Posted by: Jivani Lisa | December 18, 2011

Belief in Reincarnation, Part 1

Early Christians, for the first three hundred years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, believed in reincarnation – or at least maintained an openness to the concept.  Then, one of the early church councils decided to condemn belief in reincarnation.  Christians were no longer allowed to hold such a belief.  If they persisted in their belief, they were branded as heretics.

In my opinion, this change in doctrine was all about power and control over the people.  The church hierarchy didn’t want people putting off repentance from sinful ways, thinking they could just wait to become “good” and “holy” in their next life.  People were taught to believe they have only one life – so they’d better get it “right” NOW – otherwise, spend eternity in the fires of hell.

I’ve always believed in reincarnation.  As a teen, I read several books on the topic and always sensed they were speaking truth.  In high school (Catholic school!), I did a presentation on the topic of reincarnation.  I still remember how fired-up I was about it.  The presentation was supposed to be five to ten minutes, but I went on for twenty.  My classmates seemed interested and asked many intriguing questions.

Then, for many years, I forced myself to stop believing in reincarnation because I knew Christians weren’t supposed to believe – and I wanted to be a “good” Christian.  I eventually returned to belief because I needed to be true to what seemed correct to me.

At first, this return to belief in reincarnation brought me no comfort.  I’ve always been very sensitive to the pain and suffering people endure in this life.  The pain far outweighs the pleasure or joy, in my opinion.  As Buddha taught, “Life is suffering” – or unsatisfactoriness. 

For me, the thought of having to return to this world over and over again is worse than enduring hell for eternity!  Yet I understand (and believe) that our karma and unfulfilled desires cause us to be reborn in a new body – to give us more time to work out the effects of our past karmas (actions) and to experience the things we desired but couldn’t have in the past.

The only way to become free of the ongoing cycles of rebirth is to purify all the effects of our past karmas (good and bad, helpful and harmful) and to be in a place (mentally and spiritually) where we no longer desire anything this world has to offer – when we no longer say, “If only I could, if only I had, etc.”  We must get to the point where we can die in peace, without even the tiniest regrets or the faintest unfulfilled desires.

Stay tuned for Part 2 – where I will share how reincarnation now gives me a sense of relief, patience, peace and hope.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | December 11, 2011

Spiritual Yoga

I must confess:  Yoga class is a spiritual (even religious) experience for me, even when I’m working as the teacher.  I take it seriously and put my entire heart and soul into it.

For me, the class begins about 30 minutes before the actual start time – when I enter the room and prepare it for class.  I like the room to be a certain way:  Everything neat and clean; mats and props stored in their proper places; lights on a dim setting; calming music playing in the background.  Creating this kind of “yoga atmosphere” provides a pleasant space for my students to enter and prepare themselves for class.

The door to the room is kept open until the class begins.  For me, the act of closing the door is a spiritual experience.  It symbolizes the creation of a sacred space where people feel held, accepted, loved – where the heart, mind and soul can expand without interference.

I choose music to inspire without distracting the mind.  I use a short meditation (usually a quote from a spiritual master) which is read to the class at the beginning and again in the middle of class.  These are intended to help students connect with themselves (and others) on all levels – including the mental and spiritual realms.

As I teach, I have a sense that I’m accessing a universal creativity that comes from God.  It’s delicate, subtle and precious.  I am filled with awe.

I connect to the peace, love and joy of God and then try to share that with my students.  It’s much more than a physical workout.  In fact, for me, the physical part is secondary to everything else that’s going on in the class – within myself and within my students.

Toward the end of class, as students are lying in final relaxation, I often find myself spontaneously moved into prayer for them as individual souls.  Within my heart, I pray for them and for the world.

We conclude class with a sense of wholeness (I even venture to call it holiness) – and a spoken prayer that as we go out into the rest of our daily lives, we may live our lives from our peaceful, loving, joyful center.  For me, that center is God, always with us.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | December 8, 2011

We Can’t Withdraw from the World

If reincarnation is true (and I believe it is), then all those self-righteous religious folks who withdraw from the world to await their admittance into heaven will be in for a rude awakening.  They suspect they’re guaranteed heaven for all eternity – but instead, they get to come back to this world again and again (just like the rest of us).  Wow.  Some of them, if they knew ahead of time, might wish for hell instead.

May we learn the lessons we need to learn in this life.  May we serve in this world with love and true selflessness.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | December 4, 2011

Peace and Praise

I read an excellent article by Rolf Sovik titled, “Call for Peace,” in Yoga International magazine.  In it, he presents traditional prayers for peace in the yoga tradition, including one from the Yajur Veda:

May there be peace in heaven, peace in the skies, and peace on earth.  May all the waters know peace, may all the herbs and plants know peace, may the great trees of the forest know peace.  May all the forces of the universe know peace.  The immense, transcendent Reality [God] is peace.  May all know peace, peace and only peace, and may that peace come unto me.  Om peace, peace, peace.

As I was reading this (for the first time ever), I was immediately struck by its similarity to the Canticle in chapter three of the biblical book of Daniel.  (This exquisite song is not found in Protestant Bibles because the oldest known copies of that section of the book are written in Greek, not Hebrew.  Hence, Protestants reject it as not originally part of Daniel.)  Catholics revere this Canticle and, for centuries, have included it in the Liturgy of the Hours as part of morning prayer on Sunday and feast days.

Here’s a sample of the Canticle from Daniel.  I’m only including parts of it because it’s long.  Note that “bless the Lord” is a way of saying “praise the Lord:”

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.  Praise and exult him above all forever.  Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.  You heavens, bless the Lord…  Sun and moon, bless the Lord.  Stars of heaven, bless the Lord…  Fire and heat, bless the Lord.  Cold and chill, bless the Lord…  Nights and days, bless the Lord.  Light and darkness, bless the Lord.   Let the earth bless the Lord.  Praise and exult him above all forever.  Mountains and hills, bless the Lord…  Seas and rivers, bless the Lord…  All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.  All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord…  Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord…  Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord…  Praise and exult him above all forever.

To me, the similarity between the Vedic and the Biblical prayers is uncanny.  They look at creation from three different levels:  universe/divine; the earth; and human beings.  We pray them on all levels simultaneously.  Sovik notes that the Vedic prayer, “comes to us from a time in which the cosmos and the lives of individual beings were seen as inherently parallel and interwoven.”

God (the transcendent Reality) is the source of peace.  This peace is indescribable – completely beyond our intellectual understanding.  When we experience this peace, we can’t help singing praise within our soul (the Canticle of Daniel); we can’t help wishing this peace for ourselves, all people, all beings and all of the universe.

This reminds me:  About three years ago, while in deep prayer and meditation, I realized if all beings, all creation, stopped its busyness and centered all attention, love and reverence on God, the created world would come to an end.  It would have served its ultimate purpose – voluntary return to the Lord.  When all of creation praises the Lord, peace reigns everywhere.  Amen.  Aum….

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | November 27, 2011

Visits From God

Today, I heard a great homily (Catholic version of a sermon) about inviting God into our lives and making room for Him.  It’s certainly true that many people don’t even bother to invite God in and don’t care.  But what about us seekers who long for some kind of connection to God? 

God has a way of showing up when we least expect Him.  On the other hand, sometimes we call and call to Him – but He never seems to answer.  In both cases, we need to be sure that we’re truly making room for Him in our lives.

Are we setting aside time to be in silence and solitude where it’s easier to hear the voice of God within us?  Do we meditate on God?  Do we pray, not just for ourselves when we want something or in petition for loved ones – but in thanksgiving and praise?

I say I’m a true believer in the power of prayer and meditation, but if I’m honest with myself, I admit I don’t always make time to commune with God.  It’s a simple thing, yet I allow life to be complicated and distracting.

My problem is that I often feel disappointed with God and life.  This keeps me from even trying to connect with Spirit.  But I want to do better!

John and I just started reading a book by Ronald Rolheiser called, The Shattered Lantern: Rediscovering a Felt Presence of God.  He talks about how even believers and followers of organized religion seem to live their lives as if God doesn’t exist because they never actually sense His presence. 

As John and I read and spend more time in prayer/meditation, I’ll be sure to share any insights on this blog.  May we all long for God and know how to entertain Him in our hearts!

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | November 25, 2011

Kinds of Laziness

When I’m working, I’m always working hard.  I believe in doing my very best in all my endeavors.  However, when I’m not working, I tend to judge myself as being lazy.  I often wonder how I can be hard-working and lazy at the same time.  John feels the same way about himself.  I wonder if everyone feels this way?

In Pema Chodron’s book, The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times, she discusses three kinds of laziness.  I could immediately see all three forms in myself:

1.  Comfort orientation.  This is when we crave pleasurable sensations, when we want to relax and take life easy.  We become aggravated by any inconveniences or uncomfortable experiences.

2.  Loss of heart.  We feel hopeless about our life, our situation, the world, etc.  We feel too weak and poor to do much of anything.  Sadness overtakes us.

3.  Resentment.  We hate the world and feel defiant.  We essentially give up on life because we feel undervalued – and believe that our work won’t get us anywhere anyway.

Some possible solutions to these forms of laziness are:

* Noticing and stopping our negative, critical thoughts and feelings about ourselves, other people, and the world.

* Stopping our tendency to justify to ourselves that “this is just how I am.”

* Investigating our deep feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.

* Discovering what it is that we really need (rather than “want”).

* Asking ourselves why we allow our dissatisfaction and boredom to continue.

And I believe, as Joseph Campbell says, we should strive to “follow our bliss.”  When we’re pursuing activities and goals that inspire us, we can’t help being motivated.  We can make time for rest and relaxation without falling into a love of ease which can evolve into laziness and even depression.

Let us look for ways to compassionately care for ourselves and others, especially during this busy holiday season.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | November 20, 2011

Sister

She saw herself as better than Mother Teresa

          about on a par with St. Teresa of Avila.

She claimed to be called by God to found a hermitage for women.

Pope John Paul II declared, “God bless!”  A tornado uprooted trees

          but spared buildings.

Surely, these miracles were proof of God’s favor?

 

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | November 18, 2011

Yogic Effort

Yoga (as a physical and a spiritual practice) teaches us that right effort without attachment to goals leads to mastery.  This means we must learn to put in the appropriate amount of effort – not too much and not too little – and yet give up our expectation of a particular outcome.  We should avoid falling into the extremes of either laziness/hopelessness or extreme ambition/over-achievement.

There have been three major points in my life where I put in a huge amount of effort toward a certain goal and then found myself crushed by defeat.  The first was in 7th grade.  I decided to try-out for the 8th grade cheerleading squad.  I worked my tail off during the group practice sessions and at home; I even helped some of the other girls who looked up to me for guidance.  We knew only eight girls would be chosen.  On the day of try-outs, I did my very best and felt confident afterwards.  The “winners” were announced the next day at school.  I can still remember sitting at my desk counting the names as they were announced.  One, two, three… eight.  I wasn’t chosen.  I sat in shock.  I couldn’t move or eat or speak to anyone.

The second time was right after I earned my BA degree in Anthropology.  I’d already decided to go on for my Master’s, and since I had perfect grades and would graduate with highest honors, I applied to the best school in the United States for Physical Anthropology.  There seemed no need to apply to any others, only the best.  I put my whole application packet together, complete with my excellent GRE scores and my letters of recommendation.  A few weeks later, I received a letter from this prestigious school:  They regretted to inform me that, since they were restructuring their graduate program, they would not be accepting any new applicants for the next year or two.  I stared at the letter in disbelief.

The most recent event was in 2007-2008 when I lived in a religious community.  I’d spent nearly four years and thousands of dollars researching, contacting and visiting various communities.  Finally, I’d found one that would give me (old, divorced and imperfect as I am) a chance.  But the place turned out to be a nightmare.  The superior and the chaplain were anything but holy.  I went there to be devoted completely to God and to advance on my spiritual journey.  My hopes and dreams were blocked and stifled.  My heart was broken.  (To find out more about this, read my posts, “Curiosity Disappoints the Cat” and “My Hermitage Experience.”)

So now my challenge is to work toward my goals without clinging to any particular outcomes.  Right effort helps the mind stay undisturbed by feelings of dejection (caused by the “wrong” outcome) and feelings of pride (caused by an “ideal” outcome).

Our life, our spiritual journey, continues even when we think we aren’t doing what we would like to be doing.  We learn to trust that there is some point to our experiences because they teach us lessons we didn’t even know we needed to learn.  We can choose to be content where we are even if part of us feels exiled from the type of life we would like to be living.  We have faith that we are where we are for a reason.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | November 15, 2011

Circle of Life

The sun and the sea

     create clouds

     create trees

     create oxygen

          the air we breathe

 

 

 

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Posted in Poetry

Posted by: John | November 13, 2011

Full Moon Inspiration

Last night, the eerie light of the full moon filtering through the blinds in our window reminded me of flying under a full moon in the deserts of California.  It was like being in another world.  
 
It inspired Lisa to write some poetry suggesting reincarnation. As we discussed the poetry, she noted,”In other lives, no matter when or where, there would always have been a moon.”

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Posted in Journal entry

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