3.53, Zulu
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“Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Magha Gupta Navaratri!” “Happy (Lunar) New Year!” and/or “Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, and especially those observing Maha Kumbh Mela and/or Rosa Parks Day*.

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

This is the “missing” post for Tuesday, February 4^th. It is a compilation post featuring some new material, previously posted content, and excerpts. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

“STAGE MANAGER….. – Now there are some things we all know but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

“We find, in studying history, one fact held in common by all the great teachers of religion the world ever had. They all claim to have got their truths from beyond, only many of them did not know where they got them from.”

— quoted from “Chapter VII: Dhyana and Samadhi” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, Raja-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda

In Our Town, which had it’s Broadway premiere at Henry Miller’s Theatre today in 1938, Thornton Wilder wrote a monologue (actually, a whole play) about something that — if not “unique to being human” — is at least an essential part of being human. In Raja Yoga, Swami Vivekananda wrote about people who had knowledge of something similar… maybe even the same thing. But, the Stage Manager doesn’t lay out what the thing is and Swami Vivekananda was focused on how we get knowledge and understanding of this universal truth.

So, on a certain level, we must turn inward and ask ourselves what it means to be human.

Or, better yet, you can ask yourself what you BELIEVE it means to be human. “Believing” is the “Season for Nonviolence” principle of the day and it highlights the fact that what we believe, in our heart of hearts, shapes our thoughts, words, and deeds — and, by extension, the world. Patanjali made this point in Yoga Sūtra 3.35 (which is 3.33 or 3.34 in some translations), when he indicated that “By practicing samyama (focus-concentration-meditation] on the heart, knowledge of the mind is attained.”

We see proof of this application when we look at the stories behind the beliefs related to rituals and traditions related to Carnival and Maha Kumbh Mela celebrations; this seventh day of the Lunar New Year/Spring Festival — which some consider to be the birthday of all humans — as well as the stories and beliefs related to Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations. This sixth day of Navaratri is dedicated to Katyayani, one of the fiercest (and most violent) ways that Durga shows up in the celebration. She rides a lion; is associated with red (as a color symbolizing courage); kills the biggest demon(s); and has multiple hands (4, 10, or 18, depending on the depiction). One of those hands is in the “stop the ignorance” mudra.

And, speaking of warrior goddesses who stop ignorance: We can apply Yoga Sūtra 3.35 to the beliefs of someone like Rosa Parks, who was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, today in 1913.

“I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.”

— Rosa Parks (b. 1913)

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT ROSA PARKS.

FTWMI: “Rooted Deep in a Moment (a special [revised] Black History note)” *UPDATED*

“Nüwa could not stand seeing the decimation of the humans and other creatures she had created. She was determined to rescue them. Facing such a large-scale calamity, Nüwa did not panic. Instead, she prioritized what she was going to do. She decided that the damage to the sky was the cause of everything, so she took to the task of mending it. She collected a great number of mulitcolored stones from a riverbed, built a furnace in the Zhonghuang Mountain, and, after forty-nine days, melted the stones and created a huge piece of colorful slate. Embedding the slate in the hole, Nüwa managed to fix the leaking sky. Her action produced an unexpected side effect: the shining colors of the slate added to the sky a moon, a rainbow, and numerous stars.”

— quoted from “The Origin of Human Beings“ in The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese by Haiwang Yuan (with Forward by Michael Ann Williams)

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT NÜWA THE 7th DAY OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR (plus a preview of a weekend post).

Celebrating(,) Being Humans (a 2-for-1 “missing” post)

“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”

— Rosa Parks

Tuesday’s (primary) playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02082022 Celebrating Being Humans”]

Tuesday’s (alternate) playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02042024 Sitting, Breathing… on a Bus”]

NOTE: The before/after music (for the alternate playlist) is slightly different on each platform, as the YouTube playlist includes videos of some featured songs. Both playlists also include Margaret Bonds’s Montgomery Variations and a podcast episode about the women who started the Montgomery Bus Boycotts; however, the Spotify playlist does not include the short from one of my favorite [haa-vahd] professors.

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).

*NOTE: Rosa Parks Day is currently celebrated today in Missouri and Massachusetts; on the first Monday after her birthday in Michigan and California; and on the anniversary of the day she was arrested (December 1, 1955) in Ohio, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon and several cities and counties.

### As they say in Zulu, “Sawubona!” [“I see you!”] and “Yebo, sawubona!” [“I see you seeing me.”] ###

Our Time, Our Story (an abridged post) January 22, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Thornton Wilder
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Many blessings to everyone, and especially those observing Maha Kumbh Mela.

May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in a larger context. Class details and some formatting have been added or updated.

“Our claim, our hope, our despair are in the mind – not in things, not in ‘scenery.’ Molière said that for the theatre all he needed was a platform and a passion or two. The climax of this play needs only five square feet of boarding and the passion to know what life means to us.”

— quoted from the “Preface” of Three Plays: Our Town, The Matchmaker, and The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder

What does life mean to you? More specifically, what does your life mean to you and how are you spending this time you have been given? How could you spend your time in a way that reflects what your life means to you?

I ask some variation of these questions on a fairly regular basis. People all over the world may ask themselves some variation of these questions during moments of great upheaval, moments of great challenge, and/or moments of great change. These questions are at the heart of most works by Thornton Wilder, but are especially poignant and salient in his 1938 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town, which premiered today in 1938, at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey, and then opened in Boston before its Broadway premiere at Henry Miller’s Theatre on February 4, 1938.

In the preface to a collection of three of his plays, Thornton Wilder not only indicated what he was doing with his work, but why he was doing it. He wrote, “Every action which has ever taken place – every thought, every emotion – has taken place only once, at one moment in time and place. ‘I love you,’ ‘I rejoice,’ ‘I suffer,’ have been said and felt many billions of times, and never twice the same. Every person who has ever lived has lived an unbroken succession of unique occasions. Yet the more one is aware of this individuality in experience (innumerable! innumerable!) the more one becomes attentive to what these disparate moments have in common, to repetitive patterns.” Then he questioned how we tell our stories — our truths — and how different mediums have different powers. Theatre, he believed, elevates individual experiences to universal experiences in a way that transcends single moments in time.

Our Town is a play-within-a-play, with the “external” play taking place in the theater where the play is being presented and the “interior” play taking place in Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire (beginning on May 7, 1901). In addition to the Stage Manager, who “breaks the fourth wall” by introducing the audience to the scenario and offering commentary throughout the play, Our Town focuses on the inhabitants of Grover’s Corners. In particular, it focuses on young Emily Webb and George Gibb.

The young couple do things that many people do in the span of 12 years. They grow up, they fall in love, they get married, they start a family. They also lose people they love. In fact, the final act of the play takes place on a hilltop cemetery overlooking the town and is all about loss. It begins with the Stage Manager’s monologue about all the things that changed — as well as all the things that stayed the same — between the second act and the summer of 1913, which marks the end of the play. It references many people who died before the play every began and older characters that died during the time period of the play. Then the Stage Manager gets to one of the great tragedies of the play: young Emily Webb died giving birth to her second child. When Emily is given the chance to re-experience one single moment of her life, she chooses her 12th birthday.

“EMILY…. – (She flings her arms wide in an ecstasy of realization) Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anyone to realize you! (Thinking a moment, she half-turns to the STAGE MANAGER, questioning more gently:) Does any human beings ever realize life while they live it – every, every minute?

**STAGE MANAGER. (Quietly) No – Saints and poets maybe – they do some.”**

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

For many people around the world, including the people in the fictional Grover’s Corners, birthdays are a time of celebration. A time when family and friends gather together to celebrate someone and to wish them well as the begin their next journey around the sun. The older a person gets — the more they live — the more likely they are to not only celebrate, but also to reflect. The longer someone lives they more opportunities they have to look back at how they have spent their time and consider how they want to move forward. Birthdays, after all, are liminal moments, threshold moments, and — when we think of them as personal new year’s days — they are new beginnings.

Of course, any time we are beginning, we must ask ourselves, “How do we begin?”

“STAGE MANAGER…. How do such things begin? George and Emily are going to show you now the conversation they had when they first knew that – as the saying goes – they were meant for one another. But before they do that I want you to try and remember what it was like to have been very young, and particularly the days when you were first in love; when you were like a person sleep-walking, and you didn’t quite see the street you were walking in, and you didn’t quite hear everything that was said to you. You’re just a little bit crazy. Will you remember that, please?”

— quoted from Act II of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

Please join me today (Wednesday, January 22^nd) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “01222022 Our Time, Our Story”]

“STAGE MANAGER….. – Now there are some things we all know but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

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).

### “…my advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it is on your plate; that’s my philosophy.” ~ from The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder ###

What the Gurus Teach Us & FTWMI: Heart Filled… [revised] (a post-practice Monday post) August 26, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Women, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, Buddha, Chris Pine, Christopher Isherwood, compassion, Diamond Sutra, Diamond Sutta, Dorothy S. Hunt, Edmund White, Edward W. Desmond, Gospel According to St. John, Gwen Costello, Hillel the Elder, Jesus, Love, loving-kindness, lovingkindness, Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize, Qur'an, Swami Prabhavananda, Swami Tattwamayananda, The Gospel According to John, Thornton Wilder, Tom Eubanks, Torah, Vedanta, Yoga Sutra 1.33
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Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.

This is a post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, August 26^th. It also includes references to the 2023 practice on this date. The 2024 prompt question was, “What is (and/or what is the source of) your favorite love lesson?” 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.)

“STAGE MANAGER….. – Now there are some things we all know but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

It’s the one underlying most of my practices (and highlighted in all of the practices over the last couple of days).

It’s the one Hillel the Elder taught while standing on one foot.

It’s the one the Buddha taught with a Diamond.

It’s the one the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught with a brother.

It’s the one Jesus taught until his final words and the one Patanjali taught, with a twist. (See below.)

For Those Who Missed It: The following is a revised and expanded version of a 2020 post. The revisions include more information on Christopher Isherwood, citations for quotes, and a coda related to the 2019 Vedanta lesson referenced above.

“… if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

— quoted from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University’s Architects of Peace essay, “Reflections on Working Towards Peace” by Mother Teresa

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

— quoted from (“the last words of Jesus”) in The Gospel According to St. John (19:26 – 27, KJV)

“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating feelings of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked [ or non-virtuous].”

— quoted from How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (1.33), translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood

“You in the West have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted.”

— quoted from “Pentecost: Spiritual Poverty — Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost — Spiritual poverty of Western World” in Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

— Mother Teresa, quoted from the December 4, 1989, TIME interview, “Interview with MOTHER Teresa: A Pencil In the Hand Of God” by Edward W. Desmond

“Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within the reach of every hand. Anyone can gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, spirit of prayer, and sacrifice, by an intense inner life.”

— quoted from the front page of Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

“It is not how much we are doing but how much love we put into doing it. It makes no difference what we are doing. What you are doing, I cannot do, and what I am doing you cannot do. But all of us are doing what God has given us to do. Only sometimes we forget and spend more time looking at somebody else and wishing we were doing something else (HP, 138).”

— quoted from “Pentecost: Martha and Mary — Monday — Wishing we were doing something else” in Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

𝄌

“Intense love does not measure, it just gives.”

— Mother Teresa, quoted from “22. A Simple Response” in Spiritual Gems from Mother Teresa by Gwen Costello

“Unnamed Person: You mentioned compassion for others as leading to a state of equilibrium or — I was wondering what that has to do with – anything, really. Why is that important?

Swami Tattwamayananda: Compassion for —

Unnamed Person: Compassion for others, and purity of thought. Why is that important to —?

Swami Tattwamayananda: Yeah. Vedanta tells you that this spiritual reality is present in everyone and everything. So compassion is not really an act of charity. It is rooted in the idea of the spiritual unity and oneness of humanity. So, when we show compassion to somebody, we are spiritually helping our self. When we do not do that, when we are [doing] harm to someone, we are spiritually doing harm to our self. So, the idea of the spiritual oneness of humanity, [of] one spiritual family, that is the practical aspect of Vedanta metaphysics.

The metaphysics tells you the same reality is present in everyone. It’s practical application makes you a better human being. And that, compassion, humanistic impulse is not an act of charity. It’s rooted in the understanding and realization of the fact that when we do good to others, we are doing good to our self. And the opposite way! When we do harm to others, we are doing harm to our self.

The spiritual unity and oneness of existence is the foundation of this compassion.”

— quoted from an exchange between a person in attendance and Swami Tattwamayananda (at the end of the guru’s lecture, “4 – The Real and the Unreal: Beyond Pain and Pleasure,” recorded February 22, 2019 as part of the “Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta” lecture series)

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

The heart-filled playlist used in previous years is available is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08262020 Heart Filled for Teresa & 2 Christophers”]

It’s hard to be loving or kind — to yourself or another — when you’re uncomfortable. Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.

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).

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

— a compilation quoted attributed to Mother Teresa

### LOVE MORE (hate less) ###

Accepting Rachel’s Challenge & Entering the Garden (a Saturday post-practice compilation) April 20, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Baha'i, Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Loss, Love, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Riḍván, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Abrahamic, Buddha, Columbine High School, compassion, Craig Scott, Earth Day, Jack Hawley, Khalid, kriya yoga, loving-kindness, lovingkindness, Mark Pettit, Metta, Nahshon, P!nk, Rachel Joy Scott, Ridvan, Taboo, The New Yorker, Thornton Wilder, Trace, Universal House of Justice, yoga sutras
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“Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent! Happy National Poetry Month!

This is a post-practice post for Saturday, April 20^th is a compilation post (with a coda). It features some new information and some content previously posted in a slightly different context about religious observations and also about an anti-bullying non-profit. NOTE: Some embedded links will take you outside of the blog. Some links and date-related information have been updated. You can request an audio recording of a related 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). You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

SOME NOTES ON SUFFERING:

**“[Bridge: P!nk, Khalid & Both]
Hope floats away
If you could spend a day in my shoes
Your mind would change
If you knew what I’ve gone through
We want the same (Yeah, we do)**
Maybe then you’d understand
How it hurts to be human, oh”

— quoted from the song “Hurts 2B Human” by P!nk, featuring Khalid

A lot of weeks are devoted to the subject of suffering, on and off the mat. Sure, we all have friends that are suffering this week — and then there’s all the general suffering in the world. Because there is, and has always been, a lot of suffering in the world; there is, and has always been, a desire for the end of suffering. There is, and has always been, people actively seeking an end to suffering. That’s why there are so many paths, practices, and methods that — on some level — promise an end to suffering. That’s why there are so many really great books, poems, movies, plays, and songs about suffering and how people deal with suffering.

Suffering, it turns out, is interesting and inspiring.

One of the things I find interesting about humans and suffering is how often we tie our salvation to something more than ourselves and our own agency. What’s particularly interesting to me is that when we look at religious traditions (and philosophical traditions that are sometimes culturally religious), the teachings very specifically connect the end of suffering to our own agency and something more than ourselves… something divine, or Divine.

“[Chorus]
What if you were told that today
Was the last day of your life
Did you live it right?
Love is a gift you give away
And it reignites
Don’t wait, don’t let it pass you by
(don’t let it pass you by)”

— quoted from the song “The Fight” by Taboo

Over the last few weeks (and in the upcoming weeks), all of the Abrahamic religious traditions — and at least one tradition with ties to the Abrahamic religions — have been engaged in sacred celebrations and rituals that are tied to suffering and the end of suffering. These observations include Lent and Easter in the Western Christian communities; Great Lent and the upcoming Easter in Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions; the holy month of Ramadān in Islām; a celebration of the Buddha’s birthday (in some Japanese traditions); and Chaitra Navaratri and Rama Navami in Hindu communities. Even Purim in the Jewish tradition and Holi in the Hindu tradition have a connection to stories about suffering and the alleviation of suffering.

Additionally, Jewish communities around the world will begin Passover on Monday night this year (and begin Counting the Omer on Tuesday night); some communities with celebrate Hanuman Jayanti this week; and, a couple of hours before sunset last night (Friday, the 19^th ), the Bahá’í community began it’s most auspicious time: Riḍván

ENTERING THE GARDEN:

“A determination to be outward looking in the process of community building had already become an established aspect of culture in many, many places; it has now blossomed, in a rising number of communities, into a sense of real responsibility for the spiritual and material progress of larger and larger groups within society, well beyond the membership of the Bahá’í community itself. The efforts of the friends to build communities, to engage in social action, and to contribute to the prevalent discourses of society have cohered into one global enterprise, bound together by a common framework for action, focused on helping humanity to establish its affairs on a foundation of spiritual principles.”

— quoted from the Riḍván 2022 message from the Universal House of Justice “To the Bahá’is of the World”

Friday night marked the beginning of the twelve-day festival of Ridván, “the Most Great Festival” in the Baháʼí Faith. As I mentioned last month, the Baháʼí Faith is a monotheistic faith that believes in the oneness of God and religion, as well as the oneness and nobility of humanity. The community believes that, historically, there has been a “progressive revelation of religious truth” which has been shared with the world through the voices of the prophets or Divine Messengers, known as “Manifestations of God” (which include “Braham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh”). People within the faith are taught to honor the value of different religious and philosophical traditions as well as the value of education, especially in science (which is viewed by some faiths as being contrary to religion).

The Bahá’í calendar begins around the Vernal (Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and has 19 months with 19 days — each named for one of the 19 names/manifestations/attributes of God. For example, “Splendor” and “Glory” are the English translations for Bahá and Jalál, the first two months (and days) of this solar calendar. There are also 4 or 5 intercalary days that occur just before the final month and which are considered “transcendent” in nature. The calendar is partially tied to the Gregorian calendar, in that days on each calendar always correspond with each other; however, the Bahá’í calendar is very much focused around its own historical liturgy. Hence, why 2024-2025 is the year 181 BE (Bahá’í Era).

The twelve-day festival of Ridván, one of the holiest times within the Bahá’í community, is celebrated during the second month and begins exactly one Gregorian-month after the new year. This “Most Great Festival” in the Baháʼí Faith honors the time that the founder of the Bahá’i Faith, Bahá’u’lláh, waited in the original garden of Ridván prior to being exiled to Constantinople. The Arabic word ridván means “paradise” and I indicated “the original garden,” because in addition to the garden outside of Baghdad, where the great spiritual leader (considered a manifestation of the Divine) prepared for his exile, there is a second garden with the same name in Israel, which Bahá’u’lláh visited after years of exile.

The festival is a sacred time of prayer, reflection, and celebration. This year’s celebrations began two hours before sunset on Friday — with the specific timing meant to commemorate the actual time, in 1863, when Bahá’u’lláh entered the Najíbíyyih Garden with his three sons and his secretary and began to receive the visitors who wanted to wish him well before his departure. It was during this time, in the space he called “paradise,” that Bahá’u’lláh declared himself as the most recent manifestation of God; that all religious wars were repealed; that there would not be another manifestation of the God for another 1,000 years; and that the names of God (or attributes of the divine) are manifested in all things. To honor the fact that he made these announcements, the Universal House of Justice issues an annual Ridván message. They also hold elections held during this time. The first day (April 20^th, this year), the ninth day (Sunday the 28^th), and the twelfth day (Wednesday, May 1^st) are considered the most holy of days. The ninth day is auspicious because it is the day the rest of Bahá’u’lláh’s family joined him in the garden and it is also the beginning of the third month, Jamál (“Beauty”).

“Across the Bahá’í world there is an increased depth of understanding about what is required to further extend the process of community building and effect profound social transformation. But with every passing day, we see too the condition of the world grow more desperate, its divisions more severe. The escalating tensions within societies and between nations affect peoples and places in a myriad ways.

This demands from every conscientious soul a response. We are all too aware that the community of the Greatest Name cannot expect to be unaffected by the travails of society. Yet, though it is affected by these travails, it is not confused by them; it is saddened by humanity’s sufferings, but not paralysed by them. Heartfelt concern must prompt sustained effort to build communities that offer hope in place of despair, unity in place of conflict.”

— quoted from the Riḍván 2024 message from the Universal House of Justice “To the Bahá’is of the World”

In the list (above) of overlapping observations, I did not include Earth Day (which is Monday), because it is not a religious holiday, per se. However, it is still connected to suffering on this planet, a desire to end that suffering, and the realization that the path to that freedom from suffering must come from a global community acting together… which would be divine.

Because everyone uses different calendars, this conflux doesn’t happen the same way every year. Yes, there is usually an overlap between Passover and at least one Holy Week; however, some years are different. Some years, these sacred times overlap tragic anniversaries related to April 19^th and 20^th. When that happens, there’s more suffering and more awareness of the different ways we could/can/might end suffering — in ourselves and in the world around us.

There’s just one problem. Actually, there are several problems.

One, we don’t always pay attention to the right part of the stories. You know, the part where we have to practice what we preach, act in ways that are congruent to our beliefs, and — like Hanuman (or Nahshon) — take giant leaps (or wade in the water) in order to help and/or save others. Two, we sometimes forget that we are community; that while it may hurt 2b human, we have each other and we (can) have each other’s backs. We forget how breaking bread with someone (whether it be on Spy Wednesday, Easter Wednesday, or a Purim banquet) can reveal the true nature of things. Finally, we all too often lash out at others when we are suffering.

Sometimes we lash out like Pharaoh (in the story of Passover) — and our hardened hearts result in everyone being plagued with more and more suffering. Other times we are like Judas (in the Passion story) — and we lash out in ways that seem small, inconsequential, and petty; but have magnificent consequences. Then there are times when someone gives us a plan to alleviate the suffering in our own heart and mind — as Krishna’s mother gave him (in the Holi story). Other times, our personal suffering is like that of Jesus’s followers who, once their suffering is alleviated by a striking realization, go on to share the good so that others may also find relief from their suffering.

All the stories told during these holy observations and celebrations are reminders that we are in community — even when we are not in a religious community. While there are bullies and bad guys in these stories, there are also reminders that any one of us can make a good (meaningful) difference. We can be Moses or Aaron or Miriam or Nahshon. We can be any of the disciples or Marys or Martha or Joanna. We can be like Hanuman. We can be like Mahagauri. We can be like Baháʼu’lláh, in that we bring communities together even as we are being separated.

Finally, we can be like Rachel Joy Scott whose legacy is a challenge. It’s not a religious challenge, it’s an existential challenge. It’s a challenge that could not only change your life, it could change the lives of those around you.

ACCEPTING RACHEL’S CHALLENGE:

WARNING: This post specifically references a horrific and tragic event from 1999. You can skip most of these references by jumping from the first highlighted quote to the second highlighted quote.

CLICK HERE if you are interested in the 2022 post which features more philosophy.

“Compassion is the greatest form of love that humans have to offer. According to Webster’s Dictionary, compassion means a feeling of sympathy for another person’s misfortune. My definition is forgiving, loving, helping, leading, and showing mercy for others. I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”

— quoted from the essay “My Ethics, My Codes of Life” by Rachel Joy Scott (written in period 5)

Back in 2018, as one of my Kiss My Asana yogathon offerings, I referenced a lot — well, some — of the people who tragically lost their lives throughout history on April 19^th and 20^th. One of the people I mentioned was Rachel Joy Scott — the first person shot at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. In some ways, it is hard to believe that 22 25 years have passed since that mass shooting. Remember that mass shooting that some people thought would change everything? It’s equally hard to believe that there are adults — people who can serve in the armed forces, legally vote, and in some cases legally drink alcohol in the United States — who were not even born when 2 high school seniors killed 12 people and injured 24 others before taking their own lives. It’s mind-boggling to me that (based on ~~recent~~ events in early 2021 and data compiled by The New Yorker and Trace in 2019) there ~~have~~ had been over 200 mass shootings in the United States since April 20, 1999. (As of April 2022, there ~~have~~ had been over 300 mass shootings in schools since this week in 1999. As I post this in April 2024, there have been over 400 mass shootings in schools since this week in 1999.) Those shootings have affected hundreds of thousands upon thousands of lives. Furthermore, it is astounding that what was (at the time) the fifth deadliest shooting in the United States (after World War II) “is now not even in the top ten.”

I’m not going to spend my time here (or in class) talking about my opinion about gun control and/or the 2^nd Amendment. Nor am I going to spend a lot of time stating the obvious fact that, as the statistics and the lives lost clearly attest, we have a problem — because, let’s be honest, we have a lot of problems right now. What I am going to focus on today is Rachel’s Challenge. Not the program (although I will mention that) so much as the idea(l).

“I am sure that my codes of life may be very different from yours, but how do you know that trust, compassion, and beauty will not make this world a better place to be in and this life a better one to live? My codes may seem like a fantasy that can never be reached, but test them for yourself, and see the kind of effect they have in the lives of people around you. You just may start a chain reaction.”

— quoted from the essay “My Ethics, My Codes of Life” by Rachel Joy Scott (written in period 5)

Somewhere on her person, perhaps in her backpack, 17-year old Rachel Joy Scott had a notebook. It was one of several notebooks that turned up after Rachel’s death. Some of the notebooks were full of thoughts, poetry, and art she was just sharing with herself. Some of the notebooks, however, were a form of communication between her and her “big brother” Mark Pettit. They would each write in the notebooks and then swap them during small groups at church.

The notebooks became a way for Rachel’s family to tell her story and also a way to spread her message about the importance of compassion. They, along with the stories that other people shared about their encounters with Rachel, led her family to start Rachel’s Challenge, a non-profit that creates “programs that promote a positive climate in K-12 schools.” They also have comprehensive programs for colleges and businesses.

On the foundation’s website, the Rachel’s Challenge mission is stated as “Making schools safer, more connected places where bullying and violence are replaced with kindness and respect; and where learning and teaching are awakened to their fullest.” They also indicate that when the program is fully implemented, “partner schools achieve statistically significant gains in community engagement, faculty/student relationships, leadership potential, and school climate; along with reductions in bullying, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.”

“ANTROBUS: …. Oh, I’ve never forgotten for long at a time that living is struggle. I know that every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor-edge of danger and must be fought for — whether it’s a field, or a home, or a country. All I ask is the chance to build new worlds and God has always given us that second chance, and has given us [opening the book] voices to guide us; and the memory of our mistakes to warn us. Maggie, you and I must remember in peace time all those resolves that were clear to us in the days of war. Maggie, we’ve come a long ways. We’ve learned. We’re learning. And the steps of our journey are marked for us here.”

— quoted from The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder

I did not know Rachel Joy Scott or Cassie Bernall (17), Steven Curnow (14), Corey DePooter (17), Kelly Fleming (16), Matthew Kechter (16), Daniel Mauser (15), Daniel Rohrbough (15), Isaiah Shoels (18), John Tomlin (16), Lauren Townsend (18), Kyle Velasquez (16), William “Dave” Sanders (47), nor (to my knowledge) do I know anyone else that was in Littleton, Colorado, today in 1999. I did not know the two seniors that wrecked so much havoc (and whose names I am choosing not to post, even though their families also suffered greatly.) I am not affiliated with the foundation Rachel’s family started and neither have I gone through their program. However, I believe in the message and I believe in the idea(l).

I have seen the chain reaction that starts with compassion and kindness — just as I have seen the chain reaction that begins with a lack of empathy and a lack of equanimity. In that essay she wrote in period 5, Rachel talked about first, second, and third impressions and how they don’t always give you a full picture of someone. She wrote, “Did you ever ask them what their goal in life is, what kind of past they came from, did they experience love, did they experience hurt, did you look into their soul and not just at their appearance?” We are, right here and right now, experiencing the chain reactions that occur when we don’t really see each other and when we don’t recognize the fact that we are all connected. We are — right here and right now — about to set off a new chain reaction.

Quick, ask yourself: What is motivating you and what do you expect to come out of your actions?

“One of the big things we’re focused on is how you see yourself. Each and every one of us in this room has a great capacity to do great things.”

— Craig Scott speaking to a small group of students during a Rachel’s Challenge event

“I challenge students to choose positive influences. Rachel wanted to make a positive difference. So, she surrounded herself with the right influences that helped her be a powerful, positive person.”

— Craig Scott speaking in a 2018 TODAY feature story

𝄌

“She was a real girl, who had real struggles, and — just was in the pursuit to, you know, pretty much just show compassion and love to anybody who needed it. You know: Whatever religion, whatever race, whatever class — any of that stuff. I mean, it did not matter to Rachel…. She saw my heart.”

— Mark Pettit, talking about the movie I’m Not Ashamed, a 2016 film based on their journals

In the past, when I’ve talked about Rachel’s Challenge, I’ve used a fairly non-religious playlist. In 2022, however, the overlapping holidays inspired me to remix the playlist to acknowledge the holy times. I wanted music that would reflect the different traditions and the different stories, while also reflecting Rachel Joy Scott’s ethics and codes of life. I also wanted something that was inspiring and hopeful, like the young woman herself. In 2024, I remixed the playlist again to feature musicians from the Bahá’í community whose messages really get to the heart of the matter.

As I was remixing [the 2022 playlist], I came across “Godbone” by (one of my favorite composers) Bear McCreary. In the the television series See and in games like “King of Dragon Pass,” “godbone” is a term used for metal and/or concrete. I’m not 100% positive about the etymology of the term, but it reminded me of the Lunar New Year story about the Kitchen God and how the fireplace poker came into existence. It also made me think about Krishna’s explanation of tapas — which can be defined as heat, discipline and austerity, as well as the practices that cultivate heat, discipline, and austerity.

Whenever I reference tapas, which is one of the niyamas (“internal observations” in the Yoga Philosophy), I mention that it can be applied physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, and spiritually. It can also be applied religiously. In fact, fasting during the holy month of Ramadān or the Bahá’í 19-Day Fast; giving something up for Lent and Great Lent; and giving up leavened bread during Passover are some of the examples I use throughout the year. Those same traditions also incorporate the the final two internal observations — svādhyāya (“self-study”) and Īśvarapraṇidhāna (“surrendering to [a higher power]”) — which combine with tapas to form kriya yoga (“yoga in action,” or an ongoing process moving towards union with Divine). (YS 2.1) These sacred rituals are all about refining the (c)ore of who we are.

“‘Consider purification, tapas, which literally means “to melt,” as in refining ore. The purpose of purification is not pain and penance, but to deliberately refine one’s life, to melt it down and recast it into a higher order of purity and spirituality. The goal is very important; it is not self-punishment but refinement — to shift from human existence into Divinity!

There are three main methods of purification: the refinement of one’s thoughts, words, and deeds — also called the purification, respectively, of one’s instruments of mind, speech, and body. When you modify these three you automatically change for the better.’”

— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (17.14) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04202024 Rachel’s Challenge, Ridvan remix”]

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).

### I DARE YOU TO LOVE & BE NICE ###

Auspicious & Holy [Love] Stories (mostly the blessings and music) April 17, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Kirtan, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Love, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Chaitra Navaratri, Great Lent, KISS MY ASANA, Mind Body Solutions, Navaratri, Rama Navami, Thornton Wilder, Yoga Sutra 3.15, yogathon
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Many blessings to all and especially to those observing Chaitra Navaratri, Rama Navami, and/or Great Lent! Happy National Poetry Month!

“STAGE MANAGER…. How do such things begin?”

— quoted from Act II of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

Please join me today (Wednesday, April 17^th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04212021 So Much Holy, II”]

It’s Time to Kiss My Asana!

My first offerings for the 11^th annual Kiss My Asana yogathon, which benefits Mind Body Solutions (MBS), are already posted. You can check out the first blog post here (and to check out previous offerings).

Click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

“STAGE MANAGER….. – Now there are some things we all know but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

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). Or, you can scroll back up and Kiss My Asana! Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

### I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO KISS MY ASANA! ###

Our Rabbit Time, Our Cat Story (the “missing” Sunday post) January 22, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Life, Loss, Love, Music, New Year, Philosophy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Anne Birrell, Charles Spurgeon, Lunar New Year, Reverend Charles Spurgeon, Richard Freeman, Sam Hui, Spring Festival, Swami J, Swami Jnaneshvara, Thornton Wilder, Year of the Cat, Year of the Rabbit
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“Happy (Lunar) New Year!” to those who are celebrating.

This is the “missing” post for Sunday, January 22^nd. You can request an audio recording the related 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.

“Our claim, our hope, our despair are in the mind – not in things, not in ‘scenery.’ Molière said that for the theatre all he needed was a platform and a passion or two. The climax of this play needs only five square feet of boarding and the passion to know what life means to us.”

– quoted from the “Preface” of Three Plays: Our Town, The Matchmaker, and The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder

In the preface to a collection of three of his plays, Thornton Wilder not only indicated what he was doing with his work, but why he was doing it. He wrote, “Every action which has ever taken place – every thought, every emotion – has taken place only once, at one moment in time and place. ‘I love you,’ ‘I rejoice,’ ‘I suffer,’ have been said and felt many billions of times, and never twice the same. Every person who has ever lived has lived an unbroken succession of unique occasions. Yet the more one is aware of this individuality in experience (innumerable! innumerable!) the more one becomes attentive to what these disparate moments have in common, to repetitive patterns.” Then he questioned how we tell our stories – our truths – and how different mediums have different powers. Theatre, he believed, elevates individual experiences to universal experiences in a way that transcends single moments in time.

Our Town is a play-within-a-play, with the “external” play taking place in the theater where the play is being presented and the “interior” play taking place in Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire (beginning on May 7, 1901). In addition to the Stage Manager, who “breaks the fourth wall” by introducing the audience to the scenario and offering commentary throughout the play, Our Town focuses on the inhabitants of Grover’s Corners. In particular, it focuses on young Emily Webb and George Gibb.

The young couple do things that many people do in the span of 12 years. They grow up, they fall in love, they get married, they start a family. They also lose people they love. In fact, the final act of the play takes place on a hilltop cemetery overlooking the town and is all about loss. It begins with the Stage Manager’s monologue about all the things that changed –as well as all the things that stayed the same – between the second act and the summer of 1913, which marks the end of the play. It references many people who died before the play every began and older characters that died during the time period of the play. Then the Stage Manager gets to one of the great tragedies of the play: young Emily Webb died giving birth to her second child. When Emily is given the chance to re-experience one single moment of her life, she chooses her 12th birthday.

“EMILY…. – (She flings her arms wide in an ecstasy of realization) Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anyone to realize you! (Thinking a moment, she half-turns to the STAGE MANAGER, questioning more gently:) Does any human beings ever realize life while they live it – every, every minute?

**STAGE MANAGER. (Quietly) No – Saints and poets maybe – they do some.”**

– quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

For many people around the world, including the people in the fictional Grover’s Corners, birthdays are a time of celebration. A time when family and friends gather together to celebrate someone and to wish them well as the begin their next journey around the sun. The older a person gets – the more they live – the more likely they are to not only celebrate, but also to reflect. The longer someone lives they more opportunities they have to look back at how they have spent their time and consider how they want to move forward. Birthdays, after all, are liminal moments, threshold moments, and – when we think of them as personal new year’s days – they are new beginnings.

Of course, any time we are beginning, we must ask ourselves, “How do we begin?”

“STAGE MANAGER…. How do such things begin? George and Emily are going to show you now the conversation they had when they first knew that – as the saying goes – they were meant for one another. But before they do that I want you to try and remember what it was like to have been very young, and particularly the days when you were first in love; when you were like a person sleep-walking, and you didn’t quite see the street you were walking in, and you didn’t quite hear everything that was said to you. You’re just a little bit crazy. Will you remember that, please?”

– quoted from Act II of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

The following is a revised excerpt from the post dated February 1, 2022. It includes some year-specific revisions.

“May all of us together be protected;

may all of us together be nourished;

may we work together with great energy;

my our study together be brilliant and effective;

may we not hate or dispute with one another;

may there be peace within us, peace all around us, peace to and from everything and everyone we encounter.”

– “Teaching Santipat,” Sanskrit chanting by Richard Freeman (when we are in the studio)

On a certain level, there is always a question about how to begin… anything.

Just sticking to the physical practice for the moment, though: Is it best to begin in Child’s Pose, which by it’s simple physicality requires us to turn (and curl) inward? Or is it better to begin on one’s back, which promotes a certain amount of openness? Both have symbolic benefits as they relate to our lives and our practice – as does starting in a seated position on our sits-bones, which can also cultivate mindful awareness and a certain openness to wisdom. Having options, and being aware of the different benefits of the options, is a wonderful thing and I general encourage people to start where they are comfortable. However, I usually have a suggestion. After all, the beginning is an indication of how we mean to go forward.

In Chapter 17 of All of Grace, the Reverend Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began, and let the Lord be all in all to you.” Known as “the Prince of Preachers,” The Reverend Spurgeon was an English Particular Baptist, who was specifically offering advice about “The Fear of Final Falling,” or not being able to persevere on a righteous path; however, a lot of people consider his advice as applicable to all situations. Even if you are not particularly religious (or not religious at all), it would behoove you to start – anything – by connecting with the breath (which is a symbol of your life-force and your spirit) and letting that connection be your guide as you move forward.

Naturally, that is one aspect of how every physical practice of yoga begins. But, many practices also start with a chant – or you can think of it as an intention, a wish, or even a prayer or blessing. When I am leading the practice, I generally start with an English translation of the “Teaching Shantipat.” It is a very definitive declaration of how I would like to move forward. Every once in a blue moon, I use a meditation chant from Swami Jnaneshvara, that is specific to deep-seated mediation. Then too, there are times when the occasion calls for a big welcome or cheer – that sometimes comes in a different language.

“财神到财神到
Caishen dao caishen dao [The god of wealth has come! The god of wealth has come!]

好心得好报
Hao xinde hao bao [Good news]

财神话财神话
Caishenhua caishenhua [Myth of money, myth of money]

揾钱依正路
wen qian yi zhenglu [if you follow the right path]”

– quoted from the song “Cai Shen Dao” [“The God of Wealth Has Come!” by Sam Hui, lyrics in Hanzi [Chinese characters], pīnyīn [“spelled sounds”], and English

Today is the beginning of the Lunar New Year. While many East and Southeast Asian cultures celebrate at the same time – and even though there are some similarities to celebrations held at other times of the year – each culture has different rituals and traditions that connect people with their extended families, ancestors, and heritage. For example, the Chinese lunisolar calendar designates this year is the year of the (water) Rabbit/Hare. In Vietnam, however, people are celebrating the year of the Cat (which is the only major deviation in the two Zodiacs).

In parts of China and the diaspora, the beginning of the New Year is also the beginning of the Spring Festival, a fifteen day celebration that culminates with the Lantern Festival. Even though each day of the Lunar New Year has a special significance, each region has different stories and traditions related to that significance. For example, according to one Chinese creation story, different animals are celebrated depending on when they were created; thus, today is the birthday of all chickens. Others are celebrating the birthday of the water god and, therefore, will not wash their hair or their clothes on the first two days of the new year. Some Buddhist people celebrate the birth of Maitreya Buddha on the first day of the lunar new year and spend New Year’s Day, as well as several days leading up to the first day, chanting, praying, and/or meditating (depending on their beliefs). People will also light candles and make offerings at the temple before their feasting begins.

Even though there are some differences between regions and cultures, there are some common elements. The Lunar New Year celebrations generally include extended family coming together; the welcoming of ancestors and (in some households) the welcoming of household deities (like the water god); red clothes, red decorations, and red envelopes; fireworks, parades, and loud noises, a bit of feasting, and (of course), the wish, prayer, blessing, or shout for prosperity: “Cai Shen Dao! [The God of Wealth has come! in Mandarin]”

Since the (secular) Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, the Lunar New Year falls at different times according to the Western schedule. As I mentioned before, this year’s Spring Festival coincides with the premiere anniversary of Our Town, a play that offers us all some great reminders about what it is good to remember as we move forward:

“STAGE MANAGER….. – Now there are some things we all know but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

– quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

“When the firstborn, P’an Ku [a primordial being in Chinese mythology], was approaching death, his body was transformed. His breath became the wind and clouds; his voice became peals of thunder…. All the mites on his body were touched by the wind [his breath] and evolved into the black-haired people. (Wu yun li-nien chi, cited in Yu shih, PCTP 1.2a)”

– quoted from Chinese Mythology: An Introduction by Anne Birrell

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.)

**### “…my advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it is on your plate; that’s my philosophy.” ~ from The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder ###**

Remember Rachel’s Challenge, Especially When You’re Suffering (the “missing” Wednesday post) April 22, 2022

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Baha'i, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Food, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Japa, Japa-Ajapa, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Movies, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Ramadan, Religion, Riḍván, Suffering, Tragedy, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Abrahamic, arrows, Beresh't, Book of Job, Buddha, Columbine High School, Craig Scott, Earth Day, Exodus, Four Noble Truths, Genesis, Hanuman, Iyov, Jack Hawley, Job, John Steinbeck, Khalid, kriya yoga, Malachi, Mark Pettit, Metta, Moses, Mumford and Sons, Nahshon, P!nk, Pope Francis, Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Rachel Joy Scott, Sara Yoheved Rigler, Shemot, Taboo, The New Yorker, Thornton Wilder, Trace, yoga sutras
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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 Great Week, Easter Week, Counting the Omer, Riḍván, and/or Earth Day!

This is A 3-in-1 “missing” post (with a coda) for Wednesday, April 20^th. It features information on overlapping sacred traditions and also on an anti-bullying non-profit and is a bit of a “renewed” post (since it contains some previously posted material). You can request an audio recording of any of these practices via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

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.)

**“[Bridge: P!nk, Khalid & Both]
Hope floats away
If you could spend a day in my shoes
Your mind would change
If you knew what I’ve gone through
We want the same (Yeah, we do)**
Maybe then you’d understand
How it hurts to be human, oh”

– quoted from the song “Hurts 2B Human” by P!nk, featuring Khalid

A lot of this week was devoted to the subject of suffering, on and off the mat. Sure, we all have friends that were suffering this week – and then there’s all the general suffering in the world. Because there is, and has always been, a lot of suffering in the world; there is, and has always been, a desire for the end of suffering. There is, and has always been, people actively seeking an end to suffering. That’s why there are so many paths, practices, and methods that – on some level – promise an end to suffering. That’s why there are so many really great books, poems, movies, plays, and songs about suffering and how people deal with suffering.

Suffering, it turns out, is interesting and inspiring.

“[Chorus]
What if you were told that today
Was the last day of your life
Did you live it right?
Love is a gift you give away
And it reignites
Don’t wait, don’t let it pass you by
(don’t let it pass you by)”

*

– quoted from the song “The Fight” by Taboo

Over the course of this week, all the Abrahamic religious traditions – and at least one tradition with ties to the Abrahamic religions – have been engaging in sacred celebrations and rituals that are tied to suffering and the end of suffering. Jewish communities have been celebrating Passover and, as of Sunday, some are also Counting the Omer. Western Christian communities (including Roman Catholics) observed Easter on Sunday and then, for some, Easter marked the beginning of the Octave of Easter (or Eastertide). On the flip side, this week marked the Holy Week or Great Week for people within Eastern Orthodox Christian communities. This month (in 2022) is also the holy month of Ramadān in Islām. Finally, Thursday marked the beginning of Riḍván in the Bahá’í community.

Since several of these holy observations started on Saturday, I’m going to point out that Hanuman Jayanti (or Hanuman Jannotsav) – which is celebrated in India, Nepal, and throughout the Hindu diaspora – also has a connection to suffering and the end of suffering. Oh, and then there’s Earth Day – which is not a religious holiday, per se, but is still connected to suffering on this planet, a desire to end that suffering, and the realization that the path to that freedom from suffering must come from a global community acting together… which would be divine.

Because everyone uses different calendars, this conflux doesn’t happen every year. Yes, there is usually an overlap between Passover and at least one Holy Week; however, this year is different. This year, these sacred times overlapped tragic anniversaries related to April 19^th and 20^th. This year, there’s more suffering and more awareness of the different ways we could/can/might end suffering – in ourselves and in the world around us.

There’s just one problem. Actually, there are several problems.

One, we don’t always pay attention to the right part of the stories. You know, the part where we have to practice what we preach, act in ways that are congruent to our beliefs, and – like Hanuman (or Nahshon) – take giant leaps (or wade in the water) in order to help and/or save others. Two, we sometimes forget that we are community; that while it may hurt 2b human, we have each other and we (can) have each other’s backs. We forget how breaking bread with someone (whether it be on Spy Wednesday or Easter Wednesday) can reveal the true nature of things. Finally, we all too often lash out at others when we are suffering.

Sometimes we lash out like Pharaoh – and our hardened hearts result in everyone being plagued with more and more suffering. Other times we are like Judas – and we lash out in ways that seem small, inconsequential, and petty; but have magnificent consequences. Then there are those times when our personal suffering is like that of Jesus’s followers who, once their suffering is alleviated by a striking realization, go on to share the good so that others may also find relief from their suffering.

All the stories told during this week’s holy observations and celebrations are reminders that we are in community – even when we are not in a religious community. While there are bullies and bad guys in these stories, there are also reminders that any one of us can make a good (meaningful) difference. We can be Moses or Aaron or Miriam or Nahshon. We can be any of the disciples or Marys or Martha or Joanna. We can be like Hanuman. We can be like Baháʼu’lláh, in that we bring communities together even as we are being separated.

SO MUCH SUFFERING…

NOTE: Portions of the following were originally posted in 2020. However, I have revised and expanded some sections related to Moses and Passover.

“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

If you look back over this last week of blog posts, you will see a lot of different takes on suffering. So much suffering, in the midst of so much that is holy. I could point back to any number of quotes from this week’s post, any number of quotes from various traditions and belief systems. But, just focus on something simple…a simple list, the Four Noble Truths from Buddhism:

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

In the Passover story, Moses has similar experiences and a similar journey as Prince Siddhartha has in relation to Buddhism. (Both also have parallels to Arjuna’s experience at the center of the battlefield during The Bhagavad Gita.) There are some obvious differences, but let’s focus on the similarities for a moment. Both were raised in wealthy households, lived lives of privilege, experienced the suffering of others, and – instead of turning away, as some would do – both took the opportunity to alleviate themselves and others from suffering.

According to an oft quoted proverb, G-d is in the details – or, in the detail. And, it turns out, that the element of G-d is one of the big differences between the two stories. Another big difference is that while both heroes were raised in wealth, Moses was born a slave – and knew his connection to the Jewish people, people who were suffering. Prince Siddhartha, who becomes the Buddha (or “Enlightened One”), was 29 years old when he left the palace gates and saw suffering for the first time. At 35, when he became enlightened, the Buddha codified the 4 Noble Truths and began teaching. He died at the age of 80. This all happened in India, during the 6^th Century (~563) BCE.

On the other hand, Moses was born into suffering during the 14^th Century (placing Exodus between 1446 – 1406) BCE. Not only are the Jewish people, his people, enslaved when he is born, but because Pharaoh declared that all baby boys should be killed, Moses was born during greater than normal suffering. Theoretically, he always knew some amount of suffering existed. In fact, one way to look at Shemot / Exodus 2, is that Moses left the luxury of the palace specifically to witness the suffering of his first family, his tribe, his community of birth. He was 40 years old when he had to flee his home after stepping in to protect a Jewish man who was being beaten; and he was 80 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. Theoretically, he was also 80 when he received the Torah, G-d’s truth for his people and he was 120 when he died.

Yoga Sutra 1.5: vŗttayah pañcatayyah klişțāklişțāh

– “The tendencies that cause the mind to fluctuate (or rotate) are fivefold, and are either afflicting or non-afflicting.”

Yoga Sutra 2.3: Avidyāmitārāgadveşābhiniveśāh kleśāh

– “Ignorance (or lack of knowledge), false sense of identity, attachment (rooted in pleasure), aversion (attachment rooted in pain), and fear of death or loss are the afflictions.”

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlined how the mind works and how to work the mind. The mind, he explained, has a tendency to wander, move around, and get caught up in those fluctuations. Those fluctuations are either afflicted or not afflicted – meaning some thoughts bring us pain/suffering and others alleviate or don’t cause pain/suffering. He went on to describe how afflicted thoughts cause nine obstacles, which lead to five conditions (or states of suffering). Eventually, he described exactly what he meant by “afflicted thoughts.” Throughout these first two chapters of the text, he gave examples on how to overcome the afflicted thoughts; on how to alleviate the suffering they cause; and on how to overcome the obstacles and painful states of suffering. His recommendation: Various forms of meditation.

One technique Patanjali suggested (YS 1.33) is offering loving-kindness/friendliness to those who are happy, compassion to those who are sad, happiness to those who are virtuous, and indifference to those who are non-virtuous. (Metta meditation is a great way to start this practice.) Knowing, however, that everyone can’t just drop into a deep seated meditation, Patanjali also offered physical techniques to prepare the mind-body for meditation. Those physical techniques are the physical practice.

I find the yoga philosophy particularly practical. But then again, I tell my own stories.

Historically speaking, Patanjali was in India compiling the Yoga Sutras, outlining the philosophy of yoga, during the Buddha’s lifetime. I have heard, that at some point in his life, the Buddha was aware of yoga – but that doesn’t mean he was aware of the yoga sutras, simply that he was aware of the lifestyle and the codes of that lifestyle. Perhaps he even had a physical practice. The Buddha, however, did not think the yoga philosophy was practical enough. In theory, this explains some of the parallels between yoga and Buddhism. It may also help explain why there are so many lists in Buddhism and why the Buddha taught in stories.

I have no knowledge of (and no reason to believe that) Moses knew anything about yoga, the yoga philosophy, or the sutras. However, he can be considered a “desert brother” or Jewish mystic for much of his adult life – meaning that he undoubtedly engaged in prayer, meditation, and contemplation. Even if he didn’t attribute certain aspects of the body to the aspects of the Divine that are found on the Tree of Life, and even if he didn’t physically move his body with the intention of connecting with G-d, Moses spent much of his adult life as a shepherd. As a shepherd, moving around the hills with his ship, Moses connected with nature and with G-d, which is the ultimate dream of some philosophers and truth seekers.

“Then Job stood up, and rent his robe and tore his hair; then he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. And he said, ‘From my mother’s womb, I emerged naked, and I will return there naked. The Lord gave and the Lord took; may the name of the Lord be blessed.’”

*

– Job, upon learning that how much he’s lost in a single moment (Iyov / The Book of Job 1.20-21)

Moses probably didn’t know the story of the Buddha. He would have, however, known the story of Job. Some traditions even credit him as the author of The Book of Job, the events of which took place around the 6^th Century BCE – the same time as Prince Siddhartha’s evolution into the Buddha. The Book of Job is the story of a man who endured great suffering. From Job’s perspective, there was a point when it could even be considered pointless suffering. But only to a point, because eventually Job’s suffering was alleviated and the way in which he endured the suffering is rewarded.

Job clung to his faith and believed that G-d was always with him. Moses, as I mentioned in a previous post, was told by the burning bush that G-d will always be with him and with the Jewish people. So the lesson is, “[we] are not alone in this. / As brothers [and sisters] we will stand and we’ll hold your hand.”

Sometimes, when I sing-along to the Mumford and Sons’ “Timshel” (even when I embellish the lyrics, see above) I don’t point out that the title of the song does not translate to “you are not alone in this.” There is a reference in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden that refers back to Beresh’t / Genesis 4:7 and the story of Cain and Abel. Steinbeck translated G-d’s words to Cain as “thou mayest.” In reality, if you’re going to use Steinbeck’s reference, it’s “thou mayest rule;” but it is sometimes translated as “you can rule/master” or “you will rule /master” and the object of this command or explanation is “sin.” As in: You can (or will, or mayest) rule (or overcome, or master) Sin.

I’m not going to get into the various understandings and meanings of sin. Suffice to say, anything one would categorize as a sin can also categorized as an affliction and therefore something which causes suffering. The key part here is that many translations of “timshel” reinforce the concept of free will. We choose how we deal with suffering. Even when we don’t realize we are choosing, our choice can alleviate or increase our suffering.

The Buddha’s parables about the second arrow and the poisoned arrow brilliantly illustrate how this choice works. So too, do the stories of Cain and Able, Job, and Moses and the Jewish people during Exodus. (Remember, not everyone celebrated that first Passover and not everyone left Egypt when they had the chance.) Even the story of the Passion of the Christ – the story of Jesus and his last week of life – includes a correlation between free will and suffering, a connection between our actions and the end of our suffering.

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

*

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

*

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

ACCEPTING RACHEL’S CHALLENGE

NOTE: Portions of the following were originally posted in 2021.

WARNING: This post specifically references a horrific and tragic event from 1999. You can skip most of these references by jumping from the first highlighted quote to the second highlighted quote.

“Compassion is the greatest form of love that humans have to offer. According to Webster’s Dictionary, compassion means a feeling of sympathy for another person’s misfortune. My definition is forgiving, loving, helping, leading, and showing mercy for others. I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”

*

– quoted from the essay “My Ethics, My Codes of Life” by Rachel Joy Scott (written in period 5)

Back in 2018, as one of my Kiss My Asana yogathon offerings, I referenced a lot – well, some – of the people who tragically lost their lives throughout history on April 19^th and 20^th. One of the people I mentioned was Rachel Joy Scott – the first person shot at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. In some ways, it is hard to believe that 22 23 years have passed since that mass shooting. Remember mass shooting that some people thought would change everything? It’s equally hard to believe that there are adults – people who can serve in the armed forces, legally vote, and in some cases legally drink alcohol in the United States – who were not even born when 2 high school seniors killed 12 people and injured 24 others before taking their own lives. It’s mind-boggling to me that (based on ~~recent~~ events in early 2021 and data compiled by The New Yorker and Trace in 2019) there ~~have~~ had been over 200 mass shootings in the United States since April 20, 1999. (As of April 2022, there have been over 300 mass shootings in schools since this week in 1999.) Those shootings have affected thousands upon thousands of lives. Furthermore, it is astounding that what was (at the time) the fifth deadliest shooting in the United States (after World War II) “is now not even in the top ten.”

I’m not going to spend my time here (or in class) talking about my opinion about gun control and/or the 2^nd Amendment. Nor am I going to spend a lot of time stating the obvious fact that, as the statistics and the lives lost clearly attest, we have a problem – because, let’s be honest, we have a lot of problems right now. What I am going to focus on today is Rachel’s Challenge. Not the program (although I will mention that) so much as the idea(l).

“I am sure that my codes of life may be very different from yours, but how do you know that trust, compassion, and beauty will not make this world a better place to be in and this life a better one to live? My codes may seem like a fantasy that can never be reached, but test them for yourself, and see the kind of effect they have in the lives of people around you. You just may start a chain reaction.”

*

– quoted from the essay “My Ethics, My Codes of Life” by Rachel Joy Scott (written in period 5)

“ANTROBUS: …. Oh, I’ve never forgotten for long at a time that living is struggle. I know that every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor-edge of danger and must be fought for — whether it’s a field, or a home, or a country. All I ask is the chance to build new worlds and God has always given us that second chance, and has given us [opening the book] voices to guide us; and the memory of our mistakes to warn us. Maggie, you and I must remember in peace time all those resolves that were clear to us in the days of war. Maggie, we’ve come a long ways. We’ve learned. We’re learning. And the steps of our journey are marked for us here.”

*

– quoted from The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder

I did not know Rachel Joy Scott or Cassie Bernall (17), Steven Curnow (14), Corey DePooter (17), Kelly Fleming (16), Matthew Kechter (16), Daniel Mauser (15), Daniel Rohrbough (15), Isaiah Shoels (18), John Tomlin (16), Lauren Townsend (18), Kyle Velasquez (16), William “Dave” Sanders (47), nor (to my knowledge) do I know anyone else that was at Littleton, Colorado, today in 1999. I did not know the two seniors that wrecked so much havoc (and whose names I am choosing not to post, even though their families also suffered greatly.) I am not affiliated with the foundation Rachel’s family started and neither have I gone through their program. However, I believe in the message and I believe in the idea(l).

I have seen the chain reaction that starts with compassion and kindness – just as I have seen the chain reaction that begins with a lack of empathy and a lack of equanimity. In that essay she wrote in period 5, Rachel talked about first, second, and third impressions and how they don’t always give you a full picture of someone. She wrote, “Did you ever ask them what their goal in life is, what kind of past they came from, did they experience love, did they experience hurt, did you look into their soul and not just at their appearance?” We are, right here and right now, experiencing the chain reactions that occur when we don’t really see each other and when we don’t recognize the fact that we are all connected. We are – right here and right now – about to set off a new chain reaction.

Quick, ask yourself: What is motivating you and what do you expect to come out of your actions?

“One of the big things we’re focused on is how you see yourself. Each and every one of us in this room has a great capacity to do great things.”

*

– Craig Scott speaking to a small group of students during a Rachel’s Challenge event

*

“I challenge students to choose positive influences. Rachel wanted to make a positive difference. So, she surrounded herself with the right influences that helped her be a powerful, positive person.”

*

– Craig Scott speaking in a 2018 TODAY feature story

*

𝄌

“‘Consider purification, tapas, which literally means “to melt,” as in refining ore. The purpose of purification is not pain and penance, but to deliberately refine one’s life, to melt it down and recast it into a higher order of purity and spirituality. The goal is very important; it is not self-punishment but refinement – to shift from human existence into Divinity!

*

There are three main methods of purification: the refinement of one’s thoughts, words, and deeds – also called the purification, respectively, of one’s instruments of mind, speech, and body. When you modify these three you automatically change for the better.’”

*

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (17.14) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

In the past, when I’ve talked about Rachel’s Challenge, I’ve used a fairly non-religious playlist. This year, however, the overlapping holidays inspired me to remix the playlist for these holy times. I wanted music that would reflect the different traditions and the different stories, while also reflecting Rachel Joy Scott’s ethics and codes of life. I also wanted something that was inspiring and hopeful, like the young woman herself.

As I was remixing, I came across “Godbone” by (one of my favorite composers) Bear McCreary. In the the television series See and in games like “King of Dragon Pass,” “godbone” is a term used for metal and/or concrete. I’m not 100% positive about the etymology of the term, but it reminded me of the Lunar New Year story about the Kitchen God and how the fireplace poker came into existence. It also made me think about Krishna’s explanation of tapas – which can be defined as heat, discipline and austerity, as well as the practices that cultivate heat, discipline, and austerity.

Whenever I reference tapas, which is one of the niyamas (“internal observations” in the Yoga Philosophy), I mention that it can be applied physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, and spiritually. It can also be applied religiously. In fact, fasting during the holy month of Ramadān, giving something up for Lent, and giving up leavened bread during Passover are some of the examples I use throughout the year. Those same traditions also incorporate the the final two internal observations – svādhyāya (“self-study”) and Īśvarapraṇidhāna (“surrendering to [a higher power]”) – which combine with tapas to form kriya yoga (“yoga in action,” or an ongoing process moving towards union with Divine). (YS 2.1) These sacred rituals are all about refining the (c)ore of who we are.

“And he shall sit refining and purifying silver, and he shall purify the children of Levi. And he shall purge them as gold and as silver, and they shall be offering up an offering to the Lord with righteousness.”

*

– quoted from Malachi (3.3)

Back in 2010, Sara Yoheved Rigler wrote an article about bitter herbs, suffering (in Passover and in life), and a group of women who were inspired to go deeper into the Biblical idea that the Jewish people’s suffering in Egypt was “the ‘kur habarzel ― the iron crucible[.]’” She wrote about how these women went to see a silversmith at work and how, through their observations and questions, they gained a better understanding of the process of suffering and how to deal with suffering. Like Rachel’s challenge, Sara Rigler’s insight gives us a better understanding of how we can graceful engage our own suffering: Always look for the image of the Divine in ourselves and always look for that same reflection in others.

“As the silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire, he explained that he needed to hold the silver where the flame was hottest in order to burn away all the impurities. The woman, remembering the Biblical verse, asked if he had to sit there the whole time the silver was being refined. The silversmith responded that not only did he have to sit and hold the silver the entire time, but he had to keep a careful eye on it, because if the silver was left in the flame a moment too long, it would be destroyed.

‘How do you know when the silver is fully refined?’ the woman asked.

‘That’s easy,’ he replied. ‘When I see my image in it.'”

*

– quoted from the aish.com article “Why Celebrate with Bitter Herbs? – Yes, God took us out of Egypt, but He put us there in the first place!” by Sara Yoheved Rigler

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04202022 Rachel’s Challenge, Holy Remix”]

“She was a real girl, who had real struggles, and – just was in the pursuit to, you know, pretty much just show compassion and love to anybody who needed it. You know: Whatever religion, whatever race, whatever class – any of that stuff. I mean, it did not matter to Rachel…. She saw my heart.”

*

– Mark Pettit, talking about the movie I’m Not Ashamed, a 2016 film based on their journals

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also call the 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, contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

*

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

*

### AMEN, SELAH ###

Our Time, Our Story (mostly the music) January 22, 2022

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Music, Yoga.
Tags: Thornton Wilder, Time, Yoga Sutra 3.35, Yoga Sutra 3.49-3.51, Yoga Sutra 3.52
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“EMILY: Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it…every, every minute?

*

STAGE MANAGER: No. [Pause.]The saints and poets maybe – they do some.”

*

– quoted from Our Town by Thornton Wilder

Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, January 22^nd) 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.

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.)

### 🎶 ###

Accepting Rachel’s Challenge April 20, 2021

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, Love, Movies, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Columbine High School, Craig Scott, Mark Pettit, Rachel Joy Scott, Rachel's Challenge, Thornton Wilder
2 comments

[“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the month of Ramadan. Many blessings, also, to those celebrating Chaitra Navaratri and Ridván.]

WARNING: This post specifically references a horrific and tragic event from 1999. You can skip most of these references by jumping from the first highlighted quote to the second highlighted quote.

“Compassion is the greatest form of love that humans have to offer. According to Webster’s Dictionary, compassion means a feeling of sympathy for another person’s misfortune. My definition is forgiving, loving, helping, leading, and showing mercy for others. I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”

– quoted from the essay “My Ethics, My Codes of Life” by Rachel Joy Scott (written in period 5)

Back in 2018, as one of my Kiss My Asana yogathon offerings, I referenced a lot – well, some – of the people who tragically lost their lives throughout history on April 19^th and 20^th. One of the people I mentioned was Rachel Joy Scott – the first person shot at Columbine High School today in 1999. In some ways, it is hard to believe that 22 years have passed since that mass shooting that some people thought would change everything. It’s equally hard to believe that there are adults – people who can serve in the armed forces, legally vote, and in some cases legally drink alcohol in the United States – who were not even born when 2 high school seniors killed 12 people and injured 24 others before taking their own lives. It’s mind-boggling to me that (based on recent events and data compiled by The New Yorker and Trace in 2019) there have been over 200 mass shootings in the United States since today in 1999. Those shootings have affected thousands upon thousands of lives. Furthermore, it is astounding that what was (at the time) the fifth deadliest shooting in the United States (after World War II) “is now not even in the top ten.”

I’m not going to spend my time here (or in class) talking about my opinion about gun control and/or the 2^nd Amendment. Nor am I going to spend a lot of time stating the obvious fact that, as the statistics and the lives lost clearly attest, we have a problem – because, let’s be honest, we have a lot of problems right now. What I am going to focus on today is Rachel’s Challenge. Not the program (although I will mention that) so much as the idea(l).

“I am sure that my codes of life may be very different from yours, but how do you know that trust, compassion, and beauty will not make this world a better place to be in and this life a better one to live? My codes may seem like a fantasy that can never be reached, but test them for yourself, and see the kind of effect they have in the lives of people around you. You just may start a chain reaction.”

– quoted from the essay “My Ethics, My Codes of Life” by Rachel Joy Scott (written in period 5)

The notebooks became a way for Rachel’s family to tell her story and also a way to spread her message about the importance of compassion. They, along with the stories other people shared about their encounters with Rachel, led her family to start Rachel’s Challenge, a non-profit that creates “programs that promote a positive climate in K-12 schools.” They also have comprehensive programs for colleges and businesses.

On the foundation’s website, the Rachel’s Challenge mission is stated as “Making schools safer, more connected places where bullying and violence are replaced with kindness and respect; and where learning and teaching are awakened to their fullest.” They also indicate that when the program is fully implemented, “partner schools achieve statistically significant gains in community engagement, faculty/student relationships, leadership potential, and school climate; along with reductions in bullying, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.”

“ANTROBUS: …. Oh, I’ve never forgotten for long at a time that living is struggle. I know that every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor-edge of danger and must be fought for — whether it’s a field, or a home, or a country. All I ask is the chance to build new worlds and God has always given us that second chance, and has given us [opening the book] voices to guide us; and the memory of our mistakes to warn us. Maggie, you and I must remember in peace time all those resolves that were clear to us in the days of war. Maggie, we’ve come a long ways. We’ve learned. We’re learning. And the steps of our journey are marked for us here.”

– quoted from The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder

I did not know Rachel Joy Scott or Cassie Bernall (17), Steven Curnow (14), Corey DePooter (17), Kelly Fleming (16), Matthew Kechter (16), Daniel Mauser (15), Daniel Rohrbough (15), Isaiah Shoels (18), John Tomlin (16), Lauren Townsend (18), Kyle Velasquez (16), William “Dave” Sanders (47), nor (to my knowledge) do I know anyone else that was at Littleton, Colorado, today in 1999. I did not know the two seniors that wrecked so much havoc (and whose names I am choosing not to post, even though their families also suffered greatly.) I am not affiliated with the foundation Rachel’s family started and neither have I gone through their program. However, I believe in the message and I believe in the idea(l).

Quick, ask yourself: What is motivating you and what do you expect to come out of your actions?

“One of the big things we’re focused on is how you see yourself. Each and every one of us in this room has a great capacity to do great things.”

– Craig Scott speaking to a small group of students during a Rachel’s Challenge event

“I challenge students to choose positive influences. Rachel wanted to make a positive difference. So, she surrounded herself with the right influences that helped her be a powerful, positive person.”

– Craig Scott speaking in a 2018 TODAY feature story

Please join me today (Tuesday, April 20^th) at 12 Noon or 7:15 PM for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. 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.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

“She was a real girl, who had real struggles, and – just was in the pursuit to, you know, pretty much just show compassion and love to anybody who needed it. You know: Whatever religion, whatever race, whatever class – any of that stuff. I mean, it did not matter to Rachel…. She saw my heart.”

– Mark Pettit, talking about the movie I’m Not Ashamed, a 2016 film based on their journals

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also call the 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.

A Joyful Practice

FTWMI (x2): What the Gurus Teach Us & Heart Filled… [revised] August 26, 2025

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

“… if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

— quoted from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University’s Architects of Peace essay, “Reflections on Working Towards Peace” by Mother Teresa

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

— quoted from (“the last words of Jesus”) in The Gospel According to St. John (19:26 – 27, KJV)

“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating feelings of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked [ or non-virtuous].”

— quoted from How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (1.33), translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood

“You in the West have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted.”

— quoted from “Pentecost: Spiritual Poverty — Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost — Spiritual poverty of Western World” in Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

— Mother Teresa, quoted from the December 4, 1989, TIME interview, “Interview with MOTHER Teresa: A Pencil In the Hand Of God” by Edward W. Desmond

“Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within the reach of every hand. Anyone can gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, spirit of prayer, and sacrifice, by an intense inner life.”

— quoted from the front page of Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

— quoted from “Pentecost: Martha and Mary — Monday — Wishing we were doing something else” in Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

𝄌

“Intense love does not measure, it just gives.”

— Mother Teresa, quoted from “22. A Simple Response” in Spiritual Gems from Mother Teresa by Gwen Costello

“Unnamed Person: You mentioned compassion for others as leading to a state of equilibrium or — I was wondering what that has to do with – anything, really. Why is that important?

Swami Tattwamayananda: Compassion for —

Unnamed Person: Compassion for others, and purity of thought. Why is that important to —?

The spiritual unity and oneness of existence is the foundation of this compassion.”

— quoted from an exchange between a person in attendance and Swami Tattwamayananda (at the end of the guru’s lecture, “4 – The Real and the Unreal: Beyond Pain and Pleasure,” recorded February 22, 2019 as part of the “Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta” lecture series)

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

— a compilation quoted attributed to Mother Teresa

### LOVE MORE (hate less) ###

BELIEVING, SITTING, CELEBRATING HUMANS (the “missing” Tuesday post) February 4, 2025

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

“We find, in studying history, one fact held in common by all the great teachers of religion the world ever had. They all claim to have got their truths from beyond, only many of them did not know where they got them from.”

— quoted from “Chapter VII: Dhyana and Samadhi” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, Raja-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda

“I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.”

— Rosa Parks (b. 1913)

— quoted from “The Origin of Human Beings“ in The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese by Haiwang Yuan (with Forward by Michael Ann Williams)

“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”

— Rosa Parks

### As they say in Zulu, “Sawubona!” [“I see you!”] and “Yebo, sawubona!” [“I see you seeing me.”] ###

Our Time, Our Story (an abridged post) January 22, 2025

“Our claim, our hope, our despair are in the mind – not in things, not in ‘scenery.’ Molière said that for the theatre all he needed was a platform and a passion or two. The climax of this play needs only five square feet of boarding and the passion to know what life means to us.”

— quoted from the “Preface” of Three Plays: Our Town, The Matchmaker, and The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder

STAGE MANAGER. (Quietly) No – Saints and poets maybe – they do some.”

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

— quoted from Act II of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

### “…my advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it is on your plate; that’s my philosophy.” ~ from The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder ###

What the Gurus Teach Us & FTWMI: Heart Filled… [revised] (a post-practice Monday post) August 26, 2024

— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder

“… if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

— quoted from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University’s Architects of Peace essay, “Reflections on Working Towards Peace” by Mother Teresa

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

— quoted from (“the last words of Jesus”) in The Gospel According to St. John (19:26 – 27, KJV)

“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating feelings of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked [ or non-virtuous].”

— quoted from How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (1.33), translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood

“You in the West have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted.”

— quoted from “Pentecost: Spiritual Poverty — Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost — Spiritual poverty of Western World” in Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

— Mother Teresa, quoted from the December 4, 1989, TIME interview, “Interview with MOTHER Teresa: A Pencil In the Hand Of God” by Edward W. Desmond

“Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within the reach of every hand. Anyone can gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, spirit of prayer, and sacrifice, by an intense inner life.”

— quoted from the front page of Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

— quoted from “Pentecost: Martha and Mary — Monday — Wishing we were doing something else” in Love, A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations From the Words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Mother Teresa, selected and edited by Dorothy S. Hunt

𝄌

“Intense love does not measure, it just gives.”

— Mother Teresa, quoted from “22. A Simple Response” in Spiritual Gems from Mother Teresa by Gwen Costello

“Unnamed Person: You mentioned compassion for others as leading to a state of equilibrium or — I was wondering what that has to do with – anything, really. Why is that important?

Swami Tattwamayananda: Compassion for —

Unnamed Person: Compassion for others, and purity of thought. Why is that important to —?

The spiritual unity and oneness of existence is the foundation of this compassion.”

— quoted from an exchange between a person in attendance and Swami Tattwamayananda (at the end of the guru’s lecture, “4 – The Real and the Unreal: Beyond Pain and Pleasure,” recorded February 22, 2019 as part of the “Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta” lecture series)

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

— a compilation quoted attributed to Mother Teresa

### LOVE MORE (hate less) ###

Accepting Rachel’s Challenge & Entering the Garden (a Saturday post-practice compilation) April 20, 2024

“[Bridge: P!nk, Khalid & Both] Hope floats away If you could spend a day in my shoes Your mind would change If you knew what I’ve gone through We want the same (Yeah, we do) Maybe then you’d understand How it hurts to be human, oh”

— quoted from the song “Hurts 2B Human” by P!nk, featuring Khalid

“[Chorus] What if you were told that today Was the last day of your life Did you live it right? Love is a gift you give away And it reignites Don’t wait, don’t let it pass you by (don’t let it pass you by)”

— quoted from the song “The Fight” by Taboo

— quoted from the Riḍván 2022 message from the Universal House of Justice “To the Bahá’is of the World”

— quoted from the Riḍván 2024 message from the Universal House of Justice “To the Bahá’is of the World”

WARNING: This post specifically references a horrific and tragic event from 1999. You can skip most of these references by jumping from the first highlighted quote to the second highlighted quote.

— quoted from the essay “My Ethics, My Codes of Life” by Rachel Joy Scott (written in period 5)

**STAGE MANAGER. (Quietly) No – Saints and poets maybe – they do some.”**

**“[Bridge: P!nk, Khalid & Both]
Hope floats away
If you could spend a day in my shoes
Your mind would change
If you knew what I’ve gone through
We want the same (Yeah, we do)**
Maybe then you’d understand
How it hurts to be human, oh”

“[Chorus]
What if you were told that today
Was the last day of your life
Did you live it right?
Love is a gift you give away
And it reignites
Don’t wait, don’t let it pass you by
(don’t let it pass you by)”

**STAGE MANAGER. (Quietly) No – Saints and poets maybe – they do some.”**

“财神到财神到
Caishen dao caishen dao [The god of wealth has come! The god of wealth has come!]

好心得好报
Hao xinde hao bao [Good news]

财神话财神话
Caishenhua caishenhua [Myth of money, myth of money]

揾钱依正路
wen qian yi zhenglu [if you follow the right path]”

**### “…my advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it is on your plate; that’s my philosophy.” ~ from The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder ###**

**“[Bridge: P!nk, Khalid & Both]
Hope floats away
If you could spend a day in my shoes
Your mind would change
If you knew what I’ve gone through
We want the same (Yeah, we do)**
Maybe then you’d understand
How it hurts to be human, oh”