My first response was, 'I am no longer American. I am moving to Paris, if the airplane has room on it for my barn and mountain.' Back to reality, I will plot and plan what we all missed that this could have happened, to try to turn things around, (once we truth grieving into production). But today I am still wondering, "How could this have happened?" Lorna
I know, Lorna. It is a powerful shock. I think of myself as a ten year old studying the constitution and the bill of rights. I believed and it made me happy to read the brilliant words of hope and belief in our humanity.
So many of us here, across the pond, had been holding our breath, desperately wanting another outcome for so many reasons. Now we hold our breath again for we know the path of this storm is going to make landfall across the whole world with massive ramifications. But, as Margaret Atwood said: it is not the time for despair. Gotta rise up rooted like big beautiful trees and hang onto the mycelium of collective kindness 💛
I realize that “sitting shiva” is a Jewish reference. But as a long time “Jewbindu” (Jewish/Buddhist/Hindu - heck, Sufi too, making me a Jewdinbindufi - I’d add in Christian and Taoist as well, but it gets a bit complicated), I like thinking of Shiva also as the vast, boundless, limitless, dynamic, radiant Light of Awareness within which the entire universe is situated.
In this sense, “sitting Shiva’ would be stepping back into that open, peaceful, loving, compassionate, infinitely kind, all embracing Awareness “in which” (as St Paul said, quoting a 3rd Century BC Greek poet) “we live and move and have our being.”
Perhaps from that infinitesimally infinite pointless point, we may replenish our being and gain more insight than anything our small minds could ordinarily provide for us!
Yes! I have always correlated sitting shiva with Shiva of our yoga and tantra traditions. Of course I know that they are not the same, but I always felt they were similar in their injunction to sit in the gap; the place of all possibility and no-thing.
Not sure if that was clear. In Indian Tantric philosophy, Shakti is the dynamic energy of the universe, and Shiva is the spaceless, timeless, boundless awareness ecstatically interwoven with Shakti.
Now I”m getting an image of Shiva and Shakti as an old Brooklyn Jewish couple wringing their hands, going, “Vat? Vat ist dis meshuganuh schmeggeh non-mensch all about? Vell, we can kvetch all we want but oy! Vat we should care!???
Thank you Patty. This feels so appropriate as I move through stages of fear and grief over the sadness and ignorance of the people of my country and the decision made. I am sorry but I have to name THIS. Sending love right back. <3
My first response was, 'I am no longer American. I am moving to Paris, if the airplane has room on it for my barn and mountain.' Back to reality, I will plot and plan what we all missed that this could have happened, to try to turn things around, (once we truth grieving into production). But today I am still wondering, "How could this have happened?" Lorna
I know, Lorna. It is a powerful shock. I think of myself as a ten year old studying the constitution and the bill of rights. I believed and it made me happy to read the brilliant words of hope and belief in our humanity.
May we rise up again, soon!
So many of us here, across the pond, had been holding our breath, desperately wanting another outcome for so many reasons. Now we hold our breath again for we know the path of this storm is going to make landfall across the whole world with massive ramifications. But, as Margaret Atwood said: it is not the time for despair. Gotta rise up rooted like big beautiful trees and hang onto the mycelium of collective kindness 💛
Beautiful. Thank you, Beverly.
A little playful punning;
I realize that “sitting shiva” is a Jewish reference. But as a long time “Jewbindu” (Jewish/Buddhist/Hindu - heck, Sufi too, making me a Jewdinbindufi - I’d add in Christian and Taoist as well, but it gets a bit complicated), I like thinking of Shiva also as the vast, boundless, limitless, dynamic, radiant Light of Awareness within which the entire universe is situated.
In this sense, “sitting Shiva’ would be stepping back into that open, peaceful, loving, compassionate, infinitely kind, all embracing Awareness “in which” (as St Paul said, quoting a 3rd Century BC Greek poet) “we live and move and have our being.”
Perhaps from that infinitesimally infinite pointless point, we may replenish our being and gain more insight than anything our small minds could ordinarily provide for us!
Yes! I have always correlated sitting shiva with Shiva of our yoga and tantra traditions. Of course I know that they are not the same, but I always felt they were similar in their injunction to sit in the gap; the place of all possibility and no-thing.
Not sure if that was clear. In Indian Tantric philosophy, Shakti is the dynamic energy of the universe, and Shiva is the spaceless, timeless, boundless awareness ecstatically interwoven with Shakti.
Now I”m getting an image of Shiva and Shakti as an old Brooklyn Jewish couple wringing their hands, going, “Vat? Vat ist dis meshuganuh schmeggeh non-mensch all about? Vell, we can kvetch all we want but oy! Vat we should care!???
🤣🤣 So true! They too are the dance!
Thank you Patty. This feels so appropriate as I move through stages of fear and grief over the sadness and ignorance of the people of my country and the decision made. I am sorry but I have to name THIS. Sending love right back. <3
thank you Patty!
You are so welcome, Jennifer. Thank you for paying attention and being here.