Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Eclipses and Celebrations
I have a friend who celebrated the recent lunar eclipse from the roof top of the ashram in India where he and his family have gone to spend the next nine months. As he did his yoga asanas, he could look down on the Saddhus (holy men) performing various religious rituals and devotions in the Ganges just below. One can only imagine the drama of such a spectacle and the intensity of the feelings it aroused.
Another friend climbed with others high up on Mt. Shasta, where they performed various rituals and rites for two whole nights. He described it as a wondrous experience. (Mt. Shasta is a sacred mountain in northern California, about five hours north of San Francisco. The energies there are said to be quite remarkable.)
I did nothing as spectacular as either of these two. In fact, I didn't even know an eclipse was occurring and confess I have no idea what I was doing that night. As much as I applaud their adventuresome spirits, their amazing experiences are not for me. I will have to be satisfied with what I sometimes call "my living room bliss." I resonate with Emily Dickinson: "Some keep the Sabbath going to church/ Some keep it staying at home."
And today, we finally had some sun in San Francisco, which has been foggy and overcast for about as long as any of us can remember. I seized the chance to go for a very long walk out toward the ocean, and there, from a lookout point, bathed my soul in the beautiful azure colors of both water and sky. It was a welcome renewal after so much "indoor" weather.
One can take only so much inner bliss. After a while, one turns outward, looks for more mundane experience in order to allow the "spirit body" to rest. I think it is important not to press too hard on these excursions into the realms of "higher vibrations." After too much honey, one craves plain bread and butter. As one Indian sage put it, "I like the taste of sugar, but I don't want to be sugar."
Another friend climbed with others high up on Mt. Shasta, where they performed various rituals and rites for two whole nights. He described it as a wondrous experience. (Mt. Shasta is a sacred mountain in northern California, about five hours north of San Francisco. The energies there are said to be quite remarkable.)
I did nothing as spectacular as either of these two. In fact, I didn't even know an eclipse was occurring and confess I have no idea what I was doing that night. As much as I applaud their adventuresome spirits, their amazing experiences are not for me. I will have to be satisfied with what I sometimes call "my living room bliss." I resonate with Emily Dickinson: "Some keep the Sabbath going to church/ Some keep it staying at home."
And today, we finally had some sun in San Francisco, which has been foggy and overcast for about as long as any of us can remember. I seized the chance to go for a very long walk out toward the ocean, and there, from a lookout point, bathed my soul in the beautiful azure colors of both water and sky. It was a welcome renewal after so much "indoor" weather.
One can take only so much inner bliss. After a while, one turns outward, looks for more mundane experience in order to allow the "spirit body" to rest. I think it is important not to press too hard on these excursions into the realms of "higher vibrations." After too much honey, one craves plain bread and butter. As one Indian sage put it, "I like the taste of sugar, but I don't want to be sugar."
