One of the reasons I go to Amritapuri at this time of year is because I love to be involved in the Christmas musical that is performed on Christmas Eve. During the first three weeks in December, the final touches are made to the script; actors are chosen and learn their lines; musicians and singers learn their songs; costumes, back drops and props are made; sound and lighting are planned for, etc. The list could go on and on. Simultaneously, there are rehearsals occurring all over the ashram.
Here are some photos, taken by various photographers, from last year’s Christmas play. I think they will give you a sense of why I love being part of the process so much. (Click on the gallery to enlarge the photos.)
Even though they may be out of our awareness, I believe we experience magical moments every day. I had two such experiences in the last week.
These are the sights I usually see when I look into my worm bin.
But a few days ago, when I took off the lid, this is what I saw. In the four years I’ve had worm bins this has never happened before. It was such a surprise!
My second magical experience was completely different. After a lifetime of disinterest in football, I became an avid Seahawks fan four years ago. I often watch the games with Al, my ex-husband. It is especially fun to watch them in his apartment because the apartment is not far from the stadium where the games are being held.
Seattle fans are known for being very loud and we can hear them in his apartment. Because there is a 5 to 10 second delay between the time something happens and the time we see it on television, the screaming crowd gives us advance notice of important events. When the Seahawks score, we hear the sound of a cannon prior to seeing the touchdown, field goal or other type of scoring on the television.
When we were watching the game this past Sunday, there was one point when the crowd was screaming extraordinarily loud. I was confused because it was not a reasonable time for a touchdown. Besides, the cannon didn’t go off. What came out of my mouth was “They just got an interception.” I don’t know who was more surprised, Al or me! Me, a person who knew nothing about football four years ago, could sense what had happened from the sound of a crowd a mile away. As far as I’m concerned it was a magical experience.
After I posted Grateful for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, I found a music video of Nimo’s that I hadn’t seen before. That video, Being Kind, may be my favorite. It is certainly what I need to hear and watch during these turbulent times.
I love Nimo’s music and what he stands for. For those of you who are new to him, know that he went to an Ivy League college and afterwards worked on Wall Street. Next, he became a well known MTV Rap star. In his mid-twenties, he realized that the “only path to light was through selfless service to others and his own internal purification.” For the last five-and-a-half years he has been living at the Gandhi Ashram in Gujarat, India. That ashram serves underprivileged children in the slums of Ahmedebad.
Nimo chose the title ‘Empty Hands’, because of the profound wisdom we all can gain when we understand this deeper truth: that we arrive on this planet empty handed and we will all soon leave empty handed. So then, how and in what spirit do we want to spend the time in between?
Empty Hands Music is offered in the spirit of love, peace and oneness. Download the free Empty Hands Music album here.
Here is the Being Kind video. The song’s lyrics will follow the video.
Written and Performed by Nimesh Patel
Beat Produced by Epistra
Song Mixed by Brian Nicholls
(Verse 1)
Well my heart starts sinkin’
And I’m thinkin whats the reason
Why we holding back from being kind
What’s the disease, but then I sense
We are fine, it’ll all happen
One small step at a time
When the world is full of violence
And it needs a little kindness
I just sit in pray in silence
And God shows me the signs
Open my eyes, realize,
We are fine, one small act at a time
Last night I’m walking home
And a homeless man says ‘hello’
With a smile to let me know
That he’s gotta lotta hope
He says have faith, young man, we are fine
The world is kind, one small act at a time
Small acts we do together
Even though may be alone
Changes the world for the better
So we can call it home
And this is life as know
When our hearts are aligned
The magic that unfolds
One small act at a time
(Chorus 1)
Throw your hearts up
Let it fly high
Let your love for all the world
Spread Through the skies
Let it drop down
Let it all go
Spreading kindness to every
Single Living soul
Can you see your love … for me shining through
Cuz what you see in me, I can see in you
And soon enough, you and me … we’ll be outta time
And kindness … will be all we can leave behind
(Verse 2)
Feeling grateful today, Never thought this day would come
Where I would feel it and say, That each and everyone one of us,
Has paved the way doing good and now we’re all just moving up
When I’m kind to you, you pay-it-forward, this is how we build trust
Never had faith, but now I’m seeing you eye to eye
Wanna gift you my life, wanna spread love before I die,
Thank you God … for finally letting me realize
When I serve man, I’m really serving you in disguise
Smiles everywhere, cuz now everybody’s got the bug
Ain’t no life, without the love, if it is, it ain’t no fun,
What we gonna do now, just grab a friend give a hug
Spread it out real wide, so everyone can be touched
(Chorus 2)
Oohhh …
All we can leave behind,
For you and I kindness is all we can leave behind
All we can leave behind
For you and I kindness is all we can leave behind
Ohhh … Behind, Behind, When all is said and done,
Kindness is all we can leave behind
You are probably reading this post because you have a desire to let go of your suffering. This course will consist of 17 lessons, each containing concepts or tools that can aid you in your endeavor. The content is based on a workbook I wrote in 1991. I will be posting a new lesson each Monday.
Suffering, as used in this course, is defined as “extended hurt.” It is “the persistence of painful feelings long after they were provoked.” (Judy Tatelbaum) Letting go of suffering does not mean living a life void of challenges or pain; it means not getting stuck in the pain
People often think of suffering as being prolonged sadness. It can also be prolonged anger or fear. There is likely to be some degree of suffering present whenever we are holding on to the past or worrying about the future.
Suffering is also brought on by the unhealthy behaviors we do in the present, those behaviors that make us miserable.
Be gentle with yourself as you go through the course. Let this be an opportunity for you to experience being successful without expecting yourself to be perfect.
During the first two weeks, you will be gathering information about yourself. You will also learn more about suffering and about letting go. As you complete the exercises, either print the post and write your answers directly on the exercise sheets, or just write your answers in a notebook.
Exercise 1
When you are suffering, it is often important to get help from others as you work to shift the energy. In the boxes below, or in your journal or notebook, write the names and phone numbers of people in your life who might be available when you need support.
Exercise 2
What scares you about letting go of your suffering? Write down any fears that come to your mind, whether they make sense to you or not.
Exercise 3
For the rest of this week, reflect on your answers to these three exercises. Consider journaling about the thoughts, feelings and/or insights that surface as you do that.
See you next Monday for the second lesson.
To find the lessons in this series that have already been published click here.
Last February, I went to a retreat at Loon Lake in British Columbia. There was a big fire in the forest near the lake in 1868. Even though it has been 148 years since that event, it is still possible to find evidence of the scorching.
Helen’s direction for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday is to share a song about gratitude. I was looking for a chance to share another one of Nimo’s Empty Hands Music videos so I’m very grateful she chose that theme.
The song I will share is Grateful: A Love Song to the World by Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod.
You’re my life,
You’re my breath,
You’re a smile
You my guest
You’re the earth
You’re the sun
You’re the grass
You are love
You’re my hands
You’re a bug
You’re my eyes
You’re a hug
You’re the light
In the dark
You’re the spark
You are fun
You’re my mom
You are water
You’re the stars
You’re my daughter
You’re my friend
Till the end
You’re my dreams
You’re my father
You’re the ants on the ground
The miracles that surround
I’m feelin’ it all around
The hemisphere and the clouds
You’re my pain you’re my sorrow
You’re my hope for tomorrow
You’re the strength when I’m hollow
You’re the path that I follow
You’re the blessings that exist
The small things that are bliss
The gift to realize that
Everything is a gift
Chorus:
All that I am
All that I see
All that I’ve been and all that I’ll ever be
Is a blessing
It’s so amazing
And I’m grateful for it all, for it all
Verse 2:
You’re the blessings
Every time I try to count,
You’re the lessons
That l learn
Every time I turn around,
You’re the water when I’m burned
Every time I think I’ve found
Everything I’m looking for,
You’re the sign sayin’
Stop to take a bow
And keep moving forward
And start looking towards your heart,
it’ll open all the doors
And only then you’ll start
To hear the world sing in chorus
With your mind and heart
Aligned in purpose
Everything will feel gorgeous
Chorus:
All that I am
All that I see
All that I’ve been and all that I’ll ever be
Is a blessing
It’s so amazing
And I’m grateful for it all, for it all
Breakdown 1:
Everyday I sit and pray
Cuz what I have is
More than I deserve
Or could ever imagine
How do I give back
To all of this magic
And spread the love
So everybody can have it
Doesn’t matter if I’m rich or poor
If I gotta family or if I’m all alone
Bad things happen I can just complain and moan
But there’s a million things that I can be grateful for
Breakdown 2:
So I lift up my hands now
And I open my heart
And my gratitude goes out
To everything near and far
Final Chorus:
Everything I am
And everything I see
Everything I hope
And everything I dream
Everything I feel
And everything I be
I Look deep down
And feel all the blessings
I’m grateful for it all
It’s amazing
All that I am
All that I see
All that I’ve been and all that I’ll ever be
Is a blessing
Its so amazing
And I’m grateful for it all, for it all
Outro:
You’re the blessings that exist
The small things that are bliss
The gift to realize that
Everything is a gift
Be sure to watch the fun outtakes at the end of the video. You will also be able to download the free Empty Hands Music album should you want to do that.
Are you tired of holding on to the past or worrying about the future?
Have you had your fill of feeling like a victim?
Are you committed to stopping your self-defeating behaviors?
Starting on Monday, November 21, I will be posting one chapter a week (for 17 weeks) from the Letting Go of Suffering workbook I wrote in 1991. If you answered “Yes” to any of the questions above, this upcoming “course” may be instrumental in helping you to make those changes.
This course is meant to increase your understanding of why you are the way you are and to teach you some new behaviors that can facilitate your movement from suffering to joy. Among the areas that will be addressed are:
Identifying Your Vision
Discovering Your Suffering Profile
Stopping Passive Behavior and Critical Self Talk
Using Affirmations and Contracts to Heal
Holding Yourself Accountable
I look forward to the possibility of sharing this journey with you.
In 2009, Seattle FINALLY opened its first light rail line. This photo is of the Mt. Baker station which is a 5-10 minute walk from my house. It is so nice to be able to go the airport or downtown without driving and/or having to find a place to park.
A few months ago the light rail line expanded to Capitol Hill and the University District but I haven’t taken it to either of those places yet.
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”-William Shakespeare
Living, Learning and Letting Go 