Archive for the ‘Religion’ Category

>     This morning I received a poem via e-mail written by a soldier serving in Iraq. It is a touching poem about military service (particularly at Christmas time), the price paid by those who serve, asking only that we remember and honor them when they return home, be they alive or dead. At the end of the e-mail, it asked that I pass it on to as many people as possible. Although I was deeply moved by the author’s expression of both sadness and selflessness, the request placed me in a difficult position in light of a conversation I had with our daughter yesterday.
    Yesterday, I told our 14-year-old that I never wanted her to say or write anything in school that she did not believe in just to get the grade. I believe strongly that conformity, for the sake of acceptance or recognition, when it compromises core values and beliefs about who we really are, is a dangerous precedent that we humans have reinforced generation after generation. It’s a “follow the pack” mentality that keeps us unconscious around our choices and perpetuates so much of what is wrong in our world.
    The best example is war. Which is why the poem caused me so much discomfort. Yes, that soldier has stepped-up to the plate and done what his country and his culture have asked of him. But did he search his own soul before he agreed to do what he is now doing? I often hear soldiers say, “My grandfather served, my father served, and I am serving.” This is not a reason, it’s a repetition. It’s unconscious behavior to do what has always been done. Which leads me to the saying, “The definition of insanity is doing what you’ve always done and expecting a different result.” War will not birth peace.
    My husband and I appear to disagree on this one. He feels that a 14-year-old is in school to be “taught” and doesn’t need to believe in what she answers on a test in a particular class. However, that slippery slope to conformity at any price that I see beginning in grade school has me wondering if now, at age 59, he would again make the choice he made at age 19 to serve in Vietnam? I suspect not. And it would be because he is more conscious now around his choices and more aware of who he really is.
    War is a mechanism to effect domination and greed. When people with the power to declare war lack the human capital to affect war, there will be no war. Making sure such people lack the human capital they require is your job and mine.
    I pray the soldier who wrote the poem, and all the others, comes home alive tomorrow. I pray my daughter sees it my way and never compromises herself, or her beliefs, to advance her position. I pray that each of us takes a moment to stop before we act without thinking and follow what came before just because that is how it’s always been done or how the surrounding culture see it. I pray that each of us knows our own hearts and minds and lives our lives consistent with who we truly are.
    These are my prayers this holiday season.
    And this is my prose.
    Pass it on to as many people as possible.

> Suzanne Lafrankie is a talk-radio host on “The Big Talker” 1210AM out of Philadelphia. In full disclosure, I need to say right up front that I wanted her job. Actually, I contacted the producer of the show before 1210 had a woman on the air and suggested the line-up (Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Shaun Hannity, etc) could use one. The producer, a woman herself, was dismissive and condescending, telling me I needed more experience and besides, they didn’t need a woman host. Shortly thereafter, Lafrankie was hired.
    I’ve listened to her on a few occasions but, honestly, our view of the world is so different that it’s of little benefit for me to do so regularly. This morning, while listening to another talk-radio program, Lafrankie had a one-minute promo for her show that spoke to the celebration of Thanksgiving.
    I can’t let this one go unnoticed.
    Ms. Lafrankie’s point was that we don’t “owe” the Native Americans any thanks for the holiday, we owe thanks to God. She was explicit in making the point that she did not care that she was being “politically incorrect” by either dismissing the Native Americans or overtly mentioning gratitude to God.
    It’s not the God part that I find misguided…its her dismissal of Native Americans and all they tried to gift us.
    I understand that it was the colonist governor William Bradford who said we should give thanks to God for our bounty and George Washington who made it a national holiday. But to focus on the legalities while ignoring the intent is to miss the point altogether.
    Before we, the descendants of Anglo-Saxon Europeans, arrived in the New World and for some time thereafter, Native Americans were planting and harvesting crops with consciousness while educated European adventurers were sailing the globe…pillaging and destroying the cultures and lands they “discovered.” Each of the Native American tribes had a cultural understanding of and profound respect for all of Nature and Her creatures. It was with gratitude that they planted, with gratitude that they reaped, with gratitude that they hunted, and with gratitude that they consumed. They had an inherent knowing about the connectedness of all things…as well as an appreciation for the part each plays in the overall balance and harmony of our world.
    Beginning with those first explorers and settlers, right through to today’s advanced technological society, we have failed to accept the gift Native Americans tried to pass on and, instead, banished them to a footnote in our minds as well as in our history books.
    Life is a continuum on the way to eternity and, sooner or later, all things come ’round again. So here we are.
    Having raped the land, squandered natural resources, devalued animal life and desecrated the environment all in the name of progress, enlightenment and a more civilized culture, we none-the-less continue to question how this imbalance came to be.
    If I had gotten the job I suggested, instead of Suzanne Lafrankie, the promo for my show this morning would have conveyed a different message, for sure.
    I would have said that Thanksgiving is one day, of a possible 365 days, when we can literally stop the “needing” and the “getting” to express our sincere gratitude for all of the wisdom gifts we have been blessed with and to reflect upon all of the ones we ignored in the name of progress.
    My hope for a Thanksgiving message is that we learn to recognize what matters in the moment, rather than in hindsight. However, because it really is “better late than never”…my heartfelt gratitude to the Native Americans who endured great hardship for shining a light upon the path we were too blind to follow.  
    History cannot be re-written but the Now is full of possibility.

>    I will match my love of animals against anyone else’s…any time… anywhere. Mine is borderline irrational (to which my husband and daughter will attest). So it comes as a surprise, to no one more than me, that I would be making a suggestion that advises a nation to lower the status of a particular breed of animal, yet that’s what I am about to do none-the-less.
  It is estimated that somewhere between 60 to 115 million children are working as slaves India. That was million. This fact and the difficulty of how to deal with it was brought to light today when it was reported that Gap, the largest clothing manufacturer in the world (also owner of Old Navy and Lands End) had been guilty of using child slave labor in India to manufacturer some of it’s upcoming Christmas clothing.
    In all fairness to Gap, it’s President Marka Hansen said that the garments had been made by a subcontractor whose general contractor had violated Gap Compliance Rules by hiring the sub.  Ms. Hansen also went on to say that no clothing made in a sweat shop in New Delhi would be sold. In fact, the clothing in question has been destroyed, according to Ms. Hansen.
    This is not an article about the pros and cons of outsourcing or corporate responsibility. Not that these aren’t worthy avenues to pursue in this matter. This is my personal anguish over a nation…it’s government and parents alike, who would literally bow down and honor a Brahman bull while turning a blind eye to the selling of it’s children into slavery.
    I am not about to tell anyone else how to worship Creator or what the path to an enlightened consciousness should be. But I do feel the need to address a perverse system of prioritization that would value a cow more than a child. At the very least, let’s equate them.
  Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world and one of the oldest. Almost 900 million of its one billion adherents live in the Republic of India.Under Hinduism all animals, including livestock (cattle
and buffaloes), are sacred and must not be killed because this results in
ill health or bad luck for individuals and is an offense to the community.
    Since we are talking about a religion here, I think it would be wise to focus on what might be an offense to God.
  Children sold into salve labor might be a good start.
    The problem in India is many faceted, I am certain…the least of which is not the governments refusal to enforce the national and international laws that prohibit child labor. However, with most change, it will not come from organizations but rather from individuals.
    Parents and adults in whose care these children originate are responsible for changing the way things are in India. There is no justification for selling any human being…let alone a child…for any reason. Humans are not property. They are created in the image and likeness of God. To claim religion while violating the rights and demeaning the value of any individual is hypocrisy at its worst. One cannot invoke Creator and in the same breath devalue that which It has created.
    Many religious practices, of various religions, have long ago lost their way and been misused to control and breed, if not fear, compliance in the minds and behavior of believers.
    I feel comfortable in saying that a nation, be it of the East or the West, that can in the name of God honor it’s livestock and torture it’s children is a nation in peril.
    Those who do not actively participate in injustice, but who instead turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, are in peril as well. The children of India belong to humankind and are, therefore, our children as well. They are in our care as surely as they are in the care of their parents.
    All life is sacred regardless of species. May those in India who are closest to this tragedy remember that fact the next time they step aside for a bull on the way to sell a child.

> President Bush is meeting this week with the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.  The meeting will take place not in the West Wing where the President usually meets with heads of state and dignitaries, but rather in the residence quarters. The “downgrade” appears to be an attempt to placate the Chinese who are enraged at the meeting. China has claimed Tibet as a part of China for years, while Tibetans claim sovereignty during much of the same time period and seek it still.
    This morning, Conservative radio talk show host Glenn Beck was mocking the Dalai Lama’s well known smile and joyous demeanor by saying, “Well, that’s really working for him, isn’t it? Tibet still isn’t free.” Mr. Beck, it should be stated, is generally a hawk on military matters as he believes we are living in the “End Times” and Armageddon is just a Mullah away. He further believes that the only acceptable Presidential candidate in 2008 will be one willing and able to “pull the trigger” so to speak to take out the bad guys when they come for us.
    So, it’s no surprise that he misses the meaning behind the smile.
    I have never been in the presence of the Dalai Lama, nor do I know if Mr. Beck has. But I have been in the presence of a Buddhist master. His very presence and countenance so affected me that for days following that meeting I not only felt calmer, more centered and closer to the concept of world unity, but those around me visibly noticed and commented on my own changed behavior.
    I have also been in the presence of countless politicians, local and national. I have never felt calmer, more centered or more united with humanity as a result nor have those meetings ever had any lasting positive effect upon me.
    Mr. Beck’s implication is that a smile and joyous inner sense of peace will not help the world situation in any significant way. But aggression and war, the modus operandi of the politicians and people in power, have never helped the world in any significant way either and they’ve had their crack at it for at least 2000+ years now. So, before we are so quick to write off the smiling monk, perhaps we should give joyfulness and love of humanity a try.
    It’s often said that we in the West do not understand that the “bad guys” have a long range plan fostered with patience because they believe their “mission” is ordained by God.  
    Now I don’t know for sure, and this is only a guess, but I believe that observation is also applicable to how the Dalai Lama must feel about his “mission.” He too has a long range plan that is fostered by patience and ordained by a higher power.  
    If I were a betting woman, I’d place my money on the Dalai Lama and others like him. There are more and more of us re-awakening from a long, delusional sleep to the power of positive thoughts, good deeds, right speech and a joyous countenance.
   Personally, I believe in a Creator. And if truth be known, I’d place yet another bet. I bet the intention in creating All That Is, if in fact we could see that intention, would look exactly like the smile on the Dalai Lama’s face.
    I think I just heard a voice say, “Pay the woman.”
   
   

>    I will admit at the outset that I have aways been more of a mystic than a religious person, although I was born and raised in Conservative Judaism. My father, a financially active member of our synagogue, did a yeoman’s job in raising a substantial amount of money to build the synagogue’s Frank Lloyd Wright designed new building. Shortly thereafter, he forever abandoned his synagogue attendance (except for weddings and funerals) when the synagogue began charging for High Holy Day seats by location…most expensive seats closest to the bima (stage) and decreasing in price as distance from it increased. He also had a minor problem with a neighbor who walked to synagogue on the Sabbath in strict observance of the prohibition not to drive, but who was less than ethical the other 6 days of the week in business.
    I grew up pursuing my own spiritual journey. I explored, intellectually, several religions while ultimately gravitating back toward mild Jewish observance as a single woman in my early thirties. When I married a non-Jew in my early 40’s, my husband later converted to Judaism (of his own accord) and he…then we…became Orthodox in observance. After several years his Orthodoxy waned as did mine. Today, we attend synagogue as a family on High Holy Days, mainly as continuity for our daughter’s sake.
    Personally, I remain the mystic I have always been. Which brings me to this week.
    It’s Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and the 10 days of Repentance, culminating in Yom Kippur. In Torah (the Five Books of Moses) Rosh Hashanah is a “one day” holy day. Outside of Israel, it has been for centuries, a “two-day” holy day, mandated by Rabbinic law, not Torah law (there’s a lot of that in Judaism). This year I observed the first day of Rosh Hashana but not the second.
    So it came to be that on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashana I was driving home from food shopping when I passed by the synagogue as it was ending morning services. As I watched the congregants walking either to their cars or walking home, I experienced a twinge of guilt for where I was as opposed to, perhaps, where I should have been. But as I continued to look at all the men and women exiting the building, I was struck by how similarly all the women were dressed and how similarly all the men were dressed. It occurred to me that so many people follow what they are taught, and what they see, without ever questioning why.
    And I was reminded of how important intention is to prayer.
    In Judaism, intent is called kavanah. It’s the sincerity and focused intention one brings to the effort to connect with the Divine. Without kavanah, prayer is pretty much an exercise in futility. When we proceed on a spiritual path simply, or primarily, because others before us have proceeded upon that path, without questioning why or whether it rings true within our own hearts, we are abdicating our uniqueness and the role each of us plays in reuniting the world in Oneness. It may be that a well worn path can serve us on or journey, but it may be equally true that it may not.
    The true spiritual path leads inward. It is a solitary journey that requires kavanah…focused, joyful intention…no matter what path you choose. Lacking that, one defaults to the status of “imitator” who blindly follows the group up ahead, regardless of whether or not they are heading in your direction.
    There are  many paths to Oneness. A connection to the Divine is not the sole prerogative of any one of those paths. When the connection is made, it’s unmistakable, whether it’s your own or that of another.
    The first day of Rosh Hashanah, as I sat in services, two young Orthodox men assisting with the formalities of the service were truly ecstatic in their devotion and joy. They were both inspiring and magnificent to watch. Their connection through their chosen path was undeniable. While their path is not mine, I delighted in being able to witness their experience. I have such moments myself walking in the woods listening to the Divine in Nature.
    Imagine if each of us could likewise both allow and celebrate the diverse paths that are available as ways to connect with God.  We’d likely be too busy being ecstatic and joyful to have much time (or desire) for judgment and separation…the two most commonly traveled paths to war.
    L’Shana tova. May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a year of health, prosperity and peace.

> Today is the Jewish holiday known as Tish B’Av, or 9th of the month of Av, which commemorates the destruction of the second Temple in ancient Israel. It also signifies the consequences of moving far afield of the consciousness and behavior set forth in Torah, the Five Books of Moses.  
   It is my personal approach to look behind the “stories” and “drama” of my religion (all religions, actually,) to seek out the subtle and most instructive teaching. For me, Tish B’Av is a reminder that it is our connection to Source, combined with our commitment to our highest selves, that sustains us and brings joy to our existence.
   Each of us knows in our hearts and minds when we are thinking, speaking and acting in ways that elevate both our own existence as well as the existence of others, and the earth generally. When we lie or gossip or pollute or think jealous thoughts or participate in deception(of self or others) we literally feel badly. 
   I have heard that there are only two feelings. One feels good and one feels bad. Of course, we have many names for versions of each, depending on the event and circumstances causing it. However, fundamentally, there are only two. Together, they represent an advanced and accurate guidance system that, through feeling, reflects back to us whether or not we are thinking or behaving in a way that supports the best of what we are capable of. Our feelings are in place to reveal what our minds have a tendency to obscure.
   Today, on Tish B’Av, there is collective mourning for the destruction of the Temple. But the real mourning is for how far the people strayed, through their choices, from the calling that is both our birthright and our goal.  That calling is the same for each of us. It is to create through our thoughts, words and deeds, a reality that supports growth, exhibits compassion, fosters individuality, and honors the Source of All That Is.
   As I reflect on this special day, my sadness is not for the lost Temple but rather for what it represented…a direct connection and clear awareness in understanding that what each of us chooses, and how we act upon those choices, literally co-creates the world in which we find ourselves.
   In Judaism, joy and happiness are prohibited on this day. But not hope. 
   And so today, as I feel the sadness of the disconnect we create for ourselves when we make choices that feel bad, and then ignore or deny those feelings, I remain hopeful that tomorrow we can “wake up” and begin anew to trust our hearts, our internal guidance systems, to move us in the direction of our own personal calling and highest good.

>  You know the expression “As above, so below?”  It’s often used in relationship to spiritual and earthly matters. Well, this morning I had an insight on this very subject. 
   I suggest you open your mind and hold onto your seat.
   How come the Creation story basically starts with Eve’s causing Adam to see reality in whole new way, thus putting the “fear of G-d” into him (literally!)and getting them both put out of that beautiful place of abundance and harmony? 
   We never question, “Where did that story come from? What preceded it? And most importantly, “What’s the real message”
   Here’s my take on it. 
   In all of nature we see two genders. And we see the necessary combination of them both to create and perpetuate all that is. As above, so below. Therefore, “above” or “preceding” this realty was both Matter and Consciousness. Matter is represented by male energy and consciousness by female energy.  Matter, whose energy is more dense, never had a sense of itself until it developed Consciousness. When it did that, it had its first awareness of Self and was jolted (frightened)by the sheer magnitude of it’s own power. In responding to the “jolt”, Matter reacted with a force equal and opposite to that which Consciousness presented and by so doing, separated itself from itself. For Matter and Consciousness are One.   
   Ever since that occurrence, the Universe has been one of duality, separation and the search for Unity.
   Hence, the Creation Story. When G-d “punishes Adam and Eve and expels them from the Garden” we are being told that ultimate power is so overwhelming that G-d (Creator/Energy) reacted to it in a negative way…thus setting up the reality in which we now live.
   Good news coming.
   Today, around the world, millions of people spent an hour simultaneously reuniting those energies. Separate, they were weakened, tired, and near depleted. Reunited, they now become, each unto themselves and in relation to one another, strong, complete, enlivened and magnificent once again.
   Creator experiences itself through us. We are each Consciousness and Matter. As we understand and accept this fact, about ourselves, our relationship to one another, and to the Source of All… we heal not only this reality but All Realities.
   As below, so above. 
   A New Creation Story.

>The Israeli-Arab conflict is based upon specific ways of thinking about an event in human history. It begins with Hagar and her son, Ishmael, being sent out into the desert by Abraham under the direction of his wife, Sara. By that single act, Arabs believe they were denied something by the Hebrews that would otherwise have been rightfully theirs.
   Similarly, the Jews have their own story. It’s a theme of persecution tat runs strongly throughout the history of the Jewish people as far back as their oppression under the master/slave consciousness of the Egyptians.  Ever since, Jews have been trying to live in peace wherever they reside, only to find what tey see as thousands of years of unending persecution in one form or another.
   If we in fact draw to us, through our thoughts, that which we think about deliberately or by default, then perhaps these two peoples have more in common than they think. 
   And just perhaps, what they are thinking about...and precisely how they are thinking about it, is continually co-creating and re-creating their plight.
   What if Arabs would instead see that their expulsion from Abraham’s home embarked them on a path to unimaginable oil-based wealth given where they finally settled?  What if they used that wealth to continuously uplift and advance their culture?  What if the Jewish people could see that but for their exodus from Egypt, and subsequently imposed limitations by host cultures, they would never have developed priorities focused upon learning and education as a means of advancement. It is that very focus which has caused them to so disproportionately contributed to the scientific, artistic and literary advancement of the world.
   What if these two peoples thought of one another with gratitude for the benefits and opportunities their relationship to one another has provided, instead of looking at one another with fear and animosity?
   You cannot change your history. But you can change how you think about your history and thereby change the story you create around it.
   I prefer to think of the Arab-Israeli relationship as a present opportunity to elevate our consciousness around how we think about their intertwined history and perhaps, by so doing, contribute to assisting them in thinking about it in a new way also.
   I have said it before, but perhaps this is as good a time as any.
   Shalom and Salaam.   
   

>   It’s my birthday so I think it’s a perfectly acceptable day to reflect upon myself. No, not in the 1960’s “it’s all about me, me, me” sense…but in the 21st century “importance of Self-Awareness” sense.
   There’s a big difference, you know.
   Self-absorption is thinking and believing that you are the center of the Universe with total disregard for the rights and considerations of others. Self-awareness is knowing your inherent beauty and unique purpose in the ongoing unfolding of this world then aligning your words and deeds with that knowing. 
   While we all know that right action is a good thing, I’m less certain we grasp the importance of right speech.
   Take, me, for example. I have always loved words. As a child, I literally read everything I could get my hands on. Books, magazines, labels, telephone books…you name it. If I had a few moments to spare and there were words within my reach, I read them. So naturally I grew up with a great vocabulary and an ongoing love of reading. 
   But I also grew up in a house where the last point made in a discussion was the last one shouting. So, while I had an inherent appreciation for words, I was sorely lacking in an appreciation of the importance of tone. For it’s not just what we say but how we say it that creates the total effect. As an adult, I often found people thinking I was mad, or rude, not because of my words…they almost didn’t hear them…but rather because of my tone. 
   In Kabbalah, mystical Judaism, there is the belief that the world was created with the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. Literally. The belief is that each letter is a channel, a frequency, of energy that in specific combinations creates worlds…creates matter. Thus, the “ineffable name of God.” Pronouncing it in correct sequence would invoke more energy than we could withstand. And the Chofetz Chaim, a Jewish Rabbi and philosopher, wrote volumes on the importance of right speech.
   Reading e-mails I often cringe at “e-mail-ese.” Mangled punctuation and grammar for the sake of expediency. And don’t get me started on Instant Messaging or cell phone text messaging lingo. 
   The art of using words is on a downward slide.
   The cure is to know what’s in your heart and express it through the use of words that say precisely what you mean in a tone that can be heard and received by the listener. 
   Remembering that worlds are created by the proper combination of letters plus frequency is a powerful reminder of why this is an art worth saving.
   This morning, on his way to work at 5:30AM, my husband work me up to wish me a happy birthday. He said the words gently, with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face.
   What a beautiful world.
   

>  Two days ago I wrote a blog entry entitled “The Women of Vrindavan” that spoke to the culturally-based ostracism of widows in India. Today, the lead story on CNN is about the horrific practice of female genital mutilation. 
   Both of these stories have a common, and tragic, thread. 
   The common thread is the world-wide demonization and marginalization of the feminine by organized religions and cultural traditions. The tragedy is the effect this view has had on the development of humankind.
   Long before there were patriarchal societies, the goddess, the divine feminine aspect of creation and spirit was revered as evidenced by mythology as well as anthropolgical findings. While I do not know for sure when and where the reversal took place (I’ll leave that to the sociologists and historians), at some point in our history male energy became dominant in both religious and political arenas. The result has been an ongoing attempt over thousands of years to consign females to certain culturally sanctioned roles, and where possible, to exclude them completely from positions of power.
   While what I have described exists globally, it does, admittedly, vary from country to country and culture to culture in the severity of its application. While in some places women can now hold positions of power in both government and organized religion, in others widows are condemned to die in poverty and shame simply for their lack of spouse and young girls have their genitalia barbarically mutilated to “tame their sexual energy.”
   Here’s the irony. 
   We are created in God’s image…male and female alike. What that means is that each of us is comprised of both male and female energies. We know this spiritually and we have proved it physiologically. Each gender has its attributes and its own unique contribution to make to the balancing of the whole. When we discount either gender we deny something essential and beautiful about ourselves, whether we are male or female.
   Because I am a woman, it would be too smug to say that it’s the absence or limitation of feminine energy that’s created all of the violence in the world. I couldn’t know that for sure, anyway. 
   What I do know is that any system out of balance is going to be excessive in manifesting some of it’s aspects and deficient in others.
   Balance is the key.
   What we can do to rectify this error is to first recognize and acknowledge that the devaluation of any of us is to the detriment of all of us. Then, through our words and actions, honor both the feminine and masculine energies that exist in the world, as well as within each of us individually.
   Harmony and balance will pave the way to a world where widows are not shunned for being widows and girls are not mutilated for being girls. 
   And just maybe, a world without violence.